I’ve lived in Portland for 16 years basically my entire adult life. You get what you put in. Some people focus on the negative and that’s what they get. Some people embrace the creative quirk, and explore the different pockets and they stay for decades. You are 100% right- you can be whoever you want to be. I’ve debated moving and have explored every major city but nothing compares to Portland.
I just came back yesterday from Portland. It was my first visit and I loved it. I am definitely going back. Yes, I saw homeless people, but none of them bothered me. The people in this city are friendly and amazing.
I agree that Portland has friendly people. The city is one of the friendliest I've lived in. I'm still in shock that they had racist exclusionary laws in the past.
@tjp2109 Yeah, you probably believe that all the state is some kind of liberal type thing. You would be wrong though becuase much of the state is solidly red. Portland certainly has its share of problems, but the truth is that it's still less dangerous and with less poverty than many other cities that are less of a target for right wing type folks. They'll say that Portland is what's wrong with America, without mentioning solidly Red areas like West Virginia, which has some of the worst opiod issues in the country, high uneployment and poverty, low graduation rates, etc...
"If you put Brooklyn into the NW, you'd get Portland." Is a statement that is so evocative and well considered. I'm glad you found some good vibes in Portland!
I absolutely love hearing your journey with Portland! As someone from Washington who always wanted to live in Seattle, I ended up in Portland, thought I was going to be here a year, and now it’s been a decade! The food, the people, the music, the city grittiness, the small town neighborhoods, the nature. It’s got it all and such a hidden gem. I was smiling ear to ear listening to your journey slowly discovering it! ❤️
Thank you so much!!! My Portland journey will probably end like yours! Every year I make plans to leave, and every year I'm like "okay let's give Portland one more year" 😂😂 It's truly a city of hidden gems 🧡
Love it! I've been fascinated with Oregon since my teenage years and hope to someday get the chance to visit. This video was very helpful in how truthfully raw it is, I enjoyed hearing from your perspective!
Thank you so much! I wanted to give a real pros and cons list so others can decide for themselves if Portland is livable. I still think of Seattle, but I'm here for the time being.
what perfect timing, the universe def threw this as the first video on my YT feed this morning cuz you talked about some stuff I needed to hear. Moving there in a couple weeks and it’s definitely not a city I felt enthralled by when I decided to move there, but figured I would trust the process and keep an open mind about being led there. What you said about finding your niche and creativity and freedom of self really hit home. Praying that my neighborhood is a cool one cuz I’m going in blind and solo (never been to the city proper and don’t know anyone there) 😂 so thank you for this helpful vid sis-star!! 💫
Ah I'm so happy TH-cam threw this video at you too!! There are plenty of housing and neighborhood options. Make sure you explore all the spots when you get here (lmk if you want a guide to PDX, I'm happy to show you around ☺️). You'll be coming at a good time cause there's lots of good changes happening now. Yes, once you find your niche/community - which is easy cause Portland is friendly, you'll be good.
@@itsasamorse There's one further east you have to try, Springwater cart park on 82nd. There's a cart clear in the back that I can't currently remember the name of, but their empanadas satisfied a many-year craving:)
I moved to Portland in 1980 and stayed there for 4 years. Like you, I wasn't really impressed with it at the beginning, but I think I literally became part of the place in those few years, and when I left, I felt like I left a little piece of myself behind.
as a new yorker, hearing parts of portland be compared to brooklyn makes me a little happy, i want to eventually move to portland because im kinda looking for a diet new york. i love nyc because of the city and liberal vibes but i want a more chill version of it.
That's exactly what Portland is, a chill Brooklyn. It still has its corporate and ritzy side, but the grit, grunge, punk, artsy, edginess you can't find in Seattle, you'll find in Portland. Similar to what you cant find in Manhattan is in Brooklyn. You'll have to go back home for pizza and bagels though. Ken's Artisan Pizza and Babydoll Pizza are very good. I'm still searching for east coast style bagels!
NYC to me might be the most fascinating, most cultural city on earth, and I love to visit. I think I would find it too busy, too tight packed and too expensive to be comfortable living there, though. Portland might have a bit of the excitement of NYC, but at a much more managable scale and slower pace...
We were there this past summer it was beautiful! All big cities have its issues. Come to the Bronx or Newburgh ny you’ll see. We’re moving to Beaverton so I’ll be a town over ❤
Bronx is the only NYC borough I haven't been to yet but I believe you 😂😂 Beaverton is a lovely town! I love the suburbs here too. You'll love it there.
@@itsasamorseyeah we loved Beaverton. Looking at cedar hill or Tanasbourne area near Hillsboro. Hillsboro was nice too. Also on the table is Portland Hillsdale, Richmond, southwest
I'm planning a couple of visits myself to confirm if I want to move there as well since I've always found Oregon to be fascinating since I was younger.
It's definitely grown on me since 2021. I love that people are investing in cleaning up the city now. If this is Portland at it's worst, it must have been a gem back in the day. Oh visit Astoria area and the other beach towns too!
Portlandia's "Dream of the 90s" song was also about how Portland was *stuck* in the 90s too. It wasn't just glazing the city, but making fun of it too.
I was born in Portland in 1962 in Multnomah county. I lived in NE Portland where all that Blacks were allowed to live. There was much prejudice in housing and jobs, so when I was 4 my parents packed up the family and moved to Seattle. In the last decade or so up to 80% of family has also left. The Portland of today is much different from the one my parents and their siblings experienced.
