Portland People? (shop, friendly, barber)

[ElphinKnight]

Radio everywhere has taken a hit among younger people, and so radio stations have moved to whatever format draws an audience. Older people listen to the radio more than younger, so they play music to that crowd. Always follow the money. :-)

I am from Michigan, looking to move to Portland, and I have known a few Oregonians. I haven't detected a strong accent, just a very slight variation in how vowels are pronounced which I hear from most people from Denver westward. But then, Michiganians talk through their noses, so who am I to judge? ;-)

[Raillan]

I happen to find the people here very friendly and cordial and polite. I moved here from the midwest almost a year ago. I'm not noticing any accents, though. I'm an african male, and having lived on the east coast, down south, and the midwest, I find that I have never had to try so hard in my entire life, to find people with whom I have something in common, socially ( from the type of music I like, to the foods i like, etc). Most of my professional life I've been one of maybe 2 black people in my department, but at least I had black people to hang out with after work or on the weekends; here, however I am the only black person I see all day, throughout the company, and I have no black friends to hang out with after work. I love my job, and I even like the people I work with, but I fear that I might lose my racial identity. I remember, the first week i was here. I saw a black male, and I asked him about the black churches here and he said he goes to an all-white one. I also asked him where he went to get his hair cut, and he said he goes to a white barber shop. I eventually found a black church on my own. let me stress that I'm not just looking for black people; I'm looking for people that like the same things I like. I have friends at work, who invite me to bars that play country music or alternative, both of which I hate, for example. And I have had no help from my church.

[meltinjohn]

Originally Posted by PNW2007

I was born and raised in Oregon myself, now in my mid-20's I am located in so-called paradise (I like to call hell's island) Miami, Florida. But after living here for 5 years, whenever I go back to the Northwest, I noticed people dress differently. I don't see anything wrong with Oregonians, in fact most people there have great attitudes! Floridians dress in revealing and bright colors, while oregonians dress more conservative. I'm moving back in 6 days though! I hate Florida all together, many here agree. The only snow we see here, is crack cocaine. By the way, all my life I've been trying to correct people, it's ORE-GUN not ORE-GONE!, but so many people on the eastcoast say OREGONE, now I'm confused!

How the hell do you make your way to Miami?
I am from MA originally but live closer to St Pete. St pete is a cool little city but Tampa sucks on the whole. I hate FL on the whole myself. It is not "paradise" by any means. You live near all the drugs in Miami huh?
That crack cocaine joke you made, I digged it. Its not just the crime in FL that makes it a hatable place to be, its everything from illegals to overflooding of northerners, high redneck population and these new neighborhood of make believe subdivisions with yuppies with little bastard kids I just cannot stand. I will sway everyone away from FL if anyone wants to move. I will be doing them a favor lol. I said this in another thread but I think out ****ed up government puts FL on the best places to move list because they want to see more people being wiped out by hurricanes and odds are highest there to be hit so...
Portland Oregon on the other hand tho, beautiful city with a real cool vibe to it. Of course like anything a few sections suck but Portland on the whole is my kinda town and even the outskirts and country is tollerable and weather is certainly loads better. In Portland itself tho, I like how its like you step into a time machine and its like your in 1975. Only time in FL its like your stepping farther back like that is when your in backwards areas lol. On a side note, why the **** did FL get rid of 40 oz beers lol? Its frikken 32s here. What did they think that would change??

[Minervah]

I think Oregonians have an accent but then they think I do too. Some people here have a bit of a Western sounding twang in their speech. The biggest think I notice are pronunciations. In Chicago they say "hammock" here (and other places) it's "hammick."
Then there is "pin" and "pen." 30 years living here and I still can't distinguish between the two when a native says them. Then there are "anyways" and"acrosst."

If you can see Mt Hood "the mountain is out." The ocean is "the beach" even though most people don't swim there. People give directions in miles as opposed to the Midwest where they usually give them in minutes or hours.

When I go back to visit Chicago I can really here the North Side Chicago accent. Of course when I lived there I never did.

