Portland's East Side Neighborhoods Are Still Great -- Here's Why

Рет қаралды 124,294

2 ай бұрын

Like nearly every city, the greatest streets and neighborhoods in Portland, Oregon exist where the long-abandoned electric streetcars ran. Today we're touring Portland's east side to find remnants of that age and talk about why its lingering impact is so important.
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Special thanks to Cameron Booth at transitmap.net for use of his 1915 Portland electric streetcar line map! I strongly encourage you to familiarize yourself with his site if you haven't -- Cam does amazing work. You can buy this particular piece as a print at transitmap.net/store/product/...
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Previous CityNerd Videos Referenced:
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Resources:
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Пікірлер: 669

@CityNerd 2 ай бұрын

Since you willingly scrolled down to the comments, now you have to endure this one: if you were on Nebula, you would've seen this video a few days early! (Also without ads, and, best of all -- WITH NO COMMENT SECTION.) Using my custom link gets you 40% off an annual subscription, and really helps the channel! go.nebula.tv/citynerd Lifetime membership deal still available too! go.nebula.tv/lifetime?ref=citynerd

@nNIZYB 2 ай бұрын

I'll have you know I already watched this on Nebula. I'm just here to interact with screen elements for the algorithm like a good viewer 🫡

@zephaniahgreenwell8151 2 ай бұрын

I like the comments.

@AndreiTupolev 2 ай бұрын

The comments on videos of this nature are often interesting and raise some worthwhile points; it's a shame that you should see them as a nuisance

@jerredhamann5646 2 ай бұрын

And this urbanism can be yours for the low price of 3k a month rent for a studio

@a_pet_rock 2 ай бұрын

Jokes on you, I already watched this on Nebula!

@ysnclone 2 ай бұрын

The worst part about living in Philly is the constant feeling of abandoned trolley lines underneath your tires.

@metagoat 2 ай бұрын

😭

@ratsbath 2 ай бұрын

Spooky... 👻

@shaniahhudson 2 ай бұрын

That clunk every time your tire rotates is annoying and those buried tracks cause most of the potholes on those streets.

@jonathanstensberg 2 ай бұрын

Most of those streets still have the old bricks/pavers/cobbles down there too

@danielotoole9610 2 ай бұрын

I would've thought it would be the proximity to Philly sports fans

@HulaViking 2 ай бұрын

Meanwhile in Seattle, we can't even agree to make the Pike Market a pedestrian zone. This is a street that can take about an hour to drive a block on a weekend.

@aygwm 2 ай бұрын

It’s really silly

@cmdrls212 2 ай бұрын

It is actually being discussed this year but as always, Seattle is paralysis by analysis

@MarkusAlkemus 2 ай бұрын

There is 0 reason why automobile traffic is allowed on that street. They closed it off for the 2023 MLB All Star Game and the world didn't end

@Kaede-Sasaki 2 ай бұрын

American main roads take about an hour to cross 😂

@ThrashingCode 2 ай бұрын

As a Seattleite these days, that literally worked with advocates in Portland for years on many of these streets, I'm always frustated af with Seattle's potential that is buried in "Seattle process" and nonsense! Pike Market should have been a pedestrian zone a zillion years ago, the fact it's a 0.1 mph car street with marking just boggles my mind.

@jeffreywilliams3421 2 ай бұрын

That last comment about idling engines hit me, its depressing how so much of the background noise of our every day lives is an internal combustion engine.

@jonathanstensberg 2 ай бұрын

Eh. With mufflers, idling engines are pretty quiet, no worse than most air conditioners. Accelerating from a stop is when engines are the worst, and at speed, tire noise is much worse than engine noise.

@buriedintime 2 ай бұрын

@@jonathanstensberg but when there's like 20 cars parked in a drive through i don't care how quiet they are. it's just dumb.

@rkma 2 ай бұрын

@@jonathanstensberg Some guy today (Wednesday) in some kind of a fancy, souped-up Jeep was literally and quite purposefully roaring his motor up and down my generally quiet Denver city streets near North High (most of which predatie the automobile, as well) like he was both angry and yearning for big-time attention. He did have some kind of muffler, I think, and what he was doing may have somehow been within the limits of the law - but regardless, that stuff happens a lot more often than it needs to, legally or not, and no one is going to pick him up. It's just not going to happen. But to Ray's point, idling engines outside of schools is another bizarre but true issue in America, and not just for the noise.

