Take a Tour of Nicholas' Portland

My name: Nicholas
My age: 21
My profession: Student/Waiter
City/town: Portland, Oregon
Relationship status: Single
Sexuality: Gay

What are some of the things you love most about your town?

Portland forces you to open your eyes. People tend to be well-informed and very conscious of problems in the community, the environment, and the rest of the world; and they want you to be, too. Small talk can fall flat pretty quicklywe want to know who you're voting for, how large your compost bin is, and which worldly social injustice has your blood boiling.

One of my roommates keeps a 20 month supply of food and water ready in case the government collapses and food and fuel shortages ravage the city. He isn't crazy; he's just been in Portland for a long time.

If someone came to your town for just four hours, what is the one thing he should do?

I'd suggest a relaxed walking tour of the downtown area, it's the best mix of what Portland has to offer. The Portland State University park blocks would be a good place to start. If you're lucky you might catch the farmer's market, edge around a student protest, or just lock eyes with an attractive student/professor while they're locking up their bike.

Once you've walked the length of the park blocks I'd continue on to Pioneer Square for a little people watching, or to see the weather machine do its song and dance at noon (not to ruin the surprise, but I think it's going to be cloudy with a chance of rain). Then just a little ways to 9th and Alder where the food carts are so you can pick up a Whole Bowl or a cup of coffee.

From there I'd keep heading north until I hit Powell's City of Books to explore the multi-storied maze of every book you could ever want. Then east, passing through China Town, which isn't terribly Chinese aside from the ornate gate leading into it and the Chinese Gardens which should be your next destination. Whatever time is left should be spent on the nearby waterfront park, enjoying a magical treat from our local Voodoo Doughnuts conveniently located between you and the water.

What are some great restaurants for a night out with gay friends?

Montage is a funky little Cajun place tucked under one of our bridges. It's ok to order the mac and cheese. In fact, you're missing out if you deny yourself this simple pleasure that they offer in a variety of styles. And there's a good chance you're going to be seated between strangers at a long table, so get up the courage to introduce yourself early and it will be less awkward when they can't help but overhear you as you yell across the table about that time you did that thing to that person you shouldn't have taken home. Make sure you have leftovers so the waiter or waitress will wrap them up and shape the tinfoil into a squirrel, a bat, or something much naughtier.

What are some great restaurants for a romantic gay date? What about these restaurants appeals to you?

Ok, it's not really a restaurant, but there's this cute deli/pastry/Italian imports kind of place called Martinotti's in downtown, and they've got a couple of little tables in the corner. It's not a fancy placelast time I sat down for a cannoli there I was sitting next to shelves filled with the Italian version of Pepto-Bismol. It's just an entirely unassuming, quiet, quirky place to sit and have a conversation with someone without the obtrusive service staff that always walks up as you're delivering the punch line to a raunchy joke.

What is the gay community like there? Do you consider yourself to be part of any particular "scene?"

Like any city, the community is divided into lots of different scenes. There's a big nesting/homey kind of gay population, a lot of people just want a low-key life with their loved one (already found or not) and Portland is a safe, comfortable place to do it. And there's definitely a youthful, hipster scene that's less dramatic than the emo kids, more optimistic than the goths, and more pragmatic than your average mall-crawl communication major twink. Think bike mechanics, community volunteers, and environmental law students. That's probably where I'd fall if I had to label myself (which Portlanders don't in general find useful or necessary). And of course there's a little bit of everything else to fill in the spaces.

Where do you shop for clothes?

In SE (the city is divided into quarters; east and west by the river, and north and south by Burnside), on Hawthorne Boulevard. Between 34th and 37th there are three great thrift stores that carry everything from gently used mainstream threads to bizarre articles that probably weren't in style when they were manufactured thirty years ago. Buy used stuffit's doesn't cost as much on a lot of levels.

Are any famous people from your town?

Think of the most frank creative minds you know. One of them is going to be from (or have spent a good amount of time in) Portland. The city just has a knack for churning these people out. Matt Groening, Courtney Love, Gus Van Sant, Storm Large, Chuck Palahnuik, Ana Matronic, and that guy who invented the Phillips-head screw, Henry F. Phillips. Way to represent Portland and break the mold, Henry!

Where do you go for other forms of entertainment -- live theater, concerts, movies, art exhibits? Are there any local gay performance groups, bands, or artists that you're a fan of?

It's not a specifically gay event, but you're going to find a great concentration of queer and queer-friendly folks at Last Thursday. The last Thursday of every month the bohemian art community lets loose in the Alberta Arts district. Galleries, studios, and restaurants open up and present great new art, and all along the sidewalk independent artists peddle their stuff.

Every thirty feet there's a different musician or band playing a totally different style of music. You walk past people in dynamic costumes juggling, dancing with fire, wobbling on stiltsit's a big ball of positive creative energy. For my more subdued friends who get nervous amongst the chaos of alternative festivals there's always First Thursday.

