Just went to Veganopolis the other day and it was great! I got the burger and potatoes. Next time i'm going to be more adventureous. I do reccomend this place. It's on 4th and Washington in downtown Portland.

I have to remember to go back for the breakfast buffet. doh

Has anyone been to Blossoming Lotus?

here's who's in for the portland gathering: Jim T., Mark G. Matthew Kuehl, alex pintano, andrea doma

Anyone interested in seeing Howard Dean speak in Vancouver on April 12th? I can get one more free ticket through my school, or tickets can be purchased for $11 through TicketsWest.

http://wsunews.wsu.edu/detail.asp?StoryID=5037

Crossposting this here

http://www.veggieboards.com/boards/showthread.php?t=34616

Hey- all you Portlanders, there's one of those awesome NW VEG potlucks this Sunday! :D I dunno if I can make it, but you guys should totally come , you can easily find their webpage (I'd link but I have to be going) it's from 5 to 7:30, veg*n friendly. You just need to bring some food and utensils. And, I think it's on Stark.

At 7 p.m. Sept. 27 at the First Congregational Church, 1126 SW Broadway, in downtown Portland, Northwest VEG will host the premiere showing of Mad Cowboy: The Documentary. Howard Lyman will be present to answer any questions from the audience. A $5 donation at the door is asked, but no one will be turned away.

more details here (http://theportlandalliance.org/2005/sept/madcowboymovie.htm)

This thread sure is quiet considering how many people here live in Oregon.

Anyway, I have a question for those who live in Portland and would be so inclined to help me out a little...

About how hard is it to find an appartment, especially a studio? (For example, in my town, it's nearly impossible. You have to get your credit checked, put down tons of down payments, and compete with the 50 million other college aged kids here who also want a studio).

About how much does one typically cost? (For example, here it's around 400-700 for a studio, without utilities)

How hard is it to get a job? I'm not looking for anything fancy to start out, just something to get me through rent and a little food, like being a cashier. Here it's very easy to get that kind of a job. Are there any telemarketing jobs? It's something I'm comfortable doing, and it tends to pay more than minimum wage...

I've looked around on online appartment and job finders, but I get the feeling that those things aren't a very accurate sample to base my plans on...

Thanks so much!

This thread sure is quiet considering how many people here live in Oregon.

Anyway, I have a question for those who live in Portland and would be so inclined to help me out a little...

About how hard is it to find an appartment, especially a studio? (For example, in my town, it's nearly impossible. You have to get your credit checked, put down tons of down payments, and compete with the 50 million other college aged kids here who also want a studio).

About how much does one typically cost? (For example, here it's around 400-700 for a studio, without utilities)

How hard is it to get a job? I'm not looking for anything fancy to start out, just something to get me through rent and a little food, like being a cashier. Here it's very easy to get that kind of a job. Are there any telemarketing jobs? It's something I'm comfortable doing, and it tends to pay more than minimum wage...

I've looked around on online appartment and job finders, but I get the feeling that those things aren't a very accurate sample to base my plans on...

Thanks so much!

Downtown or the Pearl District studios are going to be 650-1000 or so. Elsewhere in NW or on the east side more like 400-600. You should expect a credit check and to pay some kind of deposit, its often less than a months rent on studios. Finding one isn't hard though.

Retail/grocery jobs are pretty easy to get if you have experience. I applied 3 places downtown/pearl this summer and got two offers (I accepted WFM). I'm not sure about telemarketing jobs but the ones I have seen listed pay like $9 and I make more than a dollar over that as a cashier at WFM, plus I get a discount on groceries.

Downtown or the Pearl District studios are going to be 650-1000 or so. Elsewhere in NW or on the east side more like 400-600. You should expect a credit check and to pay some kind of deposit, its often less than a months rent on studios. Finding one isn't hard though.

