ok, well what about Portland, Oregon?

I know, I just wanted a setup for the pic above.

You get a job by knowing people who work for places that are hiring (or places related to those places). Basically.

One br = maybe $700/mo or so. That's about what I'm paying.

gimme a job

that's is the crudest request to get blown I have ever heard

Want to be a bike messenger?

done that

....is the pay better in pdx?

better than what?

^cantankerous

it's been that kind of week

it's monday!

I don't know any bike messengers!

i know some and i don't even live there!

gbx, just come out here. you'll find a job. it's one of the easiest cities to move to.

better than chicago! i was making like sub $300 a week when i worked as a messenger.

i am making plans.....just you wait. lease is up here in august, tho :(

wait jergins i thought you DID live in portland?

I will ask, gbx - I don't live in pdx either, but I know some bike messengers there. Also, some other people.

no, seattle. but i used to live there (and wait in fear on the pdx thread that i'll say something that's no longer true, the dumb knowitall that left portland years ago). i get there once every month or two though.

it's weird in a oh-shit-time-flies way that i remember the last time you were thinking about moving here. that was about a year ago, yeah?

xpostiness

i share a house with two housemates. I like it.

If you were moving here right now I would know someone who had a decent room for you.

My bike messenger source says expect a starting hourly rate of $9, and the bigger guys will guarantee a 40 hour week. She also says summer is not the time to try for it, because everybody wants to bike in the summer.

The best place in Portland, bar none, is Artichoke Community Music on Hawthorne. My personal home away from home, man.

has anyone been to the Ace Hotel Portland and have any opinions? Was gonna stay there or Jupiter.... my friend has a mural in one of the Ace rooms so thought it would be funny to stay there, but its more $$$$

the jupiter is just fine, but i'd actually recommend any of the motels on e.burnside or by the convention center for better value.

Today is fookin' hot. I'm in beulahland right now, listening to some one blasting Dino Jr on the p.a. and studying for my latin class. Thunderstorms are on their way in. ah, what a day.

hi, PDX! yr BEAUTIFUL!! <3<3<3<3

i understand jupiter reserves a few rooms for people who party too hard in the nabe or something. i plan to maybe stay at the Ace if and when I ever get to Portland (i'll actually stay around NW 21st of course).

Artichoke Music was, for a long time, owned by Steve Einhorn and Kate Power, two people I might be able to claim as actual friends, although this would place me in roughly the same objective category as about 5,000 other poeple who know them, admire them and put some sort of claim on them by prior connection. They sold the shop not too very long ago.

BTW, Kate has one of the finest natural singing voices I have ever heard, a contralto, if my ear is working the way it should.

Phil, I think you'd like the Ace. It's right near the gay bars and Powell's, and a friend of mine did the curtain treatments. The Jupiter is hipster in a different direction -- the Ace is more gay/artsy, the Jupiter is more partied-out hipster. You could play either way, no doubt!

I am pretty happy that Artichoke Music is still around.

I am pretty stressy and sad to be leaving Portland after 8.5 years here, but other adventures await!

has it been that long!

chris otm about the disparity between ace/jupiter. Jupiter is probably "easier" (unless there's all-nite coke parties going on in the room across the way from yours) and the Ace is probably more "interesting".

gabb if you're ever around the NW section of town holla at me. I know all the tolerable sections of my neighborhood.

Hello Portland.

I am moving to you in a few months.

Where in you should I live?

We'll need 2 bedrooms with at least some space for a dog. Being able to walk to a grocery store that sells delicious foofy veg shit and also liquor is v. important to me. We are not rich, though I am used to Chicago rent and paying like 60% of my paltry income.

Yr pal,

Nick

(Seriously, I'm having huge problems figuring this out on my own, mostly because I keep getting confused about the scale of the place, coming from big sprawly cities.)

we'll practically be neighbours!!

Nick, in Oregon liquor is only sold at state-licensed liquor stores, although you may buy beer or wine at grocery stores. Liquor stores close at 7pm. This will probably take some getting used to.

welcome the PacNW, en i see kay :-D

Nick --

Look at the area around SE 39th and Holgate. Trader Joe's and Limbo (produce store) are just a couple of blocks away and the nearest liquor store is at 52nd and Powell, which really is not that far. Also, 2 parks in the area. Good luck!

