Portland, Oregon, is no New York City or Los Angeles ... but these cities do have unique characteristics in common. Portland, however, has adopted weirdness as its most essential attribute. Born and raised in a tiny island in the Pacific (Saipan, if you’re wondering), I never really knew what the city life was like. Moving to a big city is one of the biggest shifts of my life. I noticed a variety of aspects that I have never encountered in the islands. The concept “Keep Portland Weird” kept me thinking and wondering about the things that make Portland weird. Here are nine things I noticed and found weirdly unusual since I moved here:
1. Voodoo Doughnuts
Old Dirty Bastard. Cock-N-Balls. Gay Bar. Get your minds out of the gutter, because these are names of delicious doughnuts from a local and widely renowned Portlandia landmark. I’m pretty sure every weirdo in Portland (so basically every person in Portland, including myself) has had at least one unusual doughnut from Voodoo. I mean, even the name “Voodoo” makes you think of all sorts of crazy things. I first visited the original location, located right across the famous “Keep Portland Weird” sign, which says a lot; and one of the weirdest aspects I noticed since then is that the line never dies.
2. Naked Bike Rides
I never knew naked bike rides were a thing until last summer. Like, what? Many cities, such as Seattle, Vancouver BC, and Portland, participate in the annual World Naked Bike Ride. However, Portland’s fascination of bikes brings the event to a whole new level. Biking became an essential part of the city’s lifestyle. Countless Portlandians take extreme measures during the event, such as painting empowering words on their naked body, wearing a Superman cape, and giving speeches with portable microphones. Maybe one day, I’ll have the courage to join this weird event.
3. Stark's Vacuum Cleaner Museum
A couple of months ago, I was scrolling through Pinterest and came across an article talking about things to do in Portland. “Visit Stark’s Vacuum Museum,” it said. I remember having to reread the sentence over again. I have always hated vacuuming, and to find out someone made a museum dedicated to this particular cleaning item is just bizarre.
4. Random Animal Sculptures
As I walk around the city streets, I notice many different animal sculptures planted in random areas. For instance, one can find three silver pig sculptures across a gelato shop in Northwest 23rd Street; a statue of an elk in Southwest Main Street; deer, bears, fish, and beavers in Pioneer Square; and many others.
5. Mr. Statue Man
Now, this man… this man scared the shiz out of me when I first explored downtown Portland. As I was walking around Pioneer Square, I stopped next to this “statue.” It was a statue until it moved and startled me. Although I still find it a little bit strange, this man continues to impress me with his patience. He’s probably the most popular man in the city.
6. Powell's Bookstore: City of Books
Ah, one of my most favorite places in Portland and one of the largest bookstores in the world. I’ve always loved reading. Living on the islands, we simply just had one public library and a tiny bookstore. The first time I ever stepped foot in the City of Books, I never wanted to leave.
Additionally, there is a coffee shop within the bookstore right pass the Gold Room that always compels me to buy a latte while getting lost in this breathtaking bookstore (coffee addict here, btw).
7. Outdoor Markets
One thing to know about Portlandians is that they love the outdoors. Once the sun comes out, you see them rushing out of buildings enjoying the beautiful sunshine. Hence, the variety of daily, monthly, or annual outdoor markets such as Saturday Market, Farmer’s Market, Last Thursday, First Friday, Jade Night Market, and many more.
8. Rainy City: "Rain Jackets > Umbrellas"
Frankly, I have a love-hate relationship with Portland rain. It comes and goes as it pleases. Coming from 80 or so degrees weather, I’ve never seen so much rain before in my life. The weirdest thing of all is that almost no one uses umbrellas. How do you suppose you keep yourself dry? Rain boots and a rain jacket. I purchased my very first rain jacket during my freshman year of college and my roommate at the time says, “You look like a Portlandian now!”
9. "Portlandia" (Television Series)
"We put birds on things." I distinctly recall the first time I watched an episode from "Portlandia," during my freshmen year. The show highlighted the city’s quirkiness in which I thought to be ridiculously strange yet entertaining and hilarious.
One last picture ...
