Three Months So Far..and counting.. (Portland, Beaverton: living, Whole Foods, suburban)

[jjpop]

Originally Posted by Yankeemama

I think it was I that said that and I just moved from the trendy inner NE to Beaverton. I was at Trader's here in Beaverton the other night and noticed an African American yuppie type guy and an Asian American yuppie type guy on the sidewalk. That was a very uncommon scene in my old hood. There wasn't a great deal of middle to upper middle class minorities in inner Portland. My family feels very at home out in the WA County suburbs as the races, ethnic and religious groups live pretty well together in the SAME middle to upper- middle class neighborhood. Imagine that!:smack. Oh, and I live next to Republicans too!

I think it was you, Yankeemama, in a previous post. Thanks for the reminder My experience where I live has been good. It's definitely a neighborhood with a mixture of affordable apartments and solidly middle-class homes. In our neighborhood we don't invite each other over for dinner much, and maybe that's a Portland thing, but we are all friendly to each other and know each others' names.

For people who say "I don't want to live in the suburbs", I think they need to explore Portland's suburbs more. Yes, we have the typical cookie-cutter subdivisions that you would find in any large city, but many suburbs consist of quaint downtowns and older housing stock that's not like what you would find in other cities. Portland is often thought of as a city comprised of distinct neighborhoods centered around business districts and I think that extends out to some locations in the suburbs.

Will you find high-rise South Waterfront-style living in the suburbs? No. Anything like the Pearl? Again, no. But there's a lot out here that's pretty darn similar to a vast swath of the east side of Portland. Minus, of course, the trendiness (but I think even that is changing as the population grows). I will say it is definitely much more car-centric in the suburbs than it is in the Portland city limits, but that's not to say you couldn't find something close to a Max line or a frequent bus line.

[Yankeemama]

Originally Posted by jjpop

I think it was you, Yankeemama, in a previous post. Thanks for the reminder My experience where I live has been good. It's definitely a neighborhood with a mixture of affordable apartments and solidly middle-class homes. In our neighborhood we don't invite each other over for dinner much, and maybe that's a Portland thing, but we are all friendly to each other and know each others' names.

For people who say "I don't want to live in the suburbs", I think they need to explore Portland's suburbs more. Yes, we have the typical cookie-cutter subdivisions that you would find in any large city, but many suburbs consist of quaint downtowns and older housing stock that's not like what you would find in other cities. Portland is often thought of as a city comprised of distinct neighborhoods centered around business districts and I think that extends out to some locations in the suburbs.

Will you find high-rise South Waterfront-style living in the suburbs? No. Anything like the Pearl? Again, no. But there's a lot out here that's pretty darn similar to a vast swath of the east side of Portland. Minus, of course, the trendiness (but I think even that is changing as the population grows). I will say it is definitely much more car-centric in the suburbs than it is in the Portland city limits, but that's not to say you couldn't find something close to a Max line or a frequent bus line.

I just moved to an area of Beaverton where I can walk to businesses. I could take a bus to PSU, Nike Campus, and I drive my hubby to the Tri- Met so he can get to te airport. I enjoy many local Portland businesses out here like Pizzaicato, Le Provence, New Seasons and we are getting our own trendy businesses out this way such as the shopping area in Cedar Hills. I am dying to try the sausage place there and I am loving the SW/ Beaverton outpost of the Tokyo ramen place. I can't think of the names of these places right now but they are near the Market Of a Choice, which is very nice. We also have Progress Ridge which is close by, where Le Privence and Cinetopia are located next to the New Seasons. I also enjoy having Washington Square Mall close by, too!

[thedownlow]

Originally Posted by ericspence

Sometime in January 2015, I was given an opportunity to be part of a starter group for a new, PDX branch for my company. We are based out of Maryland and this would be our 5th office: Columbia, Maryland to cover the east, Richardson, Tx to cover the south, Indiana the Midwest, and Portland to cover the west. I've visited Seattle a few times in the past and thought it to be okay. What made me move here initially was the exquisite beauty of this area--almost heaven-like.

