<strong>Hmm, I'm neither a tree hugger nor a pothead, but I really like Portland. And it's not just the tax-free shopping!
And Powell's is wonderful.</strong><hr></blockquote>
If you don't mind me asking, what is it that you find enjoyable about Portland? I guess having lived here all my life, I notice things that people that don't live here wouldn't.
<strong>If you don't mind me asking, what is it that you find enjoyable about Portland? I guess having lived here all my life, I notice things that people that don't live here wouldn't.</strong><hr></blockquote>
I guess that makes a difference. People that have lived in one city all their lives tend polarize towards love or hate for the place.
I don't know why I like Portland so much? The architecture? The open streets? The trees? And I'm not a tree hugger. There are some great stores. I like the people, too. I'm kind of committed to staying in New York for most of the year, but am seriously tempted to buy a place in Portland for the times I can get away.
I'm not really disagreeing with your sentiment, though. There are a lot of tree huggers and potheads. It's the schools, you know. A couple of friends are at Evergreen up in Olympia. Now that's a seriously whacked out college...
G4dude, I know exactly where you live . . . in fact, ask your mother where she bought her Oriental rugs, or had them cleaned . . . I have probably been in your house delivering these rugs. . . .and your neighborhood is hardly the 'city' rather its your typical white bread upper-middle class neighborhood and quite a remove from the city itself.
your take on Portland is tainted by never having lived anywhere else . . and its easy to have a teenager reaction against the place that you live especially when it has a strong specific character. When you live in another city for a while, then you might find that you can appreciate why Portland is such a great place . . . . sure its small, and it sometimes feel like you will go insane with all the dark clouds and rain . . . but it is an excellent mid-sized city; its clean, it used to be pretty well-off economically, it has a very strong regional and somewhat nationally recognized art scene, and it has diversity of lifestyle; intelligent people, and a broad range of types . . . . its downtown is walkable and not dominated by strip malls and actually has a life about it . . . unlike the majority of mid-sized cities in the US. its close to the mountains, lakes, and the ABSOLUTELY most beautifull landscape of a desert in the world!!!!!!!!!!!! and, you can drive to the coast spend the day and be back that evening. If you're a tree hugger there are a lot of trees to hug . . . if you hate nature then stay in the city.. there are great bookstores POWELLS! good theaters where you can have a slice O pizza and drink a beer while whatching a decent second run movie . . . and if you are not eighteen-nineteen and having your phase of reaction against anything remotely remeniscent of the Greatfull Dead, then you can eat a great burger (or veggie) drink a great micro brew, and eat a super great basket of fries at a MicMinnaman's pub) its a great city.... try living soemwhere else for awhile and see
<strong>G4dude, I know exactly where you live . . . in fact, ask your mother where she bought her Oriental rugs, or had them cleaned . . . I have probably been in your house delivering these rugs. . . .and your neighborhood is hardly the 'city' rather its your typical white bread upper-middle class neighborhood and quite a remove from the city itself.
your take on Portland is tainted by never having lived anywhere else . . and its easy to have a teenager reaction against the place that you live especially when it has a strong specific character. When you live in another city for a while, then you might find that you can appreciate why Portland is such a great place . . . . sure its small, and it sometimes feel like you will go insane with all the dark clouds and rain . . . but it is an excellent mid-sized city; its clean, it used to be pretty well-off economically, it has a very strong regional and somewhat nationally recognized art scene, and it has diversity of lifestyle; intelligent people, and a broad range of types . . . . its downtown is walkable and not dominated by strip malls and actually has a life about it . . . unlike the majority of mid-sized cities in the US. its close to the mountains, lakes, and the ABSOLUTELY most beautifull landscape of a desert in the world!!!!!!!!!!!! and, you can drive to the coast spend the day and be back that evening. If you're a tree hugger there are a lot of trees to hug . . . if you hate nature then stay in the city.. there are great bookstores POWELLS! good theaters where you can have a slice O pizza and drink a beer while whatching a decent second run movie . . . and if you are not eighteen-nineteen and having your phase of reaction against anything remotely remeniscent of the Greatfull Dead, then you can eat a great burger (or veggie) drink a great micro brew, and eat a super great basket of fries at a MicMinnaman's pub) its a great city.... try living soemwhere else for awhile and see</strong><hr></blockquote>
I agree with you about the proximity to the mountains, definately a plus. And central Oregon is one of the most beautiful places in North America. If anyone here hasn't been there, I highly reccomend a vacation to someplace like Bend, OR.
