A Portlander, No Matter Where I Am

Posted by drkristindean on July 18, 2011 · 1 Comment 

It’s been a while since I’ve actually lived in Portland, Oregon. No matter where I am, however, a Portlander I remain.

In short, I’ve lived all over the world. I was born in Portland, but while growing up I lived all over the US, in places including Vancouver, Washington; Washington, D.C.; Alexandria, VA; Littleton, CO; Cheyenne, WY before returning to Portland to graduate from High School. I lived in Eugene, Oregon for seven years while working on my bachelors and masters degrees at the University of Oregon. After that, I moved to State College, Pennsylvania to begin my PhD at Penn State. In 2009, I moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina, where I conducted the research necessary for my dissertation. While in Buenos Aires, I met my husband, a proper English gentleman. Recently, I’ve moved to London, England where we live happily in a sweet little garden flat.

While London is where I now call home, I still feel more a Portlander than anything else. Why is this? What is it about me that is more Portland than anywhere else? After thinking about it, some of the things I love most about Portland aren’t so different from what I love about London. This is all very promising as I continue to settle into my new life here. For the sake of fun, here are a few of my favourite things about Portland.

1. Food in Portland
Portland has recently become one of the top destination for “foodie” travellers in the US, according to FoodiesUnite.com. Why is the food so good in Portland? Like here in the UK, Portland is a place that privileges good quality, local foods. There is a tremendous difference between what you can buy at a local farmers’ market and that industrially processed and engineered “food” that you’ll find at the supermarket. Portland, like London, has figured this out.

While I was in Buenos Aires, a new food culture emerged in Portland that I only got the chance to experience for myself last holiday season: the Portland food carts. These carts now appear in car parks and along pedestrian causeways, serving some of the best food in the city. Their trick to success? Good food, plain and simple. That’s the only way they can lure weather-weary Portlanders from their homes and offices out into the relentless Portland drizzle. I love that England loves its local products, and am hoping someday it can find a place in its heart for street carts, too.

2. Local Portland Beers and Wines
Portland, Oregon is the home of more breweries per capita than any other city in the world. While some of our breweries may produce some rather boring domestic lagers (sorry Henry Weinhardt), the majority of our small scale breweries produce some of the best beers you’ll get anywhere. It’s true that the English also love their beer. I, however, have yet to acquire a taste for warm, flat ale that is served up in most locals here in London. Tradition aside, I’ll take my IPA cold please.

In case you’re wondering, here’s a list of some of my favourite Portland beers: Widmer Brothers Halo IPA, McMenamin’s Ruby Ale (served with an orange slice, it’s a slice of heaven), and Bridgeport’s Hop Czar.

All this talk of beer and no mention of the excellent Oregon wines. This is one point where London cannot compete with Portland: the best wines in Portland come from nearby wineries. Ask any sommelier, and they will tell you that the quality of Oregon pinot grapes is hard to beat. Don’t take my word for it. Here’s an article written for The New York Times in 2008 entitled, “Toasting the 2008 Oregon Pinot with Few Quibbles.” Superb, indeed.

3. Living with a Social Conscience
In 2008, Popular Science named Portland, Oregon America’s #1 Greenest City. Not bad, right? Popular Science gave Portland this honour above other famously “green” US cities, such as #2 San Francisco, because “America’s top green city has it all: Half its power comes from renewable sources, a quarter of the workforce commutes by bike, carpool or public transportation, and it has 35 buildings certified by the U.S. Green Building Council.”

After living in a city that’s filled with people who make a conscious effort to live with a social and ecological conscience, it’s really hard to make a switch. In Pennsylvania, I was surprised at how few students made any effort to recycle. In Buenos Aires, I was utterly shocked to learn that the task of recycling was left to poor populations who would rummage through garbage bags at nighttime. London is a bit better than that, but it’s no Portland.

I am encouraged by London Mayor Boris Johnson’s efforts to get the city cycling, although I certainly wish better bike routes could be devised to improve bicycle safety. I also love London’s efforts to recycle. I only wish the boroughs would do more to encourage families to do so.

4. Rain? What rain?
London may feel rainy, but the 600mm annual rainfall is nothing compared to Portland’s 950mm. Nonetheless, I can easily relate to Londoner’s frustration with the relentless drizzle. While we all can commiserate about the weather, the rain does give us such brilliant green landscapes. There’s a lot to be said for a warm cup of coffee (or tea) and a good book when the weather’s gloomy.

Even more than the cozy indoor activities the rain encourages, what I love most about both London and Portland is the sun worshiping that goes on those special sunny days. Portlanders and Londoners alike can truly appreciate a warm, sunny day in manner others simply cannot.

5. Stumptown Coffee
In London, the drink of choice in most offices is tea. I enjoy tea, I really do. Unfortunately, tea just does not pack the punch that I need, especially in morning. For me, it’s coffee. The best coffee, in my not so humble opinion, is roasted at my favourite Portland coffee shop: Stumptown Coffee.

With all that rain, Oregon does not have the climate to grow coffee. Even though Stumptown Coffee cannot source local beans, it does take charge of roasting its own beans. The barristas at Stumptown are typical of that common breed of Portland hipster (for better definition, see this clip from Portlandia), which adds to the experience. These coffee aficionados freshly grind those perfectly roasted beans and filter coffee through any number of contraptions to provide all customers with that most perfect cup of coffee that really packs a punch. Stumptown has grown incredibly over the course of recent years. They now have shops in Seattle and Manhattan.

Nonetheless, Stumptown stays true to its name and true to their Portland roots. I suppose the true can be said for me.

Filed under My Story