
'Youth Magnet' Cities Hit Midlife Crisis - tortilla
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124242099361525009.html
======
wallflower
One year ago, I visited Portland with the intention of scouting it out for a
relocation. I had fallen in love with the city before even stepping foot in it
- from blogs, travel articles, Chuck Palahniuk's excellent quirky guide/book
to his hometown, stories from friends.

Portland is one of the friendliest vibes cities I can recall. Walking through
the Alberta arts district, you literally can walk into impromptu parties in
strangers' backyards. I enjoy riding bicycles and Portland's bike culture
isn't just bike culture - it's culture. There, it is disturbingly normal to
not just ride a bike but a high-wheeled double bike contraption. The food
scene is top-notch - I had one of my best Latin meals at Nuestra Cocina. There
is live music playing every day of the week. The tech scene is crazy - lots of
interesting people doing stuff (I even met the guy who does all of the BART
web stuff - he doesn't live in SF, go figure)

I never made it to the Pearl District (the hip/trendy part of town and where I
thought I'd rent). I did make it to the extraordinary Powells Book Store on
the edge of the Pearl, but I felt more at home in Alberta and elsewhere.

The negatives I noticed. The job market (in May 2008) was such that I probably
would only have a tech job if I could convince my current employer to let me
work remote (which would have required an all-in type of negotiation - e.g.
ask and if I didn't get it - go anyway otherwise credibility destroyed)

Agh the weather - it really does drizzle a lot there. And it's cold.

I can understand the draw of Portland. As an author once said, "everyone in
Portland has three lives." They're a waitress, a mother, a watercolor artist.
No matter how unique you feel you are, you'll feel at home in Portland - it
allows people to live their multiple lives. Yes, you can do that anywhere but
Portland is a catalyst.

I resisted it and am finding that you can make the best of where you currently
are - from friends to being involved in your local tech community to
volunteering to beyond.

high-wheeled double bike:
<http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashleyblodgett/2442644672/>

~~~
Shamiq
About that high-wheeled double bike:

Why would someone use it? Seems uncomfortably large and clunky -- not to
mention the tumble off of it must be epic.

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physcab
I just finished talking to one of my best friends from home about how to cut
her credit card debt. Being a graduate student has taught me valuable
financial lessons that I'm incredibly grateful for.

My first diagnosis: Quit trying to live the life you were accustomed to at
home (unless you plan on moving back home with your parents). Cut internet,
cable, and car usage. Move to an apartment within walking distance of your
job. Drink cheap beer. Go find a farmer's market. And God, please never go to
Starbucks.

I think once young adults accept the fact that they are going to be poor for a
length of time, everything else falls into place.

~~~
UncleOxidant
Oddly enough, I usually find that I end up spending considerably more at
farmer's markets than I would have in a supermarket. Of course, the quality
and freshness are much better at a Farmer's Market - but the prices aren't
cheap.

~~~
physcab
Really? I always found a good combination between a farmer's market and Trader
Joes worked out best...atleast when I was in California.

When I moved to Florida, we have a local joint called Wards which is
incredible. It's pretty much a farmer's market but open all week. Dirt cheap
too. Two weeks worth of groceries cost me about $40.00

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UncleOxidant
Definitely not a good time to move to Portland now. We generally always get
harder by recessions than most other metropolitan areas for reasons that are
many and varied, but probably including a somewhat hostile business
environment - as in state and city government aren't very business friendly.
It also took us longer to come out of the tech wreck recession - it took until
2004, 2005 for tech to kind'a sort'a recover.

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greaterscope
We, my long-time girlfriend and I, are moving to Portland, Oregon, from
Lakeland, Florida, in 1 month. A friend sent me that article a few days ago
and all I could think was, "informative article, but it doesn't matter." We're
moving anyway. And we've never been. Like wallflower, everything we've read
and heard points to Portland as a place we need to be, or at least live in for
a while.

The company I work for has no problem with me working remotely. I pointed my
boss to RandsInRepose's excellent article (The Pond) about remote workers, so
we've started the discussion about things we'll have to work through. Needless
to say, I'm incredibly thankful and lucky to HAVE a job, especially one that's
willing to keep me around as I move.

My girlfriend is a painter (website; <http://daubery.com> etsy store:
<http://hollypaints.etsy.com>), and has had little luck finding work in
Lakeland. So if she doesn't find work out there it won't be much different.

Paul Graham's "Cities and Ambition" article really hit home when I read it a
year ago. It made me think about how deeply where I live affects my quality of
life, my future, my happiness, my creativity, my productivity, my resources.
Lakeland is a "settle down, raise a family, go to church" type of place. It's
not for us. I want to run a software company of my own, hire great people, and
be involved in a community of artists, musicians, programmers, designers, and
makers. My girlfriend needs to be around artists that don't bullshit, have
creativity from within, and aren't in constant competition with each other.

Moving to a new place is going to be invigorating. We're hoping the people we
find in Portland will continue to inspire us once the newness of a new city
wears off. Wish us luck.

If you have advice, or live in Portland, don't hold back.