@kailahmann1823 2 ай бұрын

any civilized car would just turn the engine off when stopped - but in those areas you see far to many "emotional support vehicles", where noise is seen as a feature…

@mikeydude750 2 ай бұрын

@@jonathanstensberg i have tinnitus so no noise is the worst possible situation

@TreeTwoOne-Go 2 ай бұрын

For some reason, my brain chose to interpret "predates the automobile" as in "hunts and eats cars." That would have been a very different video. 😂

@christopherradel3965 2 ай бұрын

Came here to say this lol

@vincelamb4063 2 ай бұрын

Yeah, "Rapture" by Blondie: "And then you're in the Man from Mars, You go out at night, eating cars."

@Welgeldiguniekalias 2 ай бұрын

Attenborough voice: "The SUV nervously shuttles its young along the paved corridor. Not all of them are going to make it to driving school today. Hidden underneath the tarmac lies a silent killer - the hydraulic bollard."

@patlynch6517 2 ай бұрын

@@vincelamb4063 Yesss! Love Rapture!

@jayreed9370 2 ай бұрын

This wins the internet today! Ray, you better call this out mister.

@kenbrown2808 2 ай бұрын

the idea of a neighborhood getting together and convoying the kids to school on bikes is way cool. you go PDX.

@benwhite5452 2 ай бұрын

The streetcar legacy for so many cities is interesting, thanks for the Portland insight

@philstone5195 Ай бұрын

My daughter relocated to Portland a few years ago for graduate school. She hasn't left and has been able to make a solid living as an artist. Your video tantalizes people not living in Portland to visit the small neighborhoods with the shops, restaurants, and yes...gourmet doughnut shops. Thanks for your work.

@matt11251125 2 ай бұрын

I moved to Portland a year ago and ditched my car when I moved. I live in Inner SE and it's definitely a great place to live and easy to get around without a car. Loving Portland!

@noahsmith1187 Ай бұрын

That'll fade soon. Portland during an election year is literally like the Purge

@cadebryan4088 2 ай бұрын

Literally just stayed in the Mississippi area over the weekend, and it was fantastic. Love visiting Portland.

@serisaurusrex 2 ай бұрын

I moved to the Sellwood neighborhood last year! Portland isn't perfect but it's such an improvement from where I was before. It was fun seeing my new home featured here.

@Madamoizillion 2 ай бұрын

Hi neighbor! I'm across 99E from Sellwood. 🙂 We've got a lot of cool things here. If you ever see a blue Aventon cargo bike with a big red bow on the back riding around, that's me!

@BellaDeininger 2 ай бұрын

I just lived there for about a year and moved out about last week over to downtown. Wonder if we've ever seen each other before lmao

@serisaurusrex 2 ай бұрын

@@BellaDeininger Maybe! I'm often walking my dog south of Tacoma. What made you decide to move to downtown?

@Newspeak. 2 ай бұрын

I live in the Kenton neighborhood and I never want to leave .The fact that we have a MAX stop and good bus access as well as bike infrastructure really makes my life possible despite being poor. The East side neighborhoods in Portland is my favorite thing about the city I just wish they were still all as well connected as Kenton is.

@CityNerd 2 ай бұрын

You know, I kinda assume the Kenton line ran on Denver (it's marked as Derby Street in the old maps, which I think is the old name of Denver), but I wasn't going to get that far north anyway, so I also missed St. Johns & Dekum/Woodlawn. Didn't get as far east as I could've either!

@ggates5859 2 ай бұрын

One summer day many years ago I had a great time biking with friends from Buckman to old town for drinks; then bikes put on the Max to Kenton; and then a meandering evening ride back to Buckman, stopping at friends’ houses along the way.

@bodhimind108 2 ай бұрын

You said something really important to me. I'm poor and I need a bike-able/walkable city. Mostly, I just really need to leave Texas. I'm in a blue-ish area,but i'm just about done. Portland seems really interesting.

@PCSPounder 2 ай бұрын

@@bodhimind108The main issue with Portland… despite the best attempts of some people to devalue property in the city, it’s rather expensive. I’m not sure I can even point you to an exception that is anywhere near any of the neighborhoods in the video. The people mentioning Kenton here… maybe?

@bodhimind108 2 ай бұрын

@@PCSPounder Thanks for the heads up. I notcied people were mention that area. I have friends in another part of Orepon. I should contact them. It's been a while. Thx

@cedartreeworkshop 2 ай бұрын

Former long-term Sellwood resident here: The east side now draws some of the most insane housing prices + cost of living in the state. Our family (with our high 6 figure income) was forced out and will not likely be able to return. Only the lucky who bought cheap + wealthy families buying now can afford a family home in the area. It's frankly the best place to live on the west coast if you're into an urban life. It makes me sick that it's on the fast track to become the next exclusively wealthy, urban enclave. That we have to fight an impossible battle for this level of livability everywhere is beyond discouraging.

@davidpoole409 2 ай бұрын

sellwood is awful. no one should move here. I don't know what you are talking about.

