PORTLAND PICTURE TO THE REST OF THE WORLD

The Portland picture shows up after you forget about the beach, the river, the mountain.

People show up to see the city sparkle and shine like the pictures they’ve seen in tourist magazines for fine living in the great Northwest, Portland pictures that seem to say, “Join us in reverence of our beautiful discovery.”

Portland at sunrise and sunset blanket the earth in peace and goodwill, mainly the parts of earth beside the Willamette River a few miles away from joining the Columbia.

Locals recognize the Portland picture location with views of the river, the bridges, and most important the mountain: It’s a view from the west hills looking east.

Imagine the iconic layout the rest of the world sees of Portland showing up in a huge window every morning. Art Alexakis had to see it to write I Will Buy You A New Life:

I will buy you a garden where your flowers can bloom,

I will buy you a new car,

Perfect, shiny, and new,

I will buy you that big house,

Way up in the West Hills,

Yes, I will,

I will buy you a new life

Portland picture walk

Take a walk up SW Broadway Drive on the other side of 405 near PSU and you’ll get a Portland feeling.

Better yet, cross Burnside at NW 23rd and climb SW Vista. Or take a short cut to the top on the stairways after NW Lovejoy turns into NW Cornell.

The Portland views are stunning from every angle, but is it enough to buy into the neighborhood?

For reference the West Hills begin with a climb out of the NW industrial area, the west hills of gracious living and grand old houses with and without the Hood view.

Portland without the Hood is not the same city. It’s better.

The charm of Portland comes with the view across the street in the right neighborhood. I’m not saying a view of a beautiful house is better than a mountain, but architecture still matters.

People see a Portland picture on a flyer, or online, and lock into the sparkling spectacle; then they move here and discover the spectacular.