Wow thank you for sharing your story! I'm so curious about how both Portland and Seattle have changed from your perspective, since you grew up in both cities. Which city did 80% of families leave? In what ways are the "different" Portland aspects better or worse?
I lived in Portland from 1978 to 2004. During those years, there was not 1 homeless encampment in the city or the outskirts. Spent most of those years living in downtown, inner east side, and in Multnomah village area. Portland mistakenly embraced the woke virus, which is the reason for this city’s downfall. Glad I got the hell out and moved East.
I didn't see the transition of Portland (or what it was before), I only saw the aftermath of the pandemic, the protests, and the drug epidemic. I'm sure there are many more reasons for Portland's current condition. I'm hopeful that Portland will bounce back and be better for the people who call it home. I hope you like it on the east coast! Eat all the good bagels and sandwiches for me!
this is not really true. 1980s portland was wild. certianly homeless camps in the 90s. rent prices skyrocketed in the teens, got worse during pandemic. like Jason, i am glad he left portland. i am here to stay.
“The woke virus” you mean homeless people being bussed in from red cities? I’ve lived in many many red states and towns and it was worse. Portland has cleaned up a lot after the pandemic.
It has more to do with greedy city and county and sometimes state employees opportunistically soaking up funds that were supposed to help the homeless and drug addicted. Then 2008 hit and SO many working people lost their homes. They tried to hang on. Some moved away but the majority didn’t for lots of reasons. This isn’t about a “woke” virus. “Woke” means being awake and seeing through the very thin veneer that hides the unwanted and unsavory from view. It’s there. It’s ALWAYS been there to some degree. Now you can’t look away and it’s uncomfortable. Suck it up and be part of the solution or get out of the way, Boomer.
Very well done! Left Portland in about 2016 and moved to little Waldport...one stoplight, about 2K residents. Definitely big learning curve. Slower everything, which is kinda good news, bad news. But I'm still in Portland every couple weeks, and I do miss all of the food!
@@itsasamorse Sis, Waldport is cute as heck, but I don't mind getting on the road and going other places. I think there are so few houseless folks here that we all know them by name....
@@pennyarken5045Knowing the names of the houseless folks in your community is next level 😂 Oregon has some cute beach towns! I love going to Astoria and Lincoln City. I have to visit more southern seaside towns sometime!
@@itsasamorse Yeah, there are fun little places south of Lincoln City. Yachats is probably better than Waldport, but also small. Just got back from 5 days in Portland, and I ate like a pig. Yippee!
Cool vid and perspective, much appreciated. We are thinking about a move out of San Diego and Portland is a top contender. Need to spend more time there to figure it out.
My friends moved here from San Diego! It made more sense for them to start/grow their family here than SoCal. Yes, please visit and get to know the neighborhoods before you move.
You should have seen it before the 2020 riots. It was the cleanest city I have ever been in. No crime, we used to walk around downtown and in old town at 3 am without worry.
A coworker of mine described Portland before 2020 exactly like this. They used to skate all over Pearl District, Old Town, Goose Hollow, etc. all night. I keep saying if Portland now is the less ideal version then it must have been something magical just a few years back. Here's to hoping we can get Portland (and Seattle for that matter) back on track!
Definitely interesting to see a completely different perspective. I visited Portland in May of 2021 and i totally lived it. The grungy aesthetic is something I completely adore. The homelessness is obviously a problem, but it's a problem no matter what city you go to, even the shitty town I'm from in Central Montana. Im moving to Portland in February, and i just wish it would come sooner.
I highly doubt the crappiest town in Montana has half as bad a homeless problem as Portland 😂 You're right that this is life in big cities around the world. It comes with income inequality and other ailments of metros. I'm glad you like the grunge scene, there are lots of creative things to get into here. And once the city gets overwhelming, the surrounding towns are beautiful too.
@itsasamorse We don't have half in terms of raw numbers, but per capita we're actually only a little behind. When I say crappy town I'm exaggerating a little bit, I'm from Billings, which despite being the largest city in the state has about 110000 people.
I have to say, I’ve had Thai food in several states in the western U.S. It’s one of my favorites. I have NEVER had Thai food as good as the Thai food from the Thai food cart at The Fork in Wood Village/Fairview/Troutdale (the cart is at a convergence of these three cities on the edge of the Portland Metro area. 77 or 21 bus line.
Like I said, Portland food carts are better than some restaurants in other cities!! I never run out of good places to eat here. I haven't tried this pod yet but have heard good things about them. Thank you!
Hi- thank you for this video. We are planning a move to Portland in January and wondered what neighborhood you settled in that ended up working for you? Thanks again!
We live in one of the nice Southeast neighborhoods (there are plenty all over Portland.) Here's a bit of my process for finding our place: 1. Use Google Maps to search for amenities we like (grocery stores, farmers markets, bars, schools, hospitals, etc.). This part might be the hardest/longest part of the research. 2. Search for housing in that section of town (Zillow, Redfin, Hotpads, Facebook, etc.) 3. Match the two maps above with the crime map on Neighborhood Scout. The areas with the least crime and most amenities win. Or change the process however you want! Edit: You can also search for the different parks around the city that have movies in the park. This is usually a sign of a good neighborhood with safe parks for family activities. This should be on the city gov website.
@@itsasamorse Such good advice. After living in the midwest for a bit I was so happy to return to Portland and its walkable neighborhoods. Sidewalks and small shopping districts are so easy, convenient and make a house a home. Let's walk for coffee! Let's walk to the brew pub! Let's walk to the Thai restaurant! Let's walk with our roller-cart and get our groceries! The best way to live and meet your neighbors. Thanks for your video and your change of heart about Portland. I live in the Southeast too. Best part of Portland.
