Portland Or
- Thread starter Lupob6
- Start date
Don't think you are gonna have any trouble finding good trails. Very bike friendly state. PM Fogerson he moved back out there and would be an excellent source. Job Square Space? I ask because my daughter's boyfriend just interviewed for a job with them.
teabagger11
Well-Known Member
what he said
THATmanMANNY
Well-Known Member
Going to Portland this summer. Explore city and hit up some hipster shit. Go explore some patks outside and hopefully ride one day!
Planning on renting a house for my stay. Any family friendly hoods I should focus in on?
Planning on renting a house for my stay. Any family friendly hoods I should focus in on?
THATmanMANNY
Well-Known Member
Anybody have any insight about best family friendly area to stay but close enough to trendy hipster shit or is ALL or portland just hipster. I'm looking fwd to finding out.
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Southeast...Hawthorne or Belmont area. Bearded hipsters and coffee snobs who shop at vintage stores.
Pearl district is another option. Hipsters who shop at Design Within Reach.
Northwest Portland (i.e. 23rd). Hipsters who shop at Restoration Hardware
All family friendly. Just pick your brand of hipster. Hawthorne wood be my suggestion.
Pearl district is another option. Hipsters who shop at Design Within Reach.
Northwest Portland (i.e. 23rd). Hipsters who shop at Restoration Hardware
All family friendly. Just pick your brand of hipster. Hawthorne wood be my suggestion.
THATmanMANNY
Well-Known Member
Cool, that is the area I am looking at!
THATmanMANNY
Well-Known Member
Just my quick take if you care.
I don't understand the PDX hype. It's okay. It seems to be more about quantity and not quality (beer and food). But I did have a few good beers recommended to me by the guy at the liquor store.
We airbnb'd in Belmont/Hawthorne all the different shops and msgs are cool but downtown is MEH. Also traffic sucks. Maybe worse than the NY metro area and it will continue to get worse because they just don't have the infrastructure to support the people/cars. The same thing is going to happen to Bend soon. The next "IT" place.
There were bikes but I thought I'd see a lot more bikes. It seems to be more about bike fashion. Cute matchy matchy parts and gear.
HOMELESS EVERYWHERE TOO
Outside of PDX though was VERY nice. The Columbia River Gorge and Oregon Coast is a sight to see and experience.
I don't understand the PDX hype. It's okay. It seems to be more about quantity and not quality (beer and food). But I did have a few good beers recommended to me by the guy at the liquor store.
We airbnb'd in Belmont/Hawthorne all the different shops and msgs are cool but downtown is MEH. Also traffic sucks. Maybe worse than the NY metro area and it will continue to get worse because they just don't have the infrastructure to support the people/cars. The same thing is going to happen to Bend soon. The next "IT" place.
There were bikes but I thought I'd see a lot more bikes. It seems to be more about bike fashion. Cute matchy matchy parts and gear.
HOMELESS EVERYWHERE TOO
Outside of PDX though was VERY nice. The Columbia River Gorge and Oregon Coast is a sight to see and experience.
Jmann
Never gonna let you down.
There's great mountain biking, albeit an hour commute from pdx. I feel like I'm used to that but for some people that's a big deal.
I've almost moved to Portland one more than one occasion, have friends that have been there before the boom. Portlands a beautiful city, and has a lot going on. The downside is it's not the deal it once was. Also there's more people there than it was designed for. So the traffic is kinda bad. In my opinion it's in a housing bubble. A lot of Cali people sold their homes and invested in pdx, driving housing way higher than the local economy can sustain. Same stuff that happens in NYC happens there. Fixer upper goes on market, bought by developer cash, demo'd and fancier house built. Past that downer of a statement, you have access to some of the most beautiful parts of the country. And bend makes for a great weekend riding trip. There's a lot worse places to live.
