10 Things I Love About The People of Portland, Oregon
I recently journeyed to the Northwest US of A in search of crude donuts, bigfoot, piles of books, and vegan treats out the wazoo. I landed right smack in the middle of Portland, Oregon, which I will now refer to as “heaven”. Portland itself is a decent city; the surrounding vistas are gorgeous and the weather is fair. However, what really makes Portland spectacular is it’s people. The book reading, incredibly nice, totally weird people. In a nutshell, here are the specific things I love about these fine, fine creatures.
They Read
Books are king in Portland! The gratuitous coffee shops provide the perfect breeding ground for readers to spend their days sipping Stumptown Coffee and getting lost in their favorite used paperback. Portland is also home to the largest independent bookstore in the world! Powell’s Bookstore is a wet dream for any bibliophile looking to spend a day (or week) immersed in new, used and rare books. Along with Powell’s, there are many other thriving used bookstores tucked into the city.
Portland also seems to be overflowing with writers. There are tons of organizations and events for aspiring writers. Self published zines are also quite popular and are so abundant they warrant their own stores!
They’re Sexy
Portlanders are in shape. This may have to do with the abundance of outdoor activities available in the immediate area, or the fact that over a quarter of the population gets around via bike or walking. They also have style! Considering that it rains a good chunk of the year, I would describe the style as “functional chic”. I never imagined people would look so good riding a bike through a soggy and cold city!
They Value Service
The city is overflowing with happy, knowledgeable, fast and friendly customer service. Everyone from shop owners to waitresses to bus drivers, generally love to give proper attention to everyone they encounter. Why? I think it may have to do with the pride everyone has in what they are doing. Or maybe it has to do with the fact that the minimum wage in Portland is close to $9, and people in the service industry get that plus tips! The cost of living is also incredibly cheap in Portland – as far as a city is concerned. AND there is no sales tax in Oregon.
They are Self Sufficient
Small local businesses reign supreme in Stumptown. With all of the independent businesses, corporate entities easily get squeezed out. Boutiques carry clothing and jewelry from local designers. Coffee shops serve only Stumptown Coffee and baked goods from local bakeries. There seems to be less competition and more support between businesses and individuals. It was a refreshing change from the cutthroat atmosphere of the Northeast.
They are Soooo Nice
The people of Portland are nice. Genuinely nice.
They Love the Earth
Portland has a serious commitment to being green. only a small faction of the locals drive cars. And why would they? The public transit system is out of of this world and completely bio-fueled, and there are bike lanes and racks everywhere. Eateries typically avoid disposable serving-wear as much as possible. Plastic bags are virtually obsolete. There is also a huge push for eating locally and sustainably. Co-ops and farmers markets are everywhere and “urban-farms” are becoming quite trendy. Portland is also crawling with vintage shops and warehouses loaded with used goods, making recycled living cheap and easy. Most importantly, a good portion of the town’s occupants are vegetarian or vegan!
They are Slow and Simple
I mean this in the best way possible. The Slow Movement is evident in many aspects of life in Portland. Menu selections are simple, and the dress is practical. Everyone seems to be mindful with daily activities. They take their time eating. They hang out. I don’t think I saw one person in a hurry during my whole stay.
They Value Life
Everyone in Portland is there because they want to be. The way of life is quite different than other major cities in the world. Locals don’t peacock their possessions, or try to make six figures a year by working 12 hour days. Everyone seems to be doing what they truly love, and enjoying the finer things in life (like books and coffee!).
They are Good Parents
I’m not sure if this is a phenomena just in the Northeast, but I regularly see parents who are either yelling at, correcting, belittling, or over-coddling their children. I did not see this once in Portland. Here, children are cherished, nurtured and given room to be independent spirits. It was quite refreshing and gave me hope.
They are Weird
The motto “Keep Portland Weird” is touted throughout the city. And weird it is! From random kitschy shops to its eccentric locals, Portland is definitely a little strange but not ostentatiously so. The locals are not weird just for weird’s sake, they seem to be naturally just a little off. I guess “independent” would be a better term. Either way, it adds to the dynamic of the city and is the proverbial cherry on top of this wonderful place!
*To learn more about being vegan in Portland check out my other blog.*
[...] 10 Things I Love About the People of Portland – From my other blog.. but I thought it might be of interest. [...]
[...] To learn more about what I truly love about the PEOPLE of Portland check out my other blog. [...]
mandi please, don’t go. Portland is actually the modern-day auschwitz. They persuaded dave and yourself to go with their hipster propaganda!!!!!!11
If mandi had a dick… she’d still be the coolest girl i know. =’(
that doesn’t say much about me =’((((
You know, i think some magical force is telling me to move to portland or something. i’m from south dakota and on a random whim i decided to sign up for a service mission at my college… they were going to portland. i was chosen, over all these other perfectly qualified people… for no reason. i’m an art major, and everyone else was bio majors as we were going to be exploring the poverty and health issues in portland. ever since i’ve been to portland and back i’ve felt a part of me that is missing… and everyday, and i mean everyday… portland is brought up somehow.. today i was googling indie shit and i saw ponies and unicorns (which i love) and went to the website and guess what it was a website about portland…. everything you said is true. Holla to portland
Rick -Thanks!
