What I Love, Hate, Like, Dislike about Portland Oregon (Lake Oswego: car registration, inspection)

[EnricoV]

Originally Posted by PNW-type-gal

you have to have been here long enough. "Lake No Negro" and "Sucker Lake" are both stabs at what some people see as the pretentiousness involving a former agricultural flushing channel, dammed up to make a lake with high-end houses built on lake dredge-fill. Those terms are 30+ years out of date.

I've lived here all my life (over 50 years, I'll admit to) and have, also, never heard it referred to in that way. And I grew up across the river, on the low-rent side of the Willamette.

Anyway, I don't think it's a "long enough" kind of thing, it seems more to be the circle you travel in.

[pdxMIKEpdx]

Lake No-Negro, Too-all-Latino, Hills-burrito (or Barrio), Vantucky, Crackamyass, and Incestacada have all been around for years and years.

Sucker Lake is what Oswego Lake in the town of Lake Oswego was named before the area became posh.
Documented History.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oswego_Lake

[EnricoV]

Because they have existed, does not mean they are in common usage. I've never heard any of the ones you listed used by anyone in my presence. Not anyone.

[PNW-type-gal]

Originally Posted by EnricoV

Because they have existed, does not mean they are in common usage. I've never heard any of the ones you listed used by anyone in my presence. Not anyone.

The person I learned the terms from lived in Lake Oswego from before it WAS Lake Oswego, just Oswego.

[imphouse]

I started reading at the beginning of this thread and find some of the dislikes, frankly, amazingly trite. Obviously a lot of posters have never lived in other cities, if these are their dislikes! Dang. No idea how good they have it!

My family and I just moved here from the Los Angeles area. My husband was born and raised in California, and I lived there for 7 years. Before that, I was in Austin, TX for 8 years. And I grew up in Ft. Worth, TX (age 2-18). I've also spent large chunks of time in San Francisco (my 2nd choice next to Portland - but SO DARN EXPENSIVE!!!), San Diego, Denver, Boston & Washington D.C.

Perhaps it's just a matter of personal opinion, but Portland is an amazing city all around. And I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to having 4 seasons, without the horrible, horrible (HORRIBLE) heat and humidity of TX summers!

We did not move here without a LOT of thought - we have a 2 1/2 year old, and have been looking for a place to raise him for 2 years now. The Los Angeles area is probably the worst place to raise kids on the entire planet. I just don't have enough words to express how crappy that place is. Yes, there are some amazing cultural positives (the Getty Center, Huntington Library, Museum district, etc, etc) and beautiful scenery & beaches, but overall, it's a total hellhole. Great & exciting for singles, horrible for families. And talk about rudely passive-aggressive - don't even get me started.

Anyway, Portland topped our list for these reasons (and more that I'm not thinking of):
- all the amenities of a large metropolis without it taking 5 hours to get anywhere = big city with a slower pace (not everyone charging around like rats with the main goal of getting from Point A to Point B)
- super family friendly; there's even a bar with a whole playroom for kids! (Aztec Willie's on Broadway)
- great public transpo (well, at least compared to LA or anywhere in TX - not gonna compare to East Coast cities - but it snows there & summers are yucky, so those were off the list from the get-go)
- more parks & rec space per capita than any other city in the U.S. - Washington Park is the most awesome green space I have ever seen in a city
- simply fantastic food, coffee, beer & wine
- low cost of living, comparative to most other metro areas - especially LA
- we don't have to shovel our driveway in winter
- summers without A/C won't kill us (people literally die in TX without A/C)

Let me just say that the sense of community I already feel in Portland is astounding, especially when coming directly from a suburb of LA, where we didn't even know our neighbors (and we lived there for 7 years). We have been renting a townhouse out in East Portland, on the border of Gresham, while we search for a house. While I can't personally stand suburban life (talk about passive aggressive!!), Gresham has more of a community and family-friendly atmosphere than I ever experienced in our LA suburb.

