1. Portland’s
coffee trumps Seattle’s Coffee.
Coffee culture in Portland
is borderline snobbish. Stumptown and Division rule the area, and Starbucks is
something we settle for when we absolutely have
to. A 2011
study found 876 coffee shops brewing in town. That means two things: You will
never go un-caffeinated and being a "barista" is a profession. 2. Portland runs on beer
Portlandians drink a lot:
all kinds of alcohol included. But Portland’s beer culture is almost as strong
as the coffee culture. Maybe it’s because we rely on caffeine and booze to make
it through the gloomy winter months, and we celebrate summer with more boozing.
All holidays are celebrated with a pub-crawl and happy hour is so popular that a happy hour guidebook has been published to help us find the best happy hours in the city. Portland is the Number 1 Best Beer
City in America according to Travel & Leisure.
Speaking
of running…
3. Portlandians
run and bike. Everywhere.
According to Bicycle
Magazine, Portland is also the number 1 bike-friendly city in America. There are more than 180 miles of bike lanes
in the city, and finding a place to park the pedals is infinitely easier than
finding parking in the city.
On
mapmyrun.com, Portland
has nearly 40,000 running trails listed. In the next 6 weeks there are over 25
races registered with
runningintheusa.com. The
Portland Marathon is one of the
best in the west, and there can be as many as 10,000 competitors.
4. Portland is
Soccer city USA
A
Timber’s match is a must
is Portland. The fans, like most Portlandians, are extremely accommodating and
accepting as long as you’re willing to sing and cheer and clap with the rest of
the Timber’s Army section. Don’t forget your green and gold. Sporting a scarf
can’t hurt either.
5. Spirit at
sporting events isn’t just for soccer
The Portland Trail Blazers
are having a phenomenal season. The Blazers support in Rip City is a strong as
ever. You can find the Blazers home at the Rose Garden (now known as the Moda
Center) in the heart of the Rose Quarter.
6. Get ready for
rain
This winter has been
exceptionally dry, but normally it rains. A lot. That doesn’t stop Portlandians
from enjoying their regular activities. From hiking to happy hour, the rain
slows very few residents down. You’ll rarely see a true Portlandian with an
umbrella, and galoshes are only for extreme conditions.
7. Portland is a
mecca for hipsters
The
rumors are true: we do have hipsters here. Some look like lumberjacks. Beards
are almost a requirement. And iconic and memorable mustaches are key. You can
expect longer lines for coffee, brunch,
food-carts (also a popular destination for foodies,) and just about anywhere
else that is considered a cool hole-in-the-wall place.
8. Our bookstore
is the best.
Powell’s bookstore is a
must whether you’re just visiting or if you live here. It sits on an entire
city block and is the home for more than a million books. Powell’s promotes
itself as the world’s largest new and used bookstore. There’s something for
every reading level at Powell’s.
9. Brunch should be an
Olympic event
Waiting over an hour for
an omelet? No problem. It’s no secret that Portland is known for great food,
and brunch is certainly no exception. It’s more than just an excuse to drink in
the morning. Some of the top rated places via
Yelp are
Tasty ‘n Sons,
Screen
Door,
Simpatica Dining Hall, and the
Hazel Room.
10.
Public Transit
is the among the fare-est in the country
Portland is the 24th
most populated city in the US, but it ranks 7th in public transit
ridership. Portland has been designed to make public transit the easiest and
more efficient option for travel. Avoid attempting to find street parking,
paying to park, and finding a designated driver all by making use of TriMet.
RC