It's like Last Thursday, but instead of sneaking a puff when the popo aren't looking, you sip wine at various upscale galleries in the pristine Pearl District, hob-knobbing with the liberal affluent and experiencing Portland's great artistic drive first-hand without your watch getting caught on someone's dreadlocks.

Is there a local cocktail that's popular in your town?

If you're drinking in Portland, make it a beer. We even make it easy for you to wean yourself off the hard stufftry a McMenamin's Ruby, it's so packed full of raspberries you might not realize it's an ale.

Where do the hot boys in your town tend to hang out?

Powell's City of Books. It's the world's largest new and used bookstore in the world (it takes up an entire block, with multiple levels you'll get lost in on your first visit), and I may be making a jump in reasoning but I think that means it has the largest selection of educated bespectacled bachelors, too. It might be hard to get their attention though. A lot of people just grab a book, sit in the caf, and read for hours.

If you had to describe the "average gay boy" style of your town in two words, what would they be?

Naturally hip.

Do you have any local celebs?

Sam Adams, the mayor-elect. He'll be our first openly gay mayor, and he's pretty cool, to boot, supporting art and community events. Not to mention he was shirtless in a print ad for Bishops, a slick rock and roll barbershop that's my personal favorite.

Do gay men and lesbians hang out together in your town or is that just unheard of?

There's a pretty nicely blended community, though a friend of mine complains about lesbians arguing outside his window at night. I'm sure he's guilty of bothering lesbians with his late-night drunken ramblings, of course.

Learn more about Nicholas

[Editor's Note: To find out how to submit a Reader's Guide about YOUR town, click here -- you'll be happy you did...].

Comments

[Jose]

Nicholas, you are so cute. I do like your eyes, personality and feet!
Wow!

[Eric]

Nicholas- so only the liberal rich go on the First Thursday art walk- guess the rich conservatives do not like art.

[David]

Hey, Nicholas,
What a great description of a great city. I'm with you: a book store is a much more interesting place to meet a guy than a club. You seem to point out that the gay scene in Portland is everywhere because gay people are comfortably everywhere. What an excellent thing. Best to you. I'm looking forward to a visit to Portland.

[Mykal Romero]

There are tons of people who sit by the windows of Powells just hoping for an ISAWYOU.

The Montage is great. But if you're not ready to get a tattoo and shop at the bins, then Portlands awesomeness might get lost on you.

As liberal as the people are, they sure are unforgiving if you refuse to participate.

[Brian]

Nicholas,

You're a pretty rad fellow. Hot too!!! lol Your description of Portland is pretty much right on. Portland is definitely one of those places where it's good to be GAY.

[pHI]

i cannot wait to move there! other dudes who like to go to bookstores!! oh man that beats the porn slut capital of the US, Phoenix.....only a few more months!!!

[corrective_unconscious]

>One of my roommates keeps a 20 month supply of food and water ready in case the government collapses and food and fuel shortages ravage the city.

And also a 20 month supply of bullets to ward off the hordes, I presume?

Besides, his bottled water reserves probably have high levels of DDT, mercury, leached plastics and pharma anyway....

[Nairian]

I've been thinking of going to Portland. On part becuase of all the great things I hear about, another cuz I wouldn't have to pay for a place to stay. After reading this, I want to go there even more.

[Michael]

Nickolas,
I have arrangements to visit my sister and her partner over the Halloween weekend in Portland this year. Reading your recommendations regarding where to go, has been great for me. I have found that just being on a large University Campus will usually get you hooked up with the how, who, and where of about any city, and I can generally get logged onto one of their High Speed computors and download my email/ and or just surf the web. Thanks!

[Bruce]

Nicholas you are a great looking guy and persent yourself very well. I lived in Portland Or. 8 years ago its a beautiful place work at one of the gay bars there, back in Tennessee know but love Portland but it rains to much there for me,take care and God Bless!!!!

[C]

"lock eyes with an attractive student/professor while they're locking up their bike" - this is part of a worthwhile portland experience? i am skeptical.

[Jesse]

Nicholas!!

