Portland

[evian]

As an Oregon native, it is my unspoken, yet dedicated duty to stand up for the homeland. In this case, it is our one city, Portland. On the top 5 places to live in the US and there's 1 (count them ONE) other postings on Portland. Sure, the skyline's a little boring...though i suppose that's the point. We'll pick up the pace! Taipei 101, NEXT: Portland 102...

Here's some pics I've taken... I'll probs take some more for you later.

[Allan]

Great photos! Portland is definately underrepresented around these parts. I have never visited the city, but I like what I've seen. I like the pro-urban policies. Portland is a very beautiful, liveable city. If only other cities would follow Portland's lead....

BTW, Welcome to the forum!

[evian]

thanks, mate! i appreciate that!

[PghUSA]

Wow great aerial shot there at the start of the series! Looks nice!

[Twin Cities]

Thanks for sharing your photos. I think Portland is a great city with so much potential.

How's the city's job market these days?

[evian]

Thanks for sharing your photos.  I think Portland is a great city with so much potential.

How's the city's job market these days?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

As far as i can tell - just like the rest of the state - the job market leaves much to be desired, but at the same time it's not horrible.

[M. Brown]

Nice Ive always liked portland.

[urban addict 20324]

Cool!

[Cotuit]

Here's some pics I've taken... I'll probs take some more for you later.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Please do. I've only been to Portland once, and that was a short trip, I was visiting my great-grandmother and then headed off the SF. I thought the city was terrific, what I saw of it. And it has a very enviable public transit system, I wish Rhode Island planners would go out there for some transit lessons.

[urban addict 20324]

Same thing here, I've driven through the city a couple of times, but I never stopped to enjoy it, so I want to see some pics of this city.

[yochillout]

Urban addict, someone on ST made a cj for this city. They also BATTed most of the buildings in this city. If you want links to them I'd be glad to provide them.

[urban addict 20324]

Thanks, and wooo, you have a LOT of links to SC4 sites. I think your sn should have been sim city addict...

[yochillout]

Haha maybe it should but gimme until tomorrow to get you those links, I am kinda busy BATTing right now! YEAH!

[murfj]

I have to say, in my mind Portland is possibly the most beautiful city in the country. I lived in the area just briefly (for about a year) when I was in high school, and finally was able to get back there again to visit last year. The city itself is impressive, not so big that it feels overly congested, it seemed easy to get around (driving on the interstate system, as well as using the light rail train), and the backdrop of mountains and evergreen trees is really something. Driving north on I-5 near downtown, seeing Mount Hood to the east, and Mount Saint Helens to the north- both appearing as if they were hanging in the sky close enough to reach out and touch is a sight I will NEVER forget. The people of Portland are lucky, they really have a gem- I would gladly leave Nebraska to move out there if it were at all possible.

[thumper]

I liked the photos. Thanks for posting them.

[thewack]

Ah, makes me miss home. I grew up in Beaverton (Western Suburb). Portlland is a great city, though I feel that the light rail system needs a little work to become more viable downtown.

[Spartan]

Here's some pics I've taken... I'll probs take some more for you later.

I look forward to seeing more representation of Portalnd

[bobliocatt]

Great aerials!

[evian]

Ah, makes me miss home.  I grew up in Beaverton (Western Suburb).  Portlland is a great city, though I feel that the light rail system needs a little work to become more viable downtown.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

When were you living there? There was just a massive expansion of the light rail up to the Columbia River, and they're poised to bring it across into Vancouver. They're also in the planning phase of an extension down the 205, and another from downtown into Milwaukie. To boot, they just got the money to overhaul the downtown transit mall - so i guess they heard where you're coming from.

oh yeah, a commuter rail line is also in the works from the Beaverton Transit Mall to Wilsonville to ease traffic on that damned Highway 217 (I spend so much time a day on that forsaken stretch of road!).

what portland really needs is A. an amusment park and B. to follow the 6-lane minimum standard for its freeways. Far too long have we been trrapped in the caverns of I-5 downtown!

Besides that, we're doing pretty well up here!

Evian

[evian]

As promised - though a little late - here are some more pictures of PDX and its surroundings. The first one is of Mt. Saint Helens' plume of steam from a while back. kind of a small picture, but you get the idea. Fun times.

Evian

The second is of Mt. Hood, which on a clear day you can pretty much see from anywhere in town.

