Hello and welcome to "Pretentious Portland." I've lived in Portland, Oregon for a few years now, and have come to see the city for what it is -- an average American city with a huge ego problem.
Portland is better than a few cities I've known, worse than some others -- but always, it seems, Portland goes around thinking it's better than everyone else, the cream of the crop, the pick of the litter, the apple of your eye.
In fact, the opposite it mostly true.
Portland has plenty of problems, not the least of which is that it takes itself way too seriously. Hence the title of this blog.
Portland, Oregon is so convinced that it's utopia that it spares no effort to broadcast its superiority to the world at every turn, whether it's environmental consciousness, "world-status" public transportation, its vaunted arts and music and club scene, or a minor new tram that, despite constant crowing, is put to shame by most other trams in the world.
It's the purpose of this blog to show Portland as it really is, to inject some reality into the utopian mindset that affects many of the people who live here, to expose the nanny-state "we'll tell you how to live" liberalism which infects it.
So stay tuned--we're just getting started.
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7 comments:
Agreed and thank you. It's comforting to know that other people realize the mass amount of egotism this city seems to have. My message to Portland is remove your head from your ass. For being such a "liberal" city you're an awfully judgmental and close-minded city.
To me, Portland is that kid who had great potential and everyone always reminded him of it. Then, after soaking all that adulation, said prodigy settles for mediocrity while constantly touting his obvious superiority.
Yeah you're right, there's a lot of assholes here who think they're perfect beings. There are a lot of idiots who think they're smart, tattoed, club hopping sociopaths who think a nikon camera and fisheye lens is the only requirement for being an artist.
But you know what? I like it here! Screw those people,
It would take more than a few uppity hipsters to make me abandon my beautiful piss-stained city of roses.
I appreciate your insight, but take your negative attitude and... Do something icky.
OMG. I can't believe I only just found this blog in 2011. Thank you. You have described this place perfectly. Comforted beyond words. For the longest time I thought it was just me. Portland has what I call the "Shiba Enu Syndrome" - it's a Shiba Enu that thinks and pretends it's a bug Husky - but the reality is that it's still just a little Shiba Enu.
The big disappointment here as been that I thought I was moving to an open minded, alternative and creative city.
Okay, it's a little bit creative. But it's alternative in one very specific neo-hippie-eco-nazi way. And in that, it's very dogmatic and not the least bit open minded.
Portland makes me want to buy an old Lincoln Continental and drive to the grocery blocks away.
Bravo!
YES! I moved to Portland in 2000, before it was cool to move to Portland. I loved it! after 10 years, I hardly recognized the grungy, seedy, city with cheap dive restaurants and bars with amazing food and drinks...and now it has become the cool sibling of So Cal. Anyway we moved in 2010. I love Portland at it's heart and always will but I am very sad to see what is has become.
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