And we've just entered Escrow on a house in the Mississippi area of North Portland! Cannot wait to get into it! Love that area. We've visited the city 5 times over the past year, for 8 days at a time, to get a feel for the different neighborhoods. Almost from the start we could tell we were meant to be on the East side. Love the Alberta area, but it was a little too far from the MAX for me. Hawthorne is nice too...as is Ladd's Addition and Alameda/Beaumont...and many others. But we decided on Mississippi because it's just beginning to grow and we want to get involved in that.

It's probably too early for me to give any sort of lists, other than what attracted us to the city in the first place, so there ya go.

...But for the record, I absolutely LOVE the government mandated full-service gas option (creates jobs & I don't have to get out of my car AND I'm not even supposed to tip them - totally cool with me!)...and I also love that everyone drives a little slower and doesn't honk when the light changes

I also love that yearly memberships for our entire family (plus 2 guests) to OMSI, the Portland Children's Museum, and the Oregon Zoo COMBINED are cheaper than 1 Disneyland membership!

[imphouse]

Oh, and the Saturday Market! I can't forget that. We've been 4 times, each with different weather. All 4 times have been awesome - really happy people, great food & fun play for my 2 1/2 year old - the fountains are super!

Of course I know it's not perfect a perfect city - none are. Some people will be crappy no matter what, times will be hard everywhere, and many will never appreciate what they have. But I hope I never start taking this city for granted.

[TDNY]

Originally Posted by EnricoV

Because they have existed, does not mean they are in common usage. I've never heard any of the ones you listed used by anyone in my presence. Not anyone.

I'm a total newbie and I've heard most of those. "Incestacada" was what I was told the first time "Estacada" came out of my mouth. Of course, I pronounced it Estacahda.

[khyron]

Originally Posted by imphouse

I started reading at the beginning of this thread and find some of the dislikes, frankly, amazingly trite. Obviously a lot of posters have never lived in other cities, if these are their dislikes! Dang. No idea how good they have it!

My family and I just moved here from the Los Angeles area. My husband was born and raised in California, and I lived there for 7 years. Before that, I was in Austin, TX for 8 years. And I grew up in Ft. Worth, TX (age 2-18). I've also spent large chunks of time in San Francisco (my 2nd choice next to Portland - but SO DARN EXPENSIVE!!!), San Diego, Denver, Boston & Washington D.C.

Perhaps it's just a matter of personal opinion, but Portland is an amazing city all around. And I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to having 4 seasons, without the horrible, horrible (HORRIBLE) heat and humidity of TX summers!

We did not move here without a LOT of thought - we have a 2 1/2 year old, and have been looking for a place to raise him for 2 years now...

Originally Posted by imphouse

Of course I know it's not perfect a perfect city - none are. Some people will be crappy no matter what, times will be hard everywhere, and many will never appreciate what they have. But I hope I never start taking this city for granted.

You know what I love about your comments, besides the enthusiasm and detail? My wife and I feel exactly the same way, yet we come from a totally different kind of area (east coast and midwest) and have a whole other set of "reasons" of our own...and Portland still comes out irrefutably on top. It's just that kind of town. You're right, of course this sort of thing is purely a "matter of opinion" but I have to say, some of the overly critical and even damning opinions I see voiced against Portland tend to come down on the "poorly informed" side from what I've read here over the past few years. That's fine, everyone's entitled to their voice, but I definitely agree with you that often (not always) some of the critics here seem to lack considerable perspective. Still, criticism (especially constructive rather than trolling) is one of the many reasons this town rocks the way it does so I'd never encourage someone to hush up...just to seek ways in which to apply their concerns in a way that has the potential for continual positive change.

One of my favorite things about Portland is that among all the other kinds of folks that seem to flock to it, there are a lot of talented people who are fairly obsessed with keeping the city someplace people want to be. That sort of culture is infectious in the best way.

[EnricoV]

Originally Posted by TDNY

I'm a total newbie and I've heard most of those. "Incestacada" was what I was told the first time "Estacada" came out of my mouth. Of course, I pronounced it Estacahda.

Well, I guess you just must travel in more hip circles than I do. We've always managed to just call most places by their names. Maybe it's popular usage amongst newcomers?

[TDNY]

I'm not claiming to be hip at all, and I heard the terms from natives. Some of them have lived in Oregon longer than you.

The Lake No Negro thing came from a super hip (?) 73 year old.