Hey all!
If you've never been to Portland, anything you've heard about Portland probably includes a combination of hipsters and food, but there is much more. Of course, not mentioning the classy+grungy fashion and endless cheap yet gourmet food in Portland would be totally unfair, I want to focus in on a few other things that make Portland such a hot place to live as a student and beyond.
1. Nooks & Crannies: For a relatively small city, Portland has tons of nooks and crannies for every little thing, whether it be food, crafts, music, tea, coffee, music, galleries, chocolate, books, stationaries, desserts... you name it. In my experience, there are few places in the world where you can take a walk and would feel the urge to stop every few meters because everything seems interesting.
2. Beer-vana: For those who are 21 or older, read on. For those who are not, skip to #3. I've lived in San Diego, and I've lived in Portland. Still today (and for good reason), San Diego is ranked as the top city for beer lovers because of its killer micro-brewery scene and general atmosphere that is so conducive to drinking a nice cold brew. But Portland is different. As a beer drinker in Portland, you'll get a completely different brew experience than in San Diego, or anywhere else of that matter. In San Diego, you go to the beach to surf some waves (or watch surfers) and then head to a local brew pub. In Portland, you'll bike through the cold rain and meet up with your friends for a colder pint. Pick and choose wisely!
3. Coffee-vana: You might've already heard about the coffee scene in Portland and rightfully so. Before moving to Portland some time ago, I didn't even like coffee, but cup after cup, I was mercilessly converted. A short blog like this will NEVER give the coffee scene here justice, but trust me, you will love it, no matter who you are. If you aren't a coffee drinker, you'll still appreciate the sheer variety of coffee joints around Portland, each with its own unique twist like vinyl background music (Courier), standing-only marble counters (Spella), European style (Case Study), or desserts-galore (Palio). You'll simultaneously find your new favorite coffee shop and hear about a new place worthy of your #1 ranking.
4. 5. 6. etc. It'll be impossible to list all the things that make Portland great other than hipster-culture and food, but if you're curious about anything in particular, you are totally welcome to shoot me an email at jaychu@lclark.edu
Cheers everybody!
If you've never been to Portland, anything you've heard about Portland probably includes a combination of hipsters and food, but there is much more. Of course, not mentioning the classy+grungy fashion and endless cheap yet gourmet food in Portland would be totally unfair, I want to focus in on a few other things that make Portland such a hot place to live as a student and beyond.
1. Nooks & Crannies: For a relatively small city, Portland has tons of nooks and crannies for every little thing, whether it be food, crafts, music, tea, coffee, music, galleries, chocolate, books, stationaries, desserts... you name it. In my experience, there are few places in the world where you can take a walk and would feel the urge to stop every few meters because everything seems interesting.
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| Cacao in Downtown, A gourmet chocolate & espresso bar. Yes, it exists. |
2. Beer-vana: For those who are 21 or older, read on. For those who are not, skip to #3. I've lived in San Diego, and I've lived in Portland. Still today (and for good reason), San Diego is ranked as the top city for beer lovers because of its killer micro-brewery scene and general atmosphere that is so conducive to drinking a nice cold brew. But Portland is different. As a beer drinker in Portland, you'll get a completely different brew experience than in San Diego, or anywhere else of that matter. In San Diego, you go to the beach to surf some waves (or watch surfers) and then head to a local brew pub. In Portland, you'll bike through the cold rain and meet up with your friends for a colder pint. Pick and choose wisely!
3. Coffee-vana: You might've already heard about the coffee scene in Portland and rightfully so. Before moving to Portland some time ago, I didn't even like coffee, but cup after cup, I was mercilessly converted. A short blog like this will NEVER give the coffee scene here justice, but trust me, you will love it, no matter who you are. If you aren't a coffee drinker, you'll still appreciate the sheer variety of coffee joints around Portland, each with its own unique twist like vinyl background music (Courier), standing-only marble counters (Spella), European style (Case Study), or desserts-galore (Palio). You'll simultaneously find your new favorite coffee shop and hear about a new place worthy of your #1 ranking.
4. 5. 6. etc. It'll be impossible to list all the things that make Portland great other than hipster-culture and food, but if you're curious about anything in particular, you are totally welcome to shoot me an email at jaychu@lclark.edu
Cheers everybody!