@jayzee4097 2 ай бұрын

Feel you, I grew up on the east side, near what is now the division monstrosity that's celebrated, and there's no way I could ever afford to live in the house we had that was $80k in the early 90s and is over $700k now. Portland is great, but it should be great for everyone, and not just the wealthy that forced all of my local friends to far flung suburbs that suck.

@Doomer_Optimist 2 ай бұрын

*Inner Eastside* you mean. Sorry to break it to you but anyone living west of 52nd was already extremely privileged. There's still semi-affordable stuff way out east.

@mikeinportland30 2 ай бұрын

Did you mean "high five figure income?"

@james-p 2 ай бұрын

A high 6-figure income would be $700-900K. It can't be that kind of expensive there! I just found a nice little 2+1 in Sellwood for $575K. Here in LA, that would get me a burned-out vacant lot in Compton.

@oregonsenior4204 2 ай бұрын

Speaking up to defend gray skies. Different courses for different horses. I've lived in desert areas. I find bright, sunny days glaring & oppressive. I much prefer gentle gray skies as a background. They make the flowers and moss POP. I understand that some people have Seasonal Affective Disorder. This is not the town for them.

@mikeinportland30 2 ай бұрын

100% agree! I love a quote from the film V for Vendetta: "God is in the rain".😇

@ULTRAOutdoorsman 2 ай бұрын

Indeed, "all sunshine and no rain makes a desert." It's a biological fact that sunlight is healthy for human eyes but it's also a biological fact that it's damaging to the skin. I'd rather have a black forest than a bleached wasteland.

@furthereast6775 Ай бұрын

I noticed that people in the southwest hide in air conditioning more than the NW coast people hide under roofs. I can do a lot more outdoor sports in 60d clouds than 90d sun.

@sharonh2991 21 күн бұрын

Every city has their good weather season and their bad weather season. If you’ve ever been to Phoenix in July or Buffalo in January you know what I’m talking about! 😂

@eritain 13 күн бұрын

The Northwest is OK for people with winter SAD as long as you have a good bright light box and use it diligently. Turns out summer SAD is a thing too -- all the light and heat make some people anxious.

@user-ii3vn8tn3q 2 ай бұрын

I loved living in Portland. There was so much to do.

@lawfulneptune14 2 ай бұрын

This was such an amazing video City Nerd. As someone who has lived in Portland my entire life, I've always recognized how these specific streets that attract people were streets established back when our trolley lines were around. I really hope one day we can bring them back

@paulkoza8652 2 ай бұрын

Nice job, Ray. I especially liked your observation that cities that developed while streetcars were still in existence have this quality as opposed to the ones that developed during auto dependency.

@bagelized 2 ай бұрын

TIL his name is Ray

@julietardos5044 2 ай бұрын

@@bagelized Ray Delahanty

@CityNerd 2 ай бұрын

I don't think it's debatable

@brookecrouch3450 2 ай бұрын

Division street resident here! Thanks for showcasing some of my favorite Eastside streets. I'm going to use this video to show my friends and family why I like living here so much!

@hy79311 2 ай бұрын

hello fellow division street resident! ^_^

@Earthshaker1965 2 ай бұрын

Portland was way ahead of the curve with their awesome trolley car network in the 1920's. I visited my grandmother in Philadelphia in the 70's and remember seeing all of the trolley tracks through the pavement....and wondering how great it would be to ride the trolley all over town.❤

@james-p 2 ай бұрын

I used to live outside Philly in one of the small towns. We had a trolley right down State Street. We could take that trolley right into Central Philadelphia to go Christmas shopping at Wanamaker's. That trolley is still there, too. I wish we hadn't left!

@Earthshaker1965 2 ай бұрын

@@james-p Awesome 😎. I remember the Wanamaker's Christmas parade each year. My grandmother would take the train from Philly to our house in Westfield NJ in the early 70's. She always brought a turkey in her suitcase....lol. My grandparents lived in the Mt. Airy neighborhood in Philly..... I miss those days too.

@james-p 2 ай бұрын

@@Earthshaker1965 Yes, early '70s, that's right around the time! I loved it there.

@sadvipra31 2 ай бұрын

Interesting wrinkle: the early development of electric trolley cars is directly related to the region's early development of hydroelectric power (specifically Willamette Falls). There was no good way to store the constant excess of electricity generated by the constant flow of water, so they sunk it into public transportation.

@ggates5859 2 ай бұрын

@@sadvipra31Now THAT is worthy of its own video.

@sundontshinedesigns782 2 ай бұрын

Washington, D.C. used to have a robust electric streetcar/trolley network but, tragically, it was stopped in 1962 after a whole century of service. Ray’s assertion rings true here: the corridors where the streetcars traveled are now some of the D.C’s most vibrant, in-demand, and transit-friendly areas. And there are still remnants of the streetcar network, such as trolley turnarounds turned into parks and bus terminals.