Back to Portland. Maybe it's the fact that I like driving a car in a non car friendly city? I dunno. I think I'm more of the type of person that wants to live in the suburbs. The weather really gets me down too. I'm actually not that far from the "real city" and I have to go through it every day to go to school, so I'm not completely ignorant on the subject. One thing I also dislike about Portland is everone has the same general beliefs. Everyone is liberal. Try finding a Republican in Portland, it's almost impossible. I think political diversity is very important for a city and we have almost NONE.
Some very good points borught up by many in this thread, however, overall this city is far too liberal for my tastes. Like I said, i love the climate, and the sceneryis beautiful. But i am not interested in the "scene". I can go to Saturday Market and hang out maybe one a month or so before I get sick of it. (Interesting, but you meet some very weird and odd people there) Powells is a great book store, McMinnamins (SP) is a good pub, and Stark Street Pizza is some of the best in the City, next to Papa's that is. (and I do not mean Papa Murphys either)
The beach is pretty close, you can go skiing for day, the river is there (although swimming is out, far too polluted for that).
And the no sales tax is just wonderful.
But it is hard to enjoy it all sometimes with all the weird people that I have run across and the sad political landscape we have here. Property taxes are skyrocketing, and even when we vote down the MAX Mass Transit, twice, they put it in anyhow. Grrr. It is a frustrating city full of many contradictions and it becoming less worthwhile to stay here all the time. I would move if I did not have great job. (another of the good parts of this city, great jobs, when you can find them)
But it is hard to enjoy it all sometimes with all the weird people that I have run across and the sad political landscape we have here. Property taxes are skyrocketing, and even when we vote down the MAX Mass Transit, twice, they put it in anyhow. Grrr. It is a frustrating city full of many contradictions and it becoming less worthwhile to stay here all the time. </strong><hr></blockquote>
Exactly!!!! The light rail thing really pisses me off. We keep voting it down and they keep building it anyway. This city is a virtual dictatorship.
Comments
<strong>Hmm, I'm neither a tree hugger nor a pothead, but I really like Portland. And it's not just the tax-free shopping!
And Powell's is wonderful.</strong><hr></blockquote>
If you don't mind me asking, what is it that you find enjoyable about Portland? I guess having lived here all my life, I notice things that people that don't live here wouldn't.
<strong>
I know what you mean about Portland. Exactly what you mean... <img src="graemlins/oyvey.gif" border="0" alt="[No]" />
But I like the climate.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Finally!!! There IS someone else in this city that agrees with me after all!!!!
<strong>
Liberals + Conservatives + The general voting populous = sheep...gullible moronic sheep.
We vote and the idiots who win just keep making things worse for us and better for them and their constituents.
@_@ ]</strong><hr></blockquote>
**** YOU. You're ignorant, stereotypical, and foolish.
Isn't that their purpose?
<strong>If you don't mind me asking, what is it that you find enjoyable about Portland? I guess having lived here all my life, I notice things that people that don't live here wouldn't.</strong><hr></blockquote>
I guess that makes a difference. People that have lived in one city all their lives tend polarize towards love or hate for the place.
I don't know why I like Portland so much? The architecture? The open streets? The trees? And I'm not a tree hugger.
I'm not really disagreeing with your sentiment, though. There are a lot of tree huggers and potheads. It's the schools, you know. A couple of friends are at Evergreen up in Olympia. Now that's a seriously whacked out college...
your take on Portland is tainted by never having lived anywhere else . . and its easy to have a teenager reaction against the place that you live especially when it has a strong specific character. When you live in another city for a while, then you might find that you can appreciate why Portland is such a great place . . . . sure its small, and it sometimes feel like you will go insane with all the dark clouds and rain . . . but it is an excellent mid-sized city; its clean, it used to be pretty well-off economically, it has a very strong regional and somewhat nationally recognized art scene, and it has diversity of lifestyle; intelligent people, and a broad range of types . . . . its downtown is walkable and not dominated by strip malls and actually has a life about it . . . unlike the majority of mid-sized cities in the US. its close to the mountains, lakes, and the ABSOLUTELY most beautifull landscape of a desert in the world!!!!!!!!!!!! and, you can drive to the coast spend the day and be back that evening. If you're a tree hugger there are a lot of trees to hug . . . if you hate nature then stay in the city.. there are great bookstores POWELLS! good theaters where you can have a slice O pizza and drink a beer while whatching a decent second run movie . . . and if you are not eighteen-nineteen and having your phase of reaction against anything remotely remeniscent of the Greatfull Dead, then you can eat a great burger (or veggie) drink a great micro brew, and eat a super great basket of fries at a MicMinnaman's pub) its a great city.... try living soemwhere else for awhile and see
<strong>G4dude, I know exactly where you live . . . in fact, ask your mother where she bought her Oriental rugs, or had them cleaned . . . I have probably been in your house delivering these rugs. . . .and your neighborhood is hardly the 'city' rather its your typical white bread upper-middle class neighborhood and quite a remove from the city itself.
