Visiting Portland (2019)

Better a smartass than a dumbass I was always told...

 

“Life is hard; it’s even harder when you’re stupid.”

“Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son.”

 

How crowded is Great Notion's NW location Saturdays around 12? Would it be better to get there right when they open at 11? Not staying long, just wanted to grab a couple pints. Thanks

 

Alright, so I'd like to put in a major twist on the usual visiting Portland topic. How about relocating? My spouse and I have job offers in Portland and we'd like to get your pros and cons of living in Portland- not just beer, but everything else too (yeah I know, this isn't JobAdvocate) but we are looking at living west of the Willamette as my job would be in Nob Hill and hers in Beaverton -- and knowing that Great Notion is opening a 3rd location in the latter is also quite nice... anyway, given that we're considering relocating from Wisconsin, give us the beer-related and non-beer-related pros and cons of living in a particular part of town.

 

We moved here from DC, a town not known for affordability, about 7 years back. Here's my 2 cents.

Pros:

• The beer scene is laidback with prices to match. You can get quality pints for $5-6 at multiple beer bars around town. Your average restaurant will have a good beer selection.
• Truck chasing isn't a thing here.
• We have arguably the best farmhouse inspired brewery in the country (Upright), a wide variety of high quality lagers (Wayfinder, Heater Allen, Occidental, pFriem), access to some of the best barrel aged beers (Hair of the Dog, Fremont, Modern Times and more), quality IPAs (Barley Browns, Breakside, and @vurt will disown me if i fail to mention Georgetown). If you're into hazies, you'll find those as well.
• Distribution of out of state beers is solid, with periodic drops of west coast hype bombs from Alvarado St, Fieldwork, Sante Adairius, Horus and whatever else kids these days chase.
• An ability to ride your bike to work 365 days a year. Except for the every 4th year when we get 6 inches of snow and you can cross country ski (or snow shoe) to work.
• Good ramen, Ethiopian food and new American cuisine.Excellent Thai is easy to find.
• Access to some of the best outdoor recreation in the country. And if you're willing to drive 3-6 hours, you will have solitude while enjoying it.

Cons:

• No New Glarus.
• No New Glarus
• Because we as a community aren't big on the trade forums, don't expect to find a lot of interest in what you're offering outside the biggest names (occasionally, Great Notion/Fremont/de Garde). This also means you don't have a bevy of beers to offer up in trades - there is no equivalent of Tree House/Trillium for the combination of volume of new beers with a vociferous fan base.
• While affordable, prices are rising, and not just beer.
• Good Vietnamese and Chinese food, while around, is a pain to get to, especially if you are on the west side.
• Maybe a little twee and precious?
• The cloudy months can take some getting used to. Don't underestimate it. SAD!
• Wildfire and smoke are somethings we took a while to get used to.
• Lack of thunderstorms.
• No Expedition Stout.

 

I'll try not to repeat too much of what @DefenCorps said...

I live in the Pearl, which is Nob Hill adjacent in the NW.

Cons
- The NW is generally the tourist district. That means you're going to have more polished restaurants, but fewer dives. It also means this is a really yuppie part of town.
- Groceries are typically expensive in the NW.
- There are a lot of homeless people, like "downtown LA" a lot.
- Most crime rates are incredibly low, but car windows do get smashed so don't leave stuff on your seat if you park on the street.
- It is seriously cloudy with light rain for 6 months out of the year. This is a problem for a lot of people so be aware of it. I personally like it. If you're struggling, happy lamps are real things that actually work.
- The beaches are cold. Most midwesterners are more familiar with Florida beaches and that's not what we have.
- Traffic, which isn't the worst in the country but it's disproportionately bad for our population due to natural bottlenecks between our largest suburbs - Beaverton and Vancouver - and the city.
- Californians (kidding, but a lot of people would say that)