@dianethulin1700 2 ай бұрын

I appreciate how excellent Portland looks and not the Urban Hellscape some want to have us believe. Bravo Portland! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

@ULTRAOutdoorsman 2 ай бұрын

Well this is a couple of blocks in NE Portland, but yes, overall it lacks the decaying strip mall aesthetic of Phoenix or dry canals of LA or kudzu-eaten haunted tire shops of Atlanta. The closer you get to the bridges in the (other) City of Bridges the more it looks like Gotham City.

@terenceflanagan1225 Ай бұрын

It does though . This video is bullshit. Lived here 40 years

@crzdrcter_pdx 2 ай бұрын

My two daughters and I live in a townhome in South blocks PSU and Art museum adjacent, we love the availability of streetcar,bus, Max line all within three block radius. Yes, downtown has had a ruff run past 5 years, improvements are happening, streets are getting cleaner, people are getting displacement services finally.❤🎉😊

@terenceflanagan1225 Ай бұрын

Lol, a rough run . Ok. I won't help them out then since its safe . You're beyond delusional

@kynngsoo 2 ай бұрын

Former PDX resident. Love to see this kind of stuff!

@chrislehr07 2 ай бұрын

Yay! Was hoping your recent appearance would result in a video and I am thrilled to see more bike bus coverage cause it really is what this city needs more of! My favorite part of Portland is in the early spring when all the roads are messed up from snow/ice/expansion and we get to see the cobbles and sometimes rails peeking out. They didn't even pull them up - its all still down there and just paved over every couple of years. Wish we could take a streetcar to Mt Tabor still, the amount of people who drive and fight for hardly enough parking to then only walk in the place about 1/2 mile, get their instagram shot and leave is one of the saddest things about spring. Thankfully if you are able to make it to the top its less crowded and completely car free.

@user-od7nd1ns3h 2 ай бұрын

Hopefully the better bus service on Division will help encourage some people to look at alternatives.

@PeterOliver 2 ай бұрын

I moved to Portland 8ish years ago and ended up on the downtown side in my first rental, not knowing that much about the neighborhoods yet. it didn't take long to realize the heart of the city was on the inner east side just a short walk over the river. I moved over there less than a year later and have been having the time of my life ever since. No-one goes downtown for anything but appointments and soccer games or maybe a brunch in NW.

@eCitaroFan 2 ай бұрын

Gahhh, neighborhood movie theaters are a godsend to me as a film buff and urbanist! I have fond memories of going to my neighborhood theater on Chalkstone Ave as a kid in the early 2000's, unfortunately most of neighborhood movie theaters in Providence have been converted into churches, including the one on Chalkstone, which was the oldest purpose built movie theater in Providence before in closed :(

@NicksDynasty 2 ай бұрын

A1 commentary 👍🏿 Thank you for mentioning displacement

@GladmanNow 2 ай бұрын

Doing our tour of urban fabric in Europe these last two weeks, so striking to experience the brutal soundscape that is London sandwiched by weeks spent in the bustling but mostly gently human powered streetscape of Delft in the Netherlands.

@MarianneExJohnson 2 ай бұрын

Delft benefits from having an old downtown with canals and narrow streets that were just never going to be given over to cars completely, since that would have required razing the city and starting over, and even at the height of car mania in the '60s and '70s, that would have been out of the question. The university district, on the other hand, is very new, and it used to be very car-oriented when I went to college there in the late '80s, and has since been transformed into a much more bike- and pedestrian-friendly space (and greener, too), which makes so much sense since the area is compact enough that driving around there always felt a bit silly.

@richardwhatmough2702 2 ай бұрын

It may not feel like it, but London has made big strides in modal shift to cycling, low traffic neighbourhoods, quiet ways and school streets. The Mayoral election happens in early May, and it’s depressing that there’s still a lot of culture war rhetoric bleeding the campaigns. Luckily the incumbent is likely to sneak it, and four more years will probably be the tipping point that makes it irreversible at least in the inner boroughs.

@GladmanNow 2 ай бұрын

@@richardwhatmough2702 There are plenty of signs of the transition to walk bike friendly streets. It’s going to be interesting to see what our big cities look and sound like in ten or twenty years.

@stacyliles5534 2 ай бұрын

We just got back from Delft and a two week tour of the Netherlands. US can learn a lot about livability from Netherlands. 🇳🇱

@kjh23gk 2 ай бұрын

Plenty of quiet places in London. I take it you didn't stray from the tourist spots before passing judgement on the entire city?