[juliempdx]

I'm a native Oregonian as well lived there and then moved to Montana for college, then Idaho, back to Portland and now in Pittsburgh. In two and half years hope to be back in Portland for good. I married someone from New Jersey I don't think Oregonians have accents which is fine by me. Over all I just think people from Oregon are genuinely nice and polite people. I am finding the hard way that people aren't that way on the east coast and most of my new co-workers mock me because I am from Oregon and like to make jokes about how backwoods we are. Funny thing is most of them have never even left PA. Today one of my co-workers told me that I am probably not used to getting as much daylight hours because in Oregon it's dark most of the time during the fall and winter. I had to laugh because she thought that are winters were like Alaska where you don't get any daylight. One of the surgeons I work with even asked me if there were even a million people in Oregon. I don't get why people have this conception of Oregon. Anyway I miss Oregon a lot and can't wait to make a visit home. To all the other natives that posted I'm glad we are all proud to say we are from Oregon.

[Bluesmama]

I'm glad this is intended for the Portland area only and not for the whole state. Because there are variances from this part of the state to the other in certain things.

I've heard about the Portland "accents" but have never been able to detect any patterns. I have a thing for accents. I love to listen to those in the south and up east. Love to listen to Louisianans. I think Portlanders often speak very articulately.

What I've noticed is that Portlanders (natives, and those who have been here awhile) have good complexions, I assume from the cool moisture, and more sun precautions. It may be a little different in Eastern Oregon.

The political climate for most natives and long-term Portlanders is predominantly liberal enough to be characteristic. Again, probably not nearly so much in Eastern Oregon. However, I sense that in prior decades, Oregon was most conservative (and I'd like someone who's been here long enough to either confirm or correct me).

[jread]

I've met many people from the PNW (including Portland) and while there is not a definite "accent", I have noticed that people from the area talk slowly and in a gentle tone. Here in Texas, people are loud and over-exaggerate their words, so it was something very noticeable to me. PNW folks seem to slow down and take their time speaking (I don't mean like Alabama, just not really fast) and aren't overly loud (like in TX or the Northeast).

[meltinjohn]

Whenever I thought of a NW accent, I thought of like when river is mentioned, I saw it being said riverrr like with a heavy r at the end or say like how BIll Walton talks or Jesse Ventura. Kinda like those accents I picture a northwesterner to sound like.

[Leisesturm]

Originally Posted by Raillan

I happen to find the people here very friendly and cordial and polite. I moved here from the midwest almost a year ago. ... I eventually found a black church on my own. let me stress that I'm not just looking for black people; I'm looking for people that like the same things I like.... I have friends at work, who invite me to bars that play country music or alternative, both of which I hate, for example. And I have had no help from my church.

I doubt this forum can help you. Maybe you have noticed that there aren't a lot of individuals that self-identify as 'African' (American) or Black posting to the Oregon forum. That last line 'I have had no help from my church' is telling. If you are in a congregation of largely African "Americans and still are having trouble connecting with people that like the same kind of music, etc. then it might just be time to move again or simply call it 'as good as it gets', if that is in fact, the case. I cut my own hair which solves the barber issue. Unlike yourself I don't have a problem with country music in small doses and I actually like alternative, classic-rock, jam rock, etc. Since you are able to actully get along and socialize with others of different races you have the battle more than half won. You must have known coming in that Oregon wasn't a place where blacks outnumber members of other races. At least you have found the one part of Oregon where there is actually something that can be called a black community. That doesn't seem to be as important to me as it is to you probably because of our age differences. I am willing to bet I am more than twice your age. Bottom line, it doesn't get better than north east Portland for what you are looking for.


H

[Bluesmama]

Originally Posted by Raillan

I happen to find the people here very friendly and cordial and polite. I'm an african male, and having lived on the east coast, down south, and the midwest, I find that I have never had to try so hard in my entire life, to find people with whom I have something in common, socially ( from the type of music I like, to the foods i like, etc). I have friends at work, who invite me to bars that play country music or alternative, both of which I hate, for example. And I have had no help from my church.

First of all, which area of Portland do you reside in? And what are you tastes and interests?