6 ms·

Portland seems to be attracting a lot of hackers lately, so it will be interesting to see if the startup scene and investment money follow.

by dminor 15y ago

ronnier 15y ago
I don't understand why, other than being among other hackers. I recently visited there and was really disgusted with the place.
- dminor 15y ago
  What disgusted you?
  - ronnier 15y ago
    The place was filthy and dilapidated. Seeing people covered in tattoos and piercings gets old and tiresome for some reason. It's just not the place for me, but awesome for those who fit in there.
    - dminor 15y ago
      > The place was filthy and dilapidated I can't say it seems any more so than other large cities I've visited, like SF, Seattle, or LA. What are you comparing it to? > Seeing people covered in tattoos and piercings gets old and tiresome for some reason. Yeah, if this isn't your thing the Portland might be wrong for you ;) Still, there are suburbs and such where this isn't the norm.
    - arjn 15y ago
      dunno what you're talking about. Portland is not filthy and dilapidated.
    - tolmasky 15y ago
      Are you sure you're thinking of Portland? Portland is consistently named one of (if not THE) America's cleanest cities. http://www.google.com/search?q=americas+cleanest+city http://www.google.com/search?q=americas+cleanest+city What are you comparing it against?
      - ronnier 15y ago
        Plano, Texas (and surrounding areas: Frisco, North Dallas, Richardson, Allen). I live in Seattle now. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plano,_Texas http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plano,_Texas
        tolmasky 15y ago
        So let me get his straight, you are comparing Plano, a town with a population of roughly 250,000 people, that was named the wealthiest city in America (per your own link), with Portland. I might as well compare it to my tiny hometown in orange county, of course I'm going to reach a ridiculous conclusion about it's employment level and cleanliness (and tattoo level?) I think you would hate SF btw.
        ronnier 15y ago
        No, I'm comparing it with Plano and surrounding areas, which is larger than Portland. There are aspects of SF I like, I've been. The problem is the housing costs. It's just much cheaper to live in the DFW area. And not only is it cheaper, you can buy a new home that's much larger compared to what one could buy in Portland or SF. Even in Seattle, the houses here are very old, small, and expensive. Some people like that style of home, it's just not me. What I do like about Portland, SF, and Seattle is the geek culture.
        thos3000 15y ago
        Man, if Portland was anything like Plano, I'd leave here faster than anyone. I grew up in Austin with cousins in Plano and while it was certainly clean, it was the most soulless, character-less place I have EVER been. Thank FSM we're not anything remotely like that place.
        deleted 15y ago
        [deleted]
    - bkudria 15y ago
      > Seeing people covered in tattoos and piercings gets old and tiresome for some reason. "For some reason"? This sort of willful cognitive dissonance is always fascinating to see in the wild. Here's a hint: it's either you, or it's them.
    - kemiller 15y ago
      I guarantee that if you like what Plano represents, you'll hate what Portland represents, and that the feeling is mutual. But you'd probably like Lake Oswego or Beaverton. I'm surprised you like Seattle, for that matter, unless you're actually living in the suburbs and not telling us.
  - Pakourama 15y ago
    Probably the rampant unemployment, underemployment, low paying jobs if you can actually get one, and the huge homeless population which is more a reflection on how abysmal the city and local economy is than those unfortunate enough to be homeless themselves. Don't forget the nonstop rain and suicide hotline numbers posted on every bridge or parking garage higher than 20 feet, since nearly everyone is cranked out on antidepressants or else they'd be leaping into the Willamette river with cement shoes on too. When I lived there and had visitors from out of the area, everyone commented on how depressing the place was. Not a good place to live or raise a family. If you like the Pacific Northwest, go with Seattle, yes the weather is still crap but the city is vibrant, has real jobs with real wages, and you can actually build a career there.
    - larrykubin 15y ago
      Wow, can't believe all of the negative comments on here towards Portland. My wife and I moved here a couple months ago and can't stop thinking about how much we love the place. We were just joking last night about how if we listened to people on the internet, we would have never made such a great move out of fear we would be depressed and living in the streets. We've had a completely opposite experience from the points listed here: 1) Impossible to find a job? My wife just applied to 3 companies and got offers from all 3 within one month of us getting here, all paying equal or higher to her previous jobs -- and we knew literally zero people when we arrived. 2) Filthy and disgusting? Sorry, I've seen some disgusting shit (literally) on the streets in some of the other cities mentioned in this thread. People have tattoos and piercings? I'm surprised that bothers anyone. Who cares. 3) Rain? Sure, it rains. Not many cities have perfect weather. Where I just moved from (Austin), it has been 105 degrees for 70 days straight. That can be pretty depressing. Since we've been here, we've gone to O'Reilly's OSCon, went to multiple beer festivals, went to multiple block parties, went to the coast, visited Cannon Beach, Rockaway Beach, Cape Meares, went to the Columbia River Gorge, saw many waterfalls, saw the Shins perform live in a small bar, also Phife from A Tribe Called Quest. Frequently visit amazing coffee houses and breweries, went to a neighborhood picnic, ate at a jillion food carts for less than $5, worked at a free coworking space downtown, walked/jogged/hiked in many beautiful parks, and browsed badass bookstores. I like the food better, the public transportation is better, the rent is affordable, it is bike friendly, there are beautiful flowers in the neighborhood, the people are chill. Depressing? Not at all.
- arjn 15y ago
  You're just trolling right ? Portland is a great place. And its good even though Oregon (in general) has had an unemployment problem for longer than most other states.
jvoorhis 15y ago
It's already here. Our company (AppFog) was founded in Portland and we just secured our Series B. We have offices in the same building as JanRain and yet another co-working space. In Old Town or the Pearl District, there are startups on every other block. Interestingly, our biggest challenge right now is recruiting. If you're considering moving to Portland, we could use you. http://blog.phpfog.com/2011/06/10/we-are-hiring/ http://blog.phpfog.com/2011/06/10/we-are-hiring/
- dminor 15y ago
  There's definitely increased activity, but I think it falls short of being a scene (I say this as someone looking on from Hillsboro). I guess I'm looking for a larger VC to set up shop, rather than visit from somewhere else.
- shrikant 15y ago
  OT, and completely uninformed question: how's the scene in recruiting straight from Portland State University? (I ask out of idle curiosity, because I once had the opportunity to do an MS in CS there a while (6 years) back, and I passed up because I couldn't take on the financial burden - please drop me an email if you feel this might threadjack the discussion here.)
  - jvoorhis 15y ago
    We haven't tried recruiting from PSU ourselves, but we probably should. Galois (http://corp.galois.com/ http://corp.galois.com/) recruits students from PSU's CS program. My colleagues from PSU's mathematics dept have also been a pleasure to work with.
    - thos3000 15y ago
      Yup, Galois is the most obvious direct recruiter from PSU, but there are others, to be sure, but not enough. I've got a few friends in the MS and PHd programs at PSU and they certainly don't have people beating down their doors, I'm sorry to say. It would certainly be good to see more direct recruiting and internship opportunities opening up.
jgmmo 15y ago
I live in Eugene OR. I am dying for a Ruby users group, or coworking spot, or anything! There is no sign of a tech scene at all here!
- jordanlev 15y ago
  Umm... Eugene is not Portland. You should come on up to a rubypdx meetings some time -- really great people and almost always interesting topics. http://pdxruby.org/ http://pdxruby.org/

