I began to relax as the Red Line raced alongside the quaint 6 lanes of I-84 towards town. Earlier, as we approached PDX I took in the tight clusters of tree tops and fields, almost all a shade of green. We road the train through town to our stop and walked along tree-shaded sidewalks bursting with al fresco diners, pan handlers, and other pedestrians.
Much of the previous three days had been spent speeding along massive freeways to get to the next massive freeway to get to congested 6 lane surface streets. In LA you may not need weather reports, but you need traffic reports to know on which freeways you can hope to travel over 20 mph.
I was a passenger the entire trip, which suits me fine. Sunday morning we escaped the smog and heat and traffic. We raced up into the mountains on the two lane Angeles Crest Highway. It’s the kind of road you see in car commercials. Despite the white knuckles, the ride was enjoyable. I had biscuits and gravy at the picturesque Newcomb’s Ranch Restaurant at the end of the ascent.
I understand the allure of the motorized single occupancy vehicle lifestyle, but I also see the repercussions of its dominance; the environmental hazzard and ugliness of smog, the ennui or boiling rage of traffic, the annoyance or tragedy of traffic accidents. I agree largely with James Howard Kunstler, that “[the] physical arrangement of life in our nation, in particular suburban sprawl, [is] the most destructive development pattern the world has ever seen, and perhaps the greatest misallocation of resources the world has ever known.” And that “the tragic landscape of highway strips, parking lots, housing tracts, mega-malls, junked cities, and ravaged countryside that makes up the everyday environment where most Americans live and work [is] … a land full of places that are not worth caring about [and] will soon be a nation and a way of life that is not worth defending.”
Portland is far from perfect, but for a decent sized West Coast city our transportation options and walkable neighborhoods are fantastic. LA and Beaverton are not for me. I’m a Portland boy.
Portland must have some suburban sprawl and big box stores and other horrible stuff like that, no? If not, how have they managed to avoid it?
XUP – Oh yes, Portland has all that, but not as bad as a lot of cities. Portland and the surrounding cities and towns have an elected regional government (Metro) which, amongst other responsibilities, manages transit and maintains an urban growth boundary for the whole region.
Streetfilms has a pretty nifty video about Portland here.
There’s definitely some sprawl. But Portland still hangs onto its soul. Part of its avoidance is its strong, artificial urban growth boundary. It also has a decent public transportation infrastructure. And burroughs to suit most needs. Our restaurants are great and reasonably priced because we go to them and eat there and tip our waiters and waitresses. We disdain not just the chains and big box stores, but the people who frequent them as well 😉
I SO hear you on this one! The last time I was in the LA area was 1974 and I have absolutely no desire to ever go back.
beerick – Two of my favorite things about the Rose City are the distinct and vibrant neighborhoods and a flourishing restaurant/pub/cafe scene. Beer is good.
MissKris – I figure there must be some decent, walkable, neighborhoods in the metropolis that is LA, but I didn’t see any. I was impressed with LA’s density; vast tracts of multi-family housing. But seldom more than 2 stories tall, and every single building surrounded by seas of parking. Not my cup of tea!
Portland sounds like a real gem. Maybe you shouldn’t advertise the fact too much, though, or you’ll have hordes of people flocking there and you know what happens once the flocking hordes arrive.
I must say, that after this trip, Dave admitted two things:
1. He wants a dog. This is understandable. Dogs are cute.
But also, 2. And I quote: “This trip made me want a car.” Gasp! What blasphemy! I *think* he said he’s recuperated after returning to Portland, and he feels better, and no longer wants a car.
But THAT is just what 2 days in Los Angeles does to you.
“LA and Beaverton are not for me. ” ~Dave
Im from LA and live in Beaverton. AND Im good friends with Dave! AND you should know he will visit Beaverton when the (free) beer is flowing.
PDX has an interactive component with its residents LA will never have. However, LA has a much more sophisticated beat to it, with a on-going list of cultural and environmental events. Year round. Chef-owned restaurants and neighborhood pubs are nice, but a never ending array of entertainment choices, beaches and mountains (and let’s not forget Vegas, San Fran and Mexico) at your fingertips, gives LA an edge over PDX. Sorry Dave. I enjoy PDX , its a beautiful city. But I am, and always will be, an LA girl.
Heather – I no longer want a car. In Portland that urge quickly diminishes. A puppy would be cool though.
Stacy G – I mean no offense; I’m just not suburban . . . I also don’t enjoy paying for gas 😉
I’m one of the few zillion that have moved to Portland to escape the destructive (also idiot inducing and mediocrity creating) suburban lifestyle.
I’ve lived in many cities (and the country and the suburbs) and LA is by far the sickest of them all.
I’m euphoric to live in Portland, regardless off the odd ball politics and bums on every corner. By comparison of other parts of the country, I’ll take the goof politics and bums anyday over the monstrosity of sprawl and mediocrity.
It’s interesting that one complains about Los Angeles and their freeways, but doesn’t acknowledge Los Angeles’ transit system – one that carries more people than Portland when measured on a “percentage of trips taken” method – meaning, as a percentage, more trips are taken by transit in L.A. than in Portland.
I was just in Los Angeles a few weeks ago, and yes, freeway traffic sucks. You know what? The freeways suck in Portland too. (Especially on a day like today.) But unlike Portland, you have options – you have local buses, Rapid buses, express buses, and Metrolink. There are light rail and heavy rail (subway) lines.
In Portland, if you are downtown you have the Streetcar. That’s nice if you’re downtown. What if you’re on 122nd Avenue, which is still in Portland’s city limits? The streetcar is utterly worthless to you but you’re paying for it.
If you live near MAX, that’s better since it’s more useful than the Streetcar. But what if you need to get to Tualatin or Tigard?
One could argue that they have no need to go to those areas. And that’s true, just as there are people who live and work in Downtown Los Angeles and have no need to go to Hollywood or Burbank or Glendale or Pasadena or any of the dozens of L.A. suburbs. And L.A. has the subway to get you in and around downtown L.A. And the extensive bus system – both Metro and DASH. And there’s an express bus that’ll get you to LAX (or you can ride the Blue Line to the Green Line to the LAX shuttle; Metrolink to Burbank Airport; Blue Line (and a bus) to Long Beach Airport, or the dozens upon dozens of airport shuttle and shared-ride services.)
Erik H – LA may have a decent transit system. That’s not the point of my post.
Portland and LA are different beasts, on completely different scales.
I prefer Portland to LA. I’s scale and lots of other things, including the direction in which it is going.
Erik H – LA may have a decent transit system. That’s not the point of my post.
Portland and LA are different beasts, on completely different scales.
I prefer Portland to LA. Its scale and lots of other things, including the direction in which it is going.