What BestPlaces Users Say about Portland
Portland, Oregon is a dynamic city known for its vibrant arts scene, outdoor recreation opportunities, and progressive culture. It has a population of over 600,000 people and is consistently ranked as one of the best cities to live in the United States. With such high praise, it's no surprise that many people have chosen to make Portland their home. To get a better understanding of what it's like to live in this city, I have included summaries of user reviews from BestPlaces.net.
According to a review from "Mark," Portland is "a city that truly lives up to its reputation." He goes on to mention the city's charm, friendly residents, and abundance of coffee shops and microbreweries. Another user, "Samantha," agrees, stating that Portland is "a dream city for anyone who loves nature and outdoor activities." She also highlights the city's food scene and bustling downtown.
However, not all reviews are glowing. A user named "Jonathan" mentions that while he loves the city's culture and opportunities, the high cost of living can be a challenge. He also points out the growing issue of homelessness in certain areas of the city. Similarly, "Jessica" mentions that the traffic and commute times in Portland can be a downside, although she still enjoys living there overall.
In summary, it's clear that Portland has a lot to offer, from its unique culture to its beautiful outdoor spaces. While some reviewers mention challenges such as high costs and traffic, the majority of users are happy with their decision to live in this dynamic and diverse city. As "Mark" puts it, "Portland truly is a gem in the Pacific Northwest."
based on 386 ReviewsGet to know Portland with the latest comments and reviews from people who live in or have visited Portland
Not so Great - 10/21/2011
Been here for 2 years now. Not a great place to live. Mostly gray skies, lots of traffic-gridlock, drugs, assaults, etc. It's like any other metro city only its always dark dank and gray, except for the few days of sun in Aug., STrange how some people want to say it's not cloudy or rainy, that goes against all common knowledge. If you like that, you like it, but many people don't. Denying it's there doesn't make it go away. Other then the weather, if it doesn't get you down, you can find a lot of expensive real estate, shopping, and outdoor hiking (in the gloom), biking etc. Most people can't afford much out here and they look rather beaten down, the commute in and out of the city. It's a rat race just like any other city. Out of the city its gray above and green and brown
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Great Place to Live - 9/29/2011
I just moved to Portland, OR from Fresno, CA in March of 2011. In the first month(March) it rained and rained as if it doesn't ever stoped; I saw maybe 48 hrs of sunlight the whole month. It rain a total of about 23 days straight the other were grey sky. It was a huge change in climate for me. I lived 26 years of my life in Fresno, CA get we get about 35-45 days of rain and couldy days on an average year. (Portland, OR)April-May was a little nicer and wasn't as cold as March but there were still lots of rain/cloudy days and few sunny days. June came alone and it rained about 10 days, 8 days of cloudy and the other were sunny. July was the turning point for me. It rain about 4 days and 4-6 days of cloudiness but the rest of the other days were just beautiful. The summer here are unbeatable. I will trade California summer for the summer in Oregon any day(you have to see Oregon in the summer its the most beautiful place). It has remain beautiful till today(09/28/11). There
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Climate in Portland is not so bad - 9/15/2011
I went there to visit and visited during summer and the weather was wonderful compare to Texas. Try visiting Texas during the summer and compare it to Oregon because the weather in oregon is so much more comfortable and I was not even using the A/C in my car. I have visit Oregon during spring and winter before and I didn't think its was that bad and yeah its a little cloudy and wet and some days were clear. One nice thing about Portland in winter is much warmer than most part of Tx and its warmer than colorado. Of course the mountains of oregon is cold and snows a lot but in the valley of oregon is pretty mild and I didn't feel uncomfortable. Nov Dec Jan and Feb are the most wettest months in Portland and from April to middle of Oct is really nice weather compare to Tx and some rainy days but not as much as winter. In Texas its so hot and humid from early June until late sept. I much rather live somewhere where the summer can be so nice and not live some where that summer is awful
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I agree that Portland is a great place - 8/11/2011
I agree with Ben from Beaverton Oregon because Portland is a great place to live and visit. I am just recently visited Portland in June of 2011 and I just fell in love with Oregon and Portland area and visit oregon other times in the past. Its so green everywhere in Oregon. There tall evergreen trees everywhere. After visiting Oregon its really makes Texas looks like a piece of junk and its so ugly in Texas. I drove up to mount hood and its was just awesome there and there is a huge waterfall 25 miles east of Portland and you have to visit the waterfall because its so neat. The weather was so nice because its cool and comfortable compare to Texas. In texas its so hot and humid which I hate it. There was a few mostly couldy days with a few showers but not long lasting and most of the time its was clear to partly cloudy skys in Portland. I want to move there soon because I like it there a lot and I will feel very lucky to be living there because the quality of life would be so much
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Great Place - 8/9/2011
Some of these reviews make me laugh. I mean, I guess most of the people that go to these websites and post comments are the ones who aren't happy. The others that are happy are probably too busy enjoying their life. Sheesh. As a person that moved from the Midwest out to Portland, I have to say that I absolutely love it out here. No comparison. The beauty alone that surrounds Portland makes my old home look like a piece of junk. My wife and I have been out here for a little over a year now and can't believe how lucky we are to live here.