Pros
- More under-the-national-radar good beer than you could ever imagine
- Food is generally very solid with every ethnicity and allergy concern represented.
- The city is heavily walkable, especially the NW. I got rid of my car when I moved here.
- Public transit is great, there's a street car in the NW, the MAX light rail goes all over town including the airport, and the bus system has great coverage and runs frequently.
- The city is also super serious about bike lanes if you like cycling.
- 1 hour drive from MOUNT HOOD
- < 2 hour drive from beautiful natural beaches
- All the hiking and camping you could ever want
- Canada is about 5 hours away if you need to flee the country
- Very dog friendly
- It doesn't really snow, but if you miss snow, Mt Hood is right there
- PDX is the best airport in the country

Feel free to message me with specific questions about the neighborhood.

 

Given the extremely high quality of your post, and that bullet point in particular, you should have no worries about me disowning you. Ain't gonna happen.

(But just to be on the safe side, you should send me details about good Ethiopian places.)

 

Can I talk about Beaverton here? There's a really neat food cart complex there that includes a bar, The Speakeasy. @beertunes recommended I look up his friend who owns the Avenue St. Charles food cart. It's New Orleans themed and they have the best gumbo. And yes, I've been to New Orleans several times & know what it should taste like. In fact, the owner/chef is going to NO this month to hone his skills. Great food and beer ='s a great time. Thanks Terry.

 

Abyssinian Kitchen at SE Clinton and Division is probably my favorite in the country, where everything we've had has had spectacular depth. Also exceptional is Bete Lukas, where flavors are a little more subtle but no less deep (closer to Imperial bottleshop on Division), E'Njoni on Killingsworth is very good( brighter, punchier, a little from Saraveza). As a plus, the market across the street from E'Njoni sells Ethiopian spices and injera if you are inclined to trying to cook at home. We've also quite enjoyed Aberus Kitchen, also on Killingsworth.

During the summer months, one of our friends sells at the farmers market in Beaverton, Hillsboro, Providence St. Vincent and OHSU, out of her stand called Eleni's Kitchen.

 

If you can get to Canada in 5 hours, my hat is most definitely off to you. Depending on where you live in Portland (I'm also in Beaverton) I think you'd be lucky to get to the north side of Seattle in 5 hours. Maybe at 2am?

 

If you're fleeing the country I assume you're going at night.

 

One of the great things about living in Portland and the NW in general is the proximity and access to so much cool stuff.

Hawaii ? 5 HR direct flight
LA? San Diego? 2 Hrs 15 min

Drive to Seattle in 3
Drive to Canada in 6
Drive to NW Montana in 10
Drive to SF in 9
Drive to Bend in 3
Oregon coast in 1.5
Mt Hood in 1 - 1.5

There are dozens and dozens of amazing outdoor adventures to be had within 90 minutes of Portland in any direction.

 

Do any breweries have any unique or standout glassware?

 

Sager advice was
never offered on these boards.
Heed ye or despair.

 

According to Google at this time 1`0:09 PM Tuesday night its only 5 hrs 24 minutes to the Peace Arch, Surrey BC from West Salem OR..but i guess from experience Google Map knows i have a lead foot and 300 hp in the old engine compartment

 

To all the above responses: I am just about sold. We are both visiting Portland again this weekend (Friday and Saturday) to take a "second look" and look around the neighborhoods, eat some good food and drink. At this point we are about 95% sure we are going to accept our respective job offers.

Are there any special events/tap takeovers I should check out while I'm in town? I'm already planning on going back to Great Notion and Modern Times at some point, but potentially check out Ecliptic.

My wife will be visiting with her potential future employer all day Friday so I'll be pretty free all day Friday until dinnertime- so I'm game to explore and if anyone wants to meet up somewhere for a beer or two and chat about life in Portland, let me know!

 

Well, since the wife won't be with you, may I suggest one of the "Ballet Theatres" that feature $10 T-Bone steaks for lunch? I don't remember the name, but one of them is owned by a guy who also owns a beef ranch.