Portland seems to be attracting a lot of hackers lately, so it will be interesting to see if the startup scene and investment money follow.

by dminor 15y ago

Portland seems to be attracting a lot of hackers lately, so it will be interesting to see if the startup scene and investment money follow.

ronnier 15y ago

I don't understand why, other than being among other hackers. I recently visited there and was really disgusted with the place.

dminor 15y ago
What disgusted you?
- ronnier 15y ago
  The place was filthy and dilapidated. Seeing people covered in tattoos and piercings gets old and tiresome for some reason. It's just not the place for me, but awesome for those who fit in there.
  - dminor 15y ago
    > The place was filthy and dilapidated I can't say it seems any more so than other large cities I've visited, like SF, Seattle, or LA. What are you comparing it to? > Seeing people covered in tattoos and piercings gets old and tiresome for some reason. Yeah, if this isn't your thing the Portland might be wrong for you ;) Still, there are suburbs and such where this isn't the norm.
  - arjn 15y ago
    dunno what you're talking about. Portland is not filthy and dilapidated.
  - tolmasky 15y ago
    Are you sure you're thinking of Portland? Portland is consistently named one of (if not THE) America's cleanest cities. http://www.google.com/search?q=americas+cleanest+city http://www.google.com/search?q=americas+cleanest+city What are you comparing it against?
    - ronnier 15y ago
      Plano, Texas (and surrounding areas: Frisco, North Dallas, Richardson, Allen). I live in Seattle now. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plano,_Texas http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plano,_Texas
      - tolmasky 15y ago
        So let me get his straight, you are comparing Plano, a town with a population of roughly 250,000 people, that was named the wealthiest city in America (per your own link), with Portland. I might as well compare it to my tiny hometown in orange county, of course I'm going to reach a ridiculous conclusion about it's employment level and cleanliness (and tattoo level?) I think you would hate SF btw.
        ronnier 15y ago
        No, I'm comparing it with Plano and surrounding areas, which is larger than Portland. There are aspects of SF I like, I've been. The problem is the housing costs. It's just much cheaper to live in the DFW area. And not only is it cheaper, you can buy a new home that's much larger compared to what one could buy in Portland or SF. Even in Seattle, the houses here are very old, small, and expensive. Some people like that style of home, it's just not me. What I do like about Portland, SF, and Seattle is the geek culture.
      - thos3000 15y ago
        Man, if Portland was anything like Plano, I'd leave here faster than anyone. I grew up in Austin with cousins in Plano and while it was certainly clean, it was the most soulless, character-less place I have EVER been. Thank FSM we're not anything remotely like that place.
      - deleted 15y ago
        [deleted]
  - bkudria 15y ago
    > Seeing people covered in tattoos and piercings gets old and tiresome for some reason. "For some reason"? This sort of willful cognitive dissonance is always fascinating to see in the wild. Here's a hint: it's either you, or it's them.
  - kemiller 15y ago
    I guarantee that if you like what Plano represents, you'll hate what Portland represents, and that the feeling is mutual. But you'd probably like Lake Oswego or Beaverton. I'm surprised you like Seattle, for that matter, unless you're actually living in the suburbs and not telling us.
- Pakourama 15y ago
  Probably the rampant unemployment, underemployment, low paying jobs if you can actually get one, and the huge homeless population which is more a reflection on how abysmal the city and local economy is than those unfortunate enough to be homeless themselves. Don't forget the nonstop rain and suicide hotline numbers posted on every bridge or parking garage higher than 20 feet, since nearly everyone is cranked out on antidepressants or else they'd be leaping into the Willamette river with cement shoes on too. When I lived there and had visitors from out of the area, everyone commented on how depressing the place was. Not a good place to live or raise a family. If you like the Pacific Northwest, go with Seattle, yes the weather is still crap but the city is vibrant, has real jobs with real wages, and you can actually build a career there.
