• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Portland (OR) |OT|

M

MikeDown

Banned
xxracerxx said:
If you want one of the best greasy spoon joints in town and love old school diners, check out Fuller's.

It is mere blocks away from the train station and do not let the title coffee shop throw you off, this is how cool it is inside:

9W76GcC.jpg


But if you want the best bagels in the city, there is also Bowery Bagels down Broadway.



How dare you! Byways is way to Guy Fieri for me.
Click to expand...
We were actually thinking about Fullers, but I wasn't quite sure since it was advertised as a coffee shop and all that. :D Also might have to stop at Bowery Bagles too
 
D

Doombear

Member
MikeDown said:
We were actually thinking about Fullers, but I wasn't quite sure since it was advertised as a coffee shop and all that. :D Also might have to stop at Bowery Bagles too
Click to expand...

Ha, Bowery was the place that I was slyly referring to in my post. Love the staff and the bagels. Jalapeno salt bagel with a kimchi schmear. Kimchi is super tame so it isn't overpowering at all. You really can't go wrong with any of their bagels though, and usually Fridays and Saturdays see them toss on a limited time bagel so definitely ask if they have anything special. They were doing their MSG bagel recently, and this ... sounds pretty amazing "the Bulgogi Beef Sandwich with kimchi schmear and pickled daikon and carrot on a MSG bagel."

Well shit, I now have to get coffee and a bagel before I hit the office tomorrow.
 
C

Cat Party

Member
I meant to go to Fuller's years ago with my folks but it was strangely closed or something. Forgot all about it. Need to get there at some point.
 
F

FoneBone

Member
Looking to move to Portland in the next 1-2 months - heading there tomorrow for a few days of networking and interviews. Any fun events this weekend worth checking out?
 
I

iShouldGoPro

Member
FoneBone said:
Looking to move to Portland in the next 1-2 months - heading there tomorrow for a few days of networking and interviews. Any fun events this weekend worth checking out?
Click to expand...

If you like beer (which, if you're moving to Portland you should be) the Holiday Ale Fest is going on from Dec. 3-7th.

Should be a good time with a lot of cool and interesting people there. Check it out!


Here is the link to the event website for more info
http://holidayale.com/index.php
 
C

Christoff Yurievich

Member
Guys, I was tasked with planning the holiday party for work. I need a place that ~30 people can go to eat drink and be merry. Boss is pushing for Red Star Tavern but is amenable to Paddy's.

Handicap accessible is not a requirement (that guy probably won't show anyway) but would be nice.
 
C

Cat Party

Member
allegate said:
Guys, I was tasked with planning the holiday party for work. I need a place that ~30 people can go to eat drink and be merry. Boss is pushing for Red Star Tavern but is amenable to Paddy's.

Handicap accessible is not a requirement (that guy probably won't show anyway) but would be nice.
Click to expand...
Might be too late but check out Kells. Everyplace should be handicap accessible.
 
M

mYm|17|

Member
Was just in Portland last weekend and I want to go back so bad.

The food scene there is just so much better than Seattle :(
 
I

InfiniteBento

Member
Portland-ers ,

I'm currently torn on what state to move to so can you guys give me some insight about the state?

I'd love to hear about how long you've lived there, what the scenes are like, hows the art/food industry over there, and pricing for stuff too.

I'm trying to attend culinary school but I'm torn up on where to move to go to school along with cost of living & etc :/
 
L

lawlohwhat

Banned
InfiniteBento said:
Portland-ers ,

I'm currently torn on what state to move to so can you guys give me some insight about the state?

I'd love to hear about how long you've lived there, what the scenes are like, hows the art/food industry over there, and pricing for stuff too.

I'm trying to attend culinary school but I'm torn up on where to move to go to school along with cost of living & etc :/
Click to expand...

Grew up in a Portland suburb, lived in eugene for college, and have lived in the city for just over a year.

The climate and culture is important to understand before you move here. It rains a lot. Many transplants are unprepared for the 9-10 months of showers and wintery gloom. That said, the summers can't be beat as it never gets too hot and the city just gleams. There are a lot of great parks in the city limits and outdoor adventure is just a short drive away if you're into REI kind of shit.

