Portland may have a reputation for putting birds on things and performative quirkiness, but, as with most things, the reality is a lot more complicated. That's a good thing, and it should be the guiding principle for your next visit to the city.
Since the advent of a certain IFC show starring a member of Sleater-Kinney, Portland has been mythologized as a town built on nothing but whimsy and underemployment. But like any city, the reality is more complicated _ and a lot more enjoyable.
Portland's the kind of city where you can learn to bike-commute without fear, where bookstores rule and indie publishing thrives. It's also the home of the Decemberists, Cheryl Strayed, Chuck Klosterman, Stephen Malkmus, the other two members of Sleater-Kinney, and, when it comes right down to it, some pretty fascinating city politics.
Add in its laidback pace of life, its slowly disappearing dive bars, its casually gorgeous riverfront bike trail and its transit-friendly navigability, and there's much to love about Portland. And Portland will love you back, if you let it.
If your only goal in taking a trip to Portland is to get your picture taken in front the "Keep Portland Weird" mural, while drinking a cold brew in a flannel after hitting up the weed store but before going to the vegan strip club, be my guest. You won't need my help finding those things, and they won't give you a real sense of the place, beyond the parts of it most easily reduced to caricature.
But if you're interested in getting to know what endears Portland to the people who live there, here's where to start. Just remember to keep your preconceived notions _ and your "Put a bird on it" jokes _ to yourself.
