Unforgettable Life Lessons I've Learned From Living in Portland Oregon

[@Salmonskinbandaid]

Austin TX started keep Austin weird first. 🎉

[@itsasamorse]

You're right! I just looked it up on Wikipedia. Keep Austin Weird started in 2000 and it was brought to Portland in 2003. To give Portland some credit, I think they took the weirdness to another level 😆

[@baruchvalenzuela1679]

Fuck that. They just meant vs the rest of TX. Come out here and compare weird.

[@Salmonskinbandaid]

@@baruchvalenzuela1679 no Austin started keep Austin weird and Portland took it and made their keep Portland weird

[@itsasamorse]

Oh I've lived in Austin too (and Houston). Austin is very weird but it has limits because of the state it's in, ya know? But Portland has very little limits because of Oregon's liberal laws. However, Austin is more creative with its weirdness cause they work around limits. I do like both cities very much.

[@Salmonskinbandaid]

@@itsasamorse that’s awesome to hear ! I currently live in Austin ( for a little over 5 years now originally from Dallas ) and Austin is an awesome Place! My partner and I are moving to Portland in October so I’m eager watching any video related to Portland 🤩

[@Butterfly19708]

I just came back yesterday from Portland. It was my first visit and I loved it. I am definitely going back. Yes, I saw homeless people, but none of them bothered me. The people in this city are friendly and amazing.

[@tjp2109]

Are you kidding me. Portland is the swill bucket of America, as is all of Ore. Go home.

[@itsasamorse]

I agree that Portland has friendly people. The city is one of the friendliest I've lived in. I'm still in shock that they had racist exclusionary laws in the past.

[@davidsnyder76]

@@tjp2109 you da funny one. I been to all 50 states, lived in eleven -- you got no clue.

[@PrettyGuardian]

"If you put Brooklyn into the NW, you'd get Portland." Is a statement that is so evocative and well considered. I'm glad you found some good vibes in Portland!

[@itsasamorse]

Thank you! I've grown to love both cities.

[@Dreamy_Sheepy]

Love it! I've been fascinated with Oregon since my teenage years and hope to someday get the chance to visit. This video was very helpful in how truthfully raw it is, I enjoyed hearing from your perspective!

[@itsasamorse]

Thank you so much! I wanted to give a real pros and cons list so others can decide for themselves if Portland is livable. I still think of Seattle, but I'm here for the time being.

[@gender_anarchist]

I'm also in Portland! What a great video, thank you:) And yes, the food carts here are amazing

[@itsasamorse]

Thank you so much! Cartopia and Hawthorne Food Asylum are my absolute favorites 😋

[@gender_anarchist]

@@itsasamorse There's one further east you have to try, Springwater cart park on 82nd. There's a cart clear in the back that I can't currently remember the name of, but their empanadas satisfied a many-year craving:)

[@CodyRArcher]

Grew up in Portland and was SO ready to leave as I got older. Moved to LA for two years, met my now wife, during Covid we moved to Portland and then came back to SoCal from 2023 to now and we can’t wait to get back to the PNW. All the things I hated about Portland, I now realize are what make the city so special.

[@tjp2109]

Sure. Lol

[@itsasamorse]

There's nothing wrong with going back and forth! How does your wife feel about Portland though? That might be the deciding factor on whether y'all stay in SoCal or PNW.

[@CodyRArcher]

@@itsasamorse she loves it so much! Honestly she was the deciding factor that we are heading back. She says that after a life of growing up in LA, and then spending two years in a smaller city and a state with so much nature, she realized that’s where she wants to be. I’m not complaining about that!😂 Love the video :)

[@itsasamorse]

Ah that's perfect! Let me know when you two get here, me and hubby would love to get coffee with y'all!

[@larryjex6485]

I moved to Portland in 1980 and stayed there for 4 years. Like you, I wasn't really impressed with it at the beginning, but I think I literally became part of the place in those few years, and when I left, I felt like I left a little piece of myself behind.

[@itsasamorse]

I have a feeling this will be my exact experience if/when I leave. I'll be leaving some amazing friends behind.

[@tymiller176]

Portlandia's "Dream of the 90s" song was also about how Portland was *stuck* in the 90s too. It wasn't just glazing the city, but making fun of it too.

[@itsasamorse]

I definitely caught that! And sometimes I'll see 90s fashion/aesthetics and immediately start singing that song in jest 🤣

[@spidey2065]

I'm planning a couple of visits myself to confirm if I want to move there as well since I've always found Oregon to be fascinating since I was younger.

[@itsasamorse]

It's definitely grown on me since 2021. I love that people are investing in cleaning up the city now. If this is Portland at it's worst, it must have been a gem back in the day. Oh visit Astoria area and the other beach towns too!

