Portland, Oregon

Portland neighborhoods were not built in clusters so you don’t see houses clumped together that look similar. The homes on a given block were often built in different periods and different styles. The results are genuinely charming and give or reinforce the idea that Portland is for free and independent thinkers.

On the other hand, Portland is 70% white. And there’s a homelessness problem and a congestion problem (even though 7% of the population travels by bike). For an ultra-liberal city, the lack of diversity and high volumes of unhoused expose issues many cities contend with. In particular, they are not alone on the homeless front. The West Coast from Seattle to San Diego wrestles with the same issue. Diversity is also tricky. Oregon is not diverse overall and once you head east of Portland the state is much more conservative than many would expect.

Perhaps no show in the history of television has so explicitly portrayed an exaggerated but pretty spot-on illustration of a city’s lifestyle than Portlandia. Groovy, grungy, smug, self-satisfied and utterly wonderful, this city is all about attempting to live differently and at least aspirationally better. What you do in Portland you tend to do intensely. Getting a good meal? You may not be dressed in a tuxedo but the ingredients will be locally grown. Ordering a cocktail in a local pub in your pajamas? Chances are the spirits, mixers and garnishes were brewed or distilled or grown in boutique fashion. People may go casually here but they take the things they do seriously.

Overall the lifestyle of the city involves a lot of outdoor behavior mixed with plenty of amazing food and craft beer and spirits at the end of the day. Some people live in densely urban neighborhoods and enjoy great walkscore experiences to crafty commercial districts and some pick rural-feeling neighborhoods from which they hide from the commercial scene and stick to their knitting. While there are plenty of people who move to Portland and live conventional suburban lifestyles for less than San Francisco or New York, why would you? Portland’s weird and that makes it great.

To see what's happening in Portland check out the [calendar of events](https://www.travelportland.com/events/:

Portland, like a lot of the west coast, has a lot of tech. But the tech scene here feels more relaxed than San Francisco. That’s by design. If you pick Portland over SF for your startup you’re doing so because you prefer the more quirky vibe of the city (and lower costs), so your business will run accordingly. While we imagine many of the tech scenesters here might return to an office we imagine it simply will be a more chill choice. Coming in today? Cool. Staying home? Cool. Do your job and we’re copacetic.
Outside of tech Portland also has a big market for Athletic/Outdoor Gear – Hello, Nike. That Nike influence has attracted other brands like Adidas, Icebreaker, Keen among others. If you want to work in the outdoor gear business while experiencing the great outdoors, this is your city.
Finally, Portland has a huge healthcare workforce with four of the top ten employers in that industry. One of the consistent factors across the workforce is the high degree of education. These Portlanders went to school.