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If you’ve ever watched “Portlandia,” then you know there’s plenty to laugh about when it comes to Portland. In fact, the media often depicts Portlandians as some of the weirdest people out there in the best possible way.
But it’s not just the colorful people that make this city so vibrant. The city itself is designed for success. If you need some advice before moving to Portland, Oregon, we’ve got five good reasons to convince you. Here’s what makes the city of Portland one of the best cities in the U.S – and deserving of much claps than those for comedic TV shows!
If you’ve lived in a desert all of your life and want to add some color to your daily routine, take a trip to Portland. Portland contains over 236,000 street trees, 1.2 million park trees and countless trees on people’s private property. But Portland isn’t only this green because it gets plenty of rain.
Instead, Portland has strived to create a variety of “green” practices to encourage natural growth. In fact, a “Grey to Green” initiative from 2008 to 2013 focused on managing stormwater runoff through more natural means. This controls invasive plants, restores native flora, and protects sensitive natural areas and Portland streams. During these five years, over 32,3000 new trees were planted, 7,400 acres of land were treated for invasive plants, and 191 “ecoroofs” were built.
If you’re seeking a home that is as green as your green thumb, look no further than Portland.
Love exercising? Hate pollution? Then kill two birds with one stone by enjoying Portland’s thriving biking culture.
Portland prioritizes non-auto transportation, meaning instead of cars and bikes sharing the roads equally, bikes get precedence. The city has over 350 miles of bike lanes, 6,500 public bike racks and an estimated 50,000 Portlandians who commute via bike every day.
If you’re a biker planning to move to Portland soon, you’ll ride in just on time. This past July, Portland rolled out their new bike-share program, which will make it even easier and greener to get around. How exactly does it work? One thousand bikes are available for the public to share. Similar programs also exist in New York, Toronto, Seattle and the Bay Area. While there are still bumps to be worked out, Portland hopes bikes will be the next big trend in public transportation.
If you’re dreaming of a city that offers plenty of benefits and won’t break the bank, Portland isn’t a bad choice. There’s no sales tax here (although there’s still a pretty steep income tax), rent is relatively cheap (but rising), and gas is less expensive as well (and not just because everyone’s biking).
Portland isn’t just good for residents’ bottom line, either. In fact, Portland scored 23rd place in a British survey that ranked the top 25 cities in the world based on quality of life. Portland even beat nearby Seattle because of its “innovative and creative residents.” Creative and cost effective? Starving artists, Portland is where you should be.
Okay, the roads in Portland may not actually be yellow or help you find the way home. However, Portland’s roads still boast a few impressive qualities. For instance, Portland’s Transit Mall is one of America’s best streets, according to the American Planning Association. Transit Mall features brick and granite roads, rows of trees, several bike travel lanes, unique sculptures from over 40 artists and the Pioneer Courthouse Square.
Because Portland is surrounded by roads, it’s also one of the best places to take epic road trips from. Mattie John Bamman from Thrillist suggests traveling off the beaten path and driving to more unique locations like Barton Park in Boring, Oregon; Bagby Hot Springs, Oregon; or the quaint Oregon town of McMinnville.
Maybe you were sold at the word “beer,” but Portland’s beer scene is really worth talking about. Considering that Portland is home to 68-and-counting microbreweries, brewpubs and even mobile brewing companies called pedal-pubs, the beer culture in Portland is almost too hipster to handle. In fact, it’s easy to see why Portland is known as the microbrewery capitol of America.
Foodies can also enjoy a variety of delicious – and surprising – foods along with their refreshing beers. According to Eater.com, customers can enjoy astronomy-inspired bites at Ecliptic Brewing; grilled octopus with espelette aioli at Burnside Brewing; a cozy bowl of mac n’ cheese at The Commons Brewery; and even entirely vegan meals and beers on Sundays at Culmination Brewing.
Portland may be the setting of your favorite comedy show, but this city has much more to offer than just laughs. It’s green, cheap, in-shape and slightly buzzed – basically Portland has got it together. See for yourself and send us pics on Twitter @entity_mag.