your take on Portland is tainted by never having lived anywhere else . . and its easy to have a teenager reaction against the place that you live especially when it has a strong specific character. When you live in another city for a while, then you might find that you can appreciate why Portland is such a great place . . . . sure its small, and it sometimes feel like you will go insane with all the dark clouds and rain . . . but it is an excellent mid-sized city; its clean, it used to be pretty well-off economically, it has a very strong regional and somewhat nationally recognized art scene, and it has diversity of lifestyle; intelligent people, and a broad range of types . . . . its downtown is walkable and not dominated by strip malls and actually has a life about it . . . unlike the majority of mid-sized cities in the US. its close to the mountains, lakes, and the ABSOLUTELY most beautifull landscape of a desert in the world!!!!!!!!!!!! and, you can drive to the coast spend the day and be back that evening. If you're a tree hugger there are a lot of trees to hug . . . if you hate nature then stay in the city.. there are great bookstores POWELLS! good theaters where you can have a slice O pizza and drink a beer while whatching a decent second run movie . . . and if you are not eighteen-nineteen and having your phase of reaction against anything remotely remeniscent of the Greatfull Dead, then you can eat a great burger (or veggie) drink a great micro brew, and eat a super great basket of fries at a MicMinnaman's pub) its a great city.... try living soemwhere else for awhile and see</strong><hr></blockquote>
I agree with you about the proximity to the mountains, definately a plus. And central Oregon is one of the most beautiful places in North America. If anyone here hasn't been there, I highly reccomend a vacation to someplace like Bend, OR.
Back to Portland. Maybe it's the fact that I like driving a car in a non car friendly city? I dunno. I think I'm more of the type of person that wants to live in the suburbs. The weather really gets me down too. I'm actually not that far from the "real city" and I have to go through it every day to go to school, so I'm not completely ignorant on the subject. One thing I also dislike about Portland is everone has the same general beliefs. Everyone is liberal. Try finding a Republican in Portland, it's almost impossible. I think political diversity is very important for a city and we have almost NONE.
[ 06-10-2002: Message edited by: G4Dude ]</p>
Some very good points borught up by many in this thread, however, overall this city is far too liberal for my tastes. Like I said, i love the climate, and the sceneryis beautiful. But i am not interested in the "scene". I can go to Saturday Market and hang out maybe one a month or so before I get sick of it. (Interesting, but you meet some very weird and odd people there) Powells is a great book store, McMinnamins (SP) is a good pub, and Stark Street Pizza is some of the best in the City, next to Papa's that is. (and I do not mean Papa Murphys either)
The beach is pretty close, you can go skiing for day, the river is there (although swimming is out, far too polluted for that).
And the no sales tax is just wonderful.
But it is hard to enjoy it all sometimes with all the weird people that I have run across and the sad political landscape we have here. Property taxes are skyrocketing, and even when we vote down the MAX Mass Transit, twice, they put it in anyhow. Grrr. It is a frustrating city full of many contradictions and it becoming less worthwhile to stay here all the time. I would move if I did not have great job. (another of the good parts of this city, great jobs, when you can find them)
<strong>
But it is hard to enjoy it all sometimes with all the weird people that I have run across and the sad political landscape we have here. Property taxes are skyrocketing, and even when we vote down the MAX Mass Transit, twice, they put it in anyhow. Grrr. It is a frustrating city full of many contradictions and it becoming less worthwhile to stay here all the time. </strong><hr></blockquote>
Exactly!!!! The light rail thing really pisses me off. We keep voting it down and they keep building it anyway. This city is a virtual dictatorship.