Heather- OMG, girl! We need to talk. I think Portland magically draws in people that belong there. That’s how it manages to stay so small and awesome.
About a year ago my boyfriend asked me, if I could go one place within the continental US – where would it be? I replied: Portland, of course! I am a vegan and somewhat artsy and had heard nothing but great things about the city. In January we visited. In March we moved there. I’m not sure if you ever came back to this site but I haven’t posted in a long time. Mostly because I sold all of my things, packed up and moved across the country within 2 months. Within those 2 months, the stars aligned and everything worked out in our favor. And just like you said, every single day, something about Portland made its way in. I truly feel like this place is my home. If you ever end up here (and you will), please come find me. And we can rejoice in the magic that is Stumptown.
I lived in Portland from birth until the late “70′s, and always believed that it was the friendliest, most tolerant place in the U.S. I moved away some years ago to Wisconsin,(How innoccuous can you get?) I returned some years later, mind you, with a vehicle that had out of state license plates. What a mistake! I was targeted by bicyclists, pedestrians and motorists in the most condescending ways that can be imagined! I was lectured by these people, telling me that “In Oregon, drivers give bikers the right of way”, or, a woman walking her dogs down the middle of a street saying “You have no right here!” Seeing me smoking, she said ” It doesn’t matter, you smoke, so you’ll be dead soon.” I was in Portland for three weeks before I gave up and moved to Seaside, where the worst experience I’ve had has been Portland visitors. To their credit, I believe long time Portlanders are good, tolerant people for the most part, but the recent transplants are trying to establish a different lifestyle, something at odds with the way Portlanders used to care about when it came to their town.I’m sorry I have to relate this, but it’s been stewing with me for around 20 years.
Having lived here for almost a year, I can totally understand what you are talking about. I have had similar experiences although not as severe. It seems like the California transplants and aggressive, uppity hipsters are turning a nice little city into a something it was never meant to be. When we first moved here we had NJ license plates and although we didn’t have anywhere near the experiences you had, we got some funny looks and angry bicyclists.
All things considered, I still love the people here and my bad experiences have been few and far between. Coming from the Philly/NYC area I just have a different frame of reference as far as common niceties go. The self-righteous, trustafarians here are a little much for me some days, but all of the other wonderful people more than make up for it.
Thanks for sharing your story
Well, I think it is nothing but wierd and can hardly stand it. The main thing that Portland lacks is common sense. From its political views, lack of education, roads that are like spaghetti noodles thrown on a plate, I could go on. I moved here 4 years ago and it still doesnt quite compute with me. I just cant get used to the weather either and its sad that it seems everyone is still so positive about it with comments like “well, its worth it for the summers.” Wait, what summers? You mean the 2 months where the sun actually cracks through the clouds? Thats worth 10 months of rain, because its finally 75 degrees and sunny? I dont get it. Then there isnt a pool in sight to actually go enjoy it, so its really not summer…just a spring in July and August. I just laugh and bite my tongue every time I hear people talk about the weather AGAIN. “It’s a great day today huh? Enjoy the sun!” Everyone cheers up when the sun comes out and you start to see everyone’s desperation to enjoy it. Everyone lives in desperation that the sun will finally come out, so I have to think that they are all pretending to like Portland when it isn’t sunny. I guess its a the only way to cope, thats how I got through it the last four years. Now that I am moving its like a sigh of relief to get back to normalcy somewhere. (I think the lack of sun plays with peoples minds, that would explain why the people are also so very weird and wouldnt stand a real chance in the outside “real” world). The only thing that makes sense to me is that they just dont know what they are missing, its all they know…
Hey Jenifer -
It’s unfortunate that you hate Portland so much, and I am glad for you that you are moving. I agree about the weather – it is horrible. I am a sunshine girl and the lack of it makes me miserable. However, I couldn’t imagine getting angry at anybody for looking on the bright side of things.
Right now I am staying in Charlotte, NC for a few months and I miss Portland like crazy. It seems like you value conformity and predictability as well as hot weather, so you would probably love it here!
I do have to disagree about the lack of education comment.I don’t know where you are hanging out, but have never met so many intelligent people in passing in my life.
Good luck with your move, I hope that you find a place that suits you better.
Hi Mandi,
I lived in OR since I was 8 months old, PDX for the past 10 years. (Though now The Huz and I live in California.)
PDX is PARADISE! I miss the restaurants, the creativity, and the entrepreneurial spirit so prevalent in that sweet little city. I love the acceptance of my gay and lesbian friends, and the intellectual nature of the city’s residents. I love the affordability – as a 23 year old single waitress (at the time) I was able to purchase my first home in an up and coming neighborhood. (I don’t miss the rain, of course….;)
And Jennifer (above)??? Just because you’re not progressive does not mean that everyone else “lacks common sense”. (Sounds like a FAUX “NEWS” quote!) You can respect other people’s political beliefs even if they don’t happen to coincide with your own. It’s unfortunate that you couldn’t see the beauty in a city so accepting of lifestyles and ideas outside of the mainstream.
Haha.. awesome comment Erika. Portland wants you back!