Tell Us Your Portland, or Travel Tips
Even if you live in a “hipster” city like Austin, Brooklyn, Seattle and San Francisco, you should take a trip to the main hipster city of Portland. It is an easy city to visit, with affordable food and entertainment, fun binge options, beautiful parks, mild weather, efficient transportation (even from the airport), and healthy integration of tourists and locals. It seems difficult to have a bad time in Portland. But can we have an even better time?
This is a selfish episode of Hack Your City because at least two Lifehacker employees are going to Portland in September and one employee lives there. So we look forward to your advice for the short and long term – what to do on the fifth or fifteenth visit.
What is underestimated? Which places deserve a few more discerning visitors? What are the best alternatives to tourist traps? What is your favorite thing about Portland?
How should a visitor approach the city? What position should they take? What local traditions, behavior, and laws should they be aware of? What should they know about the city’s past and present? How can visitors get along with the locals? What problems does the city solve?
How does it feel in the long run? What do you love and hate about the city? What advice can you give to other residents? How do you drive to work, what is your daily lunch spot, or the best place to watch? What mistakes do new residents make – what are the common misconceptions or incorrect pronunciations? Where do you go if you want to go out of town for a day or a week?
Finally, how has the atmosphere of the city changed over the past few years? What old travel tips are no longer valid here, and what new ones?
Leave your tips in the comments below and we’ll highlight the best ones. (Read some of the other comments first to make sure yours is unique.) Then come back Thursday for a new post with highlights.