[@tjp2109]

Stay home. Leave us alone.

[@Robin-x1c]

I have to say, I’ve had Thai food in several states in the western U.S. It’s one of my favorites. I have NEVER had Thai food as good as the Thai food from the Thai food cart at The Fork in Wood Village/Fairview/Troutdale (the cart is at a convergence of these three cities on the edge of the Portland Metro area. 77 or 21 bus line.

[@Robin-x1c]

Best Tom Kah EVER. Extra veggies, tofu, mild spice

[@itsasamorse]

Like I said, Portland food carts are better than some restaurants in other cities!! I never run out of good places to eat here. I haven't tried this pod yet but have heard good things about them. Thank you!

[@portshore8552]

You came to Portland during the worst time possible. Glad its starting to get better.

[@itsasamorse]

I had a feeling that was the case. The city has been making an effort to clean up and get better. I'm very hopeful for Portland.

[@TheLordMillenium]

Definitely interesting to see a completely different perspective. I visited Portland in May of 2021 and i totally lived it. The grungy aesthetic is something I completely adore. The homelessness is obviously a problem, but it's a problem no matter what city you go to, even the shitty town I'm from in Central Montana. Im moving to Portland in February, and i just wish it would come sooner.

[@itsasamorse]

I highly doubt the crappiest town in Montana has half as bad a homeless problem as Portland 😂 You're right that this is life in big cities around the world. It comes with income inequality and other ailments of metros. I'm glad you like the grunge scene, there are lots of creative things to get into here. And once the city gets overwhelming, the surrounding towns are beautiful too.

[@TheLordMillenium]

@itsasamorse We don't have half in terms of raw numbers, but per capita we're actually only a little behind. When I say crappy town I'm exaggerating a little bit, I'm from Billings, which despite being the largest city in the state has about 110000 people.

[@pennyarken5045]

Very well done! Left Portland in about 2016 and moved to little Waldport...one stoplight, about 2K residents. Definitely big learning curve. Slower everything, which is kinda good news, bad news. But I'm still in Portland every couple weeks, and I do miss all of the food!

[@itsasamorse]

I bet Waldport is very beautiful! It's a good thing you're not too far from two big cities.

[@pennyarken5045]

@@itsasamorse Sis, Waldport is cute as heck, but I don't mind getting on the road and going other places. I think there are so few houseless folks here that we all know them by name....

[@itsasamorse]

@@pennyarken5045Knowing the names of the houseless folks in your community is next level 😂 Oregon has some cute beach towns! I love going to Astoria and Lincoln City. I have to visit more southern seaside towns sometime!

[@jasonlewis1926]

I lived in Portland from 1978 to 2004. During those years, there was not 1 homeless encampment in the city or the outskirts. Spent most of those years living in downtown, inner east side, and in Multnomah village area. Portland mistakenly embraced the woke virus, which is the reason for this city’s downfall. Glad I got the hell out and moved East.

[@itsasamorse]

I didn't see the transition of Portland (or what it was before), I only saw the aftermath of the pandemic, the protests, and the drug epidemic. I'm sure there are many more reasons for Portland's current condition. I'm hopeful that Portland will bounce back and be better for the people who call it home. I hope you like it on the east coast! Eat all the good bagels and sandwiches for me!

[@IMcbee]

this is not really true. 1980s portland was wild. certianly homeless camps in the 90s. rent prices skyrocketed in the teens, got worse during pandemic. like Jason, i am glad he left portland. i am here to stay.

[@Charlesx396]

“The woke virus” you mean homeless people being bussed in from red cities? I’ve lived in many many red states and towns and it was worse. Portland has cleaned up a lot after the pandemic.

[@Robin-x1c]

It has more to do with greedy city and county and sometimes state employees opportunistically soaking up funds that were supposed to help the homeless and drug addicted. Then 2008 hit and SO many working people lost their homes. They tried to hang on. Some moved away but the majority didn’t for lots of reasons. This isn’t about a “woke” virus. “Woke” means being awake and seeing through the very thin veneer that hides the unwanted and unsavory from view. It’s there. It’s ALWAYS been there to some degree. Now you can’t look away and it’s uncomfortable. Suck it up and be part of the solution or get out of the way, Boomer.

[@LibertySerenity]

Woke virus? What does that mean?

[@deutschdrew]

Hi- thank you for this video. We are planning a move to Portland in January and wondered what neighborhood you settled in that ended up working for you? Thanks again!