The next two are of downtown from the West Hills, looking east.

This one is of Mt. St. Helens from Coucil Crest Park. The bridge is the Freemont Bridge at the north end of Downtown.

This one is of the St. Johns Bridge WAY up in North Portland (i say WAY up only because it seems like a lifetime away from my house ). They're renovating it and making it pretty again. It's a really cool old bridge - nearly 100 years old now. if you get right under it and look across, the arches in the the pylons or supports or whatchamacallits makes you feel like you;re in an old gothic cathedral.

[Ih8thecold]

Ahh, my first post.

I lived in Portland from 1999-2001 and I hope I can move back there someday. I lived in West Linn and really enjoyed heading downtown on the weekends or out to the Timberline on Mt. Hood, and of course the occasional trip to Cannon Beach. When my friends from Minneapolis came out for a visit they were amazed at how spectacular Oregon was...it had never occurred to them that it was such a vibrant, beautiful place, and that seems to be how the entire country feels. Too bad, they are really missing out on a great part of the country.

[thewack]

I've lived in the Beaverton area since I was 5 years old, and am now in college out in the Midwest. I am aware of the MAX expnasion, and future plans to extend it to Vancouver. I visit home a few times a year.

Here are my problems with light rail downtown.

1) It is ridiculously slow because it stops every two blocks.

2) Until it gets past Lloyd Center going East, or Goose Hollow going West, it is so slow. The problem stems from the fact that the system is on street level. It either needs to be buried or elevated.

3) There are no express lines. This was not planned out very well when it was first designed.

Tri-Met is getting the framework for a viable system in place. However, if it is really going to have an impact to get people out of their cars more often, then it needs to have express lines and be elevated. I believe burying it would be too expensive and there may be conflicts with the water table.

Elevating the lines in downtown would keep the system from shutting down whenever there is a parade, run, or some big event around Pioneer Courthouse Square.

Making an express line from say Hillsboro TC to downtown with one stop at Beaverton TC would be one good option. A similiar line could be done for the Eastside portion. If there were rail spurs that rejoined with the mainline, the cars could be timed so that the local and express lines run conurrently.

Hopefully once the groundwork is laid to Vancouver, and the base is complete, the system can be made more competitive. Someday it might be good to have more than 2 cars to a train.

[evian]

I should admit... I moved here from Ashland maybe 7 months ago and I have yet to use any form of mass transit. Shame on me. Hillsdale (my hood) is just so close to everything i do that there's little need. so no hate mail please.

As practical an idea as elevating the railways downtown, knowing how this city likes its views and open skies... yeah, i don't see that happening.

Now trying to expand the Portland discussion (even though i don't particularly like baseball), last I heard, DC wasn't exactly able to build a stadium for the expos? is that true (does anyone know)? does that mean portland is back on the page for a baseball team?

[thewack]

Hillsdale is very close to just about anything you might need. Taking the 54 line will zip you right into downtown off Beaverton-Hillsdale Hwy or Barbur Rd. The bus sytem is pretty good, and more effective than light rail in many instances. Though light rail attracts development, buses do not.

As for baseball is Portland, I don't see that happening any time soon. D.C. got their act together and now has a viable stadium plan. Unfortunately, it looks like they are spending too much public money. See this thread. http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=9207

I would love to see the big leagues in Portland. What a boondoggle on PGE Park. They made a crappy minor league park into an expensive money loser minor league park. It looks the same as it did before with some new paint and luxury boxes only now over 32 million was spent.

There was a proposal to turn Civic Stadium (now PGE Park) into a major league park. The city opted for the upgrade for the minor leagues. There is still talk about demolishing the post office in NW Portland, and putting a ballpark there. I could see that working well, and it would provide some good views of the city for spectators.

I think a good site would be on the East Side somewhere around the Rose Garden arena. The views would be spectacular. Either way, Portland will need a retractable roof stadium similar to Seattle. Otherwise a dome would be an option, which nobody likes these days.

[pwright1]

I believe Portland is the most underrated city in North America. It is truely beautiful. I drove down when I moved to Seattle. Beautiful neighborhoods, thriving, very clean downtown, great parks, and its relatively safe. Downtown was the biggest surprise. Saks, Nordstrom and Mier & Frank department stores all downtown. Plenty to see and do.