Some of you might have seen a bumper sticker around the USA that reads “Keep Portland Weird! If not, you might have heard or seen the show Portlandia. Either way, you may wonder what is so weird about Portland? Well, it does not take very long to realize that many things are weird about our city, but in a good way! Portland is a city that prides itself on expressing people’s individuality, expression of all kinds, atypical lifestyles, choices, unique businesses, and ideas.
Whether it’s Darth Vader in a kilt riding a unicycle playing his bagpipes or a couple taking their goat on a walk down the street, on a daily basis you are guaranteed to see something bizarre, that most Portlanders take for granted. If you are lucky, you might spot one of the many art cars that are festooned with thousands of toys, devices, and objects to create a colorful (in multiple meanings) sculpture on wheels. And while the tv show Portlandia (named after a famous downtown statue) lampooned the “true” Portlanders who insist on knowing where and how the chicken they are ordering at a restaurant grew up, reality is not far from that portrait.
From the largest forested natural area within city limits in the US to the smallest park in the world, Portland runs the gamut of extremes because it doesn’t need a reason to conform. Call it weird, different, independent, crazy, it’s just Portland. The weird aspects of Portland alone makes this city one of the top destinations to check out in the United States.