I've almost moved to Portland one more than one occasion, have friends that have been there before the boom. Portlands a beautiful city, and has a lot going on. The downside is it's not the deal it once was. Also there's more people there than it was designed for. So the traffic is kinda bad. In my opinion it's in a housing bubble. A lot of Cali people sold their homes and invested in pdx, driving housing way higher than the local economy can sustain. Same stuff that happens in NYC happens there. Fixer upper goes on market, bought by developer cash, demo'd and fancier house built. Past that downer of a statement, you have access to some of the most beautiful parts of the country. And bend makes for a great weekend riding trip. There's a lot worse places to live.
Fogerson
Former Resident Nerd
The Portland housing market is softening a bit, of course, at a time when I've put my place on the market. I have the pessimism that we're on the precipice of a correction, however all the pros disagree and that it is just a lull...particularly in the price range my house is in. OTOH, though, there is a chance this is temporary because there is a lot of tech, etc. coming into this town. We'll see. I'm an empty nester now and hope I can cashout large on my place here. Gotta' be something good that comes out of my life smashing into the mountain (divorce, blah, blah, blah).
Manny is right, the traffic here SUCKS. I commute from NE Portland to Hillsboro and my commute time is anywhere from 50% to double what it was 5 years ago. I don't really see much of an infrastructure solution either...and if some bright city planner has one it will certainly be years to implement and will make it worse over that time period. I've avoided riding the bike to work (some days it'd be faster on the way home) because it is either stop and go through lights, etc. (1 hr 15 min ride takes 1hr 40 min) or ride on a non-shouldered road with the traffic. I'm close to the point of doing it anyway ... or hacking my way past the scary parts on the MAX and riding the rest of the way out to Hillsboro.
I don't get the PDX hype either, however, I will say that in aggregate the food is better than anywhere I've ever lived...so not quite with ya' there Manny. Then again, I'm a celiac and there isn't better place that Portland for us glutards...so I have a huge bias. There is always a bunch of things happening, but most cities (out west anyway) are like that.
Traffic in Bend (my home town) is sucking already. It has been an "IT" place off and on for a few decades. Bend is a place where there isn't the economy to sustain the property price ramp -- if you're not independently wealthy, or a telecommuting nerd, your job is in service of others living there, most of which aren't gigs that you can afford the average house. Back in '08/'09 Bend got clobbered. It was *the* time to buy a vacation place there.
'Just hoping that in these cycles of peaks and valleys with Portland & Bend real-estate that I can time things to have a place bought and paid for in Bend by the time the kids are outta college and I write the last spousal support check. Then Portland & the tech industry can take a flyin' f*ck on a gluten-free organic donut and I'll spend the rest of my days being poor working in a bike shop in the only place I've ever considered home.
Manny is right, the traffic here SUCKS. I commute from NE Portland to Hillsboro and my commute time is anywhere from 50% to double what it was 5 years ago. I don't really see much of an infrastructure solution either...and if some bright city planner has one it will certainly be years to implement and will make it worse over that time period. I've avoided riding the bike to work (some days it'd be faster on the way home) because it is either stop and go through lights, etc. (1 hr 15 min ride takes 1hr 40 min) or ride on a non-shouldered road with the traffic. I'm close to the point of doing it anyway ... or hacking my way past the scary parts on the MAX and riding the rest of the way out to Hillsboro.
I don't get the PDX hype either, however, I will say that in aggregate the food is better than anywhere I've ever lived...so not quite with ya' there Manny. Then again, I'm a celiac and there isn't better place that Portland for us glutards...so I have a huge bias. There is always a bunch of things happening, but most cities (out west anyway) are like that.
Traffic in Bend (my home town) is sucking already. It has been an "IT" place off and on for a few decades. Bend is a place where there isn't the economy to sustain the property price ramp -- if you're not independently wealthy, or a telecommuting nerd, your job is in service of others living there, most of which aren't gigs that you can afford the average house. Back in '08/'09 Bend got clobbered. It was *the* time to buy a vacation place there.