@@denwanai Thank you so much! You described my typical weekend: let's walk to get coffee, groceries, ice cream, see a movie, brew, and Thai, all on one street! I never want to live in a city that's not walkable. I'm spoiled now!
08:04..Im dying, because your guy's like "I dont know what the Hell you talkin' bout?...Sac City?...good food?"😆😆😆Im a native Washingtonian (DC)..left for the military....was stationed in the Bay Area for 18 yrs...re-enlisted for another 12...lived in San Diego as well. And Ive traveled quite a bit both while in the service and on my own dime. But Portland hooked me when I was dating a guy a few yrs ago, who lives there .(him and his brother). We did the long distance relationship thing for about a year, with both of us visiting back and forth As soon as I walked outside at the airport, something about the vibe grabbed me, immediately. And by the time we got downtown to eat near the Pearl District...I figured it out. Ive always been something of a hipster. Its the way I look...the way I walk..and sometimes the way I talk. I cant help it. I was like that, while I was growing up in the hood in DC, yrs and yrs ago...i was an oddball. Whether we want to be say it or not, there is something in us, that longs to live somewhere that epitomizes who we are as human beings. And often times that starts with how you look, dress, behave, socialize and work. San Francisco is my 2nd favorite city after Portland. To me, Portland is a very small microcosm of San Francisco. The homeless issue?..is pervasive everywhere Ive ever lived. Thats just the truth. And its not something I can fix...all I can do is help here and there, with volunteer work. Long story short, I decided a month ago, Im moving to Portland. And my supervisor has assigned me to the VA Hospital there in Portland, as soon as the position clears, in a year. Plenty of time for me to tie up loose ends and make living arrangements. Thanks for the video.
Okay I want to hear the rest of the story with how things went with your long distance bf!! I have so many questions. Wow you've had such an interesting journey. I'm happy you've realized who you truly are and have decided to settle in Hipster Heaven. I've been an oddball too my whole life too. It's a long process of acceptance but I'm getting closer to "the real me". Maybe it is because I'm getting older too, but Portland has helped me discover who I truly want to become in the future. Please come back and let me know how your move goes. I'd love to explore Pearl District, Goose Hollow, Old Town, and Nob Hill with you!
@@itsasamorse how nice of you to be something of a tour guide, Asa...I can tell the 2 of you are good souls. As far as questions go, ASK AWAY. The last time I visited, was 2021..some time after the peak of COVID. Granted, that was not an ideal time to travel or vacation..but it was around that time I IFIRST started thinking of other places to live. So, I figured, if I can visit Portland at its worst, Id kinda use that info as a 'barometer, of worse-ness' for other cities i had my eye on. I had already fallen in love with that area..and honestly I didnt even think that COVID could scare me away, because MOST cities go thru some sort of difficulties in these days and times. but yea, I was living in San Diego at that time (Im in Asheville, NC now...been here 7 mths)...and the unhoused problem there in SD, is significantly worse than SF's or PDX..its more troublesome and much more spread out in SD County...all up in the suburbs, where well-off folks DO NOT want to be bothered. ' The Guy' is a good dude...he lives in South Portland, where things seem to be very self contained...where you dont have to venture downtown, unless you REALLY want to. So, that was the extent of where we went, my first visit...I didnt want the full, bang-on intro to the city that 1st visit..but it just seemed like he was avoiding getting out and about, altogether...as if nothing interesting existed in PDX. After that year of back and forth visiting each other...I had a much better idea of how i wanted to experience Portland...SINGLE!!! I'll subscribe with you guys and stay in touch...move updates and whatnot. Name's Laurence☺
I'm from Kansas City and I'm 25 but ever since I graduated in 2018 I've thought about staying in midwest. But I always wonder what it would be like to live in Portland
Your 20s are the best time to explore! At least visit the places you're curious about. Come check out the West Coast and see if you like it. Then check out the South and East Coast too! Don't uproot if it's not worth it though.
You're absolutely right. I rewatched the video and I don't talk about life lessons until 12 minutes in. The point of the video was to show that I shouldn't judge a book by its cover (i.e. I shouldn't have judged Portland based on first impressions alone). I should have chosen a better title, but the video has kinda blown up that I feel weird changing the title now 😂. Do you have a better title in mind? I'm open to suggestions 😊
@@itsasamorse It's okay. I, too, shouldn't judge a video by its cover. I was expecting something different and didn't give watching a fair chance. I'll go back and watch the rest. I don't have a better title, really. I'll change my perspective. Thank you for sharing your honest thoughts about Portland! 🙂
Nice to get your perspective on this place. I've lived in PDX most of my adult life and have witnessed its decline from how it used to be. I do think, though, that things are very slowly improving and that there's still a lot to like about the place, with it's flaws and all. It's a really cultural place as far as food and the arts go, and it's close to the gorge, has more park spaces than any other city... but I agree with you that aesthetically it doesn't stack up to a lot of cities. There are neighborhoods with plenty of handsome, well maintained old homes, but the too many of the buildings in the commercial districts are generic/ugly and seem to be built with only the cheapest per square ft. in mind. There doesn't seem to be the kind of preservation culture there is in other cities where old buildings are repurposed rather than torn down for the new...
I definitely see what you're talking about. In a neighborhood near me, there was an historic commercial building that was torn down and an apartment building is now in its place. The problem is these are are luxury units that most people in the city won't afford. I have nothing against luxury buildings, but the placements seem odd. It seems like the kind of zoning you'd see in Houston Texas. Portland has many historic architecture that should be preserved, it's part of the charm. I hope the city is able to develop without losing what makes it special.
