I returned to Portland in September 2014 after being away more than 25 years. A lot had changed, and the gritty bike bar town I remember when I first came here for college in 1983 had become a destination city. Portland had transformed into a beacon for new urbanism, hipsters, beer brewing, and corporate sports culture (eg, Nike), among other identities. It also became a symbol of far-left activism, “the resistance,” and weirdness, captured in the former Portlandia TV series. This weirdness also has taken on unhealthy forms, such as the city’s lopsided rejection of much needed community water fluoridation in a public vote in 2013. Sadly, the metro Portland area also has become a hotbed of antivaxxers, who reject entirely safe childhood immunizations out of misguided fears that have no basis in science or public health.
I continue to love the city’s many great qualities. It promotes biking and pedestrian commuting. It has great parks, such as the city’s crown jewel, Forest Park. The arts scene is vibrant. Musicians and music are abundant. The architecture is tasteful. Best of all, the city is close to great outdoor recreation, from the Oregon Coast, to the Cascades, and to the Columbia River Gorge.
Portland also has experienced intense gentrification, like other West Coast Cities. In the area where I live, the tony neighborhood of Sellwood in southeast Portland, the residents are almost entirely upper-middle-class, and homes easily start at $750,000. This is leading to the replacement of existing homes with massive McMansions, condos, and new apartments. The city also has experience a rental affordability crisis; Portland’s rent rose at the fastest rate in the country in 2016. Typical two-bedroom apartments became out of reach for most residents. I can hardly fault those who enjoy the Rose City’s charms, walkable neighborhoods, and charm that way I do. Sadly, I am not sure how long I can afford to live here. My days now feel like barrowed time.
Keywords: Portland Photographs, Portland Pictures, Rose City, Photographs of Portland, Sellwood, Gentrification, Bridge City, Industrial Portland, Forest Park Portland, Portland Parks