'Just hoping that in these cycles of peaks and valleys with Portland & Bend real-estate that I can time things to have a place bought and paid for in Bend by the time the kids are outta college and I write the last spousal support check. Then Portland & the tech industry can take a flyin' f*ck on a gluten-free organic donut and I'll spend the rest of my days being poor working in a bike shop in the only place I've ever considered home.
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Portland isn't for everyone. Winter weather can be a real drag and traffic is terrible. Plus the Les Schwab lift kit/tire package brodozer with giant yellow Oregon football sticker on the back douchebag factor is real. Other than that it's got a pretty much everything I'd want and it's still light years more affordable than the Bay Area right now.
Bend wasn't so IT in the 80's when the town was basically an Izzy's pizza and a bunch of VHS/Betamax rental joints. It's changed in so many ways, and not all good ones, but I'd still move there in a heartbeat.
Bend wasn't so IT in the 80's when the town was basically an Izzy's pizza and a bunch of VHS/Betamax rental joints. It's changed in so many ways, and not all good ones, but I'd still move there in a heartbeat.
Fogerson
Former Resident Nerd
Heh, for sure the clouds and precipitation are a drag. I'll take it over snow in the winter and humidity in the summer any day, though. Gotta get out a bit to see a lot of brodozers (e.g. Gresham). Subaru Outbacks with Thule Aero-pods are the vehicle of choice (even more so than, ick, Prius') in Portland proper -- no contest.
Bend certainly wasn't IT in the 80's and into the early to mid 90's. When it was in transition from a logging town to a "resort destination", the place was very confused. I lived there in the first half of the 80's and couldn't wait to get out of there. And when I came back to visit from college, it was hi Mom 'n Dad, love ya', heading back to school. By the late 90's, though, I was starting to like it again. The sweet spot was probably 15 years, or so, ago I think...plenty of cool w/o the damn round-abouts.
Oh, and when the Izzy's was built that was huge progress. Bend had it's antiseptic suburban sprawl phase in the late 70's...which is when things like Izzy's and the Bend River Mall showed up. Remember I'm old -- I remember when Bend got it's first McDonalds (1970-ish).
The ex wouldn't ever consider moving to Bend, so I thought the possibility of moving home was zero. At least the possibility is there again now. Funny how life is.
I'm reasonably sure I'll get back there in the next 6-7 years..."part time" maybe even sooner. At least maybe I'll start mountain biking again (not much of that since I've moved to Portland...to far to drive to anything decent).
Bend certainly wasn't IT in the 80's and into the early to mid 90's. When it was in transition from a logging town to a "resort destination", the place was very confused. I lived there in the first half of the 80's and couldn't wait to get out of there. And when I came back to visit from college, it was hi Mom 'n Dad, love ya', heading back to school. By the late 90's, though, I was starting to like it again. The sweet spot was probably 15 years, or so, ago I think...plenty of cool w/o the damn round-abouts.
Oh, and when the Izzy's was built that was huge progress. Bend had it's antiseptic suburban sprawl phase in the late 70's...which is when things like Izzy's and the Bend River Mall showed up. Remember I'm old -- I remember when Bend got it's first McDonalds (1970-ish).
The ex wouldn't ever consider moving to Bend, so I thought the possibility of moving home was zero. At least the possibility is there again now. Funny how life is.
I'm reasonably sure I'll get back there in the next 6-7 years..."part time" maybe even sooner. At least maybe I'll start mountain biking again (not much of that since I've moved to Portland...to far to drive to anything decent).
THATmanMANNY
Well-Known Member
DAMN hang in there man 
Fogerson
Former Resident Nerd
@rlb ... 5 years ... hard to believe.
Thanks, I do believe it will all work out for the better ... and hopefully we're getting onto the homestretch.
It has been a rougher ride than I was expecting, for sure. But then again, when you've spent the majority of two decades busting your hump and sacrificing to build a life to watch it all unravel and disintegrate, it is a blow to the very core of your being and who you are...quite devastating, so duh.