Does Portland's lack of diversity affect your experience at all? I thought for sure that would be touched on in this video and was surprised it didn't come up. It's interesting that for some folks it doesn't seem to be much of an issue while for others it is a deal breaker. My girlfriend and I live here, she's Black and from also California. It's a real issue for her in terms of how she perceives the city and navigates it.
I wish I could pin two comments cause I plan to do a video on this topic as well. My experience as an immigrant black woman (in terms of how I relate to ethnicity, nationality, culture, and race) might be different from your girlfriend's. I have many black American friends whose perspectives are similar to mine and some who are opposite, but we all experience race as black people in the US. Anyway, I have SO MANY thoughts on Portland's lack of diversity and how the city tries and doesn't try to make up for what it lacks. I'll share a bit of my perspective in that video, but I'll focus more on how black folks moving to and living in Portland can navigate the city (RnB bars, southern restaurants, Afrobeat events, hip hop clubs, Black Brunches, Caribbean restaurants and food trucks, Portland's very small black neighborhood, etc.).
Hi there, great video, I am biased regarding Portland having lived there for 35 years and now find myself residing in Atlanta Georgia, I have been here in Georgia for 1 1/2 years I awake every day here with Portland on my mind/ heart, there are so many things I have found myself missing The endless walking/ cycling paths, the food carts, the Columbia and Willamette rivers, all the parks, Powells Bookstore on Burnside, and being able to travel an hour in any direction from Portland and be standing on a Beach at the Oregon Coast, or somewhere in the picturesque Willamette Valley, or East somewhere in the Scenic Columbia Gorge Portland Oregon is definitely Unique….
Ah you've seen Portland through the years! I lived in Atlanta for just three months , then Philly, Denver, and a couple other cities before coming back West. Portland gives me everything I missed about the West Coast, with some elements of the East Coast (the variety in nature and food especially). I don't have to miss the beautiful trees in the Hudson Valley when there's Columbia Gorge, but I can still eat delicious food here in Portland like I did in Atlanta. If I ever leave Portland, I will always come back to visit. I say you do the same, until you find your forever spot. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I agree that Portland is unique.
Omg I have family in Albany and lived there for a bit!!! I think you'll like Portland coming from Upstate. Once you get into the West Coast hipster culture (or at least get over the culture shock of it), you'll have a good time here.
Please consider checking out The Rose Haven Women's Day Shelter! It's a great place and support system for those who struggle in the greater Portland area.
Grew up in Portland and was SO ready to leave as I got older. Moved to LA for two years, met my now wife, during Covid we moved to Portland and then came back to SoCal from 2023 to now and we can’t wait to get back to the PNW. All the things I hated about Portland, I now realize are what make the city so special.
There's nothing wrong with going back and forth! How does your wife feel about Portland though? That might be the deciding factor on whether y'all stay in SoCal or PNW.
@@itsasamorse she loves it so much! Honestly she was the deciding factor that we are heading back. She says that after a life of growing up in LA, and then spending two years in a smaller city and a state with so much nature, she realized that’s where she wants to be. I’m not complaining about that!😂 Love the video :)
You're right! I just looked it up on Wikipedia. Keep Austin Weird started in 2000 and it was brought to Portland in 2003. To give Portland some credit, I think they took the weirdness to another level 😆
Oh I've lived in Austin too (and Houston). Austin is very weird but it has limits because of the state it's in, ya know? But Portland has very little limits because of Oregon's liberal laws. However, Austin is more creative with its weirdness cause they work around limits. I do like both cities very much.
@@itsasamorse that’s awesome to hear ! I currently live in Austin ( for a little over 5 years now originally from Dallas ) and Austin is an awesome Place! My partner and I are moving to Portland in October so I’m eager watching any video related to Portland 🤩
Where did you move from and why the PNW?
I will do a video on this very soon! But the short version is:
California -> East Coast -> The South -> Rockies -> PNW
@ amazing to be able to experience most of the country that way. Looking forward to it 🫡
I’ve lived in Portland for 16 years basically my entire adult life. You get what you put in. Some people focus on the negative and that’s what they get. Some people embrace the creative quirk, and explore the different pockets and they stay for decades. You are 100% right- you can be whoever you want to be. I’ve debated moving and have explored every major city but nothing compares to Portland.
I'm right where you are in terms of embracing Portland for the kind of city it is. I'm choosing to appreciate Portland with all its quirks.
"Thank you so much for the great info! I’ll be moving to Portland soon, and your videos have been really helpful!"
Yay I'm so glad! I hope you have a wonderful transition here. Safe travels 🧳
I just came back yesterday from Portland. It was my first visit and I loved it. I am definitely going back. Yes, I saw homeless people, but none of them bothered me. The people in this city are friendly and amazing.
Are you kidding me. Portland is the swill bucket of America, as is all of Ore. Go home.
I agree that Portland has friendly people. The city is one of the friendliest I've lived in. I'm still in shock that they had racist exclusionary laws in the past.
@@tjp2109 you da funny one. I been to all 50 states, lived in eleven -- you got no clue.
@tjp2109 Yeah, you probably believe that all the state is some kind of liberal type thing. You would be wrong though becuase much of the state is solidly red. Portland certainly has its share of problems, but the truth is that it's still less dangerous and with less poverty than many other cities that are less of a target for right wing type folks. They'll say that Portland is what's wrong with America, without mentioning solidly Red areas like West Virginia, which has some of the worst opiod issues in the country, high uneployment and poverty, low graduation rates, etc...