@tonyclemens4213 2 ай бұрын

Portland, one of my favourite American cities

@martinlisk9913 2 ай бұрын

CITYNERD!! Love seeing the Portland neighborhoods, being a resident in Parkrose, Belmont and frequenter of the Hawthorne neighborhood. Thanks for the quick splash of the Alberta Rose ...

@millie8399 2 ай бұрын

Awww you showcased my neighborhood!🥰

@Prismashatter 2 ай бұрын

Saw mine too!

@barryrobbins7694 2 ай бұрын

Thanks for the interesting archeology connecting former streetcar lines with stairs through residential neighborhoods.

@BenjaminCourteau 2 ай бұрын

This also applies to the mosquito fleet towns in the Salish Sea, where small urban nodes developed around docks where the old steam ships would stop instead developing on rail lines. Examples are Kingston, Langley, Coupeville, Friday Harbor, East Sound, and the biggest of all of them, Port Townsend

@ggates5859 2 ай бұрын

Fascinating. This topic needs a video.

@waywrdsun 2 ай бұрын

Portland's been my city since I moved here in 2007. Thanks for doing us proud with this flattering review!

@TheHorrorMasters 2 ай бұрын

Cincinnati has lots of public stairways that seem to complement its old streetcar system as well. A local organization named Spring In Our Step that’s working to restore the stairways and alleyways across the city

@jimlangerie 2 ай бұрын

There is ALWAYS more than what you can see on the news. Even more than what you see when you visit. Eternal optimism.

@granthuling3235 Ай бұрын

I moved my family to Portland (Sellwood) in early 2021. People who watched national TV news thought it was crazy but I studied urban planning and to me the many amazing successes of Portland (this video just being a small part) jumped out.

@kahiahallen2377 2 ай бұрын

Visited Portland last November, but due to time considerations, I was only able to see Downtown, Old Town Chinatown, the Pearl District and Washington Park. I penciled in North Mississippi and NW Albina as destinations if time permitted, but this was not to be. Now having seen these and some of the other neighborhoods of the Central Eastside through your video, I'm determined to include them the next time I visit the Rose City. Thanks!

@Madamoizillion 2 ай бұрын

SE Division is basically a modernized streetcar street, and I know it's a little farther and technically outside of city limits, but downtown Milwaukie when the Sunday market is going is great. ❤

@thenexthobby 2 ай бұрын

Thanks CN for the WaPo story link. From what I’ve seen, personal vehicles and school buses long ago settled into their current relationship: The bare minimum of buses and school lots filled to the brim with cars and trucks … especially high schools. And that’s even before the ridiculously long car lines. And I understand why. When we moved to a small rural town my kids had a 40 or 60 minute bus ride to school, reachable by car in about 10 minutes. It’s one bus that goes all around the town. My oldest didn’t mind so much because he reads his phone. My youngest couldn’t wait to drive to school. The H.S. is located on a major stroad. Everyday 2 cops manage traffic from the usual 50mph down to crawling speed. I realize there’s nothing at all unique about any of that, but remain astonished everyone puts up with it.

@dennislaprade8039 2 ай бұрын

Portland, the city I call home! I love the old staircases throughout the city. I have been on a number of urban hikes seeking them out.

@northerntao 2 ай бұрын

Lived in PDX over 20 years ago, in SE and then North Portland for awhile. Only visited a few times since. Was there last year, and the FX2 line was very handy. First time I had seen that transit bridge as well.

@JoeHamelin 2 ай бұрын

I moved down from Marysville to Portland Piedmont neighborhood. I love going everywhere on my ebike. It's so nice to be back in PDX, but man, things have changed since the 1980s.

@HyperDash 2 ай бұрын

Woo, Sports Bra mentioned

@ratsbath 2 ай бұрын

That's a great Simpsons-level store name pun, right there

@mikeinportland30 2 ай бұрын

Sports Bra just got finding grant to expand to other cities this week! 👏👏👏

@ggates5859 2 ай бұрын

@@ratsbath😂

@annefang3177 2 ай бұрын

Thank you for this video about my home city! I had no idea that all the wonderful Portlandy streets existed because of an old electric streetcars system. As a car-free transit rider, I wish that more extensive streetcars system still functioned today. Thanks also for pointing out the common features of beautiful movie theaters and all the Rudy's lol. I'll definitely be thinking of this channel when I go by one tomorrow. I appreciate your explanation of my environment, how it came to be the way it is. Portland is home to me, so it's really nice to have a better understanding of my home.

