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
How is the job market in Portland?? Please help! - 6/14/2008
I am a 24 year old woman thinking of moving to PDX with my 27 year old boyfriend. We both have BAs, but not specific careers yet (we both extensive customer service, admin work, non profit arts experience, etc). We love the creative-health-hipster-liberal side of Portland.....We're thinking about moving to the bay area in a year or to to go to grad school, but since we can't afford the move in costs yet, we're thinking PDX.
Cost of living isn't an issue, we live in Seattle now, and I'm from Vancouver, BC, and he's from the East Coast, so the rental prices look pretty good. But, what I hear about the job market is scaring me....we've never had any trouble finding work before, but I can't fall back on serving lattes since I'm on a work visa that involves some kind of "real" job (even just as an assistant at a company, or at a non-profit) & I don't mind even making 10 dollars an hour, since rent is cheaper there....but is the job market really as tough as I've heard? For two
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Climate is great here - 6/7/2008
You will get all four seasons. Not real cold in the winter and summers will stay about 80 to 90 degrees. Plenty of recreation area's within 50
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Heaven on earth - 5/14/2008
Portland, OR is a dream - no, it's not the most exciting place in the country. No, it's not the sunniest place in the country, though the temperate climate sure beats a lot of other places.
But what Portland does have makes it incredible.
-Portland is gorgeous. Clean air, little traffic and good city maintenance make nearly every other city look disgusting.
-Fantastic culture. Portland definitely has its own flavor - very indie and alternative without the pretentious, you must conform to non-conformity vibe. Anything goes in Portland.
-The people here are VERY NICE. Not fake, not wanting anything from you (with the exception of the many homeless youth, which is unfortunately a large issue in Portland), it is an extraordinarily genuine city. If I could pick one word to describe it, it would be just that - genuine.
-Great music (considering the size, a ton of bands are birthed out of Portland, etc) and art scene. See above
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Extremely high quality of life - an ode to Portlan - 5/14/2008
Portland, OR is a dream - no, it's not the most exciting place in the country. No, it's not the sunniest place in the country, though the temperate climate sure beats a lot of other places.
But what Portland does have makes it incredible.
-Portland is gorgeous. Clean air, little traffic and good city maintenance make nearly every other city look disgusting.
-Fantastic culture. Portland definitely has its own flavor - very indie and alternative without the pretentious, you must conform to non-conformity vibe. Anything goes in Portland.
-The people here are VERY NICE. Not fake, not wanting anything from you (with the exception of the many homeless youth, which is an issue in Portland), it is an extraordinarily genuine city. If I could pick one word to describe it, it would be just that - genuine.
-Great music (considering the size, a ton of bands are birthed out of Portland, etc) and art scene. See above and below.
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Portland is awesome! - 5/2/2008
After living in the SF Bay Area all of my life, I moved to Portland 10 years ago and the quality of life is wonderfully stress free. It is easy to get around without a car if you are in one of the numerous neighborhoods surrounding the downtown area. Most neighborhoods have everything you need in walking distance so you can ditch your car and simplify your life! Portland is super kid friendly and most folks are easy going. There is a flip side though as jobs can be hard to find and sometimes the dress is a bit too casual, when I moved here I thought everyone at work looked like they were dressed for the weekend every day of the week! Sometimes the rain can really be a bummer but that's when you go on vacation. If you love cycling, gardening and farmers markets you will love this place. If you are from a large city Portland may be a bit lacking in the zesty edgy atmosphere you are used
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Depressing Portland - 4/22/2008
Portland is one of the most depressing places I have ever lived. It is raining all the time, about 9 months per year. Most of the time is spent indoors. You can't get a job unless you're related to someone or a socialist. The people here think their so smart, but no one knows how to get on or off the freeway. Also, these are some of the least friendly people, try talking to someone in line at a store they will look at you like you're a serial killer or
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View from a sothern California person - 4/7/2008
Some people will find more good than bad here, others, like me, have decided Portland is definitely not working for them. I moved here 5 years ago for a person, not the place (that person is long gone from my life). Also, I just wanted a change of scenery at the time and I didn't care what it was. With all due respect to the people who find beauty in the greenery and comfort in the never-ended grey drizzly conditions, I have never understood what people mean when they say it is "so pretty here". I find it majorly depressing. All the soggy, drizzly, annoying, wet dog-smelling weather that never ends (by the end of the rainy season I feel like I'm psychotic).
Also, some people say Portlanders are "nice" but watch the heck out if you're not ultra-extreme liberal. There are liberal nazis here; people who burn with violent hatred towards anyone who does not agree with them...oh and they're the 'tolerant' ones. Plenty of over-educated, under-employed, arrogant, Prius driving,
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relocating- i have a question... - 4/3/2008
i'm moving to portland and it looks like i will have put most of my things into storage for now. what will the wet winters do to my books, clothes, furniture, etc? i don't want everything to get musty! any suggestions would be
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good,bad,ugly - 3/31/2008
Hey gbd I found what you had to say about the good, bad, and ugly of portland somewhat heartening. I've only been here in Portland for two years but I'm ready to leave. I also, as you seemed to indicate, had high hopes for Portland; I definitely did my research before I moved here and on paper it appeared to be very close to what I was looking for (your "good"), but found soon after arriving that I just wasn't going to be happy here. I found amusing and appealing the courtesy of the drivers towards pedestrians (coming from so-cal where if you do experience rudeness and animosity it is first and foremost from the drivers), but confounding and frustrating the rude manner of the slacker culture one had to deal with when in need of service or help at say, the grocery store, one's payroll department, the dmv, the landlord, co-workers (your "bad" and "ugly"). Definitely no helpful go-getters here. It's as if the GRAYNESS permeates their life.
I've decided I don't like the grayness and
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Portland, not what the travel publications will te - 3/30/2008
After almost 3 years in Portland, I am in the planning stages of leaving. It was nice for awhile, but limited. Whether it is the culture shock of being a native of the East Coast or the personality traits of Portland, it must be a combination of both. I find the region attractive in appearance, the outlying areas out to Mt Hood or out to the coast breathtaking. I love the countryside and its vineyards and orchards. THATS ALL. I cannot tolerate the lackidasical attitude here, that has nothing at all too do with laid-back. The smallness of Portland and the cramped in feeling of a city always in pepetual construction is tiresome. Its people though some friendly have an overwhelming lean towards cold and insular like I have never seen before. The lack of ambition among so many residents and the neediness of so many to be helped along in life is downright annoying. If the state and Portland as a whole had a shred of self respect they would do the following. Fund schools,
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