Retail/grocery jobs are pretty easy to get if you have experience. I applied 3 places downtown/pearl this summer and got two offers (I accepted WFM). I'm not sure about telemarketing jobs but the ones I have seen listed pay like $9 and I make more than a dollar over that as a cashier at WFM, plus I get a discount on groceries.

Thanks for the reply! Does WFM = Whole Foods Market? That's really great pay. I consider $7/hour here to be amazing.

Take a browse around www.oregonlive.com

That's the online version of the local newspapers and offers classifieds on jobs and housing (as well as the local news).

Also check out www.willametteweek.com. That's a weekly "alternative" paper (though not that alternative) and has classified as well.

Additionally, check out http://portland.craigslist.org. Those three should give you a good idea of averages, though remi has it right overall...

The more veggie-friendly areas are the areas he mentioned - SE and NW, close-in. Portland is easy to figure out in terms of location - if an address is 1456 NW Irving, that's on Irving between 14th & 15th, which is a great location. If an address is 3945 SE Woodstock, same thing -- on woodstock between 39th & 40th. Anything closer than 82nd on the SE side is a great location and VERY veg-friendly. (food fight is on 41st & SE Division.) Anything less than about 24th and in the NW is also a great area, but more expensive than the SE...

/rambling

I can't wait to move back :)

Take a browse around www.oregonlive.com

That's the online version of the local newspapers and offers classifieds on jobs and housing (as well as the local news).

Also check out www.willametteweek.com. That's a weekly "alternative" paper (though not that alternative) and has classified as well.

Additionally, check out http://portland.craigslist.org. Those three should give you a good idea of averages, though remi has it right overall...

The more veggie-friendly areas are the areas he mentioned - SE and NW, close-in. Portland is easy to figure out in terms of location - if an address is 1456 NW Irving, that's on Irving between 14th & 15th, which is a great location. If an address is 3945 SE Woodstock, same thing -- on woodstock between 39th & 40th. Anything closer than 82nd on the SE side is a great location and VERY veg-friendly. (food fight is on 41st & SE Division.) Anything less than about 24th and in the NW is also a great area, but more expensive than the SE...

/rambling

I can't wait to move back :)

Thanks! That helped a bunch. The pure logic behind the addresses is still beyond me though :lol: Where I live it's completely counterintuitive. Roads zig zag all over town, disappear for entire streches, come back with totally strange numbers...

Thanks! That helped a bunch. The pure logic behind the addresses is still beyond me though :lol: Where I live it's completely counterintuitive. Roads zig zag all over town, disappear for entire streches, come back with totally strange numbers...

Also, in NW the streets run alphabetically. Burnside, Couch, Davis, Everett, Flanders, Glisan, Hoyt etc. Streets north of Burnside are NW or NE and streets south of burnside or SW or SE. (actually ankeny is the first NW street but it doesn't go all the way through). Streets west of the river are west, east of the river are east. Also the area bounded by 405 on the south and west, Irving on the north, and the river on the east is called fareless square and all transportation is free in that area.

Hi! Another Portlander popping in. :) This weekend I discovered the fabulous vegan baked goods as the Daily Grind. Oh my. YUM.

I'll have to try them out IN ELEVEN DAYS :D

:pibo:

Hello! I will be moving to Portland/Lake Oswego/Sellwood from New Jersey in January. I have maps and city guides that a friend gave me, but if anyone has time to answer a coupla real life questions, that would be great.

1. in terms of travel time, approximately how much time would it take to bike east to west and north to south ? trying to get a handle on commuting time.

2. any veg*n restaurants I should NOT eat at? what's your fave bar/pub?

3. do you like being called Portlanders?

4. good vets in the area? I also volunteer at a shelter, would like to continue that in Oregon.

5. what's this about a volcano?

6. hiking,camping and kayaking: any favorites?

7. are umbrellas for wimps? what about galoshes?

8. any tips for appearing like a local? what Not to say? do you automatically think people from NJ are jerks?

