Portland: The Last Great Refuge of the American Middle Class

Portland: The City That Works or The Last Great Refuge of the American Middle Class We visited Portland, OR this weekend. I lived in Hillsboro, OR for 6 or so months while I contracted with Intel in 1998. I should have stayed. I should have bought a home there. I have no idea what all the property rightist idiots are complaining about in Oregon. Portland is by far the most beautiful, most friendly, most livable core of any West Coast Urban Area that I have ever seen. Cheaper than San Francisco, more safe than San Jose or Oakland, more transit and park friendly than Seattle, more expansive, safer and just plain more child-friendly and middle class than Vancouver, B.C.

How did their planners do this? In Bellingham, we want to do this. But seemingly, our planners don't have a clue. In Portland, urban and suburban dwellers seem to have it all: well-paying high tech sector (67.9K median income ),copious public transportation, lots of urban attractions: family centric-transit available museums, zoos, exhibits, and an urban walkability that surpasses anything I've ever seen on the West Coast. Why, oh why, did I leave?...When the post-industrial world collapses amidst terrorism, peak oil, die-off, and an aging population, I will bet that Portland will do innovative things and prosper. I would like to know how they positioned themselves so well. I would like to meet the planning geniuses that made it all work. Maybe I could convince them to move to Bellingham.

Snow on last Friday's hike up to Fragrance Lake. Granite Face around the North Side of the Lake.

Squalicum Beach as the big March 06 storm approaches. Also the warning signs on Squalicum Beach and Creek and Oeser Tower from the head of the trail off Eldridge Ave...second bridge.

Spring still holding out here in Cornwall Park... but there are definite signs of life...



Bellingham is a child-friendly city because of its parks and still small population...for now.

You can still see old-timers drive around cars like this in Bellingham...

It can be difficult to find "big" trees in Whatcom County...