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Portland local, Jessica Spiegel, shares her top tips on how to stay safe in her hometown. From petty crime to dodgy areas to avoid, here's everything visitors need to know.
Photo © iStock/AndreyKrav
For most visitors, chances are you will feel totally safe and not feel uncomfortable while visiting Portland – except for possibly getting burned if you're too close to The Unipiper's fire-spewing bagpipes. Or maybe hipster overload will leave you feeling slightly out of place.
But before you ask about the sketch comedy series Portlandia, the answer is yes – most locals have seen at least some episodes, but we don't speak in excerpts from the show. Some Portlanders get annoyed at insinuations they're anything like the show’s characters. So, if you think someone reminds you of a character from Portlandia, keep it to yourself.
- Crime and places to avoid in Portland
- How to speak like a Portland local
- What to wear in Portland
- Two fun facts about Portland
Crime and places to avoid in Portland
Portland is a safe city for the most part, but that doesn't mean you should let your guard down. Common sense dictates you shouldn't leave your iThing in view in a locked car and expect it to remain there. Even busy areas of the city have smash-and-grab thefts, so lock your car doors and don't leave visible temptation.
Bike theft is a big deal. If you rent a bike make sure the rental company outfits you with adequate locks (and that you follow their locking instructions).
Bike culture is also a big deal here, which means there are sometimes bike-motorist confrontations if a cyclist thinks a driver is overstepping his or her lanes. Drivers, pay attention to the big (and sometimes painted green) bike lanes and areas.
Homelessness is an issue in Portland, as it is in many cities on the west coast. The vast majority of the time, that just means walking by homeless encampments in Old Town or hearing a nonsensical monologue while you're riding the train. Every so often, though, those situations can escalate. Trust your gut.
Some areas you may want to avoid include:
- Hazelwood around the Gateway Transit Center (highest rate of violent crime in the city).
- West Burnside downtown (closer to the bridge there are a number of homeless shelters and camps; it's more iffy at night).
Most of the less-safe areas of Portland aren't places visitors spend much time. Certain other neighborhoods such as Chinatown and the Lloyd District are popular with visitors but have a reputation for petty theft and property crimes.
Portland's parking police are not slackers, so don’t think you'll get away with overstaying your parking meter by a few minutes or pulling in for just a second to that no-parking zone while you grab an artisanal latte.
How to speak like a Portland local
Here are some local pronunciations that you'll need to get right if you don't want to immediately be taken for an outsider. That big river running through the middle of the city? Never mind how it's spelled, it's pronounced will-AM-ette (as the saying goes around here, 'It's Willamette, dammit.')
The state you're in is OR-eh-gun, not or-eh-GONE. And the street on the west side of the river that looks like it's named for a piece of living room furniture? It's pronounced kooch. Not couch.
Yes, we know.
Portland is dissected into quadrants by the Willamette River and Burnside Street. The names of these quadrants are how locals generally refer to parts of town – NW (northwest), NE (northeast), SE (southeast), and SW (southwest). There’s also North Portland, which breaks rules, but there you have it.
How to dress in Portland
Wondering what you should wear in Portland? This is a casual city. Jeans that don't have holes are considered 'dressy' nearly everywhere – even nice restaurants. And if you bought those $300 jeans with the holes already in them, then they're dressy, too.
You may have heard that it rains nine months of the year here, but... Okay, it does. Sort of. It's not a downpour, more like you're walking around inside a very misty cloud, so most Portlanders eschew umbrellas for waterproof hoods.
Two strange facts about Portland
- There's no sales tax in Oregon. The price on the tag is what you'll pay. Have fun.
- There really is a Uniper with fire-spewing bagpipes.
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22 Comments
If you consider yourself conservative keep it to yourself. And certainly don’t dress the part. Wearing hats or clothing with certain logos (NRA, MAGA, for example) or any clothing with “Trump” will guarantee you will be harassed or followed in certain places. If you choose to wear such clothing, you do so at your own peril.
Portland's homeless population can be dangerous. Avoid all homeless camps. Drug addiction is rampant and do not wear sandels as there are used needles laying about. Human feces can be found in downtown business vestibule. Our vehicle was broken into even though nothing was left to be taken. Panhandlers are very aggressive. Not a safe city!
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My husband and I used to take a few days off and spend a couple nights in very nice downtown hotel.
Not anymore. We live in Oregon, but no longer ever stop for a meal there.
Most of the homeless are aggressive. The streets are filthy. Even the "nice" areas where 3-4 star hotels are, are surrounded by homeless people, begging.