I looked forward to it with great anticipation! I even bought some hipster glasses and Portlandia wear.

Three months so far and what I have gotten is: the feeling that I'm a scary guy. I honestly feel like people are afraid of me.. and it's not once in a while, it is all of the time on a daily basis. I'll list daily examples:
1)People run away or feel afraid of me if it is dark out.
2)I nod "hello" sometimes and people generally look down or away.
3)Librarians--near my apartment--treat others with a smile and respect, but they seem to go out of their way to avoid me.
4)No one ever sits next to me on the bus.. even if it is crowded. I take public transportation because it is cheaper than parking downtown ($5 vs $13).
6)The few times that I have gone out at night, I will come across random people that talk to each other. Trying to make new acquaintances, I might say something.. they completely ignore me and walk off.
7)Women are absolutely afraid of me here..

In 42-years, I have never felt so excluded as I have felt here. I never thought of myself as a scary person ever.. until now. I have a masters in electrical engineering and make decent money, i try to help and be kind. Makes no sense to me why all of this is happening. And the worst part is that no one will tell me.. if I did anything wrong, if I smell, if I look horrible. I feel fine and I take care of myself, so I am not sure what to make of this. It is mildly traumatizing.

As soon as the my contract is up, I am moving back. This is my purgatory.

This is the most unfriendly, weirdest place I've ever lived too. You're not the only one planning a way out!

[pdwpdx]

It's not just you. That's how people are here. So many are unfriendly, antisocial, don't make eye contact or say hello, don't reach out to or acknowledge others, and are inconsiderate.

[urbanlife78]

Originally Posted by pdwpdx

It's not just you. That's how people are here. So many are unfriendly, antisocial, don't make eye contact or say hello, don't reach out to or acknowledge others, and are inconsiderate.

Or what some people would call introvert.

[Sunderpig2]

It's more than just being introverted. Introverts tend to avoid striking up conversations and such, but once initiated in conversation, they will usually open up and talk.

What's discussed here is an uncomfortability to communicate at all, and an urge to retreat into the shadows. It might be normal and common in Portland, but it would be considered odd and strange in many other areas of the country.

[urbanlife78]

Originally Posted by Sunderpig2

It's more than just being introverted. Introverts tend to avoid striking up conversations and such, but once attention has been drawn to them, they will open up and talk.

What's discussed here is an uncomfortability to communicate at all, and an urge to retreat into the shadows.

Well there are different levels to introverts, not everyone is the same, though I do like not having to strike up a conversation with someone just because we are near each other.

[pdwpdx]

Originally Posted by urbanlife78

Well there are different levels to introverts, not everyone is the same, though I do like not having to strike up a conversation with someone just because we are near each other.

Yes, you would prefer to converse in the total anonymity of the Internet.

[urbanlife78]

Originally Posted by pdwpdx

Yes, you would prefer to converse in the total anonymity of the Internet.

Sure, it is nice, if I want to talk to someone, I will hang out with my friends rather than strangers on the street or random neighbors I don't talk to. As a matter of fact, if I get my errands done today, I might see if a buddy is up for a beer.

[ericspence]

Originally Posted by jjpop

I'm curious, OP, where your office is? Which bus or Max line you take to work? Where you hang out that you're around so many jerks? You don't have to give specifics, just general area of the city/Metro area.

Not that long ago somebody posted that they could go days without ever seeing a black person, which seemed odd to me because that's not at all my experience in the burbs. If I remember correctly, that poster lived someplace on the inner NE or SE side of Portland.

I've heard enough individuals discuss racism in the Portland Area on this board this summer that it concerns me. My initial reaction is to jump to the "We're not racist!" defense, but who am I, as a white dude who's approaching AARP-membership age, to say that racism doesn't exist here? I don't have the experience that others have, period. So I need to open my mind to what others are saying when they say that Portland has a racism problem.

Downtown, about a mile from PSU, actually. And the 12 line is my commute.

I don't care to give out anymore detail than that.