Turn and Face the Strange

Well, I live in Seattle, which is basically just Portland's next-door neighbor. Hop on a train, and there you are~ That said, I've only ever been to Portland a few times, and as a visitor only, but I really enjoyed it there. There's a lot of culture and personality; heck, their motto is, "Keep Portland Weird!" There is a really high poverty and homeless population, though, and a lot of people living off the grid. On the one hand, I've never encountered any problems with that. On the other, I've heard that so many homeless youths and, again, people living off the grid, has made Portland somewhat famous for human trafficking. Probably not something you'd encounter living on the grid and normal, but probably worth being aware of.

Otherwise, they've got a ton of great public works. Their transit system is crazy-awesome if you don't have a car like me, since they've got trolleys running round the clock all over the city. Powell's Books is a massive bookstore that covers over a city block--last time I visited, they were expanding. And there are lots of beautiful parks and places outside the city. Every time I've visited, I've really greatly enjoyed myself.