"Portland, Oregon, tucked away in the Pacific Northwest, is the closest thing the US has to a bohemian theme park; a chic, eclectic and, above all, affordable hipster enclave, where outsiders are drawn by its music scene, vintage clothing stores, microbreweries and zero sales tax."
Well, this certainly is the hype. ("Affordable" is a relative term and gives away the author's frame of reference.)
For a different view: Portland: All Hype and No Substance - 10/31/2011
After having lived in Seattle, Berlin, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Cork, my husband and I moved to Portland six years ago. Although we had looked at houses on both coasts of the US, and I had wanted to return to Seattle (where we both grew up), my husband was enthusiatic about Portland's much vaunted arts scene and ostensibly green sensibilities, as well as its purported gloomy weather (we both love rain and storms). I reluctantly went along with the move, and it remains the worst mistake I have ever made.It gets worse. Even I don't think Portland is this bad ha ha. And once upon a time, Portland struck me as very special.
In the 1980s, Portland was a unique city in this respect: two theater directors were on the city payroll, employees of Parks & Rec, each running a theater company (Firehouse Theatre, Theater Workshop). Very European. There also was a composer on the city payroll. I'd never heard of such a thing in America. When they retired, they were not replaced.
Today I find Portland too yuppie for my tastes. The "bohemian" neighborhoods quickly get gentrified as the population grows. As for Portlandia, the show, too easy and too cute for my tastes.
There are many worse places to live, to be sure. I'm still here for two reasons: my wife won't move; and I love my teaching job at the university.
P.S. I think Venice, California, has a longer and more accurate history as a U.S. "bohemian theme park."
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