Can Portland Use A Great NY Style Knishe? (Ashland: organic, live in)

[aplwh]

Originally Posted by Nature Girl

I am intrigued, can you describe what Knish is? Is it a dessert food?

I liken it to mashed potatoes without the butter, but with onions in a kind of a pastry shell and baked. Great with mustard!!!

[Supernova7]

Originally Posted by oldtintype

Maybe in terms of easier to live but I don't think that really describes it...it's quite different in many ways and it's easier to live here/less stress/not as crowded but things are changing rapidly and Portland is very similar to the SF of today in many ways. Some of the changes that I like the most--level of sophistication, restaurants, city improvements, etc. are probably going to make things worse long term too as it keeps encouraging people to move here and things just get more and more expensive.

I moved here too so I'm "one of them" but I moved here because I LIKED it here way back in 1999 when it wasn't as "cool" and I like the nature/trees/scenic aspect of it, little bit of a slower lifestyle, don't mind the weather, etc.

What kills me are the people who act like they're doing everyone a big favor by moving here and only come because it's cheaper and they can't afford to stay where they are (i.e. they really want to stay where they are but can't so they come here and are bitter and want things to be the same as where they came from). I think these are the people who are going to change Portland for the worse not better because they're the ones who complain about the weather, think if it's not sitting in rush hour traffic for an hour it's not bad traffic so they won't use public transport, want Portland to change for THEM rather than try to embrace things here, etc. I see a lot of that now and find it kind of disturbing.
I guess people can argue that since I moved here I'm part of the problem too but...I didn't come with that attitude.

I don't get that impression at all, so I'm not sure where you're coming up with that view. People have a right to complain if they're not happy and it's not uncommon for people to seek the same aspects that made them happy in a new city. Portland is not going to change "for the worse" because of people moving there. Anyhow "change for the worse" is all subjective anyways as worse to you may be better for the next person. Overall you have to take the good with the bad and continue to fight for what you believe in. We can't do much about the weather but we can exercise kindness far more than our ignorance. You're right many people can say that you're the problem and I'm sure there are many who feel that way. Others may feels the same about them and so on. We need to focus on how all of us can be better people so that one day we can co-exist in peace.

[Supernova7]

Originally Posted by nancy thereader

oh, dear. A knish is a large potato pancake (baked) w/ onions and (I guess) other secret ingredients thrown in. They really reflect the Lower East Side (Jewish) section of early 20th century NY. I don't think that I have had a really good knish in a long time. You pronounce it k-n-ish . I'm sure you would like them. What's not to like ? (as they would say on the Lower East Side).

Yes, it's delicious. It's been a few years since I had a Knish but I long to have one soon. In NY they serve it with sour cream. I like to mix the sour cream with crushed raspberries.

[sickofnyc]

Although the standard knish is filled with potato/onion, kasha they can be filled with anything..even cheese and fruit. The secret to a really awesome knish is the right dough. I actually prefer the fried knish. The dough is crisip yet chewy. Mustard is the condiment mostly used with the potato/onion and even with the kasha. There have been so many variations and the best I remember are no longer available even in NY. Thought it might be something to bring to Portland since I have the really great dough recipe. We'll see.

[oldtintype]

Portland is not going to change "for the worse" because of people moving there.



It will in part because it drives up the cost of housing, increases the traffic, many people are moving here because they want simply a cheaper place to live rather than moving here SPECIFICALLY because they like the region and what it has to offer, etc. All of the above does eventually effect the quality of life for people already in the region. California's certainly an example of that when you compare it to 20 years ago!

[Supernova7]

Originally Posted by oldtintype

Portland is not going to change "for the worse" because of people moving there.



It will in part because it drives up the cost of housing, increases the traffic, many people are moving here because they want simply a cheaper place to live rather than moving here SPECIFICALLY because they like the region and what it has to offer, etc. All of the above does eventually effect the quality of life for people already in the region. California's certainly an example of that when you compare it to 20 years ago!

Housing costs are going to go up regardless, it's called inflation. Traffic will increase only if people choose to drive, there's certainly a good public transit alternative. As mentioned before, people move for different reasons and no one can say what's right and wrong for the next person. I think whatever the reason people move, the only thing that has to make sense is to the person moving. It's highly doubtful that anyone moves JUST for a cheap place to live! If that was true, then Portland certainly wouldn't fit the criteria as it's far from being cheap, not NY or CA but still far from being a cheap place.
People are looking for a combination of factors, usually cost of living, economy, what the people are like, culture and so much more....

If the locals have a problem with that, I say too bad! Deal with it. No state or city belongs to anyone, this is America and you can live where you choose. You can either be a good neighbor and welcome people or you can make people feel unwelcomed because you choose to be ignorant and selfish. The choice is entirely up to the individual. California didn't become a bad city because people started moving in. The problems, much like any city, stem from human conflicts and a clash in values. California had its share of problems from its founding days, the only difference is how we deal with those problems.

Quality of life? Very subjective. Quality to you may not be quality to the next person. Nonetheless I do feel that people have to make an effort to respect each other and find a way to co-exist in peace.

[oldtintype]

You're missing my point. You can't possibly think California hasn't changed for the worse in the last 20 years and that's largely due to overpopulation. It's not all about cost of living, it's about quality of life in terms of air quality, congestion, lack of open space, conservation and so on. That's why so many people are leaving CA--the quality of life has declined. That's why I left as well.

However, my point was that many people don't move here because they enjoy Portland, they move here because they can buy a bigger house and drive their SUV in traffic for only 40 minutes instead of 2 hours and they aren't interested in what has made Portland so great.

Actually, many people did move here because it was cheap and it WAS, but it's not cheap anymore. Congestion is a lot worse than it used to be too. You have to take the good with the bad obviously, however, I sure hope Portland doesn't turn into the Bay Area or Los Angeles as yes, quality of life is not as good in those locations unless you have a lot of money. Maybe if you move here you'll understand. You kind of have to get out of Southern CA to get it.

[sickofnyc]

AKS,
Thanks for the good wishes. You say 2.2 million people? A piece of cake!
Brooklyn's population as of 2000 - 2,465,326
Square miles: 70.61

We have had an onslaught of immigrants since 2000, not sure what the numbers are now.

[nancy thereader]

I really am a person who investigates everything before I venture out & Portland has so many wonderful attributes , including (for me) the weather. There was an article this month in Travel & Leisure. And, I have to say that even though I am not even there yet, I thought , "Well, I hope that everyone else just doesn't rush to live there."

Who would have thought that a thread about a KNISH would have generated all these responses !!!

[nancy thereader]

Oldtintype - I am wondering if you collect these old photographs. I did use to have one of newsboys in old Manhattan , but somehow it disappeared .
No, I have never heard of a samosa . It sounds sort of like a Japanese drink.
I think out west, you have more foods from Japan than we do here in New York.

Most cultures have similiar foods with just different names (beef patties = empanadas = dumplings et. al. ).