I finally figured it out

[sekhmet1974]

Originally Posted by Inkpoe

Seattle isn't a big town. It's a city. With a population of almost 3.5 million.

Portland is and feels like a town. And has a population of almost 2.3 million.

Seattle is nearly twice the size of Portland. It does make a difference whether you like to admit it or not.

Personally I never felt any competitiveness b/w PDX and Seattle. I do notice that PDX as a town seem to have a inferiority complex though. People do not turn up their nose at Portland... why would they? While on paper, Portland and Seattle are similar... they're aren't and have their reasons for not being more similar.

3.5 million is not even close to almost twice of 2.3 million. Please relearn basic math.

Both are SMALL cities, and I hesitate to call either of them even that due to their lack of late night life, limited public transportation, and culture in general(compared to real cities). Oddly, I think Portland's public transportation is a lot better. I also think Portland people *in general* are more approachable/friendly. Portland is slower paced, but this is more due to the nature of the people that live there than anything else. I have known a lot more people from Seattle who considered moving to Portland (and even some that did) than the other way around. I lived in Seattle for 12 years, my sister lives in Portland, so I have a good amount of experience in both of these very small cities. I also have the comparative experience of living in real cities like NYC and DC (which shows that population does not define everything because DC has a smaller population but is most definitely more of a "city" than Seattle and Portland.

[Inkpoe]

Originally Posted by sekhmet1974

3.5 million is not even close to almost twice of 2.3 million. Please relearn basic math.

Both are SMALL cities, and I hesitate to call either of them even that due to their lack of late night life, limited public transportation, and culture in general(compared to real cities). Oddly, I think Portland's public transportation is a lot better. I also think Portland people *in general* are more approachable/friendly. Portland is slower paced, but this is more due to the nature of the people that live there than anything else. I have known a lot more people from Seattle who considered moving to Portland (and even some that did) than the other way around. I lived in Seattle for 12 years, my sister lives in Portland, so I have a good amount of experience in both of these very small cities. I also have the comparative experience of living in real cities like NYC and DC (which shows that population does not define everything because DC has a smaller population but is most definitely more of a "city" than Seattle and Portland.

LOL... You caught me there, I rounded up Seattle's numbers, but not PDX... Complete brainfart there.

I know more people who left PDX and moved to Seattle than the other way around. They pretty much all disliked PDX because it was harder to live there than here.

You can't really compare Seattle to NYC/DC... because that's part of the NorthEast (BosWash) Megalopolis. Numbers do play a game... there may be less people living in the DC area than Seattle... but it's part of a very old region that heavily urbanized and heavily populated. IIRC, it has close to 45 million people. Obviously as you know... we are nowhere near that.

Originally Posted by doity

No, I just read a lot of comments in the "Seattle vs Portland" threads that gave me the idea that Seattleite's (?) fancied themselves a much larger place. And no, Seattle is only 1 million bigger metro wise and that is only because you throw in Tacoma. If Salem (which is only 40 miles away) is included in Portland's metro, it would be a lot closer.

And besides, does this look like a "town" to you?

Yes... it does look like a "town". I've been there many times. Even the densest part of PDX doesn't feel as dense.

Seattle's MSA does include Tacoma. PDX and Salem are separate entities apparently, as Salem has their own MSA.

[seattlerain]

Originally Posted by sekhmet1974

3.5 million is not even close to almost twice of 2.3 million. Please relearn basic math.

Both are SMALL cities, and I hesitate to call either of them even that due to their lack of late night life, limited public transportation, and culture in general(compared to real cities). Oddly, I think Portland's public transportation is a lot better. I also think Portland people *in general* are more approachable/friendly. Portland is slower paced, but this is more due to the nature of the people that live there than anything else. I have known a lot more people from Seattle who considered moving to Portland (and even some that did) than the other way around. I lived in Seattle for 12 years, my sister lives in Portland, so I have a good amount of experience in both of these very small cities. I also have the comparative experience of living in real cities like NYC and DC (which shows that population does not define everything because DC has a smaller population but is most definitely more of a "city" than Seattle and Portland.

Why not just come out and say it...you think Seattle is a backwards hick town...but wait, it's really more of a village than a town.

[sekhmet1974]

Originally Posted by Inkpoe

LOL... You caught me there, I rounded up Seattle's numbers, but not PDX... Complete brainfart there.

I know more people who left PDX and moved to Seattle than the other way around. They pretty much all disliked PDX because it was harder to live there than here.

You can't really compare Seattle to NYC/DC... because that's part of the NorthEast (BosWash) Megalopolis. Numbers do play a game... there may be less people living in the DC area than Seattle... but it's part of a very old region that heavily urbanized and heavily populated. IIRC, it has close to 45 million people. Obviously as you know... we are nowhere near that.



Yes... it does look like a "town". I've been there many times. Even the densest part of PDX doesn't feel as dense.

Seattle's MSA does include Tacoma. PDX and Salem are separate entities apparently, as Salem has their own MSA.

That is *exactly* why I can compare it. Seattle and Portland are nowhere NEAR that. Thus not really "cities."

[sekhmet1974]

Originally Posted by seattlerain

Why not just come out and say it...you think Seattle is a backwards hick town...but wait, it's really more of a village than a town.

Um. What? I didn't say anything like that. Read again.

It is very young, not intelligently designed for the current rate of growth(hence the unnecessary hideous traffic) and has a lot of catching up to do. Hick would be Puyallup.

[CarawayDJ]

I guess perspective is everything in life. When people start calling places that have over 2 million people towns and small cities..... Maybe they feel that way, but no, 2 million+ people is a lot of freakin inhabitants.

[SpikeDurden]

Neither city even surpasses 1 million people. Not even close. The metropolitan area does not equal the city. If you count the suburbs then how is that the same as saying the actual city is that big? They're not. Portland is cool but I'd say Seattle wins out simply because it's in the stat of Washington and not in the cesspool of a state called Oregon. Yes. I just offended you.

[the gradual day]

I am a rarity, a Seattle native. I am incapable of seeing Seattle as anything but the sleepy, backward, provincial upper-left-corner spot on the map it was in the 50s. A lot of people from other places now; bigger buildings, lot more money, but the same as SF, Atlanta, Miami, Philadelphia? Never. I have always loved Portland, probably the only other place I would ever have chosen to live.