veggieprincess Posted April 5, 2008 Share Posted April 5, 2008 So I know many of you are from Portland and I have never been there. So Rachel Ray had a Food Network special on Portland and the places that she was showing looked just too cool for words! Things that stick out from the show were 2 very cool coffee houses, one was called Anna Banana's I think and the other I believe was Valentino's. My daughter really wants me to take her to Portland to go to Peanut Butter and Nellies where the kids make their own PB & J's. Plus, the PRICES of the eateries seemed so low. They were showing places you can get a really gourmet sandwich and salad for $5. You can't EVEN get that where I live. And the people (especially the women) seemed so down to earth, unpretentious and wholesome (well, at least the ones in the background of the show)...no makeup... no vanity. Makes me wonder if I'd be able to be my truer self in a place like that. Anyway... to all you Portlanders out there.... you live in a really cool place! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bvp663 Posted April 5, 2008 Share Posted April 5, 2008 Thanks! I'd trade up to Portland from OC any time. Although I moved here from San Diego which I do miss quite a bit. If only Oregon had a beach, but no they have a "coast". Move up here and join the crew! Many many more exciting things food-wise that I'm sure weren't even mentioned on Rachel Ray's show. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Pink Posted April 5, 2008 Share Posted April 5, 2008 How many of the places Rachael Ray mentioned were Vegan? Did she even mention anything Vegan when she talked about Portland? I was going to move to Portland. Still kinda want to. But I'm torn now. Torn between two possible moves. Portland or LA? LA or Portland? I still don't know for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DV Posted April 5, 2008 Share Posted April 5, 2008 Portland is very down to earth. We travel to the east coast often and I'm initially stunned by how "made up" everyone looks. I never feel underdressed here, even in jeans or yoga pants. I bet 90% of the population owns a pair of Crocs and half of them consider it a dress shoe (okay, that was a bit of an exaggeration). Very few vain women here. As for restaurant prices, we are definitely a cheap city. There are some pricey omni places but compared to many cities food prices are a bargain. The vegetarian and vegan restaurants are very reasonable. We have nothing compared to Millennium in San Fran or Candle 79 in NYC (in price or quality, IMO). You should definitely come for a visit in the summer. July and August are almost always sunny and humidity is very low. There are even a few people with tans - but I think they're all from out of town. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beforewisdom Posted April 5, 2008 Share Posted April 5, 2008 Would I be correct in assuming that cheap prices in Portland means that Portland does not have a lot of jobs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DV Posted April 5, 2008 Share Posted April 5, 2008 I'm not sure how to answer that one. I know that a few years ago the unemployment rate in Portland was higher than the national average. On the bright side, minimum wage is higher than the federal min wage and wait staff in restaurants all get that minimum wage plus tips. Maybe some other members could give you a better answer. There's a shortage of workers in my profession so I can't compare my situation here to other areas. I do know that one of my neighbors had a difficult time finding an elementary school teaching job. There seems to be more service type jobs here than manufacturing or professional. When I needed a lawyer for a specific type of litigation I had to find him in NY - this city just isn't big enough to support some types of industry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaron Posted April 5, 2008 Share Posted April 5, 2008 Teaching can be a little rough getting a job just cuz there's so many teaching schools located in portland that there's a plethora of new teacher graduates every year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
veggieprincess Posted April 6, 2008 Author Share Posted April 6, 2008 How many of the places Rachael Ray mentioned were Vegan? Did she even mention anything Vegan when she talked about Portland? I didn't watch the whole show but I know there are a ton of vegan options in Portland just from this board. I have always preferred trying to find Vegan options in non-vegan restaurants. I enjoy concocting my own creations (of course I do this with a huge smile so know one spits in my food) My absolute fav is mexican restaurants that offer Veggie Fajitas. When I'm watching my carbs in the evening I even ask them to bring out Romaine lettuce leaves instead of tortillas. I just load a romaine lettuce leaf with onions, peppers, mushrooms, pico de gallo and a little guacamole. SOOOOOOO good!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
veggieprincess Posted April 6, 2008 Author Share Posted April 6, 2008 I bet 90% of the population owns a pair of Crocs and half of them consider it a dress shoe (okay, that was a bit of an exaggeration). Very few vain women here. I don't even know what Crocs are! LOL Cool...so I can leave my makeup bag at home then? Well, maybe just a coat of mascara and some lipliner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Pink Posted April 6, 2008 Share Posted April 6, 2008 Well the only Croc I know if is the crocodile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gkleinman Posted April 6, 2008 Share Posted April 6, 2008 Portland is a great city, fantastic for raising kids as well. It's a city that either fits people (and they love it) or doesn't (and then they move to Seattle). I've been here for 15 yrs now and can't imagine living anywhere else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted April 6, 2008 Share Posted April 6, 2008 Portland is a great city, fantastic for raising kids as well. It's a city that either fits people (and they love it) or doesn't (and then they move to Seattle). What are the criticisms of Portland? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DV Posted April 6, 2008 Share Posted April 6, 2008 I bet 90% of the population owns a pair of Crocs and half of them consider it a dress shoe (okay, that was a bit of an exaggeration). Very few vain women here. I don't even know what Crocs are! LOL Cool...so I can leave my makeup bag at home then? Well, maybe just a coat of mascara and some lipliner. The company has greatly expanded and gotten some nice styles but the original is the super ugly clog with holes in the top: http://www.crocs.com/ The saddest part is that they were on the track to being environmentally responsible (they recycle the shoes) until they started adding leather last year. Mascara and lipliner sounds about right. What are the criticisms of Portland? The weather is cloudy and somewhat wet for 10 months out of the year. The job market isn't great. Real estate has sky-rocketed, forcing many into renting or moving further from the city. The city is starting to lose some of its character as big corporations purchase real estate and put in chain stores. There is a very large homeless population and we've been slow to deal with this. For a city of 1/2 million, we have very few public restrooms. We don't have a lot of big city sophistication (this is a plus in my book). Compared to other cities, we're not that pretty - meaning there aren't too many seriously attractive people here. I think they all move to CA and NY. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gkleinman Posted April 6, 2008 Share Posted April 6, 2008 I'm glad there's a thread discussing more than just the positives of Portland. It can be made out to be some Shangrila, or Vegan Utopia. Don't get me wrong, it's a GREAT city, but not perfect and not for everyone. Some other Portland Downsides: - Connecting with people can be a challenge. Being Vegan really helps as there's a great Vegan community, but in general people can be a little more independently minded and so it can be a struggle to plant roots and connect (especially when the weather is great and everyone 'heads for the hills).- Portland is either a big town or a small city, either way you look at it, you'll find that it can be a VERY small place, so small city/town issues do arise. - Very poor drivers. Hate to admit it, Portland has some really crappy drivers. If it hasn't rained in a few days and then it rains, you get a ton of people acting like they've never driven in the rain before (baffeling I know) Also Portlanders are the worst mergers in the world. - "Work to Live not Live to Work' - that's many people's credo, which is fantastic, but there are impacts and sometimes getting something done when you want it can be a challenge (especially when the snow conditions are perfect on Mt. Hood). These are just some of my personal 'gripes', but again... I've been here for 15 yrs and love the place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now