@MinnesoTristan 2 ай бұрын

Could you please make a video about Celebration, Florida, and other New Urbanism communities of the 1990s? I went to high school and community college in Celebration, and being one of the original families was definitely an experience. I recognized at a young age that I was fortunate to live there, and I recognized that it was not an affordable place to live compared to the rest of car dependent Orlando suburban sprawl. Most of the videos about Celebration focus on the Disney connection, the development process, how it was a “social experiment,” or the two murders that happened in the 25 year history of the town. It definitely inspired my love of urbanism, which is why I left Florida and went to UW-Milwaukee, which has an incredibly walkable urban campus.

@ThePablovex 2 ай бұрын

Where are you living now, CityNerd? I am living in Portland and appreciated this video!

@mogreen19 2 ай бұрын

I am just here for the cat content at the end, but I enjoy watching the rest of the episodes as well. Never been to Portland before, added to bucket list.

@parkmannate4154 2 ай бұрын

Ah, I too lived in gentrifying Alberta Street from 08-09. I do miss PDX sometimes but I don't miss the housing prices.

@the8bitrayquaza651 15 күн бұрын

I visited about a week ago, such a beautiful city and the nature surrounding is breathtaking

@Samuel_J1 2 ай бұрын

Seeing streets like these gives me hope that it could become a trend once again. I'm so used to seeing videos about enormous inner city highways and miles of car parking that this is such a breath of fresh air.

@Madamoizillion 2 ай бұрын

OMG! I did a double take at your thumbnail while scrolling, Reverend's BBQ!!! That's 5 min bike from my neighborhood and it has the BEST burger in the city. One of my partner's friends works there and she gives us free drinks when she's in.

@JetSkiSuper7 2 ай бұрын

Getting free stolen drinks is nice.

@leaderofthepenguins 2 ай бұрын

I go to Reed College in southeast; the fact that there used to be a streetcar on Milwaukie Ave in Moreland and 13th in Sellwood makes so much sense. Ever since I moved here, it's driven me INSANE how the MAX orange line goes down the highway in the middle of nowhere, instead of any of the real destinations to the west of it.

@stewarer 2 ай бұрын

Absolutely! If I want to go to the Rhododendron Garden across the street from Reed College, it's a bit of a hike from the MAX station in Milwaukie. Still haven't quite figured out how to do the bus faster from my neighborhood up in the NW Alphabet District.

@poofygoof 2 ай бұрын

once upon a time streetcars used to circle the loop in front of vollum and went all the way down reed college place and could get you to the interurban that ran on the springwater corridor. rumor has it that one of the junked trolleys from this route was used in the original old spaghetti factory.

@davidCUtube27 2 ай бұрын

I really loved this video! I really appreciate this type of content where you show how a place looks and demonstrate what's good (and sometimes not so good) about a place. The bike riding was really heartwarming. What great memories those kids will have from their daily commute. Loved it ❤

@jallen1917 2 ай бұрын

I work in the inner east side and live downtown, it’s pretty great tbh

@ggates5859 2 ай бұрын

Describe the best places downtown…I have my own ideas, but love to hear other perspectives, especially by those who live there.

@blaaaaaaah2 2 ай бұрын

love that you got to ride in Coach Balto's bike bus! his videos are such a pleasant bright spot in my algorithm-driven doom feeds

@samuelbalto7087 2 ай бұрын

Thanks so much for covering the bike bus in your video!!!

@Boomerman801 2 ай бұрын

Love Portland. I have a lot of friends that live in that area. I used to live an hour and a half north of there and would go there every few months and had a lot of good memories of downtown. This was all pre-COVID. I heard it’s a ghost town now.

@ggates5859 2 ай бұрын

Yup…nobody here but us ghosts ;-)

@ProofByConundrum 2 ай бұрын

I lived in the Alberta neighborhood from 1993 to 2000, and car-free the last two years. I miss those days. This video made me homesick. My husband worked at Metro from 1991-2000, and I sometimes wonder if you two crossed paths. He was Doug Weathers, in the IT department, and won several Oscars for great support to Metro's employees.

@etcetera662 2 ай бұрын

I've lived in Portland through two winter seasons now and I can confirm that the weather fucks with you

@jamesowendesign 2 ай бұрын

10+ years of residency will fix that.

@JC-wj5os 2 ай бұрын

Have you spent a winter in Fargo? At least you dont get cabin fever here

@ggates5859 2 ай бұрын

Yes it does f!ck with one. Best not to come, out of staters!

@jakew1362 Ай бұрын

get a cheap flight and hotel in Vegas for 5 days in late January and soak up as much sun as possible. it will get you through to summer.

@neckenwiler 2 ай бұрын

Bike buses are a fantastic innovation

@wanderlpnw 2 ай бұрын

I live in SE. There used to be a trolley line in front of my house. Now the closest bus lines are a half mile away. The closest b rail is nearly 3 miles away. There is a lot of new housing on Woodstock. Mostly one and two bedroom apartments.