Portland is not what it used to be at least in the past 5 years. We were going there once a year for fun, show..... stop doing so about 5 years ago. It is becoming like downtown LA.
It is really sad, that what used to be a nice city, is not managed much by any of its leaders.
Love the hysterical comments here.
Portland will not be bummed if people who can't deal with the reality of the homeless (a growing issue through out the *entire* country! please explain where you'd like them to go) and are sad that they'd be better off leaving their MAGA hats at their hotel don't stop by for a visit. Tourism is thriving and the city is much more beyond the downtown area which is yes, often dirty, but also mostly very boring. There is much more to the city outside of it. If you enjoy partial clouds, immense greenery, a variety of unique, impressive shops and restaurants then go ahead and visit. Just use your common sense when booking lodging and do a little research about the area you're staying in. However, if you're scared of everything outside of small towns and suburbs and you're intimidated by "hipsters" probably not the place for you!
Portland downtown horribly managed by the mayor, human poop on the sidewalk in a 1st world country. Just a shame. They should corral the homeless into an area that we can all stay away from like Vancouver bc. There is nothing cute about a bum.
Portland downtown horribly managed by the mayor, human poop on the sidewalk in a 1st world country. Just a shame. They should corral the homeless into an area that we can all stay away from like Vancouver bc. There is nothing cute about a bum.
Lived in portland for most of my life. The people change, times change. Most of the time, our choices we make effect others as well. If we choose to let things get out of hand (Like our Homelessness issues, drug addicts and what not) we have only ourselfs to blame. We cant make others change, we can only change ourselfs. In the end, Portland; and many city's like it, are to dependent on the idea of leting everyone do what they want. That goes for the city government aswell as the state. We must change how we perceive these problems in order to find the solutions we need to be a not only a better city, but a better country as well.
There is nothing g in Portland worth seeing. It is being trashed and over run with violent homeless people that choose to live off the grid. Go instead to Hood river Oregon. Take a cruise down the River. Go to Astoria....go over the bridge to Longbeach Washington. The North Pacidic Coast is beautiful.
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I went to a downtown establishment. They were having something special on the street that night. So when we went in to the arcade. We went to ground Kontrol and had a bad experience three times. The first time when we came out of ground Kontrol the car was being towed away due to restrictions on parking during a downtown exhibition. When we walked 2 miles to get where the impala in the car we had to pay $350 to get the car back. They told us that the Portland please get 125 of that 350 so they’re in courage to have cars towed by a certain towing company. Second time we went to ground Kontrol we came from billings Montana and they wouldn’t let us in the door. There was a party of five of us and one of them which was me left my wallet at a relatives house in Washington. Since I had out no ID and I am 78 years old they wouldn’t let me in the door so nobody went in the door. The third time we went to ground Kontrol we had kids and they wouldn’t let them in because they didn’t have ID and the time was not right.
I grew up in Washington outside the Seattle area, went to college in Portland in the late 70's, both Cities were wonderful and safe. Today, they are both dangerous, smelly, and out of control. I would tell anybody who is visiting the great Pacific NW to visit towns outside both these cities. In Oregon, go to the Gorge and visit towns like Hood River or Stevenson WA. both these towns have not been ruined by the Portland hipsters yet although you will see the occasional bumper sticker that reads, " Keep Portland in Portland" it's what most of us think out here, we welcome the tourist though so please fly into Portland. rent your car there but head east or west and enjoy a part of Oregon and Washington that hasn't been ruined yet.