People are generally pretty friendly but there isn't much racial diversity. Ages skew younger, and younger people tend to be laid back but also somewhat unattached and may appear pretentious. There are weirdos everywhere. The stuff you see on portlandia is barely exaggerated. The two big professional sports teams are great. It's also a countercultureish kind of place, and that's attractive to creative people, though art galleries/symphonies/etc are pretty limited. The comedy scene is... heh heheh... a joke compared to places like LA and SF.

The food is great. Healthy mix of multicultural stuff, and lots of experimental restaurants including a thriving food cart scene. Tons of alcoholic options with beer being the obvious staple. Also there are a few world class restaurants that tend to be relatively inexpensive to dine at.

There was a short discussion on cost of living in this thread recently but I'll say this, if you plan to live in the city center you will have to pay out your ass, but it's no different than any other large city, and it is relatively cheap comparatively. Landlords can be sketchy because there is so much demand. That said, there are plenty of options in the suburbs and surrounding cities if you are willing to commute.
 
M

MikeDown

Banned
just got back, went to fullers and checked out the alefest. Loved their sausage's, but the pancakes were little dense/thick for my taste, not bad by any stretch, just not my thing. We quickly went through the fest, group I was in wanted to shop, so I didn't really stick around. Later on we found ourselves in the middle of a protest; was pretty good day. will post sum picks later
 
obin_gam

obin_gam

Member
Going to visit Portland this summer. Have never been to the US before. Icelandic Air have great prices, which ranges around $1000 roundtrip from Sweden, which I think for flight is very cheap.

My first question is: couchsurfing or hotel? I'm thinking of staying around ten days so the hotel prices would be also around $1000 in total which feels a bit much. So when I learned about couchsurfing it got me thinking about that option.
 
D

Dr. Feel Good

Banned
obin_gam said:
Going to visit Portland this summer. Have never been to the US before. Icelandic Air have great prices, which ranges around $1000 roundtrip from Sweden, which I think for flight is very cheap.

My first question is: couchsurfing or hotel? I'm thinking of staying around ten days so the hotel prices would be also around $1000 in total which feels a bit much. So when I learned about couchsurfing it got me thinking about that option.
Click to expand...

I don't know why you would go to Portland for ten days if you're coming from out of the country especially as your first trip to the US. You will get bored. Split it up and do Seattle too.
 
D

distantmantra

Member
Dr. Feel Good said:
I don't know why you would go to Portland for ten days if you're coming from out of the country especially as your first trip to the US. You will get bored. Split it up and do Seattle too.
Click to expand...

Eh, if you go out to the coast and also up to Hood River, I think that would be an awesome ten day trip.
 
K

kittens

Unconfirmed Member
obin_gam said:
Going to visit Portland this summer. Have never been to the US before. Icelandic Air have great prices, which ranges around $1000 roundtrip from Sweden, which I think for flight is very cheap.

My first question is: couchsurfing or hotel? I'm thinking of staying around ten days so the hotel prices would be also around $1000 in total which feels a bit much. So when I learned about couchsurfing it got me thinking about that option.
Click to expand...
There's TONS to do in and around Portland. It depends on what you find fun. Your GAF profile says you like film, games, and metal, so... For film I'd recommend any of the local theaters, and maybe the NW Film Center? And make sure to visit the arcade / bar Ground Kontrol. I haven't kept up on the metal scene in Portland much... Most of the metal kids I know hang out at the Alleyway bar on Alberta, but I don't think they have music there often / ever. I guess try the show listings on PC-PDX, The Mercury, or the Willamette Week.

And Portland has a pretty rich couch surfing culture. It should be easy to find something free / cheap. Check out couchsurfing.com.
 
F

Furyous

Member
I have lots of questions some of which are controversial:

What's it like to live in Portland?

How nice are Portland police?

Where are the hoods and what are they like?

How are minorities treated including African-Americans?

Is Portland a city that welcomes transplants?

Is the city segregated in any way?

I mean absolutely no offense by asking these questions at all. Let's just say I'm curious and relatively close to the city depending upon one's interpretation of close.
 
L

lawlohwhat

Banned
Furyous said:
I have lots of questions some of which are controversial:

What's it like to live in Portland?

How nice are Portland police?

Where are the hoods and what are they like?

How are minorities treated including African-Americans?

Is Portland a city that welcomes transplants?

Is the city segregated in any way?

I mean absolutely no offense by asking these questions at all. Let's just say I'm curious and relatively close to the city depending upon one's interpretation of close.
Click to expand...

somebody's been drinking
 
D

Dr. Feel Good

Banned
Furyous said:
I have lots of questions some of which are controversial:

What's it like to live in Portland?

