Help a writer understand Portland more (power lines, for rent, hotel)

[LarissaAnn]

Hi everyone,
I'm a Washington native so I've been to Portland a few times, just quick visits though.

I am currently writing a book that takes place there and was wondering if any Portland natives could just jot down their feelings or observations of living in the city. Tell me about the good, the bad, describe the ambiance from a native's eyes, especially the things or places non-natives might not know. Do you enjoy the place or wish you could just get out?

Especially as my book is a young adult novel, I would love any input on Portland teens you can offer. What as a whole are they like, where do they go, what do they do for fun etc?

Thanks everyone!

[khyron]

Originally Posted by LarissaAnn

Hi everyone,
I'm a Washington native so I've been to Portland a few times, just quick visits though.

I am currently writing a book that takes place there and was wondering if any Portland natives could just jot down their feelings or observations of living in the city. Tell me about the good, the bad, describe the ambiance from a native's eyes, especially the things or places non-natives might not know. Do you enjoy the place or wish you could just get out?

Especially as my book is a young adult novel, I would love any input on Portland teens you can offer. What as a whole are they like, where do they go, what do they do for fun etc?

Thanks everyone!

You should try to pick up a "Finder," it's an annual special issue of the newsweekly Willamette Week. You can order them online, or possibly get someone in Portland to send you one for free (they're free when they come out). It's packed with the kind of information you'd benefit from, and between that and web sites and some maps (also available for free) you'd have everything you needed to "set" a story in Portland pretty convincingly.

Also, if you're interested in watching documentaries about Portland, check out this thread: //www.city-data.com/forum/portl...-portland.html

[Minervah]

Here's an award winning documentary from a little different perspective. If you have On Demand or streaming HBO you can watch this video. I don't know if it's available for renting.

HBO

[take57]

"It was a dark and stormy night..." would be applicable descriptive phraseology to employ.

[urbanlife78]

You could always try living in Portland to get a first hand experience, that is what Chuck Palahnuik did with one of his books. Though he painted a picture of Portland that no longer exists.

What is the book about? Does it focus on anything specific or a specific part of Portland?

[EnricoV]

Chuck Palahniuk lived in Portland, because he lived in Portland (actually, still lives in the metro area). The book he wrote about Portland (Fugitives and Refugees: A Walk in Portland, Oregon) was part of a project that the publisher did, getting authors to write about their hometowns. I disagree that the Portland of the book no longer exists. It very much does. I happen to know someone in the book.

To the OP - yours is a tough question to answer. It's so open ended. We'd really need to know some specific questions, or situations, I think, to better answer.

[Larry Caldwell]

Originally Posted by take57

"It was a dark and stormy night..." would be applicable descriptive phraseology to employ.

The weather isn't that bad, though December is pretty dark and rainy, while January is a little drier but colder. One thing most people don't mention is the east wind out of the Gorge, which can be very cold. Cold air flowing out of the gorge at ground level and warm, wet air off the pacific can lead to freezing rain. The rain falls through the cold air. Sometimes it becomes supercooled, and you can actually hear the "crack" as it flashes to ice when it hits something, like car windshields, power lines or the sidewalk. Ice storms mostly hit in January or early February. February also always gets at least 10 consecutive days of sunny weather, though if the wind is from the east it can be cold.

[take57]

Originally Posted by Larry Caldwell

The weather isn't that bad...

“The first rule of fight club is, you don't talk about fight club.”
- Chuck Palahniuk

[urbanlife78]

Originally Posted by take57

“The first rule of fight club is, you don't talk about fight club.”
- Chuck Palahniuk

When I use to work at a hotel in Portland and someone out of town would ask me if it is always raining here I would always say yes, and that it is really depressing which causes us to drink a lot.

[hamellr]

Try YouTube

portland oregon - YouTube