  - larrykubin 15y ago
    Wow, can't believe all of the negative comments on here towards Portland. My wife and I moved here a couple months ago and can't stop thinking about how much we love the place. We were just joking last night about how if we listened to people on the internet, we would have never made such a great move out of fear we would be depressed and living in the streets. We've had a completely opposite experience from the points listed here: 1) Impossible to find a job? My wife just applied to 3 companies and got offers from all 3 within one month of us getting here, all paying equal or higher to her previous jobs -- and we knew literally zero people when we arrived. 2) Filthy and disgusting? Sorry, I've seen some disgusting shit (literally) on the streets in some of the other cities mentioned in this thread. People have tattoos and piercings? I'm surprised that bothers anyone. Who cares. 3) Rain? Sure, it rains. Not many cities have perfect weather. Where I just moved from (Austin), it has been 105 degrees for 70 days straight. That can be pretty depressing. Since we've been here, we've gone to O'Reilly's OSCon, went to multiple beer festivals, went to multiple block parties, went to the coast, visited Cannon Beach, Rockaway Beach, Cape Meares, went to the Columbia River Gorge, saw many waterfalls, saw the Shins perform live in a small bar, also Phife from A Tribe Called Quest. Frequently visit amazing coffee houses and breweries, went to a neighborhood picnic, ate at a jillion food carts for less than $5, worked at a free coworking space downtown, walked/jogged/hiked in many beautiful parks, and browsed badass bookstores. I like the food better, the public transportation is better, the rent is affordable, it is bike friendly, there are beautiful flowers in the neighborhood, the people are chill. Depressing? Not at all.
arjn 15y ago
You're just trolling right ? Portland is a great place. And its good even though Oregon (in general) has had an unemployment problem for longer than most other states.

jvoorhis 15y ago

It's already here. Our company (AppFog) was founded in Portland and we just secured our Series B. We have offices in the same building as JanRain and yet another co-working space. In Old Town or the Pearl District, there are startups on every other block. Interestingly, our biggest challenge right now is recruiting. If you're considering moving to Portland, we could use you. http://blog.phpfog.com/2011/06/10/we-are-hiring/ http://blog.phpfog.com/2011/06/10/we-are-hiring/

dminor 15y ago
There's definitely increased activity, but I think it falls short of being a scene (I say this as someone looking on from Hillsboro). I guess I'm looking for a larger VC to set up shop, rather than visit from somewhere else.
shrikant 15y ago
OT, and completely uninformed question: how's the scene in recruiting straight from Portland State University? (I ask out of idle curiosity, because I once had the opportunity to do an MS in CS there a while (6 years) back, and I passed up because I couldn't take on the financial burden - please drop me an email if you feel this might threadjack the discussion here.)
- jvoorhis 15y ago
  We haven't tried recruiting from PSU ourselves, but we probably should. Galois (http://corp.galois.com/ http://corp.galois.com/) recruits students from PSU's CS program. My colleagues from PSU's mathematics dept have also been a pleasure to work with.
  - thos3000 15y ago
    Yup, Galois is the most obvious direct recruiter from PSU, but there are others, to be sure, but not enough. I've got a few friends in the MS and PHd programs at PSU and they certainly don't have people beating down their doors, I'm sorry to say. It would certainly be good to see more direct recruiting and internship opportunities opening up.

jgmmo 15y ago

I live in Eugene OR. I am dying for a Ruby users group, or coworking spot, or anything! There is no sign of a tech scene at all here!

jordanlev 15y ago
Umm... Eugene is not Portland. You should come on up to a rubypdx meetings some time -- really great people and almost always interesting topics. http://pdxruby.org/ http://pdxruby.org/