Phil, I think you'd like the Ace. It's right near the gay bars and Powell's

Oh, but I'm scared of gay bars and I don't like books that much, but still I think you've convinced me to stay at the Ace. I don't think I can handle a partied-out-hipster motel. I'm getting OLD!!!! The Ace looks super nice - the website is really well done, while the Jupiter's has some god awful generic lounge music playing on theirs. I'll prolly be there not during the weekdays so prolly not so much partying. gotta go take photos and meet ad agency people ugh.

Also, you're leaving Portland?? Where to?

(unless there's all-nite coke parties going on in the room across the way from yours)
these things happen in portland?? i always had this stereotype of portland kids drinking free-trade coffee and microwbrews and discussing their bikes and tempeh.

Rubes, I know! And my friends and I definitely have a bit of a crush on the Bay Area, so don't be surprised if I'm around every once in a while.

I didn't know Oregon did the state-licensed thing. I did mean beer and wine, though, so it's fine. My scotch-drinking friend will probably have a bit of an issue, though.

My only problem with that area is that it's right next to Reed, which may depress my admission-declined ass. Pretty, though. I'll probably get over it.

Thanks!

Yes we have coke. It's the same people, really, but the coked out ones tend to be less interesting, maybe. Depending on what you find interesting.

I'm off to Toronto for grad school.

It is not too hard to find liquor stores, though it would be nicer if it was Cali-style and hard alcohol was in supermarkets.

Also, for scale issues: 20 standard grid blocks = 1 mile, basically. And it is generally very walkable.

these things happen in portland?? i always had this stereotype of portland kids drinking free-trade coffee and microwbrews and discussing their bikes and tempeh.

lol,

"Don't do that line, Kyle! You know that cocaine isn't an ultimately sustainable lifestyle -- for you, and for the environment. And cocaine only supports organizations that ultimately fatten up the lifestyles of fascism in the Western World as well as more unfortunate worlds."

"Sigh. Thanks, Brody. I'll just keep sticking with speed."

"Kyle, I'm proud of you. You are now a new man."

en i see kay -

I manage an apartment complex with my wife in Reed neighborhood you're talking about. Our 2 bedrooms are currently renting for around $800 a month. Unfortunately, we don't accept dogs. However, I think you should be able to find some houses for rent in the area fairly easily - I assume for around $1200.

It's a great neighborhood. Tons of stuff within walking distance. Woodstock (main road that leads to Reed) has plenty of wine shops, some bars, liquor store, restaurants, Safeway, Bi-Mart, etc.

Yeah, Woodstock is nice.

Where is the liquor store in that area, darin?

In between Radio Shack and Laughing Planet.

what the hell is laughing planet??

Hippie burrito joint. I had a burrito once at their Belmont location. Not too bad.

Apparently, being a cyclist is a near-requirement if you want a job there (this I learned from the website).

This kind of shit makes me simultaneously giddy and preemptively annoyed about living in Portland.

It's not, but you'll get a lot of peer pressure to bike. I tried it for a while, it wasn't me. I reclaimed my status as a walker.

I'll probably bike a lot, but I do find the folks who think that biking is a moral imperative quite annoying. I mean, not driving, yes, but if I walk a lot and take the bus, I'm fine, lemme be.

At the same time, I adore any environment where those assholes can thrive.

people will make love to you if you bring your own tote bags to co-ops

(that's the case up here, anyway)

Some neck beard at Laughing Planet charged me four bucks for a ramekin of brown rice and I've never been back since.

simultaneously giddy and preemptively annoyed < new town motto

hey portland / seattle people

I am taking my favorite drive in the world again this weekend from SF up 101 to portland -- I'm looking for the beautiful scenic route to cross over from 101 to 5, any time after the first 100 miles after crossing the Oregon border, it can take forever in fact it's better if it does as long as it's nice instead of developed -- would love to hear any recommendations

I've seen enough Gus Van Sant movies to know that I definitely want to live in Portland.