When I told people about my plans for a short trip to Portland, OR many were convinced I’d want to make the city my new home. As Portland is the mecca for environmental progressivism, being one of the greenest cities in the United States, I can understand why people would fear I would never return.
Right off the bat, just outside the airport doors, my friend Mary and I jumped right onto the train to the city. Five dollars a day for full use of any kind of transportation is a great deal in my opinion. Once in the city, we found everything was easily walkable and most people were almost too nice to pedestrians. On countless occasions we had cars stop right in the middle of the road with no stop sign or stop light to let us cross the street. It got a little dangerous though when it was a multi-lane street and only one car would allow you to cross.
Beer beer beer! It seemed to me that beer ran out of the faucets in Portland. Around every corner was another microbrewery severing craft beers for prices that were out of this world for a girl who has spent $7-$8 for a craft beer in Cincinnati. And oh, was the beer good, yay for local business! They were also pretty “crafty” in the kind of buildings that were repurposed for a microbrewery including one of my favorites, a school building.
As you can imagine, bikes were everywhere. The bike lines were painted in fluorescent green and some intersections even had designated traffic lights for bikes so cyclist could cross the street diagonally! I would like to say, hats off to all those bikers who ride in the rain.
Multnomah Falls
Have you ever dreamt of opening your own Etsy inspired gift and retail shop? Perhaps a restaurant that only serves local, organic food? Well, most likely the store or restaurant in your imagination probably already exists in Portland. It’s hard to describe something in Portland as unique and different, when everything there already holds that title. How do the residents keep from taking all this wonderfulness for granted?
And you can’t forget the beautiful natural surroundings in Portland. When you get your first glimpse of the majestic river gorge covered in a misty fog, it feels like a scene right out of the The NeverEnding Story. Even in winter, the beauty of Multnomah Falls is outstanding, and the hike is breathtaking…literally. It was such a misty day my skin was so soft from the waterfall mist, who needs a spa? Speaking of mist, Portland is known for its sputtering rains, and my hair was continually growing and curling like Monica Geller in that Friends episode where they go to the tropics (okay maybe not that bad, but still).
Have I found my new home do you wonder? As much as I loved the environmentally friendly mentality of a city that even has roadside compost pickup, there’s something about being in place where everybody thinks like you do. As nice as it would be to have all these sustainable options available to me, I can’t help but think of the kind of impact I can make as an environmentalist on a place that isn’t already mostly environmentally friendly. It feels good to be unique in Cincinnati and to be a part of a movement towards a more sustainable city. For now, I’m proud to say Cincinnati is still my home.