So I live in Bend, which has its own issues itself but Portland as of lately is a separatee of Oregon because of all the fucking riots, it's a disgrace to the rest of the state, I don't go to Portland anymore cuz I personally am not ready to die yet I go to some Portland suburbs once in awhile but nope pretty much the rest of Oregon has disowned Portland, all that bs that's landed on national news isn't how we wanted to be recognized as a state
Librarians had been apt to call on fbi who pretended to be students on campus recently asked librarian to transfer his life to themselves after helping prosecutor create helicopter he flew in florida in california. Thought they were following him from their town to where librarians told police he used computer. internet ucla started asking to come look at man security could store their lifes as maybe a catch. Catch him. Asked where he rent they were friends of police and wanted bruce hemingway and rudy fricker to make him homeless fir bus driver who also used berkeley police to describe Glendale police life on yosemite in thousand oaks north berkeley where they hid as starbucks workers on shattuck and salina calling police..he wanted to talk to him 1984 about his tennis racquet. was not likely friendly. May have been his own father asking police supervisor of northern county to take his racquet due to his hate for his demons against his second life at his exwife. They colluded they could guilt riddle him using Latinos who had worked so integral as police and sheriff against lonely Blackmon wanting their supervisor a black man to steal. Hus life as long beach gang protection for social security workers. He was denied even to say things 1984 but had ask if gangs could let his family be his police deaths possibly shooting him. Having gone to sheriff told them james has dog and maybe sticking the dog on him for adt who helped him watch him bleeping at his house explaining he was watching television instead of being pico women who apparently helps usmarshal remove him from homes and jobs and tells them she wants him to come visit. We are white people and perhaps police in their town are hard appreciated his formers management from junior high school was that he does not own the building and told police lieutenant to give his jobs to her friends. Being from large towns where city attempts at suit had been riddled by their attempt to be whites who want his job his address his location. As they see it prosecutor ask el cerritos and UCLA to help them give deathly leg spasm
Recently Philippine arts community had taken their elementary school down to park after their school was apt to call police on people they donot like. This caused his own family to be friended by police telling Berkeley they are petra haden and work as some one he knows but he was around. This included police commission talking to his 3 friends Josh haden james fenton and quinn haber who would releive him of friendship during their true state of being billionaires. They became usmarshal habitat of horny 19 year olds told them in theory to go look he is talking to someone on phone. Their invasion of privacy had grown to him eights in 1990 and caused them to claim he was going to murder someone... police hid this..eventhough he never murdered police secretly grew a community that says he was murdering. And had not someone more than secretly give him death row life. In light end whites of oakland help police complain by finding him following him pretend we know him police see track him by connecting western union to him or follow him into stores access chance to hear his name. Leaving him alone during these trips seemed like their eventual trip to San Diego where they thought he was indicted for showering at his home and told Philippines he showered and perhaps as his custom had only been police informant
His step and his father used police to be his friend but their friends children visiting police. This may had stem from his job as 15 year old included his nine year old jobs which Latinos also wanted to end but believe both his mother and father worked against hi. In mexicans. Stealing his jobs trying tattach their reason to get him back for when he was 12 or when he was 8.....
In Alameda county los abgeles police helped company like rheem that support police informants..and likely cutting hands from people who talk to home owners or the lesser a white man. This was many bus drivers and police chiefs themat helped his parents kill man they would never know but would attack while looking for eggs..assault him and as member of bus drivers or community they allowed to defile them they could rise as being hazed by sorority or fraternity like system invisible in society. Coming back in 2029 to say you were murdering someone on the phone seemed like their charge of death row in 1990 as 18 year old usmarshal sex regular who peaked into see what...he was talking to some one. He was not speaking and thought perhaps they could be deaf person t and would never need to talk to him their invention dont talk to your friend meant attempt by joe pesci...the invisible security guard who would support Italians in buildings and no longer need to be a black man friends. We could be dillinger or baby face or his executioners.. they felt they charged him and were able to tell people he talk to by...capturing same things like howling out things or police in Berkeley who stole his guitar simply tape his phone call then hide. Police are terrorist. And it would seem unable to allow people theycsrmteal from to enter homes and live. Instead Chinese or koreans are police who furnish jobs for police for short legnthsvtjat determine ssi payments permanently excluding friendship firvthese police and infact former cia who no longer exist for him...
Recently Philippine arts community had taken their elementary school down to park after their school was apt to call police on people they donot like. This caused his own family to be friended by police telling Berkeley they are petra haden and work as some one he knows but he was around. This included police commission talking to his 3 friends Josh haden james fenton and quinn haber who would releive him of friendship during their true state of being billionaires. They became usmarshal habitat of horny 19 year olds told them in theory to go look he is talking to someone on phone. Their invasion of privacy had grown to him eights in 1990 and caused them to claim he was going to murder someone... police hid this..eventhough he never murdered police secretly grew a community that says he was murdering. And had not someone more than secretly give him death row life. In light end whites of oakland help police complain by finding him following him pretend we know him police see track him by connecting western union to him or follow him into stores access chance to hear his name. Leaving him alone during these trips seemed like their eventual trip to San Diego where they thought he was indicted for showering at his home and told Philippines he showered and perhaps as his custom had only been police informant
His step and his father used police to be his friend but their friends children visiting police. This may had stem from his job as 15 year old included his nine year old jobs which Latinos also wanted to end but believe both his mother and father worked against hi. In mexicans. Stealing his jobs trying tattach their reason to get him back for when he was 12 or when he was 8.....
