Best Things About Portland

January 4, 2012, 10:57 am

With Portlandia launching into a new season, we thought it would be fun to do a quick poll of some of our favorite people, places and things and/or quirks about our little town.

Big City Feel

I consider Portland a hip-pocket sized big city. Sheila Hamilton echos that sentiment:
"Spontaneity. Portland is the last little big city where people don’t need reservations for dinner, buy the bulk of their concert tickets within 48 hours of the event, and commonly decide on weekend plans on the weekend. Aaaah."

Alpha Broadcasting's COO goes right to the heart of the matter.  Bob Proffitt told me he'd start with KINK Radio and then follow that with "incredible, diverse, quirky, honest, good people."
 
A Weather Machine

Dave Scott reminded me about that cool Weather Machine . Dave describes it as "a 33-foot-tall (10 m) metal column topped with a large silver-colored orb installed in August 1988. At noon each day, the following day's weather is announced with a fanfare of trumpets, flashing lights, and a spray of mist. The orb opens to reveal one of the following:a golden leaf sun, for a clear day;a silver great blue heron, to forecast a drizzly, misty, or overcast day; an open-mouthed copper dragon, when storms are forecast.Light bulbs on the side of the machine are reminiscent of a mercury thermometer and light up progressively as the temperature increases.". And Sheila reminded me that it was undergoing maintenance last year,  and is now back in action at Pioneer Courthouse Square. I grabbed a random video of the "machine". Watch, below.




Entrepreneurial Spirit

Rochelle Muzquiz, KINK Music Contributor/Photographer, suggested a bunch of stuff: "Independent businesses – The entrepreneurial, anti-corporate spirit is alive and thriving here. As a result, we have a multitude of choices when it comes to hand-made, original products, crafts, art, vintage furniture and clothes, COFFEE, and fresh, healthy food" And as an afterthought, but still on top of the list, Rochelle includes The Blues Festival,  Coffee (again),  Saturday Market,. And since we can't forget about music,  MusicfestNW.
 
When I hit up our digital team, Leann Warren, KINK's webmaster,  suggests Portland is IT for  "a vibrant cycling mecca with excellent riding in every direction and a growing community teeming with independent entrepreneurs."


Coolest Eateries/Bistros/Venues

Kelsie, part of the KINK sales force, "really like(s) Bamboo Sushi in SE. It’s the top sustainable seafood restaurant in the US!" KINK's Sunday brunch host Jason Miller goes for
"The Original Hotcake House" On SE Powell.

Bing Lounge manager Katey gets the "No Brainer" award: "How about the best intimate venue around and it’s free... Bing Lounge!"


Random Goodness

• Mt. Tabor, volcano in city limits, great city park.
• All the summer waterfront festivals! <3
• The Shamrock Run and Hood To Coast
• Portland Farmers Market (especially the one in the South Park Blocks by Portland State)
• Breweries
  

The Weather

"The best thing about Portland? No blizzards (Usually not)" says KINK's production whiz Archer, who has variously spent time up and down the eastern seaboard, and Denver.

And on a personal note, I love the endlessly rainy, dark, mossy days when the sun sets at 3 in the afternoon.

An Artsy and Sharing Community

I hear this all the time from our local musicians. Collaborative efforts in Portland are, well, effortless! And, we get to geek out at actual books stores (Like Powell's of course, and Music Millennium, too.)

OK! NOW YOUR TURN

As you can see from the above comments, it's hard to distill Portland into "one best thing". But. If you COULD! What person, place, thing would it be. Pipe up below.  ~Inessa

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