Reed College - Local Atmosphere

College Prowler Take

Portland is an anomaly for modern-day cosmopolitan cities; it possesses both a big-city and a small-city feel. Despite having less than one million people who call Portland home, the city has the look, resources, amenities, and feel of a much larger metropolis. However, the close-knit nature of the city’s community allows Portland a friendly atmosphere usually only afforded to smaller villages and towns. Students from cities larger than Portland, while finding the city on the small side, appreciate Portland’s fusion of a big- and small-town feel. Moreover, most students believe that Portland, while being small in comparison to nearby Seattle and San Fransisco, does not lack for entertaining endeavors and fun distractions for their trips away from Reed.

Away from Reed, students generally enjoy either visiting Portland’s multiple commercial districts, seeing a film at one of the numerous theaters, or perhaps seeing the sights around Portland. Although almost every student raves about Powell’s City of Books, the lush and varied gardens (Japanese, Chinese, rose, and rhododendron in variety), and Saturday Market, almost every student has a different opinion on which activities around Portland are their favorites. With the many different sorts of escapes offered by the Portland area, the best way to determine which suit you best is to get out there and try them all; any person who comes to Portland will not be disappointed. Here is a suggested series of activities that usually ends up making everyone happy: a day trip downtown to visit the commercial districts and Powell’s, followed by a romp in the Japanese Garden, and then a quick journey down to the Willamette to look at the water. Finish with a dinner at a good restaurant listed in the Off-Campus Dining section.

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Students Speak Out

Anonymous says:

Portland is a great city. It’s... Portland is a great city. It’s small enough to not feel overwhelming, but big enough that you can find big-city amenities like arts, little shops, and cool people. Plus, public transportation here is great. 12345 Local Atmosphere Report

Anonymous says:

Portland is a mellow city, and... Portland is a mellow city, and it’s a little on the small side. I’m from the suburbs of Chicago, so I’ve definitely lived around bigger cities. I appreciate Portland for the fusion of city and nature it has balanced. The bus system is very good; it’s reliable, safe, and pretty good at getting you to where you need to go. Downtown Portland is unremarkable to me. I suppose it is nice relative to many smaller cities, but relative to Chicago, I was not impressed. Still, everywhere you look, even in the most metropolitan areas of the city, you can see green stuff growing. I like that. 12345 Local Atmosphere Report

Anonymous says:

Portland has everything you need,... Portland has everything you need, but nothing you really want. Everything shuts down by 8 p.m., even on the weekends, so the only thing there to do late is go to the theater. That works well enough if you have a car, but if you plan to rely on public transportation, you can expect to wait upwards of 45 minutes or so for a bus back to Reed. This can be scary late at night with all the homeless people around begging for money. There are other universities in Portland, but I don’t think Reedies interact with students from the other schools much. 12345 Local Atmosphere Report

Anonymous says:

Portland is rather similar to Reed... Portland is rather similar to Reed in a way. It’s full of liberal and socially-conscious folk who ride lots of bicycles. 12345 Local Atmosphere Report

Anonymous says:

There’s a lot of stuff to do... There’s a lot of stuff to do around town, although sometimes it becomes difficult to get off campus because there is so much work to do. There are other universities, such as Lewis & Clark and PSU, but I don’t really come into contact with many of the students from there. I would recommend going to Multnomah Falls, about an hour away, and to the beach, an hour-and-half long drive. The Pacific Northwest is very beautiful. 12345 Local Atmosphere Report

Facts

Did You Know?

5 Fun Facts about Portland:

• Portland is separated into four quarters and is cut in the middle by the beautiful Willamette River.
• Powell’s Books, one of the largest independent booksellers in America, offers a city block full of whatever literature one could want.
• Every weekend from March through December, Saturday Market, a fair where local artisans sell their wares, is open in downtown Portland.
• The Chinese and Japanese gardens bring the landscapes, fauna, and cultures of two nations to life. They are a must-see for any person visiting Portland.
• If you like winter sports and little snowmen, frosted and picturesque Mount Hood lies less than an hour from downtown Portland.

Famous People from Portland:
James Beard (Master chef)
Douglas Englebart (Invented the computer mouse)
Everclear (The band)
Matt Groening (Created The Simpsons)
Tonya Harding (Former ice skater)
Ursula LeGuin (Science fiction author)
Jane Powell (Actress)
Sally Struthers (Humanitarian)

Local Slang:
The Civil War – Ancient ritual where kids from Eugene and Corvallis beat each other up.
Oregonian – Someone from Oregon.

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