Over my time here I have made some observations and thought that I would share them.
- It is all about parallel parking here. Somehow I have only needed to do it a couple times, but if you drive here, expect to parallel park at some point.
- The streets are not very wide, at least in the area I live in. If cars park on both sides of the street, only one lane of traffic can go down the road at a time.
- The street signs for the major streets suck! They are the same size as the residential street signs and are not lit up. This makes driving at night very hard if you do not know the area. I will say that they usually post a sign about a block or so before the intersection indicating what the upcoming street is, but you have to keep a look out for them.
- Getting on and off a freeway is not very simple. If you are used to being able to get on and off the freeway at every major intersection, then you will be aggravated by this place. You may be able to get on the freeway in one direction, but not the other (sometimes due to the light rail track being in the way). You may have to get on the freeway from a small road located in the middle of a neighborhood. You may have to drive for miles to find the next off/on ramp. Always use an online map program to tell you where the closest on/off ramp is located.
- People grow gardens in their front yards.
- In addition to normal paper, plastic and glass recycling, there is also another can to recycle compost like food waste and yard trimmings.
- The public transit system rocks here. Buses all over and a good light rail system with 4 different lines. Each stop has a unique ID number and you can call a phone number to find out when the next bus will arrive. Or, if you fork out the big bucks for a smart phone, there’s an app for that.
- Concerning public transit, people are not very good about waiting for the people to get off before they get on. They just shove their way in, even people with bikes.
- This is definitely a bicycle town. They are everywhere. There are bike co-ops everywhere to help you fix your bike or build one from scratch. My building even has a section blocked off for bicycle parking.
- I already new this, but being here helped enforce my belief. Women wearing winter clothing is very hot/attractive. Mary Rose thinks it is because they look warm and cuddly. Maybe.
- People are friendly here. They will say hi or at least smile and nod as you walk by.
- There are several public libraries here that are decently stocked. Unfortunately, they are used a lot by the public so I am usually on a waiting list to get a book. They have some videos and I have watched a few good Chinese movies. I have decided that if you watch a foreign movie, it is better to watch it with subtitles than to watch it dubbed. The dubbed track is just too distracting.
- Most of the people are really into being green.
- Free Geek. You can volunteer here to help recycle donations and there is a small store of used parts, gear and cables.
- Beer, beer everywhere. If you like micro-brews then you will enjoy your time in Portland. Every little bar, pub and restaurant has at least one micro-brew on tap.
- Rain is always a topic of conversation.
- Facial hair, tattoos and piercings. These are all widely accepted here and very prolific. This is, of course, mostly with the 30 and under crowd.
- Mostly small economical cars – very few trucks and SUVs. Definitely a change from my time in Texas.
- Powell’s Books. Their main store takes up a whole block and is 3-4 stories. They also have a couple other stores that have a specific focus like technical books and home and gardening.
- Fall colors with the changing of the leaves. Although after the leaves have been on the ground for a few weeks and it has rained, they get mushy. Not as attractive.
Well, that is all that I and Mary Rose could come up with while we ate dinner. I am sure I will have a follow-up at some point.