@obrothernotagain4668 2 ай бұрын

What a great video to feature the beauty of my city!

@barryrobbins7694 2 ай бұрын

The neighborhoods featured in this video are what many people would call charming. The only person that I have heard call a suburban neighborhood charming is a real estate agent.

@mikeinportland30 2 ай бұрын

Ha! True that!

@willythemailboy2 2 ай бұрын

My "city" has old street car routes, but today they're the sorts of places you don't go without a gun.

@PCSPounder 2 ай бұрын

I could argue differently if you were near a grove of trees. (Raising hand) But once the predictable infill happened, blerg.

@barryrobbins7694 2 ай бұрын

@@PCSPounder It would be the trees themselves that would be charming.

@AJ-gn4ki 12 күн бұрын

LOL Yeah a real estate agent is definitely not gonna show the zombies I see every night around the 99th and Multnomah parking lots! Crazy when you see 40+ "needle people" hunched over stumbling around like legit zombies. I think I'd rather show well off hipster neighborhoods too!

@smileymcdoogle6244 Ай бұрын

Gosh, I do miss my time living in the PNW. Good living with good people.

@bobsykes 2 ай бұрын

Oh, man... These streets on a clear sunny day really make Portland look like an amazing place to live!

@lanewalp8727 2 ай бұрын

rainy days are amazing too, don't believe the lies

@ggates5859 2 ай бұрын

Expert resident here. It rains all the time. Prolly best not to come…;-)

@chuckfaber7521 2 ай бұрын

@@lanewalp8727 Right? I feel like a weirdo with my friends when they all want sunny weather and I'm very happy with a cozy rainy day sipping some tea by my fireplace.

@screwkingsisle6459 11 күн бұрын

Portland is the place to be. Moved here over a year and half ago. The east side of the river has so much culture and it’s crazy how recognizable all of these places are.

@banana_junior_9000 2 ай бұрын

I sure hope you caught the John Scofield Trio.

@steveallwine1443 2 ай бұрын

There are so many wide streets and odd intersections in Seattle that were built and originally used as streetcar corridors. It’s interesting how odd they end up as car storage and odd angled, giant intersections in otherwise residential areas. NW 85th street and 32nd ave NW is one giant streetcar intersection, and the nearby NW 80th street and 28th Ave NW is another.

@pull_up_the_roots 2 ай бұрын

Aww, I love the Alameda bike bus! Such a lovely neighborhood to ride through, too, esp with all the flowers starting to bloom. Thanks for sharing this video. It's nice to see things in my old neighborhood, and to know that Portland is still as verdant, human-scaled, and bike-friendly as I remember it.

@bermei5187 14 күн бұрын

Been living here for 2 decades and visit these neighborhoods regularly. Never knew much about the history and why the neighborhoods look the way they do. Thanks.

@GarzaB 14 күн бұрын

Thanks for showing us Portland!

@mdp581 2 ай бұрын

Favorite video of yours in awhile, but its about Portland so how could it not be good!

@jarethgar 2 ай бұрын

Hey boss, great video. Keep up the good work.

@robadr13 2 ай бұрын

Now I want to take my bike to Portland, and spend a few days exploring all these neighbourhoods.

@ggates5859 2 ай бұрын

Come on down! And remember, you can put your bike on a Max train downtown and travel to Kenton north, Sellwood south, or Hillsboro west and keep pedaling to the great green beyond.

@CRneu 8 күн бұрын

Do it! It's amazing. Wherever you wanna go is yours to explore. Take transit to it's very edge and go for a long ride!

@natheria4933 2 ай бұрын

I greatly dislike car dependence in the 95% of our cities. I used to drive, but my glaucoma worsened to the point where I'm not able to anymore. That's why I moved to Portland. Its one of the only cities that offers some kind of amenities for people who cant drive. I wouldnt be able to survive on my own in most other places.

@mrodgers3910 2 ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing about the bike bus, that made my day. What a great gym teacher ❤

@PalmelaHanderson 2 ай бұрын

Gentrification isn't the cause of displacement itself - it's a symptom of low housing supply. When the people in their 30's who would normally buy a home can't afford one/find one, they take the apartments that used to be occupied by high-earning professionals in their late 20's/early 30's. When those people can't find those apartments, they take the next lowest thing, and so on and so on, until the people at the bottom of the ladder just get pushed out of housing entirely.

@mw... 2 ай бұрын

great work. love PDX

@GregsWorkshopOregon 2 ай бұрын

Interesting stuff. I think one spot that deserves mention is the corner of SE 72/Woodstock where the curve for the ROW is still present and preserved.

