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City smackdown: Portland
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- Posted June 4, 2012 by
- phenomidom Follow
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Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota
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Portland Hand Down
Being a Seattle native who grew up in that beautiful region in the '80's and '90's, there is no doubt that Seattle is a gorgeous city. Surrounded by Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains to the west, Lake Union in the middle of the city, with it's many boating and sea plane opportunities, and gorgeous Lake Washington, the Cascade Mountains and Mount Rainier to the East and Southeast. Both cities share beauty in common. The big difference is in the culture, but I'll get to that in a minute.
The Portland, Willamette Valley region gets less rain than Seattle, is just as visually stunning and is an equal mecha for the outdoor enthusiast, foodie, hipster, and techie. The beautiful Oregon coast is an hour or so west, the Columbia Gorge and Mount Hood are between 45 -60 minutes away. Shockingly amazing scenery and sporting activities abound.
Why did I leave Seattle?
Ever hear the song "The '90's is alive in Portland"? or the phrase "Put a bird on it and call it art"? from the popular IFC series....Well it's kinda true satire. Portland is a haven for young, talented creatives. If you're a budding musician, painter, photographer, sculpture, clothing designer, bicycle enthusiast, etc...Portland is the place to be to hone your craft. It has the DIY culture and tight community around the arts that once existed in Seattle in the '90's.
Portland has superior transportation infrastructure. Why own a car, when all you need is your bike and the light rail and street cars to get you everywhere you need to go...even well out to the suburbs, or direct to the airport from anywhere in the metro.
In Seattle, you have to fight traffic in your car, most hours, 7 days a week. I know all the secret back ways to get around Seattle faster, but traffic is still a pain because the infrastructure for transportation is well behind other cities of that size. Sitting in a traffic jam on I-5 on a Sunday afternoon? Not cool.
In conclusion. I moved to Portland from Seattle in 2003 and have never looked back. I love to go back for a weekend to see old friends, but as a musician I found the creativity, sense of community around the arts and a much more conscious, sustainable practice of living to be the deal breaker. Portland is home for the creative minded as well as the outdoor enthusiast. Portland. Hands down. This coming to you from Minneapolis. That comparison is a future update?
The Portland, Willamette Valley region gets less rain than Seattle, is just as visually stunning and is an equal mecha for the outdoor enthusiast, foodie, hipster, and techie. The beautiful Oregon coast is an hour or so west, the Columbia Gorge and Mount Hood are between 45 -60 minutes away. Shockingly amazing scenery and sporting activities abound.
Why did I leave Seattle?
Ever hear the song "The '90's is alive in Portland"? or the phrase "Put a bird on it and call it art"? from the popular IFC series....Well it's kinda true satire. Portland is a haven for young, talented creatives. If you're a budding musician, painter, photographer, sculpture, clothing designer, bicycle enthusiast, etc...Portland is the place to be to hone your craft. It has the DIY culture and tight community around the arts that once existed in Seattle in the '90's.
Portland has superior transportation infrastructure. Why own a car, when all you need is your bike and the light rail and street cars to get you everywhere you need to go...even well out to the suburbs, or direct to the airport from anywhere in the metro.
In Seattle, you have to fight traffic in your car, most hours, 7 days a week. I know all the secret back ways to get around Seattle faster, but traffic is still a pain because the infrastructure for transportation is well behind other cities of that size. Sitting in a traffic jam on I-5 on a Sunday afternoon? Not cool.
In conclusion. I moved to Portland from Seattle in 2003 and have never looked back. I love to go back for a weekend to see old friends, but as a musician I found the creativity, sense of community around the arts and a much more conscious, sustainable practice of living to be the deal breaker. Portland is home for the creative minded as well as the outdoor enthusiast. Portland. Hands down. This coming to you from Minneapolis. That comparison is a future update?
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