Visiting PDX right now (considering a move) and wondering what I'm missing (person)

[tablemtn]

You might want to look into some of the "science pubs" held around town. Those feature lectures on topics in science and technology, and tend to attract a fairly educated crowd.

Many are listed in Willamette Week, which is a free weekly newspaper you can find around town.

Some are also listed here:

Portland - upcoming events

[Isotope-C14]

Originally Posted by seain dublin

LOL..... I used one example. We lived in Portland over two years and on a daily basis I found the drivers great.
After a few weeks I noticed, the drivers here are very courteous. They do the speed limit, use turn signals, and let you into traffic.
Try driving in Florida for awhile...especially Miami..they actually hit moving cars and keep going.
And if you hate slow left lane drivers you would love it here...it is either an senior doing 30mph in the left hand lane when it is 45mph OR someone doing 65mph when it is 45mph...no one here seems to be able to just drive the speed limit.
They drive as if they're the only car on the road...it is beyond frustrating.
Prior to coming to FL.....I enjoyed driving.

So, you are surprised when some retired person is driving slow in Florida? Apparently you are putting the "duh" in Flor-I-Duh. Try driving in Florida sometime? They hit cars and keep going? Isn't that what happened to you in Portland? Or is the fact the "Vancouver" old lady stopped long enough to make you think she was courteous? You might be getting your states and towns mixed up, which would not be shocking but perhaps I didn't use enough emoticons.

Originally Posted by seain dublin

If you hate Oregon so much, why are you still there??????

I return to Chicago the day after tomorrow, because Portland overall is a terrible place to live, boring and full of apologists and socially dysfunctional xenophobes with maturity levels rivaling third graders, but notably not reaching fourth grade. I think honestly BFE Iowa is more cultured. Why bother reading the previous posts in this thread before submitting your astute opinion here, where I state that I have the JOY of moving back. I had the pleasure of talking to one of the few intelligent educated scientists that I have the privilege of knowing here and she confided in me tonight for the first time how jealous she is that I have this opportunity to leave this foul dank hole that is this state. She hates it here too, and asked what kool-aid everyone else is drinking to make them think this is paradise.

Originally Posted by seain dublin

And what is your point about Vancouver???? You have a huge chip on your shoulder.

Oh yes, *I* have a chip on my shoulder because I've got the issue with the fact that the state of Oregon and town of Portland proper is full of rednecks, strippers, hicks, the homeless and drug addicts. Oh for joy, I can get a doughnut with fruit loops glued to it. Isn't that weird and interesting? Oh save a place in line for me so that I can get a Chinese character tatt on my arm! I'll be an individual then!!! I know what will make me feel better about Portland, I'll drive around Portland in a Subaru and keep my bike in the garage just like everyone else! I'll hop right on the bandwagon and tell absolutely everyone how green I am while I buy REI/North Face clothes that are made in slave labor camps in China! That will totally prove my carbon-balance. Yeahhhh... Portland has it all, except critical thinking...

Originally Posted by seain dublin

My point was an elderly woman from Vancouver( who proably should not have been driving...FL is filled with them) hit our car and then took off.
I just mentioned she was from Vancouver because thanks to the people who got her license plate we were able to track her down.
THANKS to the people of Oregon(who do go out of their way to help strangers) two cars stopped as did a clerk in a store who came out to see if we were ok.
Down in here in FL( the land of "me first") it would be highly unlikely anybody would come to your aid.

I miss that about Oregon.
And I miss the better drivers.

I unfortunately must surmise that you are a terrible driver, and I won't apologize for historically tailgating you on 5 and then passing you on the right and hitting the brakes until I'm going 35 after merging in front of you in the far left lane. Needless to say I'm sure I'm just pissing off a transplant with gold and blue oregon plates. I'm aware that it is considered courteous and kind to create traffic hazards and to drive in the far left lane and drive below the speed limit. After all this uninformed rube Oregonian I know (notably who isn't from Portland but from the southern part of the state), after driving in France for two weeks who normally commutes about six hours a week here told me Friday that he desperately wants to move to France after realizing that people don't drive like self adsorbed jerks there. I figured France would be a terrible place to drive but apparently Portland/Oregon has France beat for worst drivers in the world. Congrats, as you need something to be proud about.

[Isotope-C14]

Originally Posted by Leisesturm

I get that you have a beef with PDX. Don't drag me into your war with 'apologists'. Look at my post history. At least I have one, this is not some ID I fire up when I want to take shots at a town... or people. I am not who you think you are addressing. I post very little in Oregon or Portland these days. If you don't agree with my points about drivers in Oregon, take it up with the AAA. They are among the large number of reporting agencies that list Oregon at the top of state rankings. Why don't you use this user ID and report back on how different driving is in Chi town. I wouldn't know. I am not from Chicago, I am from NYC. It is on the East Coast last time I looked at a map. I have, however, spent time in he Michigan, and both you and phxbelle (if she decides to go that way) can enjoy Midwest winters with my blessing. Me, and mine will enjoy the rain and clouds and relatively mild winter temps and our car lite lifestyle will benefit from the excellent public transportation and bicycle and pedestrian friendliness.

H

I have no problem with "the City of Portland". It's the people that are hopelessly boring and one sided. Basically you meet one and you've met the majority save the few who realize they can say what they *really* mean to you. I'm sure you'd be shocked at how many people truly hate the social environment of Portland. I make it pretty apparent socially and as a result I do have quite a few more friends here than I was expecting.

Oh sigh, I don't have enough posts to make sure all of your fluff posts make my opinion valid. Spoken like a true myopic. I have more posts than you, wahh wahh.

