Like most stereotypes, there's a tiny nugget of validity lurking in the background of those claims. Portland is characterized by its overwhelming population of non-native Oregonians in its urban center. Jacob & I were each drawn here separately, from Texas by way of Nevada, and Pennsylvania by way of Washington, respectively, for many of the same reasons folks from California, Arizona, Colorado, New York and Florida were as well: the scenery, the sensibility, and the livability (and for most Californians, the affordability). Recycling is commonplace. Composting and rainwater harvesting is too. Bicycles are everywhere, and bike lanes are (usually) observed. Wal-mart is not welcome, and we love our small businesses. Good coffee, good food, and, generally, good people. Not so much the good jobs, but at least for now they can blame it on the national economy.
Just a bit of explaination of why we live so far away from our incredible families. (I miss you too, Grandma!) We choose to make our home here for a reason, and we're excited that our friends and families will get the chance to see why.
Walk the walk:
Stay with me on this:
There are 5 major "quadrants" to the city, aptly called, Northeast, Northwest, Southwest, Southeast, and the infamous 5th Quadrant, North. Yes, I said quadrants, not quintrants...don't get me started. Burnside Street cuts the city into North & South, while the Willamette slices it into East and West. The 5th-wheel of the group, North Portland, is defined as east of the Willamette & west of Williams Ave. This is also where Jacob & I currently reside.
When in doubt, most street signs denote the sector, i.e. E Burnside Ave, NW 23th Ave, SE Hawthorne Blvd, NE Alberta St.
More info can be found on the Wiki Travel Guide.
Stumptown: Used to be Portland's nickname, but now it's synonymous with the local coffee roaster by the same name.
Couch Street: It's pronounced "COO-ch."
the MAX: stands for Metropolitan Area Express, but doubtful you'll be a minority not knowing that detail. More importantly, it is the light rail system in town, operated by Trimet. Use it to get from the Airport to downtown for ~ $2.50 one way.
PDX: not just the code for the Portland International Airport, but often used by locals in place of writing or saying "Portland"
The Merc, or Mercury: The Portland Mercury is one of the local, free weeklies, comes out every Thursday. Not to be confused with the Willamette Week, another, similar weekly in town; this comes out on Wednesdays. To know which one to pick up: if you're easily offended by crude images and/or descriptions, best to reach for the Willamette Week. Both are good for finding out what's going on that week. The Mercury is generally more "entertaining."
Powells: The bookseller in town. Famous for its massive downtown location. First brick and mortar store to shelve used and new titles side-by-side. Radical, I know!
McMenamins: pronounced: Mc-Men-A-mins. Local chain of quirky restaurants, pubs, and pub theaters in town. Most locations are unique, one-offs until you get to the outskirts of town. They have their own brand of microbrews, wines, and liquors. Decent enough food, okay beer, best for familiar American fare in a family-friendly atmosphere. I'll cover more on that in the upcoming food post.
Other useful references:
Fugitives and Refugees: A Walk in Portland, Oregon by Portland's own Chuck Palahniuk
NYT's 36 Hours in Portland, Ore.
NatGeo's Intelligent Travel Portland Blog Post
WOO HOO! its so close!
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