Understand
As the largest city between San Francisco and Seattle, Portland vies with those cities as the spiritual capital of the laid-back northern Pacific coast. However, it has retained the relaxed air of a smaller town while still growing rapidly. The city has a surprising amount of urban amenities for a city of its size, including an impressive music and arts scene and one of the largest collections of zine and independent publishers of any city in the nation, but the city hasn't developed to the point of being overwhelming. That said, in recent years Portland's growth has started to catch up with the city, with some of the worst traffic congestion in the west, a high cost of living relative to wages though there's no sales tax, and chronic underemployment.
The city has a lovely blend of historic and modern architecture and many lush parks to poke your toes into; Forest Park and Washington Park in the hills west of Downtown offer a variety of plants, trails, and wildlife near the city. Vistas of Mt. Hood and the Willamette River, stately Douglas Fir trees, and roses and trees at every turn give the city stunning seasonal color. Environmentally friendly practices, such as recycling and an extensive public transportation system, are part of the culture here and fuel many progressive city planning practices, such as an urban growth boundary, which have made Portland a relatively compact city. Unlike most similar-sized metropolitan areas in the country, you can drive 15 mi 24 km from downtown and be out in the countryside.