How nice are Portland police?

Where are the hoods and what are they like?

How are minorities treated including African-Americans?

Is Portland a city that welcomes transplants?

Is the city segregated in any way?

I mean absolutely no offense by asking these questions at all. Let's just say I'm curious and relatively close to the city depending upon one's interpretation of close.
Click to expand...

1. Fairly laid back, easy going, eccentric people. Relatively low cost of living. Tons of restaurants. a city that thrives on new and trendy things.

2. Never experienced them.

3. Anything east of 82nd Ave in the NE and SE is the "ghetto" which is sort of shady. Coming from other cities I don't think its too bad, I've gone out drinking with people and met a lot of people who live in Gresham. The reality is its a cheaper place to live but the people still seem fairly nice and safe.

4. From the general public? I thought pretty good. It's not as racially diverse as other bigger cities, but again the town is extremely liberal and forward thinking so I can't imagine there's a ton of blatant racism.

5. You're more likely to meet a transplant than a local. It's all out of towners.

6. Well the sad reality is with weath distribution comes segregation. I would be surprised if the NW towards near 23rd has much in terms of racial diversity but predominetly white college privileged kids. Downtown is ritzy near the Pearl too but gets the diversity that comes with any downtown. MLK in the north/NE is probably heavier "black" from what I can tell, but that road intersects through so many parts of the city that it's impossible to say its segregated. Overall I felt the city isn't too badly segregated, however you're still looking at a major city that is something like 80% white, so it's bound to happen.
 
M

Mental Atrophy

Banned
I feel like I am about to collapse into a sugar coma. For Christmas, my sister bought me a big bag of gummy candy from this store called Enchante in Milwaukie. I devoured the entire thing in one sitting. Do recommend.
 
F

Furyous

Member
Dr. Feel Good said:
1. Fairly laid back, easy going, eccentric people. Relatively low cost of living. Tons of restaurants. a city that thrives on new and trendy things.

2. Never experienced them.

3. Anything east of 82nd Ave in the NE and SE is the "ghetto" which is sort of shady. Coming from other cities I don't think its too bad, I've gone out drinking with people and met a lot of people who live in Gresham. The reality is its a cheaper place to live but the people still seem fairly nice and safe.

4. From the general public? I thought pretty good. It's not as racially diverse as other bigger cities, but again the town is extremely liberal and forward thinking so I can't imagine there's a ton of blatant racism.

5. You're more likely to meet a transplant than a local. It's all out of towners.

6. Well the sad reality is with weath distribution comes segregation. I would be surprised if the NW towards near 23rd has much in terms of racial diversity but predominetly white college privileged kids. Downtown is ritzy near the Pearl too but gets the diversity that comes with any downtown. MLK in the north/NE is probably heavier "black" from what I can tell, but that road intersects through so many parts of the city that it's impossible to say its segregated. Overall I felt the city isn't too badly segregated, however you're still looking at a major city that is something like 80% white, so it's bound to happen.
Click to expand...

Thanks a lot for the information! For the record, I did not drink at any point through any my posts but merely asked a question. When's a good time to visit Portland and what are some attractions to see? I want to move there but am unsure about the situation. As an outsider that lives in the pacific northwest, originally from the midwest, I find the Portland transplants to be cool but very blunt in a midwestern way. In other words, fuck your last name (not you or anyone but as a mentality, no offense meant), fuck your material possesions, and fuck your status off gp but without actually taking these things or destroying them in front of you.
 
D

Dr. Feel Good

Banned
Furyous said:
Thanks a lot for the information! For the record, I did not drink at any point through any my posts but merely asked a question. When's a good time to visit Portland and what are some attractions to see? I want to move there but am unsure about the situation. As an outsider that lives in the pacific northwest, originally from the midwest, I find the Portland transplants to be cool but very blunt in a midwestern way. In other words, fuck your last name (not you or anyone but as a mentality, no offense meant), fuck your material possesions, and fuck your status off gp but without actually taking these things or destroying them in front of you.
Click to expand...

I'm originally from Minneapolis and moved there for a year and a half (now relocated to LA) and had a great time. The people are great so don't worry about that. You will find materialistic people, you will find hippies, you will find people from all kinds of life, it's a big city after all, it really just depends on where you live and go out. I will say my biggest frustration with the people is I personally felt people come off as lazy, unambitious, and consistently in between jobs (Portlandia isn't joking about the dream of the 90s). They are still genuine people but to me as a hard working mid 20's it was difficult to relate to.

