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I signed my first lease in Portland almost 13 years ago to the day. So, this time of year always turns me a little reflective, has me thinking about how the city’s changed in my relatively short stint here. Sure, we’ve lost some things I loved (many, many restaurants, quick commutes across the city, and the old Doug Fir stage, to start), but I’m perpetually surprised by how many new brilliant people and initiatives arrive and thrive each year, or how much I’m just now discovering more than a decade in.
In summertime, when the weather’s hot and people seek fun, it’s traditional for news organizations to liven things up with a reader poll tallying the best of the city. At WW, we have one of those too—you can find the results on page 48. But we also like to celebrate the secrets—the overlooked treasures of Portland that deserve some recognition.
Notice those orange flags along Northeast Fremont Street for pedestrians? Thank the Beaumont-Wilshire Neighborhood Association for that. You wanna attend an intimate show where performers are workshopping and getting your feedback? Go to the tiniest party.
Maybe you’re looking to pump some iron to shake off your blues? Go share the weight machines with napping, lovable stray cats at Foster Fitness. Afterward, get your alpaca-style cut or modern mullet trim from the city’s best new barber—a Franklin High School senior.
A DJ open mic? Afterlife. Ready to volunteer to help rogue-turned-organized neighbors restore the Rose City Bluff? They’re waiting for you. The list goes on, and on, filled with your fellow city dwellers putting one foot in front of the other, withstanding the heat.
One could argue summer used to be Portland’s sweet peak—mildly warm afternoons, cool nights. As annual temperatures rise, summer—or Portland itself—might feel like a different place from the one you or I first moved to, or grew up in. But don’t sweat every change—try to notice the good ones. Let them warm your heart sometimes. —Robin Bacior, Arts & Culture Editor