I live in the PDX area too. Love it here!! Great video. U are right the food carts are just ridiculous. So good and so many of them
Yes Portland is a foodie heaven!! I love it here too ☺️
"If you put Brooklyn into the NW, you'd get Portland." Is a statement that is so evocative and well considered. I'm glad you found some good vibes in Portland!
Thank you! I've grown to love both cities.
I absolutely love hearing your journey with Portland! As someone from Washington who always wanted to live in Seattle, I ended up in Portland, thought I was going to be here a year, and now it’s been a decade! The food, the people, the music, the city grittiness, the small town neighborhoods, the nature. It’s got it all and such a hidden gem. I was smiling ear to ear listening to your journey slowly discovering it! ❤️
Thank you so much!!! My Portland journey will probably end like yours! Every year I make plans to leave, and every year I'm like "okay let's give Portland one more year" 😂😂
It's truly a city of hidden gems 🧡
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh…….I’m glad I watched until the end. Makes sense on why you are still in Portland.
Love it! I've been fascinated with Oregon since my teenage years and hope to someday get the chance to visit. This video was very helpful in how truthfully raw it is, I enjoyed hearing from your perspective!
Thank you so much! I wanted to give a real pros and cons list so others can decide for themselves if Portland is livable. I still think of Seattle, but I'm here for the time being.
what perfect timing, the universe def threw this as the first video on my YT feed this morning cuz you talked about some stuff I needed to hear. Moving there in a couple weeks and it’s definitely not a city I felt enthralled by when I decided to move there, but figured I would trust the process and keep an open mind about being led there. What you said about finding your niche and creativity and freedom of self really hit home. Praying that my neighborhood is a cool one cuz I’m going in blind and solo (never been to the city proper and don’t know anyone there) 😂 so thank you for this helpful vid sis-star!! 💫
Ah I'm so happy TH-cam threw this video at you too!! There are plenty of housing and neighborhood options. Make sure you explore all the spots when you get here (lmk if you want a guide to PDX, I'm happy to show you around ☺️). You'll be coming at a good time cause there's lots of good changes happening now. Yes, once you find your niche/community - which is easy cause Portland is friendly, you'll be good.
@@itsasamorse that would be so amazing!!! 😻 Can I reach out to you on IG?
I'm also in Portland! What a great video, thank you:) And yes, the food carts here are amazing
Thank you so much! Cartopia and Hawthorne Food Asylum are my absolute favorites 😋
@@itsasamorse There's one further east you have to try, Springwater cart park on 82nd. There's a cart clear in the back that I can't currently remember the name of, but their empanadas satisfied a many-year craving:)
I moved to Portland in 1980 and stayed there for 4 years. Like you, I wasn't really impressed with it at the beginning, but I think I literally became part of the place in those few years, and when I left, I felt like I left a little piece of myself behind.
I have a feeling this will be my exact experience if/when I leave. I'll be leaving some amazing friends behind.
as a new yorker, hearing parts of portland be compared to brooklyn makes me a little happy, i want to eventually move to portland because im kinda looking for a diet new york. i love nyc because of the city and liberal vibes but i want a more chill version of it.
That's exactly what Portland is, a chill Brooklyn. It still has its corporate and ritzy side, but the grit, grunge, punk, artsy, edginess you can't find in Seattle, you'll find in Portland. Similar to what you cant find in Manhattan is in Brooklyn.
You'll have to go back home for pizza and bagels though. Ken's Artisan Pizza and Babydoll Pizza are very good. I'm still searching for east coast style bagels!
NYC to me might be the most fascinating, most cultural city on earth, and I love to visit. I think I would find it too busy, too tight packed and too expensive to be comfortable living there, though. Portland might have a bit of the excitement of NYC, but at a much more managable scale and slower pace...
@@itsasamorsetry Henry Higgins for as good a bagel as Portland can get.
When we visited family living in Brooklyn, I felt like I was home in Portland but with extra perks!
We were there this past summer it was beautiful! All big cities have its issues. Come to the Bronx or Newburgh ny you’ll see. We’re moving to Beaverton so I’ll be a town over ❤
Bronx is the only NYC borough I haven't been to yet but I believe you 😂😂
Beaverton is a lovely town! I love the suburbs here too. You'll love it there.
@@itsasamorseyeah we loved Beaverton. Looking at cedar hill or Tanasbourne area near Hillsboro. Hillsboro was nice too. Also on the table is Portland Hillsdale, Richmond, southwest
You came to Portland during the worst time possible. Glad its starting to get better.
I had a feeling that was the case. The city has been making an effort to clean up and get better. I'm very hopeful for Portland.
I'm planning a couple of visits myself to confirm if I want to move there as well since I've always found Oregon to be fascinating since I was younger.
It's definitely grown on me since 2021. I love that people are investing in cleaning up the city now. If this is Portland at it's worst, it must have been a gem back in the day. Oh visit Astoria area and the other beach towns too!
Stay home. Leave us alone.
Portlandia's "Dream of the 90s" song was also about how Portland was *stuck* in the 90s too. It wasn't just glazing the city, but making fun of it too.
I definitely caught that! And sometimes I'll see 90s fashion/aesthetics and immediately start singing that song in jest 🤣
I was born in Portland in 1962 in Multnomah county. I lived in NE Portland where all that Blacks were allowed to live. There was much prejudice in housing and jobs, so when I was 4 my parents packed up the family and moved to Seattle. In the last decade or so up to 80% of family has also left. The Portland of today is much different from the one my parents and their siblings experienced.
