In the Pacific Northwest there is a large cultural variety, freedom of expression and artistic creativity. People dress from very sloppy to very weird, wearing 18the century costumes, or bright outfits on streets, driving unusually shaped motorcycles and engaging easily in a conversation with a stranger.
Art
The variety and options one has are endless. There are all kinds of dance classes one can take, all kinds of dance clubs one can go to: ballroom, Irish, Hip-hop, Arabian, Bhangra (Indian), pure Salsa, 80th, soul & funk, etc. All genres of music to learn. All these for any age- 3 to 80. All kind of churches to choose from.
Art takes all forms of expressions, whether it’s paintings, handmade items, music and there are opportunities to learn just about anything: leather crafts, such as beautifully impregnated belts, etc. wood carving, jewelry making, beads making, fancy cooking, dog training, acting, instrument playing…In Portland you will find plenty of gigs in acting, singing, dancing, modeling, and so on and so forth, taking into account the artsy mood of the place. Many theaters and two film schools are in the area. However, art, as anywhere, is not well paid, so the artist often has to get odd jobs to pay the bills.
Cuisine
There are all kinds of cuisines to be tried: Mexican, Indian, Vietnamese, Thai, Japanese, Greek to name a few. Lots of places to go and have dinner. There are lots and lots of jewelry and items from all around the world for sale. There are stores ranging all styles and prices. Very accessible price wise.
Science
US is where a lot of scientific research and development is taking place, so there are as many possibilities to explore science, as exploring arts. Young boys and girls already know what they are getting into when they decide to pursue sciences.
Being a place of great diversity, Portland has a lot of IT geeks, especially with Intel Company there. However, many broke away from Intel, unwilling to deal with its rigid and demanding culture, that sucks all out of you. So, there is a lot of intellectual capacity that go into start-ups.
Live IT forums take place usually at local breweries, such as Green Dragon, etc. micro-breweries being a trademark of Portland. That’s where any IT savvy can exchange information with other, this being seemingly a great opportunity for keeping up to date, as well as developing community.
Tourism
There are many beautiful places to visit, such as mountains, the ocean coast, the arboretum, the zoo (animals living in a close to natural environment, not in cages) river walks, beautiful bridges across Willamette river, the mountain gorge with waterfalls, the downtown with light decorated trees, etc.
Since there are so many cultures around, there is room for all of them to practice their own religions, traditions, interests as well as open up, inviting others to experience it, via their dances, food, art, religion. They set up businesses: restaurants, shops, neighborhoods (ex. Japanese Gardens, China Town).
