Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Talk to me about Portland

Myself and a friend are thinking about moving from Philadelphia to Portland (Oregon). Give me the total rundown...neighborhoods to look at, what are some good bike shops, also, give me the general pros/cons of living there. Is it all it's hyped up to be?

I visited Portland for a few days about 4 years ago, and I was impressed, but we're planning a trip in the next month to do some advanced recon. Thanks up front for all your advice.

yea im kind of wondering the same thing. i want to go next summer to check it out.

This has been discussed recently. I just moved here (from Salt Lake,Utah) and I have to say (aside from brake less being illegal) that Portland is as close to Utopia as I have ever known. Come visit. People can bad mouth pdx for being "too cool" (for school), and what not, but I have never let that type of aloof stuck uppery affect me. I have actually found the city to be extremely friendly, and of course extremely bike friendly.

Gross generalization: East side where the hipsters/hippies roll. West Hills for yuppies. Downtown is a mixed bag/bum central. Pearl District is for yuppies/plastic people. North East parts have their moments too. My favorite part of Portland is between Division and Belmont St in the 25th to 40th Street blocks. (SE Portland.) It is by far the most bike friendly.

i've heard people joke that Pennsylvania and Portland have some sort of exchange program, theres a lot of people from here living there and vise versa.

Myself and a friend are thinking about moving from Philadelphia to Portland (Oregon). Give me the total rundown...neighborhoods to look at, what are some good bike shops, also, give me the general pros/cons of living there. Is it all it's hyped up to be?

Do you have a job lined up or any sort of marketable skill? If not do you like talking on the phone?

I'll be there soon. definitely looking forward to it!

Do you have a job lined up or any sort of marketable skill? If not do you like talking on the phone?



i like talking on the phone and i plan on living there for a bit next summer.

all i have to say about the city is the people there generally seem like they'll be jerks, but really turn out to be friendly. i don't think i ever took a tram/bus ride that i didn't have a good conversation with a complete stranger.

great town.

I grew up in a boring town called Beaverton, which is just outside Portland, and I never really went into the city too much, just the occasional walk along the river or concert. I went to college for 5 years, and now I am living in Portland. I couldn't be happier.

I live in the Southwest area, right by Portland State University. I'm really starting to discover what makes this city so great, and what I was missing all of those years being just 20 minutes away.

The food. Portland is nationally known for having great food, but what sets it apart from other cities, is that our great food isn't in fancy restaurants and diners; it's everywhere. The small podunk bar, the burrito van; it's all really good. We have some damn good fancy restaurants too. =)

The bars. We have a lot of bars, and many of them have great music. My current favorite is called the Candlelight, a small jazz bar that has live music every night at 9pm. Pool table and friendly folks too. There's another, Kelly's Olympia I believe is the name. Vintage motorcycles hang from the ceiling, and I always have an amazing time when I am there.

The cycling. It's amazing. It's scenic. it's functional. It's just great.

The work. It can be tough. Especially if you're in a creative field. I'm a graphic designer, and while there is a lot of work available, there's a lot of competition. I hear it's similar in other fields to. However, Craigslist exists. So be prepared to use it to find work.

The drugs. Portland has a drug problem. Don't let anyone say it's not that bad, because it is. If you're into drugs, cool; I am not, and it saddens me often. Portland has the highest teenage heroin use in the United States. Meth is here too, but, that's just the Northwest. You'll see it. I hate it.

The homeless. Never bothered me really, still don't. Saw a homeless man giving another man an HJ in front of a public fountain in broad daylight last week, which pissed me off because there are kids that play in that area, but that's not an everyday thing.

The folks. People here are good people. There's the yuppie *******s that act holier than thou, but they are very easy to ignore, in favor of the large amounts of great people you will meet from all walks of life. This city is diverse, and it only takes an hour of walking around to realize that. If you're willing to talk to strangers, you will make friends everywhere you go.

The beauty (http://oregonstate.edu/~tudorj/condo/panorama.jpg).

Grab a bike messenger and shout "look, I have a fixie!" You'll be hired on the spot.

I've been here for about 2 years and love it. The rain can get tiresome, but only after about 3-4 months of a non-stop drizzle. I definitely think North Portland and NW Portland are on their way to becoming the next trendy parts of town. Basically wherever people of color are beginning to be pushed out...

hows the cost of living compared to other cities?

luvthemas and I were up in PDX with two other friends, living with ::velolove:: and we had a blast. Such an easy city to ride in, because drivers (in our experience) are very aware of cyclists. We stayed in the Southeast, at 35th and Hawthorne. Hawthorne and Bellmont are two pretty cool stretches of road. As for shops, check out:
-Bike Central (downtown), some cool vintage parts, very track/fixed friendly
-Veloshop (downtown), they have an entire room of Deep V's (if that turns you on), plus Molly (owner) is really cool
-Veloce (Southeast), Great place to ogle vintage road and track bikes

hows the cost of living compared to other cities?

