After living in the SF Bay Area for 23 years, I can safely conclude (without prejudice) it just plain sucks.:shakehead Too expensive, too congested, too unsafe, too prejudiced, I can go on and on... Not to mention the Hayward fault is overdue for The Big One... supposed to make Katrina look like nothing.
Well I visited my brother in Portland, OR this past summer, and I've decided to move there. It was a life changing experience. It's a beautiful city with LOTS of good eats, places to visit and the natural beauty is amazing. It reminded me of a cleaner, safer, San Francisco that didn't smell like pee (LOL), and to top it all off the people are very friendly.
That last one sold me. People were actually nice.
TriMet is the best public transport system I've used in the US, (and that's coming from someone from Japan). It actually works. The buses are on time, they're clean, and dare I say it, inviting. I can go anywhere from the suburbs to downtown in a few minutes on the bus. Try that with BART, AC Transit or MUNI, lol.
Yes there are homeless people, lots of them... but something was missing from the usual american big city. It didn't smell like urine in public. Here's why: I walked into a public restroom and it was sparkling clean. No pee/poop/tp on the ground or seat, it was actually nice (this was almost every time I visited their facilities). Not only are these lavatories well maintained, but the homeless are using those instead of the street corner or gutter. GENIUS.
Another thing that struck me as odd: If a homeless guy asks for change and you say sorry, cant help you, theyll reply with thanks, have a nice day and never bother you again.
I loved Multnomah Falls and the surrounding areas. It was like a slice of heaven was placed there by God himself. I can spend hours there and never be bored. Cannon Beach made me forget about Santa Cruz and Stinson Beach (as much as I love those locales). Haystack Rock, the sea creatures, the view... The Japanese Garden was beyond beautiful, and the Rose Garden (not the arena, lol), well it speaks for itself.
Don't get me started on the women.:naughty: There were beautiful women in pencil-cut suits walking around everywhere in downtown, as well as the more casually dressed ones. Lunch time at the downtown eateries (the little carts) were a perfect meeting ground for this kind of activity. Whatever the case they were very easy to talk to, and to top it off they were very kind and unpretentious.
Speaking of good eats, those little food cart cities are AMAZING. Samurai Bento (on SW Alder St) is by far my favorite, but oh my- there are so many to choose from and 95% of them actually serve good (as in tasty and well priced) food. You just can't go wrong with them! And some of them are open 'til 1 AM. Oh my.
To make a long story short, it felt just right. I felt right at home, and I had never been there in my entire life. Not once did I feel like I was in danger, and I felt very comfortable wherever I went. It was a no-brainer for me, I decided I was moving. I've decided March 2012 was my moving date.
That said, are there any folks living in/around Portland? What are your favorite things about the city? Any tips/quirks I should know about before moving up there?
Well I visited my brother in Portland, OR this past summer, and I've decided to move there. It was a life changing experience. It's a beautiful city with LOTS of good eats, places to visit and the natural beauty is amazing. It reminded me of a cleaner, safer, San Francisco that didn't smell like pee (LOL), and to top it all off the people are very friendly.
That last one sold me. People were actually nice.
TriMet is the best public transport system I've used in the US, (and that's coming from someone from Japan). It actually works. The buses are on time, they're clean, and dare I say it, inviting. I can go anywhere from the suburbs to downtown in a few minutes on the bus. Try that with BART, AC Transit or MUNI, lol.
Yes there are homeless people, lots of them... but something was missing from the usual american big city. It didn't smell like urine in public. Here's why: I walked into a public restroom and it was sparkling clean. No pee/poop/tp on the ground or seat, it was actually nice (this was almost every time I visited their facilities). Not only are these lavatories well maintained, but the homeless are using those instead of the street corner or gutter. GENIUS.
Another thing that struck me as odd: If a homeless guy asks for change and you say sorry, cant help you, theyll reply with thanks, have a nice day and never bother you again.
I loved Multnomah Falls and the surrounding areas. It was like a slice of heaven was placed there by God himself. I can spend hours there and never be bored. Cannon Beach made me forget about Santa Cruz and Stinson Beach (as much as I love those locales). Haystack Rock, the sea creatures, the view... The Japanese Garden was beyond beautiful, and the Rose Garden (not the arena, lol), well it speaks for itself.
Don't get me started on the women.:naughty: There were beautiful women in pencil-cut suits walking around everywhere in downtown, as well as the more casually dressed ones. Lunch time at the downtown eateries (the little carts) were a perfect meeting ground for this kind of activity. Whatever the case they were very easy to talk to, and to top it off they were very kind and unpretentious.
Speaking of good eats, those little food cart cities are AMAZING. Samurai Bento (on SW Alder St) is by far my favorite, but oh my- there are so many to choose from and 95% of them actually serve good (as in tasty and well priced) food. You just can't go wrong with them! And some of them are open 'til 1 AM. Oh my.
To make a long story short, it felt just right. I felt right at home, and I had never been there in my entire life. Not once did I feel like I was in danger, and I felt very comfortable wherever I went. It was a no-brainer for me, I decided I was moving. I've decided March 2012 was my moving date.
That said, are there any folks living in/around Portland? What are your favorite things about the city? Any tips/quirks I should know about before moving up there?