Caption: A couple enjoys a leisurely cruise along Portland’s waterfront dotted with water fountains. Photo credit: TravelOregon.com
Portland is a town ravaged by riots, homeless and violence…NOT SO FAST!!!
According to a September 7 article in Portland Monthly magazine, there are signs of life in the city so villainized by the likes of Fox News and other right wing media.
“A handful of hardy new businesses are taking advantage of vacant spaces and cheaper rents,” states the magazine. “The heavy construction work on Portland’s first five-star hotel rumbles on. Portland State University reopens this fall bringing 30,000 students back downtown.”
The article further states that travel spending in Portland dropped from $5.6 billion in 2019 to $2.4 billion in 2020, a 58 percent decrease.
So how is Portland combating misconceptions about the city? Travel Portland answered the call by launching a national campaign and video promoting some of the city’s major attributes.
This is Portland
The video, entitled “This is Portland,” is available on Youtube.com with the following explanation:
“Some of what you’ve heard about Portland is true. Some is not. What matters most is that we’re true to ourselves.
Willamette River boaters enjoy a Portland waterfront concert.
There’s a river that cuts through the middle of our town. It divides the east and west. But it’s bridged — over and over again. Twelve times, to be specific. And that’s kind of a great metaphor for this city.
We’re a place of dualities that are never polarities. Two sides to the same coin that keeps landing right on its edge. Anything can happen. We like it this way.
This is the kind of place where new ideas are welcome — whether they’re creative, cutting-edge or curious at first glance. You can speak up here. You can be yourself here.
We have some of the loudest voices on the West Coast. And yes, passion pushes the volume all the way up. We’ve always been like this. We wouldn’t have it any other way.
We have faith in the future. We’re building it every day the only way we know how, by being Portland.
Come see for yourself.”
Find food carts in Portland
While in Portland, be sure to visit the many food carts available in the City of Roses.
Travel Portland recently announced the launch of Food Cart Finder, a searchable directory of more than 200 food carts that lets visitors and locals discover carts by pod, cuisine, trademark dishes and dietary needs. Diners can also use Travel Portland’s Near Me Now tool to explore food carts wherever they are in the city.
“We know visitors are excited to explore our acclaimed food cart scene, but often don’t know where to start,” said Richard Tammar, Director of Digital Strategy for Travel Portland. “We also know that Portland’s culinary offerings are a proven driver of overnight visits. And with the pandemic still limiting indoor dining, outdoor options like food carts and patio spaces are more central to Portland dining than ever.”
The new database makes it easy to navigate Portland’s plethora of food carts, whatever criteria guests are looking for. Food Cart Finder search categories by the numbers:
- 200+ food carts
- 27 food cart pods
- 42 types of cuisine
- 34 different searchable trademark dishes
- 8 dietary categories, including Gluten-free (strict & options), Vegan (strict & options), Vegetarian (strict & options), Halal and Kosher
Food cart owners interested in being listed now can find more details and instructions at https://www.travelportland.com/about-us/information-for-food-cart-operators/.