~~~
wallflower
Congratulations!! On the impending mutual move with your S.O. to your current
dream location _and_ your ability to begin working remote (maybe start an Ask
YC on experiences with working remotely?).

I don't think you'll regret moving there - but you would regret not moving
later in life. In my brief time there, I found Portland to be a community of
communities.

Fat Tire beer on tap..

Calagator: Portland's Tech Calendar: <http://calagator.org/>

PDXTech: <http://www.pdxtech.org/>

Last Thursday's in Alberta: <http://www.artonalberta.org/>

upcoming.org (Founder Andy Baio lives there!):
<http://upcoming.yahoo.com/place/RlEYPWubBZtlFXkb>

The 3rd best Farmer's Market in the U.S:
<http://www.portlandfarmersmarket.org/>

(Usually free) live music every night of the week:
<http://www.mcmenamins.com/index.php?type=music>

Amazing large Zen garden <http://www.japanesegarden.com/>

"Fugitives and Refugees: A Walk in Portland, Oregon" by C.P.

<http://www.powells.com/biblio?isbn=1400047838>

"Everyone in Portland is living a minimum of three lives," says Katherine
Dunn, the author of _Geek Love_. She says, "Everyone has _at least_ three
identities"..."They're a grocery store checker, an archeologist, and a biker
guy," she says. "Or they're poet, a drag queen, and a bookstore clerk."

Read "Portland's Special Challenges" and "Portland's Special Strengths"
(pp17-19). "The Young and the Restless: How Portland Competes for Talent"

<http://www.restlessyoung.com/public/pdf/Portland.pdf>

~~~
ExcilSploft
Just a note, fat tire is made by new belgium brewing out of colorado, and
indeed it is on tap in many many places. However, it is a fair to middling
beer compared with the hundreds of beers brewed in portland and oregon (IMO).
Come for the fat tire on tap, stay for the really good oregon beers. Also as a
tech interested individual, one should make it a point to go to Powell's
Technical bookstore, it is 3 blocks from the original big Powells, but chock
full of Math, Science, Engineering and computer books, my fave bookstore on
the planet.

------
sbecker
Lots of young, energetic, educated, creative people, willing to work for
cheap. This is an opportunity. Somewhere, a smart entrepreneur has already
noticed and is planning to capitalize on this. Why isn't it you?

~~~
callahad
With any luck, come this August I'll be attempting just that. Two co-founders
in the area with full-time gainful employment, which should mitigate the risk
on my end just enough.

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8-bit_Blaster
Wow, this is really really strange. What unusual timing with this article!

A friend of mine actually _just_ recently moved back to his hometown after
being unable to find work in the Portland area.

I really hope this economic crisis ends because I graduate in six months and
the job market back in the U.S. isn't looking too good.

P.S. ...And, just to make things even stranger, I just finished eating some
tortillas like five minutes ago, and the poster's username is 'tortilla'! :P

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sown
I thought Portland seemed like a nice area, too...

...but about 120 minutes of googling revealed what this article told me and in
retrospect I am glad I didn't go. Although, it is a nice city.

