why the hell is portland blowing up again? a coffee-fueled rant
so yeah, portland’s popping up on these 'fastest growing cities' lists again. and look, i get it-the city’s got that weird, damp charm, the whole 'keep portland weird' thing still kinda sticks, even as everything gets gentrified to hell. but let’s be real, the growth ain’t all rainbows and craft lattes.
first off, the job market? it’s bonkers. like, seriously, oregon’s tech sector added over 14,000 jobs last year alone, and a chunk of those landed right here. we’re talking companies like nike and intel expanding like crazy, plus a ton of startups popping up in the pearl district. but here’s the catch: median rent? it’s surged to like $1,900 a month now, according to zillow. that’s wild, man. and don’t even get me started on crime stats-pdx’s violent crime rate jumped 15% last year, so yeah, the growth’s not all roses.
the weather’s doing its usual portland thing today-gray and drizzly but not aggressively so, like it’s just chilling with a perpetual mist. perfect for drowning your sorrows in overpriced pour-overs, i guess. and hey, if you need a quick escape, seattle’s just a 3-hour drive north, or you can hop a flight to the coast for some actual nature.
now, about the growth. i’ve been hitting up these new coffee spots like it’s my job, and lemme tell ya, most of ‘em are mid. overheard this at a pop-up shop in hawthorne:
> 'heard from a barista at coava that the city’s adding like 80 new coffee shops a month, which is wild because most of them are terrible.'
and then there’s this gem from some dude at the food carts:
> 'some guy at the whiskeyswore that the rent downtown jumped 23% since last year, and he’s moving to vancouver because of it.'
look, if you wanna move here, fine. but brace yourself. the job market’s tight, especially if you’re not in tech, and the housing scene? it’s a dumpster fire. check out these coffee carts on yelp if you wanna see the real portland vibe-most of ‘em are way better than the shiny new places.
drunk advice from a bartender at multnomah whiskey library? 'don’t trust the line for stumptown unless you’ve got two hours to kill.' and for real, check out r/portland for the unfiltered truth-people are losing their minds over the cost of living.
so yeah, portland’s growing. but is it good? depends who you ask. if you’re into overpriced beans and tech bros, maybe. for the rest of us? it’s a hot mess, and kinda amazing.
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