I would go in late June or anytime in July. The rain has stopped, shit is always going on in almost any neighborhood. August and September are good too but hot. You will eat a lot. If you want to experience outdoor stuff that's doable to. To me the city is not very historic, and the appeal is just going to different areas of the city and trying food/bars and getting the vibe of the area (which is very different throughout the city). Festivals are happening in the summer, last Thursday on Alberta is worth going to as it's very Portland. Bike tours could be fun. Brewery tour. Timbers games are amazing.
 
F

Futureman

Member
I think I might be moving to Portland at some point this year with my GF. She really wants to and I don't really have a career job so....

We currently live in Pittsburgh. I'm 30 and she's 26. We both have undergrad degrees and she talks about going to law school in Portland. I don't really want to go back to school... I do photography, video, animation, illustration. I've had the same job since I graduated college (again non-career) so I guess moving out to Portland might be good to push me to actually hunker down and start professionally doing photography (the video and illustration/animation or more of hobbies I guess).

I dunno though... it's scary. My immediate family is very small at this point... basically my Dad and two brothers, nephew and aunt/uncle and two cousins. I feel like I'll almost never see them anymore if I move all the way across the country. I have a nice group of very close friends in Pittsburgh but they are all getting married and having kids so hanging out is becoming less and less often.

what do you think GAF?!
 
F

Futureman

Member
everyone talks about Portland being so rainy, but I guess it wouldn't phase me... Decided to whip up a comparison. Winter months more precip than Pittsburgh, but otherwise weather looks nicer overall...

compare.jpg
 
S

Sumidor

Member
Is anyone planning on going to Comic-Con this in a few weeks?


Futureman said:
everyone talks about Portland being so rainy, but I guess it wouldn't phase me... Decided to whip up a comparison. Winter months more precip than Pittsburgh, but otherwise weather looks nicer overall...

compare.jpg
Click to expand...

It doesn't rain that hard, but it's more that it's constantly raining. It can wear on some people, I personally enjoy it. But I also have hood on all my jackets and sweaters.
 
C

Cat Party

Member
Sumidor said:
It doesn't rain that hard, but it's more that it's constantly raining. It can wear on some people, I personally enjoy it. But I also have hood on all my jackets and sweaters.
Click to expand...
This is exactly it. It can eat into Summer sometimes, and that really sucks.
 
obin_gam

obin_gam

Member
Dr. Feel Good said:
I don't know why you would go to Portland for ten days if you're coming from out of the country especially as your first trip to the US. You will get bored. Split it up and do Seattle too.
Click to expand...

The details of the trip isn't exactly sorted out yet, so I will definately take this into consideration. The main reason for the trip is basically just to chill and relax, as a person I have never felt the need for exciting adventures - I'd rather stay in a certain place and experience the mood and population. I dont' want the trip to be stressful and touristy. What I'm thinking is to have Portland as a hub, and then use the days to visit places/towns/cities in the not-too-far area.


distantmantra said:
Eh, if you go out to the coast and also up to Hood River, I think that would be an awesome ten day trip.
Click to expand...

Looked up Hood River on wikipedia and it seems cool! Will scribble that down on my travel-planning-spreadsheet!


kittens said:
There's TONS to do in and around Portland. It depends on what you find fun. Your GAF profile says you like film, games, and metal, so... For film I'd recommend any of the local theaters, and maybe the NW Film Center? And make sure to visit the arcade / bar Ground Kontrol. I haven't kept up on the metal scene in Portland much... Most of the metal kids I know hang out at the Alleyway bar on Alberta, but I don't think they have music there often / ever. I guess try the show listings on PC-PDX, The Mercury, or the Willamette Week.

And Portland has a pretty rich couch surfing culture. It should be easy to find something free / cheap. Check out couchsurfing.com.
Click to expand...

I have a friend who traveled through the western us last spring and he mentioned that Arcadia National Bar was cool, so now I have two gaming bars to look up!

Thanks for the websites, from just glancing through them it seems the city has a fairly blooming music life, thats good :) When it comes to music I am fairly liberal. I can listen to just about anything that isn't rnb/hiphop or country hehe.

Am now a member on that couchsurfing website, everyone there seems cool!