@nancybrooke23 2 ай бұрын

It's eye opening to realize just how long ago the electric streetcar era was; by the time my grandparents sold their house in Irvington in the late 50s to move to the suburbs, the streetcar was gone or barely existed. I still wonder what could've been if they had stayed in this close-in neighborhood (99 Bike score, 73 Walk score), rather than becoming suburban pioneers and moving into that new ranch house a block from the freeway all the way out on 122nd in Parkrose Heights (Walk Score 40, Transit Score 38, Bike Score 66).

@ryanatkinson2978 2 ай бұрын

Omg I live right by the Aladdin theater! I didn't realize you'd be there! Also it's cool seeing all the places I frequent on here, I love this city. I moved here a few months ago

@ggates5859 2 ай бұрын

I love this city!” Is not heard enough…

@naso_g 2 ай бұрын

I enjoyed that video, thank you.

@kellerlambert 2 ай бұрын

Great video, and you showed some of Portland's best bars/restaurants! Interesting to see how many of my favorite spots are in the abandoned-streetcar areas.

@reedoken6143 2 ай бұрын

Any chance you could ever talk about the St Johns neighborhood of Portland? (or if you already have which video?) I grew up in SW portland, and was never exposed to St Johns growing up, but ended up moving there after graduating from undergrad and have really fallen in love with it. Was hoping it would be mentioned in this video, the main street Lombard is a textbook example of these old trolley streets (I think!)

@sammyrice1182 2 ай бұрын

My politics now could be summed up in two words: Against Cars. The rest is negotiable.

@macmoll 2 ай бұрын

As a Lifelong Portlander myself (47 years) I’m completely opposite. I’m pro car… and I don’t drive.

@AxisXY 2 ай бұрын

I lived near 17th and SW Stark in Portland from 89-91 and this brings back fond memories of the neighborhoods I spent a lot of time in. It is unfortunate how gentrification has caused so much displacement, but I remember that those areas were to be avoided in general at the time.

@psedoali 2 ай бұрын

BLACK PEOPLE APPRECIATE YOU FOR ACKNOWLEDGING THIS RAY!!!

@maumor2 2 ай бұрын

Still happening all over

@CityNerd 2 ай бұрын

It would be throughly embarrassing to talk about some of these places without talking about (especially Black) displacement. Hey, at least Ndamukong Suh invested a bunch around 30th and Alberta, that's all new since last time I was there. That Kinnamons smells amazing

@robertnobles8189 2 ай бұрын

@@CityNerd Terrell Brandon invested a lot back in the late 90's

@terenceflanagan1225 Ай бұрын

🤣🤣🤣😂

@sheeperskipps 2 ай бұрын

A great video amongst many proportions

@WestonRuter 2 ай бұрын

Great video! I live in Montavilla and immediately recognize aspects of what you describe about these streetcar neighborhoods (e.g. Academy Theater). I was hoping you'd cover Montavilla (even our name originates from the streetcar stop!), but at least I saw it on the map.

@birdwife589 2 ай бұрын

today they demolished a historic trolley station in my community to expand a strip mall🙁

@ralphhowes 2 ай бұрын

Enjoyable episode. I like the format.

@nanshe3x Ай бұрын

I lived in Portland for three years in a few different neighborhoods. My favorite place was in between Hawthorne and Belmont districts.

@knarf_on_a_bike 2 ай бұрын

Coach Balto's bike bus is so beautiful. 😊

@djchefw3553 2 ай бұрын

I live right off of that rainbow road that`s featured. It really is an amazing spot. You got ice cream, movies, coffee, drinks, amazing food, a whole foods, all on just one block. It`s part of the bike street that takes you directly downtown or further SE with ease. Plus you have amazing views of downtown and the SW hills if you got the right apartment 😉

@ggates5859 2 ай бұрын

But, remember, it rains all the time. Soo depressing ;-)

@jessimatic 2 ай бұрын

The al fresco/parking spot dining pods came into existence during the pandemic. It has been so successful that the city is standardizing and permitting them now. There's also a fair number of short blocks totally closed to car traffic too for expansion of dining areas adjacent to restaurants.

@jessimatic 2 ай бұрын

Oh I guess you did address that later on! But yeah the parklet and al fresco dining program is so popular and come summertime when it's 80-100 degrees every day, they are a life saver

@phoenixfromtheashes 2 ай бұрын

I would watch a whole video on coach Balto's bike caravan- that sounds super interesting

@ThrashingCode 2 ай бұрын

Awesome you covered the bike train to school!

@DylanHowe-vr1cb 2 ай бұрын

LOVE it bro!

@ivanruiz2218 2 ай бұрын

13:18 man, i feel like I really would have loved that as a kid. That's just awesome.

@MrWiderView 2 ай бұрын

It was great to see many of my favorite local streets on this video. It also confirms my resolve to always live in a neighborhood built before World War II.