I should look to the AAA for how I should interpret bad driving? Really, perhaps you should get economic data from only the FED. Personal observations are terribly inaccurate. Especially after sitting for 45 minutes to go 3 miles to an exit off of 5. I'll remember to call AAA next time and tell them that their traffic demographics suck.

No wonder why "Portlanders" are insular and clueless to me and many others I've met here just get tickets or jobs out of here the second they can, they whine about the weather if it's cold, they whine if you have a different point of view and overall whine if anything doesn't fit in a very small minded and notably white worldview. Let's just complain at someone when there is a poignant topic that has re-iterated the statement, "Portland isn't for everyone", make sure you do the research before moving here cause the overall data suggests that this place sucks, except to those moving from even trashier places. Portland is really the Detroit of the west coast.

In another thread I read about you and realize you don't drive? Is this true? With such expertise I'd figure that you would be an invaluable source for first hand data of driving, since you and AAA are like so tight, but since you spray your opinion on forums, which I'm sure in no way is meant to bolster the number of posts to make certain everyone knows how much "you rock", I'd figure you would only say if you were truly a commuter by car. If you are a commuter on bike, you should probably make that point obvious, or are you a Subaru bike commuter. "I don't bike when it rains man, don't you know how much an REI vest costs?!?!".

Thanks for the good laugh before I leave town, I'll still happily check this forum when I see that someone might make the mistake of moving to this craphole of a state and/or wretched city of Portland.

[BPLive]

Originally Posted by sciencelady

Portland is really the Detroit of the west coast. I'll still happily check this forum when I see that someone might make the mistake of moving to this craphole of a state and/or wretched city of Portland.

Is it really the Detroit of the west?

I'm just wondering, seriously, are you overweight? are you mad at the bikers and health freaks?

[Isotope-C14]

Originally Posted by BPLive

Is it really the Detroit of the west?

I'm just wondering, seriously, are you overweight? are you mad at the bikers and health freaks?

Are you mad that someone might be smarter than you? I own a bike. I rode it 11 miles today. Does physical activity trump intellectual advancement?

Orreeeeyyygunnnnnyans hate intelligence, which is why it such a crappy place to live. Especially if you know anything about elsewhere.

[Isotope-C14]

Originally Posted by BPLive

Is it really the Detroit of the west?

I'm just wondering, seriously, are you overweight? are you mad at the bikers and health freaks?

Are you mad at Michael Jordan for being a better athlete? I think that he might slam dunk you better.

Is he going to complain when someone who is really smart can cure or rapidly diagnose his cancer is "too smart".

Insular Oregon. Enjoy. Is there any way you can be "voted out of the union" that would be a hella show.

[BPLive]

Great you rode 11 miles. Ah just wondering why you are hostile... just wanted to help.

Can you give an example on how Portlanders 'hate intelligence' ? maybe you have a hard time making science minded friends ?

[Deezus]

Originally Posted by Isotope-C14

No wonder why "Portlanders" are insular and clueless to me and many others I've met here just get tickets or jobs out of here the second they can, they whine about the weather if it's cold, they whine if you have a different point of view and overall whine if anything doesn't fit in a very small minded and notably white worldview.

No, it's mostly the recent transplants to Portland that whine...The few native Portlanders mostly go about their lives quietly with a mild contentment while the transplants from the Midwest and Northeast bicker about why this place didn't add up to the fabulous stories they heard from their college buddies back home. And real Oregonians never complain about the weather.

Portland is really the Detroit of the west coast.

Care to expand on that statement? Because honestly as someone who grew up in the Bay Area and has family in some real crapholes in California, you probably aren't that knowledgeable about the West Coast if you actually believe a statement like that.

Orreeeeyyygunnnnnyans hate intelligence, which is why it such a crappy place to live.

Well, you sound particularly brilliant with a statement like that.

Look I'll be the first one to admit that Portland is quite overrated these days, but you just seem bitter... Lemme guess, you're another transplant who bought the hype and was disappointed when they didn't immediately make friends while they carried about with their sense of superiority, all the while acting as if all local Oregonians are hicks and waxing poetic on how back home is so much more urban and exciting than Portland. You're as much a cliché as the mythical "Subaru Bike-Rider" stereotype you profess to hate.

[sayulita]

Originally Posted by Isotope-C14

I return to Chicago the day after tomorrow, because Portland overall is a terrible place to live, boring and full of apologists and socially dysfunctional xenophobes with maturity levels rivaling third graders, but notably not reaching fourth grade. I think honestly BFE Iowa is more cultured. Why bother reading the previous posts in this thread before submitting your astute opinion here, where I state that I have the JOY of moving back. I had the pleasure of talking to one of the few intelligent educated scientists that I have the privilege of knowing here and she confided in me tonight for the first time how jealous she is that I have this opportunity to leave this foul dank hole that is this state. She hates it here too, and asked what kool-aid everyone else is drinking to make them think this is paradis
.

Need any help packing? Ride to the airport? Anything?

[JakeDog]

Hyperbole exists on both sides when it comes to Portland. If you like to hike, ski, fish, and have city amenities, but don't need true BIG city amenities, Portland is a great place. The hipster drug stuff is depressing, rampant, and unfortunate. The biggest minuses, in my view, is how difficult it can be to make new friends and the weather really blows. People in the Northwest are similar to people in Finland/Sweden- polite, but shy and stand-offish. As far as the weather goes, you cannot really get a feel for it unless you have experienced an entire year of it. But the downtown is good, not bad in my opinion.