I haven't been to Portland since about 2001, but I remember the cost of most things being much more than I was used to, coming from Alabama (not backwards-nowhere Alabama, like, say, Atmore). I imagine it's more expensive now.

hows the cost of living compared to other cities?

In my experience it's reasonably cheaper. But I came from Dallas, TX and when I was looking for places to live I couldn't believe how cheap the rent was here in comparison. So I guess it's all relative.

+1 on Veloshop. I've had problems on my commute a couple of times that I didn't have time to fix, they were really awesome about fixing them quickly and calling me so I could pick up my bike at lunch. Never had the attitude that some bike shops have from them.

Also there are two worker owned bike shops - well, one w/ two locations. City Bikes - they're really helpful too. But I've got a soft spot for worker owned collectives. http://www.citybikes.coop/

Thanks for all the replies so far. Keep 'em coming. Re: our skills, we're both designers (him: interiors / me: advertising/graphics with a little bit of interiors), but honestly, we're thinking of opening up a small bike-related business.

That's funny about the PDX/PA exchange program. As far as the rain, I'm used to it. Prior to moving to Philly a year ago, I'd spent the last 8 years in Pittsburgh (which I believe is second to Seattle in "least number of days of total sunshine").

i lived there about 6 years ago. i like portland, but once you get outside of it, there are some nasty middle america style strip malls and tons of chain stores. i guess you get that anywhere, but it sure made portland seem like a small area against a vast sea of crappiness.

summer and fall up there are so nice.

stay away, we don't like your kind around here

As el twe said, Portland was amazing! If I wasn't already set to move to SF it'd be Portland for sure. Hawthorne and Bellmont are awesome streets. Unbelievable vegetarian/vegan food and great cafes. I also didn't have a single bad experience in any of the bike shops I went to.

Don't know about Portland, but I have a whole bunch of friends who moved to Eugene from Baltimore. Haven't been there to visit yet, but they love it. I've been thinking about checking it out, as they seem to have established a colony. ;)

for instance, how are the rents in portland

I live here. I have lived here most of my life. I love this town. It's not for everybody but I like it. I've heard it described as a cheaper San Francisco or at least the housing is cheaper, of course it's hard not to be. Finding work is hard here, I know as I'm currently trying to do just that, but the biking community is the greatest. We have all sorts. We have guys (and gals) building stretched out bikes and tall bikes, mini-bikes (zoobomb anyone?), bike jousting, bike festivals, a rad BMX scene, serious racers, people just wanting to get around, and everything in between. There's actually a book written about Portland called "Freaks and Refugees", at least I think that was the title and I think it does a pretty good job of describing the city.

Summary: me like Portland, will you? beats me.

Ah yes, a fine book, by the Chuck Palawhatever guy who wrote Fight Club.

http://www.amazon.com/Fugitives-Refugees-Portland-Oregon-Journeys/dp/1400047838/ref=sr_1_12/103-9117725-5282220?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1184885963&sr=1-12

"Fugitives and Refugees", close enough.

Thanks for all the replies so far. Keep 'em coming. Re: our skills, we're both designers (him: interiors / me: advertising/graphics with a little bit of interiors), but honestly, we're thinking of opening up a small bike-related business.

Cool then. As long as you have your parents money you'll love portland.

I just moved here on Sunday. Wife and kids are still holding it down in another state while I get us settled in. Use Craigslist. I found a good job with health insurance in 48 hours, and a cheap-ass sublet in Ladd's, which seems so far to be about a five minute (or less) bike ride to all the necessities, including my fun new job. The cafe around the corner is some kind of anarchist co-0p deal, but they don't open until 8:30 because they are lazy. Luckily, there's a 'bucks right across the street. Point being, it kind of seems like whatever you're into, Portland has it going on.
People seem super nice (which is important when you move somewhere by yourself and don't know anyone)-- The ******* factor seems pretty low. Cars look out for you (just take the lane), there are some okay bars (any suggestions? Rock, pool, Tecate?) and a lot of hippies. But, I lived in SF for 16 years and hippies don't really bother me. I just don't let them crash on my couch.
I've been hearing for years how tough the job market here is, but if you know how to do anything besides sit at a desk and look sleek, it seems pretty easy.
The weather has been rad. Sun, then rain, then big clouds, then sun. Super dramatic.
Complaining about strip-malls is lame. Let me introduce you to my new friends. Hi, coast. Hi, velodrome. Hi, beautiful, easy-to-get-around-in urban center. Hi, free wireless, good schools, farmers markets, Thai food. Nice to see you all again.

