From Franola to Sushi: A City in Transition – Portland, Oregon, USA

Portland, Oregon Travel Guide – May 2002

From Granola to Sushi: A City in Transition

Recently W magazine did a huge feature on Portland. The cover deemed
Portland the “West Coast’s New Hot City.” For those attune to the fashion
scene, this was big news. Usually you’d have better luck catching the staff
of W wearing knock offs than reporting outside New York and L.A. But
somehow Portland caught their attention. How?

Apparently Portland is getting cooler. The article attributed the trend to
an influx of notable designers, musicians, artists, restaurateurs, style
mavens and filmmakers. The result: according to W, “one of the most vibrant
and sophisticated metropolises on the West Coast.”

This was news to me. And at first I wasn’t sure about their conclusion.
After all, this is the land of hard core hikers and nature nuts, ardent
activists and laid back hippies. Surely I would have noticed if Mother
Nature’s lair were morphing into a hip fashion capital. But after reading
the article, I started to notice the changes: Fewer Pintos, more Beamers.
Fewer apartments, more “lofts.” Less granola, more Sushi. The Pearl
District (possibly the city’s classiest area, where condos go for upwards of
$500,000) is growing like a Grizzly cub, eating up Old Town and expanding
north a couple of condo buildings every month. Whole food stores and classy
restaurants are popping up everywhere. The arts scene is going crazy.
Portland really is getting chic.

But then I had to ask myself, is this change for the better? Sure the
changes are great for Portland residents like director Gus Van Sant, and
multi-millionaire Forbes, who now have more ways to scatter their bucks.
But what about a guy like me, who thinks “6 figures,” is just a group of
voluptuous women?

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind more money flying around. Some might fly
my way, and believe me I could use it. But I really don’t want to see
Portland lose that character that makes it such a unique place to live.

Portland’s unofficial poet laureate Walter Curtis has similar concerns.
“The thing that’s too bad about the development is that a lot of the city’s
bohemian flavor has been lost in the process.”

I concur. Portland is a last refuge for the unpretentious city dweller.
Historically this has been a place where you can dress down, love nature and
relax. People here are more concerned with art than the Dow, comfort than
fashion. The average Portlander would prefer a weekend in the woods over a
night in the Benson. And I hope that doesn’t change. W didn’t seem to
think it will: “People still feel free to be themselves.” Let’s hope that
remains to be true.

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