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If you’re moving to Portland, Oregon, you’ll soon discover that the city provides the best of both worlds. That’s because Portland offers innovation and culture while also giving you easy access to amazing natural beauty. That’s a rare combo, and one of the reasons why Portland is so popular. If you’re considering a move to Portland or already have one planned, this moving guide from NSA Storage can help you understand what make Portland such a special place.
What Makes Portland a Special Place to Live?
The Northwest has several notable cities, but Portland stands out. That’s due in part to the city’s progressive vibe, which embraces creativity and supports local, independent businesses. This is evident in the fact that Portland has one of the highest rates of small businesses per capita in the U.S.
Below are a few of the other reasons Portland is a great place to live, work, and raise a family:
- Downtown Portland is known as a “walker’s paradise”, with a 88+ walkability score. Many of the city’s neighborhoods were designed so that you can get anything you need within a 15-minute walk!
- The city has a genuinely strong “buy local” ethic, with indie bookstores, record shops, maker spaces and, most of all, food carts. Portland also has strong policies that help local businesses thrive.
- Portland is the #2 city in the country for breweries, many of which are family-friendly, dog-friendly, and neighborhood-based. There are more than 70 in the city, providing fun, energetic gathering places where friends and family meet.
- Portland is one of America’s Top 5 biking cities, and roughly 7% of the folks who live here bike to work. Over 385 miles of bikeways help, as well as the city’s own “bike boulevards” designed especially for bikers.
- Like beer, Portland’s coffee scene is delicious! Dozens of indy roasters can be found here, and their shops often double as art spaces, community meeting spots, and work spaces.
- A short drive from the city you’ll find the spectacular Columbia River Gorge and Mt. Hood, an outdoor activity paradise.
Portland has a Strong and Diverse Local Economy
We’ve already mentioned that Portland is a great place for small business owners, with over 45,000 in the metro area. The city’s economy is a blend of technology, manufacturing, academia, healthcare, and a strong creative sector.
More than that, Portland is anchored by several global employers, including Intel and Nike. Booming sectors like healthcare, manufacturing, and technology have given the city a rooted, robust economy that supports over 1.2 million jobs.
Here’s a snapshot of Portland’s attractive economy:
- About 1.25 million non-farm jobs make the city a major employment hub in the Pacific Northwest.
- Healthcare is one of the largest and fastest-growing sectors in Portland, with an expected 40,000+ increase in the next decade.
- Portland is a major U.S. logistics and retail center.
- Top employers in the city include Intel, Nike, Daimler Trucks, Legacy Health & Kaiser Permanente, and Portland State University.
- About 1 in 8 Oregon jobs is tied to international trade, underscoring Portland’s role as a Pacific Rim gateway.
- The unemployment rate in the city hovers between 4 – 4.5%, slightly lower than the national average.
Portland’s Cultural Scene is a Game-Changer
One of the defining strengths of Portland is the city’s cultural character. Few cities have this strong a blend of creativity, independence, and easy access to all things new. Here, music defines neighborhoods, as do art, design, and the myriad of local, family-owned businesses.
What elevates Portland above other metropolitan areas? The culture, caring, and community. All three are here to support the entrepreneur, the dreamer, and the artist.
Take a look at how Portland weaves culture into everyday life:
- The city’s Center for the Arts hosts between 7,000 and 10,000 performances per year, spread out over five downtown theatres..
- Portland is home to 21 museums, including the beloved Portland Art Museum which opened in 1892. The museum has a priceless collection of 42,000 works of art spread across several Portland galleries.
- The Portland Japanese Garden is ranked as one of the most authentic outside of Japan, and sees over 400,000 visitors every year.
- The national average for attending performing arts events is about 48.5%. Portland’s average is 73.5%, a definitive sign that the city supports the arts.
- Portland is nationally recognized for its artist-first culture, and deep network of grassroots venues that allow emerging artists to perfect their craft.
Portland is Embedded in Outdoor Recreation
One of Portland’s biggest flexes is that there’s so much to see, do, and enjoy here outdoors. Portland is a rare city in that you can work downtown, hike a waterfall after work, and snow ski or windsurf on the weekends! Very few cities offer this assortment of activities along with the ability to enjoy the outdoors year-round.
Here’s a look at some of the many fun, exciting, and invigorating activities you can enjoy in and around Portland:
- The Columbia River Gorge is about 45 minutes from Portland. Stretching 80 miles along the Columbia River, the Gorge is basically a massive outdoor playground where you can kitesurf, windsurf, kayak, and paddleboard. (It’s one of the top windsurfing destinations in the world!)
- Multnomah Falls, Oregon’s tallest waterfall, is located here, as well as more than 90 other waterfalls you can hike to on any given day.
- One of the most scenic drives in the country, the Historic Columbia River Highway, is very popular with cyclists and families out for a relaxing Sunday drive.
- Small towns around the Gorge like Cascade Locks and Hood River are a great place to visit a craft brewery or winery, window shop, and have dinner on the riverfront.
- Mount Hood is less than two hours away, with all the winter sports you can imagine. When the snow’s gone, there’s abundant hiking, camping, fishing, and spectacular mountain biking!
Trillium Lake and Lost Lake are some of the most beautiful in the country, with scenes like something from a postcard.
In short, if you love the outdoors and nature and are drawn to beautiful places and exciting activities, Portland will be your playground. When you combine that with the city’s high walkability and bikeability scores, you can really enjoy the outdoors to the fullest!
Many People Love the Weather!
Many folks are under the impression that, in the Northwest, it rains all the time, which simply isn’t true. While Portland does have its fair share of grey days, the trade-off is that the winters are moderate, there’s no oppressive humidity in summer, and both spring and fall are long and comfortable. In other words, Portland’s weather and climate are very livable.
Take a look at these weather facts from Portland and see if you don’t agree:
- Annual rainfall in Portland is less than Atlanta, New York City, and Houston, at around 38 to 43 inches.
- The city sees an average of 1 to 3 inches of snow every season, which is very low.
- Portland gets about 140 days of sunshine, more than a 3rd of the year.
- Thanks to its proximity to the Pacific Ocean and frequent rainfall, Portland’s air quality is better than many cities.
The payoff with weather like Portland’s is that the city’s foliage is lush and vibrant year-round, as well as the surrounding forest. Residents here lean into cozy, but short, winters, then go all-out the rest of the year with hiking, biking, festivals, and outdoor living.
Moving to Portland and Need to Store Your Stuff? Look No Further than NSA Storage
We think you’ll agree that Portland is a splendid place to live and work. If you need help with your move, or if you’ve already arrived and need to store your belongings in Portland, NSA Storage can help.
With over 20 self-storage locations in Portland in and around the city, an NSA Storage center is bound to be nearby. There you’ll find safe, secure storage units in Portland that you can use to store almost anything. That includes furniture, collectibles, antiques, and even vehicle storage.
Short-term or long, if you need to reserve a storage unit in Portland you can do so quickly and easily online. Until then, best of luck finding your forever home in one of Oregon’s most attractive cities, Portland!