went to college in eugene. portland is wonderful. eugene is not. don't even think about moving there. boring, wet & fully controlled by hippie fascists :)

Grab a bike messenger and shout "look, I have a fixie!" You'll be hired on the spot.

greatest lie ever told :)

edit: good schools is another lie about Portland, unless you're talking about Reed College, which is an exceptional school. Our public school system has gone down the drain, lack of funding.

lewis & clark law school has one of the top environmental law programs in the country (just sayin')

for instance, how are the rents in portland

I just moved here and am paying $875/month for a 1.5 bathroom, 2 bedroom, 1200 sq ft townhouse in SE Portland (North Sellwood). The city is fantastic, and I'm living across the street from a nice multiuse paved trail (the 40 mile loop). It has been ideal for morning rides and should be a nice scenic route for commuting downtown.

My friend and I viewed ~15 properties, all decent and priced from 700-1100. We found most of them on craigslist or from driving around the city. If you have some time to shop, you shouldn't have to settle for living in a large complex (unless, of course, you want to live downtown).

Another plus is that Craigslist is very popular here. Buying furniture was a breeze!

lewis & clark law school has one of the top environmental law programs in the country (just sayin')

it's also not exactly inside portland: the two main colleges in inner city portland are PSU and reed college, of which reed is the small, prestigious liberal arts school and PSU is the large commuter school.

and than there's a big mess as far as the public schooling system goes (k-12).

so... not a resident here by any means but I have been hanging out here for ~3 weeks. living at 51st and steele. Some notes:

-Bike central-
don't go there unless you have to, they have a ****ty atmosphere,****ty people, but a decent selection of track/fg parts. However, there is nothing there that the veloshop can't order or already has in stock. The only reason I went to bikecentral is that they had sugino 75s in silver and I was leaving town the next day and veloshop was out of them.

It's out of the way but I love the Sellwood shop. I have worked/hung out there for a couple of weeks and it is great, good people, good service and some bomb-ass used bikes(if you ever go in check out the serotta hanging over the chair) Erik is a really cool guy.

that is my .02

Ive gotta defend Bike Central just a little. Ive been there a couple times, and the lady was pretty nice and talked with me in a level manner and was personable. She tried to talk me into getting up to the velodrome too (which I cant blame her for). I will say they have a good selection and typical prices, but theyve got to learn to merchandise a bit better.
Veloshop is still nice, though I still think Veloce is still my fave in town.

As for Portland, I love it. Its not for everyone. Its a precarious balance of things. Its big, but not too big. We've got hipsters and hippies a plenty, but still quite a few normal urbanite drones in suits and ties. But for the most part really low key and comfortable. There is amazing food and funky alternative things everywhere if you know where to look. Its cleaner than most cities I think, but still plenty of dirt (and drugs) built up around the edges. Its safe but you still gotta watch your back at times. And if you can dig it then welcome. And please don't complain about rain.

Oh and what out for cops downtown if you happen to ride brakeless (just got my first ticket, ******** BS).

There are several shops in town that cater to racers and hardcore enthusiasts alike. Veloshop, Veloce, Bike Gallery, Bike'n'Hike, and Bike Central all sponsor local or national teams. Oregon sends a few riders to Nationals every year. Jen Featheringill (the woman akaio talked to) at Bike Central is usually one of them. You can come to the track on Friday nights and hang out with all caliber of track racers from all the local teams. I've run into Natalie of Sweetpea and Dimitri of Veloce on weekend group-rides.

If you come here, build up a rain bike. You'll be riding that for the majority of the spring and fall. If you ride during the winter, then you have my respect. Just bring a lot of spare tubes on your rides. The majority of us are riding rollers through the winter. If you're within 10 miles of the city core, you shouldn't have many problems with drivers. Just stay off the major arterial roads during rush hour, and you'll be fine.

Just check your attitude when you come and you'll meet plenty of friendly and welcoming people. I've lived all over the world, but I always come back to Portland.

so... not a resident here by any means but I have been hanging out here for ~3 weeks. living at 51st and steele. Some notes:

-Bike central-
don't go there unless you have to, they have a ****ty atmosphere,****ty people, but a decent selection of track/fg parts. However, there is nothing there that the veloshop can't order or already has in stock. The only reason I went to bikecentral is that they had sugino 75s in silver and I was leaving town the next day and veloshop was out of them.