9. I am a yoga teacher ,Thai massage practitioner and fitness instructor. any lines on employment in that area? gyms, spas, health food stores,etc?

10. where to get the GOOD coffee?

i checked out the websites(and saved them!) that are on this thread... any other good links would really be helpful...:)

Good questions... Here are some answers.

1. in terms of travel time, approximately how much time would it take to bike east to west and north to south ? trying to get a handle on commuting time.

Really depends on which end of the city you were going to/from. But I've biked from Sellwood to Downtown in 15 or so mins. There's a very nice riverfront path that is fantastic. Downtown biking can get dicey but the east side of town has some good bike lanes. Publica transportation is good as well "MAX" is key and all trains and most buses have bike space.

2. any veg*n restaurants I should NOT eat at? what's your fave bar/pub?

Well Calendula closed for the 2nd time. So if that one comes back be wary. But there isn't really any BAD veg restaurants. There are some really really goods ones: Blossoming Lotus, Veganopolis, Kelga Kafe and Vegetarian House to name a few.

Good brew and wine in Portland. I like Roots beer (which is vegan and organic) but their pub sucks (so I get it at Hot Lips Pizza with a slice of Vegan Focaccia). Mcmenamins are everywhere and area always a good bet (especially their brew and views). Bars. There are a ton. Tube is a vegan friendly bar w/ some good vegan grub, and the Doug Fir is THE hot spot right now.

3. do you like being called Portlanders?

Um sure... Whatever. People who live in Portland generally are pretty laid back about what we're called or what we call eachother. You'll here a lot of "PDX" which is the airport code for Portland and the short hand which many people use to referr to the city.

4. good vets in the area? I also volunteer at a shelter, would like to continue that in Oregon.

Yeah! We have a cat and she goes to a nice vet here. Also some good (no kill) shelters. Check out http://www.dovelewis.org/html-new/

5. what's this about a volcano?

Mt. St Helens. You can see it off in the distance. If it blows then it'll be dusty and ashy for a bit, but it's not something anyone loses sleep over, no hot lava in town... it's too far away.

6. hiking,camping and kayaking: any favorites?

Yes, yes and Yes. Oregon is an outdoors persons' dream. You're 1 hr from the coast and 1 hr from the mountains. You'll love it.

7. are umbrellas for wimps? what about galoshes?

Yeah. People usually have jackets with hoods. Rain comes and goes and so it's often a hastle to have to carry around an umbrella.

8. any tips for appearing like a local? what Not to say? do you automatically think people from NJ are jerks?

You'll find MANY people in Portland aren't FROM Portland, but rather moved here from somewhere else. As a result it's a very welcoming place to people who move here. You will find that you'll probably down shift from your NJ pace and drink a lot more coffee. You might be surprised to find a number of other NJ transplants.

9. I am a yoga teacher ,Thai massage practitioner and fitness instructor. any lines on employment in that area? gyms, spas, health food stores,etc?

YOGA is HUGE here. Yoga in the Pear, Mavericks and Bikram Yoga are all hot spots (Bikram literally). For oregon i think you have to be a LMT to do massage so you might want to check any issues with that. A number of great health food stores including New Seasons and Whole Foods, not to mention no less than 3 major coops. Craig's List is a major source to find out what's going on and try to hook up a job:
http://portland.craigslist.org/

10. where to get the GOOD coffee?

Stumptown coffee. Period. You'll have tears in your eyes, it's that good.

Feel free to drop me a note if you have any other questions or need advice. Portland is really something special...

Thank you! :smitten:

I may harrass you with more questions as i think of them.
I really am excited to go...everyone tells me I will love it. I am really into being outside and NJ is not really veggie fiendly. Vegan beer? in a resturant?HEAVEN!

Just make sure you know how to pronounce the river's name, nothing will make you stick out like a "foreigner" more. :D It's wi-lam-ett. NOT wil-a-mety

okay. is the emphasis on the second or last syllable?
wi-LAM-et
or
wilaMET?

