Is Portland still a "blue collar" city at heart? (2013, established neighborhood)

[belmont22]

Portland's history is very blue collar - it was an industrial logging town with vast shipyards. Even today it is mostly a service economy and isn't business oriented. Large parts of the city are still industrial.

Do you think Portland still retains a blue collar culture outside of the gentrified areas?

[turquoise1]

In the gentrified areas, it is blue-collar kitsch. Outside of that, it is still very blue-collar.

[EnricoV]

I don't know why the notion that Portland was a logging town persists. It wasn't. It was a port. Shipping was its primary industry. It shipped timber out that came from other parts of Oregon, which were logging towns.

But yes, it's still blue-collar at heart. In and out of the "gentrified" areas.

[pdxMIKEpdx]

Do you think Portland still retains a blue collar culture outside of the
gentrified areas?

Just for info, exactly which "gentrified" areas are you talking about?
There are a lot of nice established neighborhoods around Portland that are not/were not "gentrified".

I kind of find your question interesting because a friend of mine from San Diego was visiting last year and commented that Portland "looks" like a blue collar town.

After she was here for a couple of weeks, she told me that while she still believed that portland looked like a blue collar town, she noticed that just about everybody she had met was white collar but seemed to relish looking and acting like they were blue collar...This was primarily in inner southeast Portland, but she had been all over the whole town.

[Steve Pickering]

I don't see it as Blue Collar. The city is a cross between eclectic bums and upscale yuppies.

[BayAreaHillbilly]

There is still an old school presence (and thank goodness for that) but by and large the real industries have vanished.

[urbanlife78]

Originally Posted by BayAreaHillbilly

There is still an old school presence (and thank goodness for that) but by and large the real industries have vanished.

To some degree, I would disagree with you. Large manufacturing industry might be something vanishing in this country, but in Portland it is very easy to find hundreds of small businesses that are making goods to sell.

[belmont22]

Originally Posted by urbanlife78

To some degree, I would disagree with you. Large manufacturing industry might be something vanishing in this country, but in Portland it is very easy to find hundreds of small businesses that are making goods to sell.

I think the decline in industry in Portland hasn't been nearly as marked as some other places. Sure the Pearl has been made residential but it was only part of a vast industrial area that still spans far to the north. Also on the east side of the river from downtown it's still largely industrial until you get to about 12th Avenue or so.

[oldtintype]

Originally Posted by pdxMIKEpdx

Just for info, exactly which "gentrified" areas are you talking about?
There are a lot of nice established neighborhoods around Portland that are not/were not "gentrified".

I kind of find your question interesting because a friend of mine from San Diego was visiting last year and commented that Portland "looks" like a blue collar town.

After she was here for a couple of weeks, she told me that while she still believed that portland looked like a blue collar town, she noticed that just about everybody she had met was white collar but seemed to relish looking and acting like they were blue collar...This was primarily in inner southeast Portland, but she had been all over the whole town.

Perhaps that's because of the overgrown lawns, yards that aren't perfect, people who aren't dressed up all the time, etc. In many communities in CA people would be fined for their yards if they looked like ours (due to the rain we get), what kind of car you drive really matters, etc. Things are way more clean and manicured in San Diego than they are here. I'm sure things here look shabby and working class for that alone.

[VTHokieFan]

Originally Posted by belmont22

I think the decline in industry in Portland hasn't been nearly as marked as some other places. Sure the Pearl has been made residential but it was only part of a vast industrial area that still spans far to the north. Also on the east side of the river from downtown it's still largely industrial until you get to about 12th Avenue or so.

5 fastest-growing states - 3. Oregon (3) - CNNMoney

I don't know about Portland, but Oregon manufacturing is booming.

Though it should be noted that jobs are declining:

http://economy.money.cnn.com/2013/06...ng-powerhouse/