Portland’s population currently stands at an estimated 635,067 according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s July 2022 estimates, a dramatic increase from 368,139 in 1980, according to Oregon’s Metro department. Not only has our population grown, but so has its diversity (to some extent), going from a white population of approximately 85.3% in 1980, to 73.8% in 2022, according to the U.S. Census’ data. While we are still a very white and very weird city, a lot has changed in Portland due to the influx of people; cultures shifting along with it. Due to all this change in culture, and the influx of people, many have begun to believe Portland’s in a bad spot, or in other words “sucks.” However, this sentiment isn’t shared by everyone. 65% of the 100 people I polled in early November of 2023 believe Portland, in fact, doesn’t suck. I personally share this sentiment, as Portland’s unique geography, culture, and our strong communities make it so Portland is far from sucking.
A rich abundance of food, unique people, and a stunning geographical location are amongst a few of the several reasons many others, including myself, believe Portland doesn’t suck. As ranked by personal finance website WalletHub, Portland ranks second for Best Foodie Cities in America for 2023. This ranking is backed up by the opinions of people inside and outside of city limits. As Hope Caiazza, a resident of neighboring Gresham, puts it, “the food’s really good here, [there are] so many cool food carts.”
However, food isn’t the most important aspect of every city, it’s the people and communities that develop within it. Portland is far from short of unique individuals, people like the Unipiper riding around the town with bagpipes and a Darth Vader mask showcase just some of the opportunity for creativity and fun within Portland. As Saoirse Rahm, a Portland resident for the last four years, describes, “in this city, there’s a place for everyone and each individual has somewhere they can feel welcomed.”
Furthermore, Portland is placed in a beautiful and unique geographical area. We’re close to a large variety of landscapes; “the mountains, the coast, rivers, and even if you want to go to the middle of nowhere you can drive a few hours east,” says Rahm. Radio stations like KMHD (FM 89.1) Portland Jazz Radio fill our city with beautiful music, as does our lively and diverse local music scene. “Keep Portland Weird” bumper stickers remind us of who we are, and festivals like the Rose Parade bring our communities together. We have sports teams and a culture along with it that shines past the trash on our city streets. Our Rip City, our chants roaring out of Providence Park for the Thorns and Timbers, and a sprawling scene of youth sports and art paving the way for the next generation of great athletes and artists.
Nevertheless, like any other city, all of this comes with majorly apparent problems. Houselessness is a major crisis facing Portland. Looking at data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development compiled by Oregon Live, Portland has a rate of 5.86 houseless people for every 1,000 residents, ranking fifth highest amongst U.S cities. The majority of this crisis stems from the city’s failure to control the rapid rise in the cost of living within the city.
According to RentCafe, a rental assistance and blogging website, the cost of housing in Portland is 60% higher than the national average, an absurd and unsustainable mark. As a result, Portland has undergone mass amounts of gentrification, as lower-economically classed individuals have been pushed out of the now-developed parts of the city, into the outskirts of city limits in neighborhoods like my very own Brentwood-Darlington. Streets like 82nd have become staples in the opinion of Portland’s bad state, with trash, abandoned buildings, and large numbers of houseless people in the area. I personally work and live near 82nd and have witnessed firsthand these aspects, but have also witnessed families out for walks, kids having fun, great food, and wonderful people. Regardless, stigmatization of the houseless and large groups of lower-class people in the area often causes many to ignore this side of the community.
These systematic issues along with poor access to proper disposal areas have caused trash to flood our streets. “I casually see so much trash, even when I’m on my way to school,” says Sammuel Newton, a lifelong resident of Portland. This image of trash, homelessness, and overpriced living has left Portland’s national reputation tarnished. Some also believe Portland’s reputation was tarnished due to the media coverage of Portland’s Black Lives Matter protests in the summer of 2020, painting the city in a dangerous and destructive light. Newton points to “the riots and protests that take place” as a large part of the stigma that surrounds Portland.
When looking at the struggles Portland faces, many of them are present in hundreds of other cities. Homelessness is not just a Portland problem, but a global issue. Specifically in the U.S., the cost of living is starkly on the rise. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a dollar in the year 2000 is almost two dollars in today’s currency. Furthermore, the stigmatization of houselessness has caused many to view houseless individuals as dangerous and to be avoided. This is despite the fact that houseless people are just people, and according to the State Department of Commerce, houseless people are no more likely to commit violent crimes than housed people.
Safety is another concern of many within Portland; Rahm mentions this by pointing out that some “people think Portland sucks because of all the systemic issues it faces.” He continues, “[there are] lots of unsafe areas, especially at night and especially for women and BIPOC [individuals].” This is a very valid and prevalent concern within the city but once again not a uniquely Portland issue. When looking at the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Uniform Crime Report for 2019, Portland doesn’t even rank in the top 50 of U.S. cities with over 100,000 residents in regards to violent crime rates.
Nonetheless, oftentimes the media and our society’s obsession with the negatives creates a hyperfixation on our city’s problems. Rather than working to fix these problems, we feel overwhelmed as we are constantly having this idea reinforced. This implies that these issues are all Portland is. As Caiazza puts it, “the news capitalizes off of the houseless crisis Portland has, but never says anything else about the city.” Caiazza elaborates by saying that “whenever any of my family calls from out of state they always say ‘wow the homelessness crisis seems really bad over there, are you guys ok?’ but they never talk about the cool and fun things that happen in Portland.” Many others share this sentiment, and Rahm urges everyone to “stop looking for the things that suck and start paying attention to the things that are good.”
Portland may have many dilemmas, but those don’t deserve to overshadow the abundant appeal, elegance, and hope. A promising future is on the horizon for Portland. “All the young people growing up in Portland right now give me hope for the city because I feel like we all really care about it and want the best for it,” explains Caiazza.
To answer the question, no, Portland doesn’t suck. We have an abundance of great food, natural beauty, and unique marvelous people that make Portland a truly great city. Like every city, we have our problems, but these problems won’t be fixed by self-loathing and an obsession with villainizing and degrading our own community and city. Instead, we will fix them by acknowledging Portland’s beauty, and uniqueness; coming together under that ideal to tackle our issues as a unified city.