Fiction said:
Hood River is gorgeous, can be pricey though. The Mesquitery is an excellent resturant for the price though.

If you are into fishing at all, the Columbia is amazing for fishing. The Deschutes isn't far from Hood River, and the mouth of that thing is usually just covered boats the fishing is so good.
Click to expand...

Not really into fishing, I'm more of the scenic route/hiking kind.


Thanks people for the tips! I'll gladly take more suggestions of things to do and places to visit in the near area of Portland.
 
D

Doombear

Member
obin_gam said:
I have a friend who traveled through the western us last spring and he mentioned that Arcadia National Bar was cool, so now I have two gaming bars to look up!
Click to expand...

Hehe... the Arcadia National is in the OTHER Portland (Maine) and is going to be quite a drive from here =P
 
F

FoneBone

Member
I'm moving at the end of the month - at least initially I'll be couchsurfing with a few friends, but I need to look more heavily into the real estate market. I'm looking to pay $500-600 a month for a room - what are decent neighborhoods where I could find something in that range? I'm not getting a car, so access to buses or MAX is essential.
 
C

Cat Party

Member
FoneBone said:
I'm moving at the end of the month - at least initially I'll be couchsurfing with a few friends, but I need to look more heavily into the real estate market. I'm looking to pay $500-600 a month for a room - what are decent neighborhoods where I could find something in that range? I'm not getting a car, so access to buses or MAX is essential.
Click to expand...
I don't think there is a $500 room in Portland that is 1) available and 2) in a decent neighborhood.
 
X

xxracerxx

Don't worry, I'll vouch for them.
This might be the best article Oregonlive.com (The Oregonian) has put out in awhile:

Portland parking tickets: City's top offenders rack up thousands in fines

Portland's serial parking offenders
Make of vehicles, registered owners and number of tickets for the period between Jan. 1, 2011 to Dec. 1, 2014.
1. UPS truck PF29109 (262 tickets worth $18,093)
2. Honda registered to Alan Morimoto of Lake Oswego, but driven by his daughter. (237, $11,605)
3. Chevrolet registered to James K. Leonard of Southwest Portland (207, $9,335)
4. UPS truck PF33795 (116, $8,031)
5. Jeep registered to David Fones, owner of Scandals club (112, $4,526)
6. Volvo registered to Delaney Kelly, furniture designer and one half of music duo Deelay Ceelay, but driven by his wife (110, $4,284)
7. UPS truck PF33807 (109, $8,354)
8. UPS truck PF29624 (108, $7,897)
9. Honda registered to Richard I. Booker Jr. of Southwest Portland (107, $6,095)
10. Chevrolet registered to Wendi Mattias-Day, owner of Old Town Florist (105, $4,375)
Click to expand...

Holy fuck at the girl from Lake Oswego.
 
C

Cat Party

Member
Ha, saw that article earlier. Parking enforcement is a proven money maker for the city, so they have no reason to provide more loading zones (which honestly are needed).
 
Z

Zombine

Banned
Portland is one of those places where I feel like I would fit in, and I wouldn't have too hard of a time making the transition over to the state due to having relatives there. I'm going to try to visit the next time my uncle is on Portlandia.
 
M

M3z_

Member
Planning to move to Portland come May or so. Been living in Redmond and working in Bend for the last 18 months, but central Oregon just is not my thing, too much of a white dominant monoculture vibe. Also being from LA moving to a small town in general was not my thing and hoping Portland provides a better fit.

I'm interested in moving into the city maybe near downtown. Any reasons why certain areas of Portland are better than others. I got about 10k saved up to start my new life in Portland, hoping not to pay more than $750 on rent(not including utilities).

I'll be looking for a new job in accounting/AR/AP, not really worried about finding a job though. I'm plenty confident in my abilities and my current job loves me and would provide the highest of recommendations.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Nintendo Switch will be in stock at Amazon Book Stores on 7/11 (Prime Only)
24
5K
Linkura replied
  • Locked
United States most dangerous neighborhoods in 2014: Top 25
2 3 4 5 6
257
31K
Sickness702 replied
Canada: Try out Mario Kart 8 at Best Buy on May 24
10
1K
Kazerei replied
  • Locked
Portland police catch "Hipster Bandit" as he bikes from bank robbery
33
5K
pigeon replied
  • Locked
Yelp's top 100 Restaurant List
2
95
7K
Drek replied
Top Bottom