I'm gonna have to say, you're wrong on that one. Dean at BC may be a snob but he's also one of the best mechanics and one of the two best wheelbuilders in town (the other being that guy at Veloce), and he knows his ****. I've had a lot of problems with Veloshop, they're not as competent at mechanics and when they **** your **** up, they won't stand behind it: you're left to pay the bill of their errors.

Citybikes is good if you want cheap, used, utilitarian stuff.

portland is so hot right now.

three of my friends moved there six months ago and two more are contemplating a move.

I know I'm not a regular poster here, but I do live in Portland and ride a bike everywhere.


I just moved here on Sunday. Wife and kids are still holding it down in another state while I get us settled in. Use Craigslist. I found a good job with health insurance in 48 hours, and a cheap-ass sublet in Ladd's, which seems so far to be about a five minute (or less) bike ride to all the necessities, including my fun new job. The cafe around the corner is some kind of anarchist co-0p deal, but they don't open until 8:30 because they are lazy. Luckily, there's a 'bucks right across the street. Point being, it kind of seems like whatever you're into, Portland has it going on.
People seem super nice (which is important when you move somewhere by yourself and don't know anyone)-- The ******* factor seems pretty low. Cars look out for you (just take the lane), there are some okay bars (any suggestions? Rock, pool, Tecate?) and a lot of hippies. But, I lived in SF for 16 years and hippies don't really bother me. I just don't let them crash on my couch.
I've been hearing for years how tough the job market here is, but if you know how to do anything besides sit at a desk and look sleek, it seems pretty easy.
The weather has been rad. Sun, then rain, then big clouds, then sun. Super dramatic.
Complaining about strip-malls is lame. Let me introduce you to my new friends. Hi, coast. Hi, velodrome. Hi, beautiful, easy-to-get-around-in urban center. Hi, free wireless, good schools, farmers markets, Thai food. Nice to see you all again.
Hi, we appear to be neighbors. You have more neighbors who post all over BF, BTW, including a guy who just moved up here from northern CA. Although I do not ride SSFG, please don't hesitate to send me a PM if you need anything now or when your family follows you out here. Information, need to come borrow my repair stand, whatever.


Re: our skills, we're both designers (him: interiors / me: advertising/graphics with a little bit of interiors), but honestly, we're thinking of opening up a small bike-related business.
The City of Portland wants you to have a bike-related business here (http://www.portlandonline.com/shared/cfm/image.cfm?id=120617).


it's also not exactly inside portland: the two main colleges in inner city portland are PSU and reed college, of which reed is the small, prestigious liberal arts school and PSU is the large commuter school.

and than there's a big mess as far as the public schooling system goes (k-12).
But there is a free shuttle up to L&C from downtown (at Nordstrom's) for students. PM Blue Order - he knows all about it. You're spot on about the K-12 schools, though. So, if people are planning on moving here with rugrats or are planning a future with them, be prepared to put some sweat and blood into that education system. A lot of parents are just bailing and moving out into the suburbs. Like that's going to solve the long-term problem. :rolleyes: I don't have kids, but I never vote against increased funding for schools. I wish others felt the same way, but the whole funding system here is really messed up.

If you're contemplating a move to Portland, here are some good sites to check out.

http://bikeportland.org/
http://pdxguide.org/
http://www.shift2bikes.org/
http://www.portlandonline.com/transportation/index.cfm?c=34772
http://www.yeabikes.net/bikes.html
http://stc-law.com/bikepower.html

Most strip joints per capita and most bookstores per capita. How can you go wrong? Plus good beer and coffee.
It was sweet back when Weinhard's Brewery was still around, and EJ's would have surprise Elliott Smith shows, and everything was priced like it was 1979! Times have changed and people live in North Portland? That is crazy talk. Still, best city to live in hands down... finding a decent job led me astray:(

Veloshop and Bike Central are great. Both owners are great too. Molly knows her **** and builds great wheels. Dean is the ****ing man. Cool dude, and he knows everything. Bike central can get you anything you want.

Living in North Portland is a hell of a lot better than moving to the suburbs.

Yeah, man. I went drinking up in the north and had a great time. I'm liking the feel of some of those neighborhoods.

It took me 14 minutes (by bike) to get from se21st and Division to my friends' restaurant on Alberta. I headed out from there (trying to scope a way to get to Vancouver) and liked it.

Little pockets of fancy, interspersed with little pockets of ghetto. Who could ask for more?

Times have changed and people live in North Portland? That is crazy talk.
Amazingly, it can be pretty cool there now.