[@itsasamorse]

We live in one of the nice Southeast neighborhoods (there are plenty all over Portland.) Here's a bit of my process for finding our place: 1. Use Google Maps to search for amenities we like (grocery stores, farmers markets, bars, schools, hospitals, etc.). This part might be the hardest/longest part of the research. 2. Search for housing in that section of town (Zillow, Redfin, Hotpads, Facebook, etc.) 3. Match the two maps above with the crime map on Neighborhood Scout. The areas with the least crime and most amenities win. Or change the process however you want! Edit: You can also search for the different parks around the city that have movies in the park. This is usually a sign of a good neighborhood with safe parks for family activities. This should be on the city gov website.

[@deutschdrew]

@ Awesome! Thank you for the advice!

[@denwanai]

@@itsasamorse Such good advice. After living in the midwest for a bit I was so happy to return to Portland and its walkable neighborhoods. Sidewalks and small shopping districts are so easy, convenient and make a house a home. Let's walk for coffee! Let's walk to the brew pub! Let's walk to the Thai restaurant! Let's walk with our roller-cart and get our groceries! The best way to live and meet your neighbors. Thanks for your video and your change of heart about Portland. I live in the Southeast too. Best part of Portland.

[@itsasamorse]

@@denwanai Thank you so much! You described my typical weekend: let's walk to get coffee, groceries, ice cream, see a movie, brew, and Thai, all on one street! I never want to live in a city that's not walkable. I'm spoiled now!

[@autumnmckinley2527]

Thank youuuu!❤

[@olliepaterson6665]

Cool vid and perspective, much appreciated. We are thinking about a move out of San Diego and Portland is a top contender. Need to spend more time there to figure it out.

[@itsasamorse]

My friends moved here from San Diego! It made more sense for them to start/grow their family here than SoCal. Yes, please visit and get to know the neighborhoods before you move.

[@liannebedard5521]

Make sure you come in the rainy months. Pretty dramatically different from your climate. It’s a small town with city amenities…

[@eternalgoldenvoid6988]

Thank you, as a Portlander.

[@itsasamorse]

My pleasure 😊 Thank you for watching.

[@deanrivera8016]

Hi there, great video, I am biased regarding Portland having lived there for 35 years and now find myself residing in Atlanta Georgia, I have been here in Georgia for 1 1/2 years I awake every day here with Portland on my mind/ heart, there are so many things I have found myself missing The endless walking/ cycling paths, the food carts, the Columbia and Willamette rivers, all the parks, Powells Bookstore on Burnside, and being able to travel an hour in any direction from Portland and be standing on a Beach at the Oregon Coast, or somewhere in the picturesque Willamette Valley, or East somewhere in the Scenic Columbia Gorge Portland Oregon is definitely Unique….

[@itsasamorse]

Ah you've seen Portland through the years! I lived in Atlanta for just three months , then Philly, Denver, and a couple other cities before coming back West. Portland gives me everything I missed about the West Coast, with some elements of the East Coast (the variety in nature and food especially). I don't have to miss the beautiful trees in the Hudson Valley when there's Columbia Gorge, but I can still eat delicious food here in Portland like I did in Atlanta. If I ever leave Portland, I will always come back to visit. I say you do the same, until you find your forever spot. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I agree that Portland is unique.

[@Robin-x7n]

Please consider checking out The Rose Haven Women's Day Shelter! It's a great place and support system for those who struggle in the greater Portland area.

[@itsasamorse]

Thank you but I'm a little confused, are you suggesting them for me to volunteer there?

[@Robin-x7n]

@@itsasamorse to volunteer. Could use some wonderful women in their lives. I think you would fit in with the ladies that work there.

[@itsasamorse]

I appreciate you saying that. I will look into volunteering there.

[@destinypuzzanghera3087]

Nice video

[@itsasamorse]

Thank you!

[@Netizen_101]

Seattle is sooo much worse.

[@itsasamorse]

I actually liked Seattle when I visited. I haven't lived there to get a better sense of the city though.

[@darnitahoward6959]

@@itsasamorse If you were concerned about the homelessness in Portland, it is sprawled throughout Seattle. The city has torn down encampments which has created more tent cities where they weren’t before. The gentrification over the last decade and build up of Google and Amazon gives a better facade. I also agree that Portland has better food.

[@itsasamorse]

@@darnitahoward6959 Wow I didn't notice this about Seattle when we visited in 2020. I'll have to visit there again soon. Thanks for your insight!

[@baruchvalenzuela1679]

Baba Boooey

[@itsasamorse]

I had to look it up 🤣

[@13jeffandtrish]

Ronald Mund approved

[@CheckAvailabilityYo]

Gritty and industrial? lol

[@itsasamorse]

I said what I said! 😂

[@julesjma]

Watch Hassan Hates Portland. It's accurate