Wow thank you for sharing your story! I'm so curious about how both Portland and Seattle have changed from your perspective, since you grew up in both cities. Which city did 80% of families leave?
In what ways are the "different" Portland aspects better or worse?
I lived in Portland from 1978 to 2004. During those years, there was not 1 homeless encampment in the city or the outskirts. Spent most of those years living in downtown, inner east side, and in Multnomah village area. Portland mistakenly embraced the woke virus, which is the reason for this city’s downfall. Glad I got the hell out and moved East.
I didn't see the transition of Portland (or what it was before), I only saw the aftermath of the pandemic, the protests, and the drug epidemic. I'm sure there are many more reasons for Portland's current condition. I'm hopeful that Portland will bounce back and be better for the people who call it home. I hope you like it on the east coast! Eat all the good bagels and sandwiches for me!
this is not really true. 1980s portland was wild. certianly homeless camps in the 90s. rent prices skyrocketed in the teens, got worse during pandemic. like Jason, i am glad he left portland. i am here to stay.
“The woke virus” you mean homeless people being bussed in from red cities? I’ve lived in many many red states and towns and it was worse. Portland has cleaned up a lot after the pandemic.
It has more to do with greedy city and county and sometimes state employees opportunistically soaking up funds that were supposed to help the homeless and drug addicted. Then 2008 hit and SO many working people lost their homes. They tried to hang on. Some moved away but the majority didn’t for lots of reasons. This isn’t about a “woke” virus. “Woke” means being awake and seeing through the very thin veneer that hides the unwanted and unsavory from view. It’s there. It’s ALWAYS been there to some degree. Now you can’t look away and it’s uncomfortable. Suck it up and be part of the solution or get out of the way, Boomer.
Woke virus? What does that mean?
Very well done! Left Portland in about 2016 and moved to little Waldport...one stoplight, about 2K residents. Definitely big learning curve. Slower everything, which is kinda good news, bad news. But I'm still in Portland every couple weeks, and I do miss all of the food!
I bet Waldport is very beautiful! It's a good thing you're not too far from two big cities.
@@itsasamorse Sis, Waldport is cute as heck, but I don't mind getting on the road and going other places. I think there are so few houseless folks here that we all know them by name....
@@pennyarken5045Knowing the names of the houseless folks in your community is next level 😂
Oregon has some cute beach towns! I love going to Astoria and Lincoln City. I have to visit more southern seaside towns sometime!
@@itsasamorse Yeah, there are fun little places south of Lincoln City. Yachats is probably better than Waldport, but also small. Just got back from 5 days in Portland, and I ate like a pig. Yippee!
Cool vid and perspective, much appreciated. We are thinking about a move out of San Diego and Portland is a top contender. Need to spend more time there to figure it out.
My friends moved here from San Diego! It made more sense for them to start/grow their family here than SoCal. Yes, please visit and get to know the neighborhoods before you move.
Make sure you come in the rainy months. Pretty dramatically different from your climate. It’s a small town with city amenities…
You should have seen it before the 2020 riots. It was the cleanest city I have ever been in. No crime, we used to walk around downtown and in old town at 3 am without worry.
A coworker of mine described Portland before 2020 exactly like this. They used to skate all over Pearl District, Old Town, Goose Hollow, etc. all night. I keep saying if Portland now is the less ideal version then it must have been something magical just a few years back. Here's to hoping we can get Portland (and Seattle for that matter) back on track!
Definitely interesting to see a completely different perspective. I visited Portland in May of 2021 and i totally lived it. The grungy aesthetic is something I completely adore. The homelessness is obviously a problem, but it's a problem no matter what city you go to, even the shitty town I'm from in Central Montana. Im moving to Portland in February, and i just wish it would come sooner.
I highly doubt the crappiest town in Montana has half as bad a homeless problem as Portland 😂
You're right that this is life in big cities around the world. It comes with income inequality and other ailments of metros.
I'm glad you like the grunge scene, there are lots of creative things to get into here. And once the city gets overwhelming, the surrounding towns are beautiful too.
@itsasamorse We don't have half in terms of raw numbers, but per capita we're actually only a little behind. When I say crappy town I'm exaggerating a little bit, I'm from Billings, which despite being the largest city in the state has about 110000 people.
I have to say, I’ve had Thai food in several states in the western U.S. It’s one of my favorites. I have NEVER had Thai food as good as the Thai food from the Thai food cart at The Fork in Wood Village/Fairview/Troutdale (the cart is at a convergence of these three cities on the edge of the Portland Metro area. 77 or 21 bus line.
Best Tom Kah EVER. Extra veggies, tofu, mild spice
Like I said, Portland food carts are better than some restaurants in other cities!! I never run out of good places to eat here. I haven't tried this pod yet but have heard good things about them. Thank you!
Hi- thank you for this video. We are planning a move to Portland in January and wondered what neighborhood you settled in that ended up working for you? Thanks again!
We live in one of the nice Southeast neighborhoods (there are plenty all over Portland.)
Here's a bit of my process for finding our place:
1. Use Google Maps to search for amenities we like (grocery stores, farmers markets, bars, schools, hospitals, etc.). This part might be the hardest/longest part of the research.
2. Search for housing in that section of town (Zillow, Redfin, Hotpads, Facebook, etc.)
3. Match the two maps above with the crime map on Neighborhood Scout.
The areas with the least crime and most amenities win. Or change the process however you want!
Edit:
You can also search for the different parks around the city that have movies in the park. This is usually a sign of a good neighborhood with safe parks for family activities. This should be on the city gov website.