Back from the dead, but I'm considering a move to Portland and I have a rather daunting task to ask of someone... I will repay the kindness with many beers once I end up there!

I'm trying to get a handle on housing availability but it's hard when I have NO idea where to look. Craigslist breaks Portland down into the following categories. Could someone give a brief description of each? I'm mid 20's looking for good vegan food and fun stuff to do. I'd love to bike to work but I have no idea where work would be either...

Portland:

Multnomah Co.:

Washington Co.:

Clark/Cowlitz:

Clackamas Co.:

North Coast:

Yamhill Co.:

Columbia Gorge:



THANKS IN ADVANCE!

http://www.housingmaps.com/

that will probably be helpful. it's multnomah county that you want to live in.

it's hard to recommend where to live...i live in north (but not too far north) portland, near the intersection of alberta and mississippi, which are both great streets.

Good priced apartments and housing can be found in N. and NE. if you don't want to stray out to the burbs. Downtown is a great place to live too if you're comfortable with riding downtown, because downtown living on a bike is world's better than downtown on a car in so many ways. It takes a certain personality I guess. SE has great neighborhoods as well.

I'm suprised that no one has mentioned that Portland is the only US city to be considered one of the top 10 beer cities in the world. You go into New Seasons market and there is a freaking beer steward. I grew up there, and had to move to SLC to go to school. As soon as I get my degree I'm moving back. The place is full of people who think forward, people who love to bike, and people who are kind. Also, there is the PDX bike militia... now that's BA. You've got the beach an hour and a half drive away, and same with the mountain. Plus there are lots of beautiful women on bikes. I can't wait to go back... ahh PDX I miss thee.

You won't regret a move here- it is Biketopia. There is serious commitment to cyclysm here in a way unlike any other American city I've visited. Vancouver, B.C. might come out on top with respect to most bikeable North American larger-sized city, with Portland coming out second. Beautiful rides along both sides of the Willamette River, great climbs in the West Hills, fun route up Mt. Tabor (an extinct volcano), an increasing number of businesses with bike-through windows, generally very courteous drivers, great bike shops, Sauvie Island- a flat, agricultural oasis just north of town, and great organized rides all year round.

Check out Bike Portland (http://bikeportland.org/) for lots of good background on Portland's bike culture.

If you are thinking of starting out or working in a bike-related business, check out this interesting video (http://video.on.nytimes.com/?fr_story=278032d5df02f06be646116987472a48d5d707e0) on the New York Times website.

I actually was just accepted to Reed college so I too will be moving to Portland next year. I'm pretty excited, I've heard nothing but good things.

went to college in eugene. portland is wonderful. eugene is not. don't even think about moving there. boring, wet & fully controlled by hippie fascists :)

Haha so true... the fixie "scene" also isn't quite the same. Bikesnob would have a ball here (Eugene) with the untaped road drops, brakeless bikes with no clips, trashy road conversions with Deep V's (4x the price of the frame at $200 w/ Formula hubs, I might add), dog penis handlebar tape jobs, and all around buffoonery and fixed gear freestyle sheenanigans.

Haha so true... the fixie "scene" also isn't quite the same. Bikesnob would have a ball here (Eugene) with the untaped road drops, brakeless bikes with no clips, trashy road conversions with Deep V's (4x the price of the frame at $200 w/ Formula hubs, I might add), dog penis handlebar tape jobs, and all around buffoonery and fixed gear freestyle sheenanigans.

i was just down in eugene this weekend staying at a friends and the bike scene was pretty questionable to me. they all would make sure to lock up their conversions RIGHT in front of the party and stand by it for a minute so that everyone caught their entrance and/or would try to trackstand out in front for as long as possible. not to mention the girls were pretty outwardly disgusting. especially about their coke addictions. i think i ended up at the wrong parties though.
as far as portland its pretty cool. im a sun person and it i get pretty bummed over the winter months. but when it is nice its really nice. biking is mellow and fun. theres only one road in the city that i avoid and thats because its under construction (6th on the westside). and biking drunk isnt nearly as dangerous as in most cities. since theres the most bikers per population of any major city the cars are pretty used to it and it would be much to stressful to get pissed at EVERY biker they had to pass. i really dig the city in the summer. the neighborhoods are super awesome and scenic and mellow to bike through. and we have mt. tabor which is always refreshing to explore and check out the views. if your looking for a place where your gonna be incorperated in the culture of the city as much as possible shoot for anywhere downtown. or on the east side between foster and lombard and between 1st and 60th. (thats a huge square area). most of my friends and i live right in the middle (belmonte and 20th-ish area) and we love it. always something to do. so yeah. come on up.

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