What I Love, Hate, Like, Dislike about Portland Oregon (how much, home)

[Juxtaposition109]

Likes: Portland is a beautiful city/ Portland is a very safe city/The mountains here offer awesome outdoor activities (When weather permits)/Portland has a strong sense of community compared to other cities I've lived in/The public transit system here is awesome/The city has a lot of character as far as neighborhoods, buildings, hills, bridges, and markets

Dislikes
Portland is the most non diverse city I've ever lived in yet everyone who is from Portland thinks it's so diverse/Oregonians in general seem to love getting overly offended about everything/The weather is lousy most of the year, I get so tired of hearing, "Just wait for the summer."
Portland's lack of crime causes most of the local population to whine about things that most people would never think about in other cities. They are able to do this b/c they don't have to worry about getting robbed or carjacked.
The drivers in Portland (Mainly of Subaru's and Prius vehicles) go about 10 mph under the posted speed limit. It's not that hard just go.
Portland is a very isolated city. It reminds me of the rural area of Kentucky that I grew up in in the fact of there is no other close population to keep it in check.
The whole Portland/Oregonian pride thing gets old. If something is that great it you will know and no one will have to tell you. (This also goes for Texas) No one cares that your a native Texan or Oregonian.
The gas pumping thing is ridiculous. You could get it done yourself so much more quickly if you didn't have to wait on someone else to do it.

[rhodan653]

Likes: Great access to the outdoors, it's a very safe city, it's a great size(not too big, not too small), the focus on local/sustainable means great farmer's markets, great beer culture, scenic beauty is unrivaled, easy access to coast, uncrowded beaches, laid-back work culture, mild temps in winter and awesome weather in summer, Powells Books, public transportation, food carts

Dislikes: likes to be "green" for image more than for a tangible societal benefit, people in Portland display "green" labels like a fashion statement, lack of political (and societal) balance, winter grey can suck the life out of you, poor economy/no jobs and ingrained suspicion of "business", slow/distracted drivers, legislated full-service gas pumps, high cost of living/high taxes

[2bpurrfect]

Originally Posted by bledsoe3

A gift card to Micky D's?

hey, that is such an awesome idea! gift cards of every kind are usually sold in fred meyers or large grocery stores. one would have to deliberately go in to buy it , then give it to some homeless person. a little unusual, as it's more usual to be asked on the spur of the moment, to donate.

just so no one misunderstands, I would like to help lots of homeless people to get housed: and yes, Oregon in general and portland, were rated at the highest numbers of homeless per capita, i think it was for the January 2009 homeless count conducted by HUD. But new numbers are out from t his january, so I will try and get those soon if i have time!

[2bpurrfect]

Originally Posted by dlb8685

Go easy on the homeless. For real.

I live in Chicago and I'd be lying if I said it wasn't annoying to be hit up for loose change or more 5-10 times/day, but after seeing how most people treat the homeless, I try to find it in my heart to keep my pockets empty. I see a lot of people who stand at the same corner day after day, all day, hustling change. Literally like it's a job. If that's the best someone can do, and they can put in that kind of effort, I will help them out.

i have to tell you what i found out. that some of the "homeless" who are panhandling (anywhere) actually aren't homeless, they simply are panhandling for a living. which may be the only thing they can do- it makes some people a good lower middle class income. These people used to be called beggars, hundreds of years ago. So, it would be nice if there was housing for all the homeless, then we would not have to try and figure out whether the beggar is genuinely homeless or not. Because there wouldn't be any homeless. And you could just tell them to go up to the Y and get taken care of, without feeling terrible.
On the other hand, I am sure some of them or many, are in real dire straits need. In which case I wish Portland and Oregon would get their act together! the government, I mean. Please don't say that we are good to our homeless, because the government isn't , they fail miserably in providing for them and in keeping the excessive new dirt-poor immigrants out. So those immigrants use up a lot of the benefits....i could go on.

[2bpurrfect]

Originally Posted by rainierman

Love: Very close-knit and active business community. Lots of chemistry & osmosis going on.
Hate: Inconsequential agendas & interventionist mindset hiding under a cape of 'social justice'.
Like: Excellent restaurants, bars and shopping.
Dislike: Chicago-style politics and resume-trolls. You vote NO? 'They' find another way to pass it anyway, because they sold a promise to the highest bidder, add bullets to their record as they run for another political office, leaving you with the tax burden for something nobody really wants to begin with but looks very nice on paper.