I think some of the people on this site play up on the Portland stereotypes pretty badly. For one, I don't smoke pot, have never smoked pot, and plan on never smoking pot. Not everyone here is a big weed head and some of the people on here that say that are just playing up on the stereotypes or ran with a crowd that only cared about doing that. The crowd I spend time with aren't drug users at all. I think that Portland is big enough that
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Poor for business , living quality slow/small - 8/8/2011
Moved to Portland around 2001. Owned a business there for 7 years. HIGH fees for such a unbiz friendly and unsophisticated business environment.
Because I was long experienced in my field my business was popular but after 7 years I pulled the plug and moved back to my midwest metropolis
which i see now is so very pro small business compared to Portland.
High min wage and no tip credit , high unemployment fees because ANYONE can get themselves fired after 3 days and collect unemployment pronto. It is the most ridiculous of all states, stacked against the employer to the extreme. Also do not use local vendors for things like linen, towel service, business insurance and other such vendors.GO WITH NATIONAL COMPANIES.
The Tanya Harding Syndrome in business: Don't improve your business and product but sabotage other businesses is the theme in Portland. I have to say the worst problem was harassment from other long time local businesses to such an extreme it was
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From Dallas to Portland - 7/31/2011
I have been a little discouraged to read some of the reviews on here. I suppose that when someone loves their city, they're less likely to take to the internet to tell about it (probably because they're out enjoying themselves). However, I'm considering moving closer to family and Portland seems like a great place. I'm originally from So. Cal. I hated the congestion and crime. I've also lived in the mid-West (cruel, harsh winters). Currently, I live in Dallas, TX.
Most of the reviews list the dreary climate as a huge negative. I'd like to hear from some people who don't really mind it all that much and how they go about mitigating some of the effects of seasonal depression. Yes, it's sunny in Texas, but most of the time it's either too hot or too cold to get outside and enjoy it. This year has been particularly bad with 30+ days of 105+ degree heat.
Someone here complained that Oregonians are not quick to be friendly and that the overall social climate is
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Lived here all our lives. Our retirement freedom - 7/17/2011
If you are considering Portland, don't be swayed by the commonly heard remark; "you will get used to it." Nonsense! My wife and I were born here. We are in our early sixties. We enjoy successful professional careers of 35 years. We live in a comfortable hillside home in one of the top ranked Portland suburbs. So life has been good... Except the climate has this little problem. The problem is not rain; the problem is what we call "The Grey Blanket." There are two seasons in Portland; the Grey Blanket Season and the Gorgeous Season. The Grey Blanket Season can begin as early as September and last as long as late-July. Fall, winter and spring are often indistinguishable. The grey days blend together with temperatures typically in the 40's and 50's, often accompanied by fog, drizzle, showers, or steady light rain. Typically, for roughly 40 weeks, cars have headlights on during the day and there are no shadows. Sound depressing? Guess what - IT IS! I'm not sure if it's related
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Portland, OR - 7/7/2011
Lived here for 25 years. Moved away 10 years ago. Back for extended stay visiting old friends. Changes, of course, some for the better, some for the worst. Has grown, with more things happening but more traffic.
Pro's: Medium size city with enough art, culture and so forth to keep most people happy. Moderate traffic jams. Excellent public transportation. Good schools and educated populace No sales tax. One plus hours from mountains and skiing, from Pacific Ocean (although too cold and rough to swim). Clean and green. Fantastic "foodie" scene, heavy on the locally grown thing. Folks polite. Grow almost anything except tomatoes (not hot enough). Government efficient, not corrupt. Three months of the year the best weather in the world. Very excerise friendly, with bike lanes, hiking trails, moderate weather. Some of the most beautiful scenery in the world, with the Columbia River Gorge, Mount Hood and the Oregon coast. Beautiful geographical setting.
Depending:
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HIPPIES - 7/3/2011
Tons of Hippies, Druggies, Enviornmentalists, Obamapeople... If you are conservative you don't want to be here, trust me.
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