@ Awesome! Thank you for the advice!
@@itsasamorse Such good advice. After living in the midwest for a bit I was so happy to return to Portland and its walkable neighborhoods. Sidewalks and small shopping districts are so easy, convenient and make a house a home. Let's walk for coffee! Let's walk to the brew pub! Let's walk to the Thai restaurant! Let's walk with our roller-cart and get our groceries! The best way to live and meet your neighbors. Thanks for your video and your change of heart about Portland. I live in the Southeast too. Best part of Portland.
@@denwanai Thank you so much! You described my typical weekend: let's walk to get coffee, groceries, ice cream, see a movie, brew, and Thai, all on one street! I never want to live in a city that's not walkable. I'm spoiled now!
08:04..Im dying, because your guy's like "I dont know what the Hell you talkin' bout?...Sac City?...good food?"😆😆😆Im a native Washingtonian (DC)..left for the military....was stationed in the Bay Area for 18 yrs...re-enlisted for another 12...lived in San Diego as well. And Ive traveled quite a bit both while in the service and on my own dime. But Portland hooked me when I was dating a guy a few yrs ago, who lives there .(him and his brother). We did the long distance relationship thing for about a year, with both of us visiting back and forth As soon as I walked outside at the airport, something about the vibe grabbed me, immediately. And by the time we got downtown to eat near the Pearl District...I figured it out. Ive always been something of a hipster. Its the way I look...the way I walk..and sometimes the way I talk.
I cant help it. I was like that, while I was growing up in the hood in DC, yrs and yrs ago...i was an oddball. Whether we want to be say it or not, there is something in us, that longs to live somewhere that epitomizes who we are as human beings. And often times that starts with how you look, dress, behave, socialize and work. San Francisco is my 2nd favorite city after Portland. To me, Portland is a very small microcosm of San Francisco. The homeless issue?..is pervasive everywhere Ive ever lived. Thats just the truth. And its not something I can fix...all I can do is help here and there, with volunteer work. Long story short, I decided a month ago, Im moving to Portland. And my supervisor has assigned me to the VA Hospital there in Portland, as soon as the position clears, in a year. Plenty of time for me to tie up loose ends and make living arrangements. Thanks for the video.
Okay I want to hear the rest of the story with how things went with your long distance bf!! I have so many questions. Wow you've had such an interesting journey. I'm happy you've realized who you truly are and have decided to settle in Hipster Heaven.
I've been an oddball too my whole life too. It's a long process of acceptance but I'm getting closer to "the real me". Maybe it is because I'm getting older too, but Portland has helped me discover who I truly want to become in the future.
Please come back and let me know how your move goes. I'd love to explore Pearl District, Goose Hollow, Old Town, and Nob Hill with you!
@@itsasamorse how nice of you to be something of a tour guide, Asa...I can tell the 2 of you are good souls. As far as questions go, ASK AWAY. The last time I visited, was 2021..some time after the peak of COVID. Granted, that was not an ideal time to travel or vacation..but it was around that time I IFIRST started thinking of other places to live. So, I figured, if I can visit Portland at its worst, Id kinda use that info as a 'barometer, of worse-ness' for other cities i had my eye on. I had already fallen in love with that area..and honestly I didnt even think that COVID could scare me away, because MOST cities go thru some sort of difficulties in these days and times.
but yea, I was living in San Diego at that time (Im in Asheville, NC now...been here 7 mths)...and the unhoused problem there in SD, is significantly worse than SF's or PDX..its more troublesome and much more spread out in SD County...all up in the suburbs, where well-off folks DO NOT want to be bothered. '
The Guy' is a good dude...he lives in South Portland, where things seem to be very self contained...where you dont have to venture downtown, unless you REALLY want to. So, that was the extent of where we went, my first visit...I didnt want the full, bang-on intro to the city that 1st visit..but it just seemed like he was avoiding getting out and about, altogether...as if nothing interesting existed in PDX. After that year of back and forth visiting each other...I had a much better idea of how i wanted to experience Portland...SINGLE!!!
I'll subscribe with you guys and stay in touch...move updates and whatnot. Name's Laurence☺
I'm from Kansas City and I'm 25 but ever since I graduated in 2018 I've thought about staying in midwest. But I always wonder what it would be like to live in Portland
Your 20s are the best time to explore! At least visit the places you're curious about. Come check out the West Coast and see if you like it. Then check out the South and East Coast too! Don't uproot if it's not worth it though.
11 minutes in.... still waiting to hear about the unforgettable life lessons.
You're absolutely right. I rewatched the video and I don't talk about life lessons until 12 minutes in. The point of the video was to show that I shouldn't judge a book by its cover (i.e. I shouldn't have judged Portland based on first impressions alone). I should have chosen a better title, but the video has kinda blown up that I feel weird changing the title now 😂. Do you have a better title in mind? I'm open to suggestions 😊
@@itsasamorse It's okay. I, too, shouldn't judge a video by its cover. I was expecting something different and didn't give watching a fair chance. I'll go back and watch the rest. I don't have a better title, really. I'll change my perspective. Thank you for sharing your honest thoughts about Portland! 🙂
Thank youuuu!❤
Nice to get your perspective on this place. I've lived in PDX most of my adult life and have witnessed its decline from how it used to be. I do think, though, that things are very slowly improving and that there's still a lot to like about the place, with it's flaws and all. It's a really cultural place as far as food and the arts go, and it's close to the gorge, has more park spaces than any other city... but I agree with you that aesthetically it doesn't stack up to a lot of cities. There are neighborhoods with plenty of handsome, well maintained old homes, but the too many of the buildings in the commercial districts are generic/ugly and seem to be built with only the cheapest per square ft. in mind. There doesn't seem to be the kind of preservation culture there is in other cities where old buildings are repurposed rather than torn down for the new...
