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 you can find people that aren't drug users. Also, it's big enough that not everyone is a hippie. Stereotypes really do nothing but save time.
Also, Portland has plenty of industries and businesses. The creative industries thrive here as do apparel and technology. I actually got transferred from my old office over here. The "Portland hates business" mantra is overplayed. Nike, Adidas, Columbia, U.S. Bank, Intel, Weiden Kennedy and many small businesses have presences in the area. Sure, I wouldn't call it say New York or Chicago for business, but I don't think that's the goal of the city. I find Portland to be about balance.
I like the rain and mist. I'd take it any day over snow storms and wind chills for the winter. And when I get depressed, I hop in my car and head to Mount Hood for some skiing. That always brightens my mood. And you can't beat the gorgeous summers. An hour drive to Cannon Beach over the summer... nothing more beautiful.
So many things to do. Great parks, awesome festivals, spectacular site seeing, delicious food, there's always something to do.
I think calling Portland "liberal" is a tad misleading. I'd call it more anarchist/libertarian. It's kind of a "do whatever you want and I'll do whatever I want." I don't find it anywhere near as liberal as San Francisco. Liberals I find tell you how to act and think. In Portland I find it more it's "you think and act that way? Cool. I don't, but cool." Sure, that might be a little much for conservatives, but for moderates like myself it's not bad at all. Plus if you don't like hippie attitudes or anything a little artsy, move to the Southwest section of the city or go to close by Tigard, Beaverton, Hillsboro or Lake Oswego. That might be the normalcy you're looking for.
Sorry, but I'm defensive because I love it here and most the people I know that live here do as well. Is it perfect? No. Is it for everybody? No. If you are die hard Republican, you probably won't like it. If you live and die with sunshine, you probably should look into California, Texas, Arizona or Florida, but I still contest that winters are better here than in the Midwest or East Coast. I will never ever move back to the Midwest. I've finally found a place that I love to call home. Utopia? Maybe not exactly, but I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.
Ben | Aloha, OR