Portland is a very oligopolistic city within business & government, like a circle of cartels. So in order to best enjoy & benefit this city, you have to pick your poison. Business or government? In this city, there is no such thing as both even if 'they' say so.

umm, without going into it, i have noticed the backroom deal atmosphere here, in terms of spending government money and it ends up benefitting the buddies and contractors etc more so than the public/ people intended...... this is definitely a huge problem for instance, with reducing the problem of growing numbers of homeless. The money is there, huge amounts in tens of millions, but it is in my opinion, being squandered while producing tiny numbers of housing units for the poor. i.e., the middleman contractor cronies get the profit to the greater detriment of the needy. Baaaaaad karma there.

[DoctorRain]

Originally Posted by Barleysoda

I've been saying this to transplants for about 10 years now, "Portland isn't the utopia you thought it was, huh?"

Portland actually seems like a glorified Tampa to me. I live in Tampa area and decided to stay within Tampa region since I realized a Portland move would have to mean Im rich if I ever want to stay there and live a great life.. otherwise, doesnt seem possible there without a job. I realized Portland is great, but to visit. If I move to the Pac NW ever, Id go for Seattle and Id wanna even have money for Seattle let alone Portland lol. It seems too risky moving all that way for Portland to bust unless like I said, I saved a ton and didnt have to worry. Surely not a place to move with just 5,000 dollars though. not at all.

[DoctorRain]

Originally Posted by rhodan653

Likes: Great access to the outdoors, it's a very safe city, it's a great size(not too big, not too small), the focus on local/sustainable means great farmer's markets, great beer culture, scenic beauty is unrivaled, easy access to coast, uncrowded beaches, laid-back work culture, mild temps in winter and awesome weather in summer, Powells Books, public transportation, food carts

Dislikes: likes to be "green" for image more than for a tangible societal benefit, people in Portland display "green" labels like a fashion statement, lack of political (and societal) balance, winter grey can suck the life out of you, poor economy/no jobs and ingrained suspicion of "business", slow/distracted drivers, legislated full-service gas pumps, high cost of living/high taxes

Yea Id honestly rather have a true green mentality rather than a place that trys to pretends. Plus all the bumper stickers promoting Keep Portland Weird could get old after awhile too. It becomes commercial. I decided Im making my life and planting my roots in a more underrated city closer to my home with weird people and some libertarians without all the hype like Tampa since Portland seems too risky if it doesnt work out and it hasnt for many. I had a great time, but also punished myself with debt when I came home from there as well. I needed to see it though. Portland is great, the commercialism leaves a red flag though. It may after all like being in HS again with thw hipsters and cliques after extended time living there.

[Minervah]

i have to tell you what i found out. that some of the "homeless" who are panhandling (anywhere) actually aren't homeless, they simply are panhandling for a living. which may be the only thing they can do- it makes some people a good lower middle class income.

This is old news. I had a friend who actually wrote a piece for one of the now-defunct newspapers back in the 80's about this. She went out and interviewed people who appeared to be living on the streets and found some to be pretty well off. They knew just how to get money and from whom. Some were "free-spirits" who could work but didn't want to. Some were from homes where they could be taken care of but were bored and found panhandling an adventure.

I think now there is a different class of street people. Many are much younger than those I saw in the past. There appear to be more druggies and more who are really unable to work. There are people who are genuinely in need but there will always be those who do it because they feel the world owes them a living and they are going to do their best to make everyone else pay their way.

[UrbanAdventurer]

Would be nice if there was a more vibrant job market and more attractive single women around. Figure both of those out (maybe even just one of them) and Portland really could be the land of milk and honey

[philwithbeard]

Originally Posted by UrbanAdventurer

Would be nice if there was a more vibrant job market and more attractive single women around. Figure both of those out (maybe even just one of them) and Portland really could be the land of milk and honey

Dude:
There are attractive women, of all age groups, in Portland. You may just be hanging out in the wrong places. Seriously, try Portland City Grill during happy hour, lots of high maintenance single women there. (30th floor, Big Pink building, downtown, just in case I got the name of the bar / restaurant wrong.)

Lots of young attractive young women attend PSU.

{in low volume voice, so not to be overheard....}
Portland is known as a liberal city....That means feminist,...
So a few ladies in Portland don't dress to the max to show off their physical bod...
It's like they are sending the message:
"Don't lust after my body, slim-bag!
Get to know me as a person, and
then you can lust after my mind, Trust me--
my body will join us for the ride,"

See, its like a riddle, a couple layers of cloth hide the treasure as it were,
So, you got to look past the layers of cloth, tattoos, body piercings, lord knows what else.

Just figure out where the ladies hang out when they are complaining there aren't any eligible single men out there.

Be cool...