Everybody wants to live in Portland.
No, really. People used to ask me where I wanted to live, and when I’d answer Portland, Oregon if they said “Why?” I’d immediately know we wouldn’t have much in common. Particularly if the only commentary they had on the city was “Oh, don’t you know it rains all the time?” Incidentally I once read someplace (who knows if it was credible or not) that Columbus actually gets as much rain as Seattle, if not more. I do know that it rained for 3 whole months only breaking for 1.5 days once when I was in college. Anyway, I’ve been to Portland, there’s good record stores, some good friends there, good food, it’s cheap, and there’s always good local music. Not to mention wonderful scenery.
Why would anyone not want to live there? It used to be the best kept little queer secret of the states. I guess what’s kept me from going is all the obnoxious people I know from the Midwest who invariably flood whatever the most recent “it” city is in some futile attempt at escape. If it’s not Brooklyn, Chicago, or San Francisco, it’s Portland. I definitely don’t want to live in a city full of the people I was trying to escape, people who appropriate and exploit queer culture. (Read: Hipsters.) I also don’t know if I want to contribute to the gentrification of Portland. I worry the influx of jobless 20 somethings (myself not included as I wouldn’t move anyplace unless gainfully employed) could be detrimental to the economy.