Just wanted to give you a big thank you for the information you shared with all of us, about the city of Portland. I live in wyoming, and its gorgeous here, but there is nothing for men that prefer men..lol I've been having a hard time deciding if i should move there or not, and just by reading your article, i've decided to move there and be there by halloween. I've lived in wyoming most of my life and i need some diversity and culture. Portland sounds perfect for that, and one of my very good friends that lives there, wants me to move in with her. I'm there! Thanks for the info and your time to write it. I can't wait to get there and see it for the first time. Thanks again Nicholas! p.s. you are adorable..hehe

[Jamie]

Hey Nicholas!
Great rundown on Portland, which I've always heard was a great city. Now I see why. Avoiding all the personal platitudes (yes, you're cute as a button, but you know that, right? lol), it's great to see a living city with diversity and culture, but a lack of pretense. I'm sure there are parts that don't fit the image you created. Every town has a Wal-Mart, right? However I would fall in love with the city, I'm sure, with all the intellectual activities, physical fun and the attitude you're showing us. Maybe I'll make that the next place I come visit. lol.
Jamie.
PS - That's such an odd saying. Has anyone ever really seen a really cute button? lol

[Loren]

This article makes me miss lving in Portland so much. I could go for some Montage mac-n-cheese right now, followed by a nice walk along the riverfront. I think it's time for a visit!

[zarathos]

People like the roommate and the protests are why I left Portland. It's way to liberal for any sane person. And those who try to talk politics are usually very uninformed about any topic they want to discuss. To many protests and the local government is way out of whack, they condemn the arrest of illegals yet won't protect local business from insane protests. There are some things I miss about Portland but banning smoking outside, beggers on every corner downtown, protesters and loser Mayors pretty much keep me from wanting to go back.

[Everett Fischer]

I'm not one to speak on these forums, but for the love of everything!!! Zarathos must be a complete moron!
If this City were so bad why do people flock here for the clean air and the housing prices that have not made people vomit? My Boss lost $150,000 dollars on her home in LA....why do people talk this way of Portland? i can guess because they're kinda pissed that they paid $750,ooo for sage brush... make them a bit angry....

[anonymous]

sounds too Liberal-hippy artsy-fartsy; I'll pass on the doobie and protest signs...

[Mark]

Does Bill Ayers, Obama's terrorist friend and mentor, teach here? It sounds like his kind of place with all the Liberal fanatics! Stocking up on food and water in case the government collapses?? Nuts! (The idiot probably has expired food in storage).

[Miguel]

Wow Nicholas, which Stepford wife are you? As enticing as your take is on Portland, having people up in my business about how I vote or live wreaks of socialism. I'm all for listening to opposing views, but what can anyone gain in a city of one-way thinkers? No thanks, and I hope you find the cheese.

[eric]

jesus, you people are nit-picking at this like he wrote a manifesto instead of a travel blog. does anyone even know what liberal means? "favorable to progress or reform", not "in-your-face immigrant socialist". miguel doesn't even seem to know the meaning of the word "protest" or it would have been pretty obvious that portland is not a city of one-way thinkers. it's a travel article, it's supposed to make the place sound like an amusement park, so enjoy the ride and stop complaining like there's a gigantic, dangerous, socialist-terrorist nudist colony in oregon.

[igoape]

Hey Nicholas! Portland sounds like a very liberal laid back city, Much like Austin, Tx where I live. We continually vote democrat when the rest of the state votes republican. We have SoCo a district that has its own first thursday with street vendors, musicians, and just funky atmosphere.
We have the University of Texas here also with its share of protests and hot students and professors.
You are very attractive. I don't know if thats a representation of all the guys there but if so that would be just one more reason to visit. Great job man.

[tommy Hong]

Hi: I'am looking friendship with someone person I like to talking with men for coffee I'am single good looking person nice guy I'm from hongkong I 'm 24y,old bottom looking whitye person nice top

[gary smith]

Nicholas love the way you are open who are you look for an guy who is the way you are

[Francesco Molinari]

Nicholas: Yep you are cute! I was just in PDX 2 months ago, and always love the people there and the river walk. I forgot about the cute gay boys at Powells, but LOVe the food across the street at Jakes. Use to live across the river in Vancouver, and after this last trip, want to leave PHX and go back! Hey, oyu forgot the great place to workout and the nude jacuzzi at the YMCA just up the street from PU?

[DAVID]

You are really a nice person
How I wish Iam opportune to come to your country to meet a nice person like you. I thank God for you, he created you without any thing to quarry him. My name is David from Nigeria West Africa
this is my email,angelydav@yahoo.com
Please you are very free to contact me. I will be very have to have a friend like you. you can send me your email for me to send you my pictures.
This is my URL otuekong2@gay.com
Thank you and I hope to recieve from you soon.

[Brenton Sandercock]

you are a lovely young man
Brenton
XXXXX

[Hawaii Bill]

Thanks for the thoughtful coverage of my hometown. I've always been proud to say "Portland, Oregon" when people ask me where I was born.

Well done!

Aloha...

[Kevin]

Nice to see you again and doing well. I'm glad that people are standing up for Portland on here as its one of the last decent places for EVERYONE in this country.

[topher]

Nicholas-thanks for the great story on PDX.Lived there for 12 years and am ready to move back.To all you negative naysayers-glad it sounds like Portland is too liberal for you-you're probably stuffedshirt,lonely closeted Republicans and a very cool city like Portland doesn't want you anyway!!!