But you keep your head down and keep going. Focus on the fact you're healthy, you have a couple of GREAT kids (though the empty nester thing is really sucky), a good job (okay, which I'm sick of, but I'm paid well to hate it), and I'm entering a phase of my life where the focus can be a little more on myself. 'Beaten and battered, but we're good...
Thanks, I do believe it will all work out for the better ... and hopefully we're getting onto the homestretch.
It has been a rougher ride than I was expecting, for sure. But then again, when you've spent the majority of two decades busting your hump and sacrificing to build a life to watch it all unravel and disintegrate, it is a blow to the very core of your being and who you are...quite devastating, so duh.
But you keep your head down and keep going. Focus on the fact you're healthy, you have a couple of GREAT kids (though the empty nester thing is really sucky), a good job (okay, which I'm sick of, but I'm paid well to hate it), and I'm entering a phase of my life where the focus can be a little more on myself. 'Beaten and battered, but we're good...
I'm bumping this because I'm going to be in Portland in a few weeks. I'm flying out on a Friday night for a conference that is Monday-Wednesday, and then I'm flying home overnight on Wednesday. So I'll basically just have Saturday/Sunday to do whatever. I was figuring on just bumming around town on a citi-bike and going from brewery to brewery, but I'm considering renting a real bike for one of those days. I might get an mtb and ride around town and hit Forest Park, even though it looks like mostly just fire roads and stuff. It's probably not worth renting a car and going to ride real trails, but I guess I'm still considering that option.
I just found out this trip is happening so I haven't done much research yet, but if there is anything "can't miss" that I should be looking to do in Portland, please let me know. Not just bike related stuff either, but if there are other trails that are accessible from downtown without a car, I'd be interested. I need to do some strava trolling.
I was hoping to stick around a week and do some awesome rock climbing out there, but that's not currently in the cards. I'll likely check out a climbing gym while I'm out there at least.
I just found out this trip is happening so I haven't done much research yet, but if there is anything "can't miss" that I should be looking to do in Portland, please let me know. Not just bike related stuff either, but if there are other trails that are accessible from downtown without a car, I'd be interested. I need to do some strava trolling.
I was hoping to stick around a week and do some awesome rock climbing out there, but that's not currently in the cards. I'll likely check out a climbing gym while I'm out there at least.
It would be a shame to not MTB out there. Forest Park is ok if you live in town and need a quick fix. It's really beautiful but those are not the trails you are looking for.
Rent a car for a day and head out to the gorge...Hood River area. Or, as long as you'll have a car, make the 2.5h drive down to Oakridge, rent a bike down there and do a big day on Alpine Trail (can be done with shuttle service too). That area is Oregon AF: Old growth, ferns, loam, banana slugs. Seriously, if you have the time, don't miss it.
http://oakridgebikeshop.com/mountain-bikes/ - rentals and info on shuttle services. The other classic should-do is McKenzie Trail, but it's a bit further from PDX than Oakridge.
The Circuit bouldering gym was the place to go a few years ago. I think they have multiple locations now. Not sure if there are better gyms for rope stuff but Circuit is perfect if you are there solo.
So much good food and drink.
Rent a car for a day and head out to the gorge...Hood River area. Or, as long as you'll have a car, make the 2.5h drive down to Oakridge, rent a bike down there and do a big day on Alpine Trail (can be done with shuttle service too). That area is Oregon AF: Old growth, ferns, loam, banana slugs. Seriously, if you have the time, don't miss it.
http://oakridgebikeshop.com/mountain-bikes/ - rentals and info on shuttle services. The other classic should-do is McKenzie Trail, but it's a bit further from PDX than Oakridge.
The Circuit bouldering gym was the place to go a few years ago. I think they have multiple locations now. Not sure if there are better gyms for rope stuff but Circuit is perfect if you are there solo.
So much good food and drink.