POPULATION: 583,776
MEDIAN AGE: 36
MEDIAN ANNUAL SALARY: $50,203
MEDIAN HOME VALUE: $296,100
VOTES: 685 (3.1%)
A long time ago in a city far, far awry, men reveled in preposterous mustaches, women brandished victory gardens of armpit hair, and the citizenry took an unyielding position against an urban plan that, like so many across the country, would have run a freeway roughshod over a host of lush, peaceful old neighborhoods. This was Portland back in 1974, a sublime tableau of mountains, rivers, rainforest, and ocean serving as backdrop to these courageous stands.
Staying Power: Today, local hair fashions may look like the revenge of '74, but Portland itself has evolved. That crucial defeat of some wannabe Robert Moses snowballed, slowly transforming the city into a paragon of alternative transportation, its transit dollars funneled toward infrastructure projects like the ever-expanding MAX light-rail system, biodiesel buses, streetcars, an aerial tram, a suburb-serving commuter rail, and a 330-mile bike-route network set to double in size by 2030. The neighborhoods work more like Old World villages, the parks are plentiful (more than 300), and the streets are incredibly friendly to pedestrians and cyclists. Economy-wise, Portland was recently recognized by Kiplinger's as a comeback city for its growth in the software and clean-tech industries, adding gobs of jobs in what has been a tough market. Rain (and more rain) or shine, this place is hard to beat.
Playgrounds: The Pacific Northwest is like a little New Zealand. Looming behind downtown are the squat, verdant Tualatin Mountains, home to 5,100-acre Forest Park. Throw in nearby Mount Hood, with its year-round snowsports, and the Willamette and Columbia rivers, and you start to get the idea.
The Voters Speak: "The Columbia Gorge, Mount St. Helens, Mount Adams, the Cascades, the Coast Range, Smith Rock—all within a few hours' drive from downtown." "Great beer, coffee, and food carts everywhere." "Ski powder in the morning, sleep on the beach that night!"
Comments
Didn't you just tell us a few weeks ago that all the lovely Portland infrastructure will get munched on by a megaquake?
Flag ThisDidn't you just tell us a few weeks ago that all the lovely Portland infrastructure will get munched on by a megaquake?
Flag ThisYup! Mega earthquakes just around the corner. Don't forget the rain. It is really horrible and depressing. Moving to Portland is just crazy...
Flag ThisThere's no powder on Mt. Hood and sleeping on the beach is actually illegal within most cities. The ones that don't outlaw it don't have to because their coastline is cliffs. Plus during ski season, avg high temperature at the beach is about 45 - 50 with steady 20mph wind.
Flag ThisThere's no powder on Mt. Hood and sleeping on the beach is actually illegal within most cities. The ones that don't outlaw it don't have to because their coastline is cliffs. Plus during ski season, avg high temperature at the beach is about 45 - 50 with steady 20mph wind.
Flag ThisNo powder on Mt Hood..? might want to rethink that. Mt. Hood has amazing conditions and has the longest ski/snowboard season in the country! As far as rain goes. It rains less here then in the Seattle area or east coast during the winter. The rain we do get makes the area green and amazing during the spring and summer! we have 4 seasons. It is the most easy going large city in the country.
Flag ThisNo powder on Mt Hood..? might want to rethink that. Mt. Hood has amazing conditions and has the longest ski/snowboard season in the country! As far as rain goes. It rains less here then in the Seattle area or east coast during the winter. The rain we do get makes the area green and amazing during the spring and summer! we have 4 seasons. It is the most easy going large city in the country.
Flag ThisGreat place, except for the month after month after month of depressing grey skies. Really wears on you. Especially if you come from a sunny place, which almost everyplace in the US south or east of here is. Summer almost makes up for it, although last summer wasn't even close.
Flag ThisDon't come here, it sucks. Rain, rain, and more rain! can't wait to escape.
Flag Thisyeah,dont come here if you are a spolied cali orfla punk,who thinks anything under 50 degress is cold,come if you have some balls
Flag ThisRain cleans dirty pollutions!! Think!
Flag ThisRain cleans dirty pollutions!! Think!
Flag Thismoved to oregon from the south and it's much better.. may have rain but thank God! No tornados and look at the statistics, places around here are much safer from natural disasters than other places, even with the chance of earthquakes.. http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/05/01/weekinreview/01safe.html rain makes the grass green as opposed to dry crap all year round and humidity, and heat w/ lazy people only indoors w/ the AC on!
Flag ThisIt sucks, horrible vibe, outrageous housing prices, no jobs, 12 months straight of damp dreary weather. PLEASE STOP MOVING HERE! (from an underemployed Portlander who wouldn't move for a gazillion bucks.)
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