Also: food Co-ops in the Sellwood /lake Os-WEE-go area?
and , Sellwood and Lake Oswe-GO is south Portland? when i am talking to people it seems they break up the city that way, just need to know where I am going to end up.

TY!:wayne:

wil AM et

Why Sellwood and Lake Oswego? (lake oss-WEE-go)

Sellwood is nice with cute shops & stuff. Lake Oswego is very suburban and expensive - it's the 2nd richest 'burb in portland (just behind West Linn). There isn't much to do there - a few boutiques and a golf course and a library... and... umm... hmmm... :think:

IMO, if you're looking for places to live with co-ops and stuff, look at:

Hawthorne (this is the ideal place to look)
Belmont
Ladd's Addition
Clinton
Division
Woodstock
Sellwood
NW/Pearl/Nob Hill

Do a search at http://portland.craigslist.org/apa and just search on any of those keywords above - places will pop up.

Anything "close in" SE should be great... like smaller street numbers than 50. IOW, 1345 SE 32nd... that'd be in the Hawthorne area (Hawthorne is I think 11 or 12 blocks south of Burnside, which divides the city N & S... so 1345 would be a couple blocks south of hawthorne, on SE 32nd... get it?)

Woodstock is further south, and Sellwood is yet further. They're each only a mile or two from each other.

Seriously though if you're looking for kind of a hippie co-op culture, hawthorne/clinton/ladd's/belmont are your best bet - and FULL of veggie places & great cafes (and ITA with gkleinman -- Stumptown coffee is excellent!! Though Torrefazione is great, but it's owned by Starbucks :( ... even still, it's wonderful coffee.)

I'm going to take a shot at this as well...


1. in terms of travel time, approximately how much time would it take to bike east to west and north to south ? trying to get a handle on commuting time.

Depends on where you live. From the very edges of the city, it'd take you hours probably. Portland is pretty spread out. If you went from Sellwood (the southernmost part of the city limits) to the columbia river (the n. boundary of portland) it'd take you a while... 2 hours? Maybe just under. But if you stick around the close-in areas, it's pretty quick. A lot of people commute downtown via bike.

2. any veg*n restaurants I should NOT eat at? what's your fave bar/pub?

Favorite bar -- uhh... depends on what you're going for I guess. I enjoy Lucky Lab & Lompoc & Produce Row Cafe for their beer gardens. But like Rogue for their beer. And Bridgeport (which is currently closed for renovations). McMenamins has nice properties but their beer kind of sucks. However, they have GREAT movie theaters - 2nd run movies for $3, no one under 21 except for matinees, and they serve pizza, burgers (incl. veg) & beer in the theater!

The only veg restaurant i've been to and didn't like is the Paragon Cafe on Belmont. Their service is terrible and the food wasn't any better than what I could do at home. But I know others like it, so... who knows.

3. do you like being called Portlanders?

Sure.

4. good vets in the area? I also volunteer at a shelter, would like to continue that in Oregon.

If you live in Sellwood, go to the Moreland Vet Hospital. THE BEST vets in that area! Other areas I don't know. (btw, West Moreland is right next to Sellwood and closer to downtown. And Brooklyn is just north of West Moreland -- all cute areas!)

5. what's this about a volcano?

Part of Portland is on a volcano (Mt Tabor), but that one's extinct. Mt Hood is supposed to erupt one of these days but ... eh... Mt St Helens coughs once in a while but not much happens.

6. hiking,camping and kayaking: any favorites?

Depends on what you like. Obviously, the PCT runs right along the cascades, so you can drive for 1/2 hour and hit a PCT trailhead easily. Otherwise, the Mt HOod national forest is very close, and the Columbia River gorge is littered with trails. I really recommend going to a bookstore and getting a "Hiking in Oregon" book if you're into hiking. It will rate the trails on steepness & difficulty & scenery as well as time the hike takes.

