Portland Neighborhood Tour - Northwest (Part 1)

[kemet1984]

Portland has trains, that's good enough for me! Although I think I've been carrying the wrong impression about this West Coast city. I kept expecting, stupidly, the Bay area. But I can say that the architecture of the first few pictures, by which I mean the carefully hewn façades, made me feel like I was in an European urban context, particularly pictures 9 & 13. A strong sense of elegance can be found in the palatial enchantedness of the ninth one, especially.

[ChrisLA]

The buildings are nice and everything, but perhaps because its gloomy it looks down right depressing to me. Believe me I don't mind cloudy cool days, but I don't know how much I could take if it look like this most of the year.

[Abner]

Originally Posted by ChrisLA

The buildings are nice and everything, but perhaps because its gloomy it looks down right depressing to me. Believe me I don't mind cloudy cool days, but I don't know how much I could take if it look like this most of the year.

The winter is very dark and cloudy, but also short. Vegetation (and moss) staying very green throughout the year also helps a lot.

Inner NW really does hit sort of a sweet spot in terms of density. It's not at all overbearing, but there is a lot of activity. It makes me wish that current developments could mimic Northwest's patterns, which I think have a much broader appeal than highrise districts. Northwest is an urban neighborhood that a suburbanite could see himself living in.

[downtownpdx]

Originally Posted by ChrisLA

The buildings are nice and everything, but perhaps because its gloomy it looks down right depressing to me. Believe me I don't mind cloudy cool days, but I don't know how much I could take if it look like this most of the year.

Believe me, we had an unusually cool and cloudy spring, and every time I talked to my friend in LA on the phone I was bitching about the gloom. But Portland has this cozy, vibrant quality to its environment that seems to dispel the gloom in my opinion. Of course I'm a native so I'm used to it . But I was in LA a year ago, and we drove all over the place on a drizzly day ... and THAT was depressing. The character of the urban landscape in SoCal seems to respond to, almost require, a sunny climate, if that makes sense, and places like Portland reflect a more cool, rainy climate. Anyway, the amazing late spring - early fall months really make up for the winter gloom.

[Sekkle]

Thanks for the comments everyone. ChrisLA, I agree that if it were gloomy/cloudy like this for most of the year, it would be a lot tougher to live in Portland (these photos were taken in March I think). But the summers are very sunny, with very little rain or clouds (I think Portland typically gets less rain than Phoenix in July). That said, it was cloudy, cool and rainy for longer than I expected this year (this being my first winter here).

[brandonpdx]

Don't believe these guys. Portland is very dark and gloomy all the time. It's probably best if you just stay away from here.

[ChrisLA]

Originally Posted by brandonpdx

Don't believe these guys. Portland is very dark and gloomy all the time. It's probably best if you just stay away from here.

I've passed through Portland on my way to Seattle via Amtrak several years ago. Don't worry this is one Californian who have no great desire to live there as is the case with most of us here. Please don't flatter yourselves up there, those who left the area usually are the ones who perfer to live among their own kind. Although I may consider a visit this fall for a few days just to check it out as it seems like a nice place to visit, I just hope there is a bit more sunshine when I do visit.

[EastBayHardCore]

Portland...man, what a fucking awesome town. You did a great job capturing one of it's best neighborhoods.

[natepdx]

Originally Posted by ChrisLA

I've passed through Portland on my way to Seattle via Amtrak several years ago. Don't worry this is one Californian who have no great desire to live there as is the case with most of us here. Please don't flatter yourselves up there, those who left the area usually are the ones who perfer to live among their own kind. Although I may consider a visit this fall for a few days just to check it out as it seems like a nice place to visit, I just hope there is a bit more sunshine when I do visit.

I really don't think any of us up here ARE trying to "flatter ourselves". We know we live in a wonderful city that has an above average quality of living index. We are certainly not the largest or most glamorous city around but we take justifiable pride in what we have. Please don't post negative comments here about how "gloomy", "depressing" it looks or that we shouldn't "flatter ourselves" up here. There really is no need for that. Please do us a favor and stay in Los Angeles.

[ChrisLA]

Its my opinion and I can choose to say what I was thinking, just as many on this board choose to say what they like or hate about LA. I didn't insult anyone, and I really didn't put your city down. To me most west coast cities, and including LA does have a rather depressing look when its cloudy.

I think most of our western cities look much more colorful and vibrant whenthe sun is bright. Only to eastern cities because of its design (mostly red brick and less colorful) looks charming during those dark winter months.

I can't help how feel about my opinion, but they are mine to make. Because of my thoughts, I was given a back hand insult. So I came replied letting this particular forumer know not all of us Californians have any plans or some great desire to move to the northwest as many of you believe. You really need to stop wearing your feelings on your sleeve. I don't even know you, and was not talking to you. I would hate to see how you would react with all of the insults this board throw at LA.

EDIT: Oh and if you really paid much attention to my comments in the past, I have pretty much said very nice things about Portland. Just because I said I don't have any desire to live there, or didn't like how depressing it looked in these photos. This does not mean I hate it, or will never go back and explore the city a bit than what I have seen.

[natepdx]

Originally Posted by ChrisLA

Its my opinion and I can choose to say what I was thinking, just as many on this board choose to say what they like or hate about LA. I didn't insult anyone, and I really didn't put your city down. To me most west coast cities, and including LA does have a rather depressing look when its cloudy.

I think most of our western cities look much more colorful and vibrant whenthe sun is bright. Only to eastern cities because of its design (mostly red brick and less colorful) looks charming during those dark winter months.

I can't help how feel about my opinion, but they are mine to make. Because of my thoughts, I was given a back hand insult. So I came replied letting this particular forumer know not all of us Californians have any plans or some great desire to move to the northwest as many of you believe. You really need to stop wearing your feelings on your sleeve. I don't even know you, and was not talking to you. I would hate to see how you would react with all of the insults this board throw at LA.
I now understand you didn't mean to insult anyone but your choice of words could easily be taken as such.
EDIT: Oh and if you really paid much attention to my comments in the past, I have pretty much said very nice things about Portland. Just because I said I don't have any desire to live there, or didn't like how depressing it looked in these photos. This does not mean I hate it, or will never go back and explore the city a bit than what I have seen.

Actually sir, I do know how many insults are thrown at LA as I regularly visit the LA threads and I grew up in LA. I think saying that I gave you a "back handed insult" is a tad bit dramatic. I just don't see the need to go to the trouble to go to a Portland specific thread to say negative things. I have never and would never do that on an LA thread. In fact I have quite a soft spot for my old hometown. In all fairness you do have a right to your opinion but it certainly seems, to me anyways, a bit troll-like. One thing I have learned in my 40 years on this planet is you never put down some one's hometown. An example : "So where are you from?" "Me? LA" "Oh, I'm sorry." I can't tell you how many times I've heared this. I probably am ranting like a crazy person but it's one of my pet peeves, for better or worse.