Bleak and full of phonies
-
12/17/2017
I'm a vegan cyclist who loves the outdoors, which means I despise Portland.
...Wait, what?
Yes, you read that right. Horrible climate for cycling--stuff rusts right out from under you, and you're lucky not to crash in the rainwater-filled potholes. No one really seems to go outside. They just brag about how outdoorsy they are, buy a lot of Columbia fleece, and then hang out in bars.
There appears to be a culture of incompetence where no one does anything. Dozens of times I have tried to hire someone to do tasks from the simple (housecleaning, petsitting) to the complex (remodeling). Most of the time they never show up. If they do, it's not at the agreed-upon time, and they never follow up with a quote or show any desire to actually do the work.
But mostly it's the weather. I've lived in cold places before, and I'd take Minneapolis, Denver, or Salt Lake in a heartbeat over Portland. The combination of wet and cold and dark just gets into your bones and soul and makes you want to curl in a ball.
Getting out as soon as I can to a place where I can have a lemon tree.
Jay | Portland, OR