I definitely see what you're talking about. In a neighborhood near me, there was an historic commercial building that was torn down and an apartment building is now in its place. The problem is these are are luxury units that most people in the city won't afford. I have nothing against luxury buildings, but the placements seem odd. It seems like the kind of zoning you'd see in Houston Texas. Portland has many historic architecture that should be preserved, it's part of the charm. I hope the city is able to develop without losing what makes it special.
Thank you, as a Portlander.
My pleasure 😊
Thank you for watching.
Does Portland's lack of diversity affect your experience at all? I thought for sure that would be touched on in this video and was surprised it didn't come up. It's interesting that for some folks it doesn't seem to be much of an issue while for others it is a deal breaker. My girlfriend and I live here, she's Black and from also California. It's a real issue for her in terms of how she perceives the city and navigates it.
I wish I could pin two comments cause I plan to do a video on this topic as well. My experience as an immigrant black woman (in terms of how I relate to ethnicity, nationality, culture, and race) might be different from your girlfriend's. I have many black American friends whose perspectives are similar to mine and some who are opposite, but we all experience race as black people in the US. Anyway, I have SO MANY thoughts on Portland's lack of diversity and how the city tries and doesn't try to make up for what it lacks. I'll share a bit of my perspective in that video, but I'll focus more on how black folks moving to and living in Portland can navigate the city (RnB bars, southern restaurants, Afrobeat events, hip hop clubs, Black Brunches, Caribbean restaurants and food trucks, Portland's very small black neighborhood, etc.).
So we understand that you still and will continue living in Portland ??
We're still in Portland! I'm not sure if this city is my forever home, but for now it's home.
Hi there, great video, I am biased regarding Portland having lived there for 35 years and now find myself residing in Atlanta Georgia, I have been here in Georgia for 1 1/2 years
I awake every day here with Portland on my mind/ heart, there are so many things I have found myself missing
The endless walking/ cycling paths, the food carts, the Columbia and Willamette rivers, all the parks, Powells Bookstore on Burnside, and being able to travel an hour in any direction from Portland and be standing on a Beach at the Oregon Coast, or somewhere in the picturesque Willamette Valley, or East somewhere in the Scenic Columbia Gorge
Portland Oregon is definitely Unique….
Ah you've seen Portland through the years!
I lived in Atlanta for just three months , then Philly, Denver, and a couple other cities before coming back West. Portland gives me everything I missed about the West Coast, with some elements of the East Coast (the variety in nature and food especially). I don't have to miss the beautiful trees in the Hudson Valley when there's Columbia Gorge, but I can still eat delicious food here in Portland like I did in Atlanta. If I ever leave Portland, I will always come back to visit. I say you do the same, until you find your forever spot. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I agree that Portland is unique.
I’m moving to Oregon soon from upstate New York It will be a new world for me 😩
Omg I have family in Albany and lived there for a bit!!! I think you'll like Portland coming from Upstate. Once you get into the West Coast hipster culture (or at least get over the culture shock of it), you'll have a good time here.
Please consider checking out The Rose Haven Women's Day Shelter! It's a great place and support system for those who struggle in the greater Portland area.
Thank you but I'm a little confused, are you suggesting them for me to volunteer there?
@@itsasamorse to volunteer. Could use some wonderful women in their lives. I think you would fit in with the ladies that work there.
I appreciate you saying that. I will look into volunteering there.
Nice video
Thank you!
Grew up in Portland and was SO ready to leave as I got older. Moved to LA for two years, met my now wife, during Covid we moved to Portland and then came back to SoCal from 2023 to now and we can’t wait to get back to the PNW.
All the things I hated about Portland, I now realize are what make the city so special.
Sure. Lol
There's nothing wrong with going back and forth! How does your wife feel about Portland though? That might be the deciding factor on whether y'all stay in SoCal or PNW.
@@itsasamorse she loves it so much! Honestly she was the deciding factor that we are heading back. She says that after a life of growing up in LA, and then spending two years in a smaller city and a state with so much nature, she realized that’s where she wants to be.
I’m not complaining about that!😂
Love the video :)
Ah that's perfect! Let me know when you two get here, me and hubby would love to get coffee with y'all!
Baba Boooey
I had to look it up 🤣
Ronald Mund approved
Gritty and industrial? lol
I said what I said! 😂
Austin TX started keep Austin weird first. 🎉
You're right! I just looked it up on Wikipedia. Keep Austin Weird started in 2000 and it was brought to Portland in 2003. To give Portland some credit, I think they took the weirdness to another level 😆
Fuck that. They just meant vs the rest of TX. Come out here and compare weird.
@@baruchvalenzuela1679 no Austin started keep Austin weird and Portland took it and made their keep Portland weird
Oh I've lived in Austin too (and Houston). Austin is very weird but it has limits because of the state it's in, ya know? But Portland has very little limits because of Oregon's liberal laws. However, Austin is more creative with its weirdness cause they work around limits. I do like both cities very much.
@@itsasamorse that’s awesome to hear ! I currently live in Austin ( for a little over 5 years now originally from Dallas ) and Austin is an awesome
Place! My partner and I are moving to Portland in October so I’m eager watching any video related to Portland 🤩
Watch Hassan Hates Portland. It's accurate