Portland stands out from other cities for more than its rainy climate and stunning views of Mt. Hood.
It’s also the vibe. You can count on a casual dress code, drivers who abruptly halt for pedestrians, and street names that are unpronounceable to outsiders. (Couch Street isn’t pronounced like a sofa, but like the name of the man who laid out the Alphabet District.)
On the City Cast Portland podcast, host Claudia Meza and producers John Notarianni and Giulia Fiaoni offer some key unspoken rules to surviving and thriving here:
Keep Your Hiking Boots Handy 🌲
Claudia says: “You need to keep a pair of hiking boots in your car and if you're an avid bicyclist [in] your bag of stuff. And here's why: You just never know when someone's like, 'Hey, you want to go on a hike?' It just happens more than you would think.”
Relatedly, Dress Casually (or However You Want) 👖
Giulia says: “There's not really a dress code in most places that you go to in Portland. Even if you're going out dancing, you can go there wearing really anything and nobody even thinks about it. There's no pressure whatsoever. In a lot of other cities, there's a standard.”
Go Outside When It’s Sunny ☀️
Claudia says: “This is a big one, especially now in the winter: You gotta go outside when the sun shines. Even if it's like that five-minute window, stop what you're doing unless a life depends on it. You actually need to do it.”
Get Ghosted Gracefully 👻
John says: “People in Portland are the most introverted of all people across the country. You can feel like somebody's a friend, and then they can just sort of like — poof — and disappear. And then you don't see him for six months, and then they show back up. And learning that that is not unkind, I think that's a really important social cue.”
But Also Strangers Will Compliment You 🙏
Giulia says: “It’s actually quite common to get compliments from strangers out and about. I always warn my friends from other cities that come into town: ‘Hey, someone might compliment you while you're passing by them on the street or from their cars.’ And it's genuine. It happens all the time.
“My friend from LA came and he has funky pink-and-green hair. And some lady was driving by at the intersection, rolled down her window, and was like, ‘I love your hair.’ And then just drove away. I think it's so sweet.”
Bonus: Thank the Bus Driver 🚌
This one comes from Nic, a podcast listener: “I don't know if it's part of our 'small city, big town' charm, or it's our unique brand of 'Portland Nice.' It could also be born out of the rare excuse to say something nice to someone that otherwise probably sees and deals with a lot of s**t. It always makes me happy to hear a fellow 'thanker.’”
What are your essential rules to life in Portland? What have we missed? Please email us.
