In a PDX state of mind
We visited the Portland, Oregon area a couple weeks ago, like we do a couple times each year. My family lives in the 'burbs, but we usually try and escape to the city for a couple days of fun and games downtown.I've always loved Portland - the city is amazingly great and getting better all the time. While we were there, the weather went from 55 and rainy to 95 and sunny in the span of two days. That was during the west coast spring heatwave that cooked everyone from Seattle to San Diego. Either way, the sun was out and, it seemed, so were all the people.
In Portland, we lounged around for a lazy lunch at Laurelwood brewery, wandered up and down 23rd Ave., then went into the Pearl District for afternoon cocktails and dinner with a friend. People were everywhere in both neighborhoods, just hanging around. Restaurants had opened their doors and windows, and tables, chairs and patrons were spilling onto the sidewalks. Everyone looked relaxed and not bothered about anything. The next day, we went back into town for a short hike into Forest Park. Joggers and hikers were all over the place.
Coming from Silicon Valley, the land of go-go-go and work-work-work, when the weather is nice people don't flock outside. But as we wandered around Portland, we wondered: What do people do here? On 23rd, it's always full of loitering hipsters. In SiliValley, the only place the hipsters (or anyone else, for that matter) seem to be is in their cubicles. Perhaps it's cultural, or perhaps it's the weather itself -- it's almost always nice in the bay area. If everyone went outside when it was warm then nobody would get anything done, and that wouldn't be very Silicon Valley, would it? Honestly, I'm not sure which is better.