In Alameda county los abgeles police helped company like rheem that support police informants..and likely cutting hands from people who talk to home owners or the lesser a white man. This was many bus drivers and police chiefs themat helped his parents kill man they would never know but would attack while looking for eggs..assault him and as member of bus drivers or community they allowed to defile them they could rise as being hazed by sorority or fraternity like system invisible in society. Coming back in 2029 to say you were murdering someone on the phone seemed like their charge of death row in 1990 as 18 year old usmarshal sex regular who peaked into see what...he was talking to some one. He was not speaking and thought perhaps they could be deaf person t and would never need to talk to him their invention dont talk to your friend meant attempt by joe pesci...the invisible security guard who would support Italians in buildings and no longer need to be a black man friends. We could be dillinger or baby face or his executioners.. they felt they charged him and were able to tell people he talk to by...capturing same things like howling out things or police in Berkeley who stole his guitar simply tape his phone call then hide. Police are terrorist. And it would seem unable to allow people theycsrmteal from to enter homes and live. Instead Chinese or koreans are police who furnish jobs for police for short legnthsvtjat determine ssi payments permanently excluding friendship firvthese police and infact former cia who no longer exist for him...
Portland is the same as every other medium-sized to large city in America. Plenty of problems and plenty of cool stuff to see. Honestly, all of you people afraid to come here or Seattle are laughable. Live a little. Have you ever been outside of the United States? LOL! We got a pretty good thing going here. Or don't come and visit. Leave it for us to enjoy.
What a shame, Portland just like Seattle government, gave into the radicals and now the entire population is having to pay the cost.
Sell and move out to a booming state that protects and honors it's law abiding citizens
Portland is one the worse citys on the west coast. I have watched it transform into a shooting gallery of criminals hiding behind local leftist poltical agendas. Portland will have one of the top spots in the nation for highest crime within the next 2 years . Visit at your own risk..
I first went to Portland at 12, on the bus, from eastern Oregon. It was educational. The bus station was smelly, there were homeless people and drug addicts hanging out. I got there at 11:30 pm. I learned that this is city life for a lot of people. Portland and Seattle both went through a gentrification process, kicking the homeless and other underground denizens out of the downtown area for a time in the 80's and early 90's. Now it's kind of back to what it was back in the 70's, wild and woolly. I understand why some people have an issue with all of this. For those people, stay home or do your research and only go to those areas you feel comfortable in. Downtown is not for everyone. There are a number of things to see in the Portland area that are very cool and very fun. For myself, I will continue to brave the downtown areas in order to go to Powell's and other places that have been part of my life since I was 12 years old. Oh, and if you happen to run into a homeless person who is panhandling, try talking to them like they are fellow humans, you might be surprised at what you learn about them and about yourself.
It's hard to see the nightly looting and rioting that have been happening in Portland. It appears the police have been neutered to the point of no return by the political elite. I will not take my family there as it does not seem safe for families. I read comments about residents saying it is not that bad and if you don't like it, stay out. These people must be city government employees. I don't think anyone in their right mind would risk their life to visit. Seriously.
Portland is a dump! If you like grown men and “women” that don’t work and don’t contribute to society and assault innocent citizens then it’s perfect for ya! If you’re lucky and you can guarantee you will be you can catch the glowing riots and the looting and assaults and shootings nightly! All joking aside there wasn’t any jokes.. I meant every word of what I said. Even the coward Mayor hit the road and never returned. Stay far away from that communist shit hole.
If you are still making excuses for Portland, you just haven't been hurt yet. Lived here all my life (68 years) and I was never afraid to walk anywhere night or day until the last several years. Been the victim of violent unprovoked attacks twice in the last month and a half. Forget about public right of way if you are a pedestrian; transients rule the sidewalks with the mayor's blessing. There is no perception of safety anymore and our elected officials, public transit, and community areas are sub par and not safe. Expect to look out for yourself if you visit and that no one will have your back. If you are hurt on transit, they'll do their level best to deny you any support or pay reparations. Overworked public employees have seen everything . . . it may be horrifying to you but it's just another day in the life for them and they do not feel your pain.
I recommend avoiding China Town. If you want to see the gardens, go by bus, bring only enough money for entry, do not carry a card or purse.
If you want to visit a city with homeless camps everywhere, garbage on most streets ( especially freeways) and businesses with boarded up windows due to burglaries and violent crime, then Portland Oregon is the perfect choice for you. Good luck.