4157Certain people trying to get a rise out of you will insist that Portland is not only burning, but in ashes now.
It gets them fans.
On Saturday night, this is what NW 1st Avenue looked like between Burnside and Couch:
Old Town is a destination, but it's been so commodified that if you're there anytime after business hours, it's so deserted in places, it's just a liminal space now.
Well, to be fair, the MAX stop there under the Burnside Bridge did kind of smell of pee. And there were homeless men lining up for admission to the Portland Rescue Mission, but homelessness is a thing that exists here in Portland. And the Rescue Mission has been there for decades.
Of course, anyone willing to take the mental effort can imaging burning cars and derelict people out of Escape From New York, if you wanna. I can't stop you. And if you look far enough, you'll see a junky tent on a streetcorner. Portland's a Big Town, and those things happen here ... Portland doesn't strictly reserve the rights to that.
But anyone who thinks that Portland is a hell hole consumes too much right-wing media, and needs to get a damned grip.
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