As for camping, backpacking is very popular as is car camping. Again the mt hood national forest is packed with campgrounds. Fishing is a VERY popular hobby, so you do need to be aware of when season starts, because all the campgrounds will be packed. Most don't take reservations so it's 1st come 1st serve.

I really enjoy the ones in the mt hood national forest... the car campgrounds tend to have fewer than 15 sites, are quiet, usually on streams or rivers, and are almost always right on trailheads as well.

7. are umbrellas for wimps? what about galoshes?

You'll see people with umbrellas but... NW rain is different. More often than not, it's akin to standing under a mister in the produce section at the grocery store :p So you really dont' need an umbrella. I usually dont' even bother with a hood, but sometimes wish I had one if I get caught in a downpour. But if you do get caught in one, you'll be among the MANY caught without umbrellas or raincoats :D

Galoshes are entirely unnecessary :)

8. any tips for appearing like a local? what Not to say? do you automatically think people from NJ are jerks?

People in portland are nice. Smile and people smile back. Say hi, and people will chit chat. Talk about how much you love portland, and you gain a friend for life. hahahaha. Seriously, Portlanders have an extremely strong sense of pride about their city. Insult it, and we deport you across the river to the 'couv. :p (Vancouver WA)

9. I am a yoga teacher ,Thai massage practitioner and fitness instructor. any lines on employment in that area? gyms, spas, health food stores,etc?

I dont' know, but I do know there is a Naturopath college in SW portland (on Barbur Blvd), so you might look there to see if there are job listings in a commons area, looking for people. Otherwise, maybe go to a co-op (there's one in NW portland, as well as a few in SE) and look at their bulletin boards. The one in NW is called.. umm... I can't remember! The one in SE is just off 21st & Division iirc and is "People's Food Co-Op" I think... there's another on 42nd & Hawthorne called Daily Grind... and I think there are a couple more. You can likely search for them online.

10. where to get the GOOD coffee?

Stumptown. Tully's. Torrefazione. Whole Foods even has great coffee. What kind do you like? Dark roasts? Light? Italian roast? French? Espresso? Tully's makes great espresso drinks. Stumptown is good all around. Torrefazione is all italian roast, so their drip coffees tend to be darker all around (even their light blends are a bit richer) and their espressos are usually pretty nice, though I've only ever had their cappuccinos & lattes... Coffee People is okay, but not my favorite. Their drip coffee usually sucks, but their espresso works if you're in a bind and there's nowhere else to go. :p Seattle's Best is pretty good... Java Man sucks and umm... well, there's always Starbucks.

enjoy. i love portland and can't wait to get back. I LEAVE FOR PORTLAND IN A WEEK!!! :pibo:

Great advice Amy. :) I agree about Hawthorne/Belmont being a good area for veg*ns and co-ops. Lake Oswego I would not recommend. Just an expensive fancy suburb. There is also a co-op over on Alberta, and it's quite the up and coming artists neighborhood.

Unfortunately I think the Torrefazione's are shutting down, since the SB buyout. The one near Lloyd Center is closed already. :(

:eek:

oh no!! Torrefazione's coffee is so good!! That sucks - it was family owned until the seattle coffee co (SBC) bought it out, which was then bought by Starbucks. idiots.

Alberta is a great area. And Vita Cafe is there! And a great New Seasons. It's kind of out of the way though. But that is definitely an up & coming area.

I think Paradox is way way better than Vita Cafe.

And yeah. Don't live in Lake Oswego if you can help it. I used to live in West Linn, they both suck.

I'll come back and answer the questions shortly!

I like Paradox too. Yeah the service has been slow sometimes but they usually only have one person working out front and can get pretty busy, so I don't let it get to me, I just don't expect to get a quick meal there. I've only been to Vita once, menu seemed pretty much the same, but the wood booths are way uncomfortable. Actually no I've been there twice, we sat at the bar once. Shows what I remember...