Do People Actually Go Downtown Portland Oregon?

Native Portlander here, let’s be honest, downtown used to be a very active place, it used to be full of people until…..we all know. Were you born here? It’s primarily a business district now, but it’s a ghost town from what it used to be. Even in February. It’s heartbreaking 💔

Back in the 1990s Portland had some of the best Records shops in the USA.

Yeah, try going at nighttime and tell me how great it is. I have a business and it’s a daily struggle to keep the fenty junkies from my entrance and have to call Clean and Safe on a regular basis. Sometimes the sidewalk out front looks like a scene from The Walking Dead. Also, hardly a day goes by when someone doesn’t steal.

Another great one. Thanks!

Last weekend's Winter Lights Festival last weekend was just like the old days! Families out walking around, pretty lights and sculptures everywhere. It was really fun driving through the city and seeing so much good activity. Funny thing about city events, the tweakers disappear when the rest of us come out & enjoy ourselves.

I’d say it’s gotten a little better city-wide but it has a long way to go. Destroying your reputation isn’t easy to repair.

Good summation of whats going on!

I lived in downtown Portland in 1991. I loved it. Every evening, we would head downtown, and there was always something cool happening. Open air markets on the weekend. Great food everywhere.

Good stuff

Thanks for the video! FYI- we are thinking of selling our Harrison condo HE 18B. Dean & Cindy

It looks like the water fountains are still working ... good enough for me!

Portland is a great city for the arts, culture, Etc. nice video

i moved out of portland 3 years ago and have never looked back, was the best choice of my life.

That is dead for a Friday. I live in the Pearl and its been pretty busy lately. We went downtown on a Sunday and it was hard to find parking. I walked around yesterday on Saturday and it was pretty busy.

I am in Portland visiting right now and I can assure you downtown is not safe! When a McDonalds permanently closes its dining room for safety that tells you something. We saw someone doing drugs. And the homeless are all Over downtown. Yes there are small Pockets of decent areas downtown. But I am glad I decided to airbnb and stay in one of the neighborhoods that have shops and restaurants vs staying downtown. Much safer!

I've lived in Portland 25 years - and I'm leaving. I don't recommend moving here in 2024. I mean, we just had more massive damage, violent protesters, and people smashing up local businesses May 2, 2024 from the PSU library takeover. Portland downtown now has the highest commercial vacancy in the entire US and it's just getting worse the last 2 years - that's how fast companies are moving out. You clearly avoided all the tents downtown, walking past the courthouse that is boarded up like a fortress since 2021, and the crazy people that make it completely unsafe if you need to walk to work at 7-9am. Try being a woman and taking public transit at 7:30am downtown and tell me how safe you think it is. Last time I had to catch the Max at 7:30am at Pioneer square, there was a guy on platform with his pants around his ankles walking around and 2 people threatening each other with knives.

My 18 year old son has worked in a fast food restaurant downtown for the summer. He reports that there is a line of customers there from opening until closing every day. He works all shifts so he has some knowledge of this.

It looks like it used to on an early Sunday morning. My favorite time to have been downtown. I like quiet streets.

Seattle nice u been up here yet to visit

Portland has not been the same since 2020. I moved out last year and now I am in Chicago. There are a few pockets of Chi-town that are pretty rough, like along 79th St on southside. Overall, however, Chicago feels way better than Portland right now. I miss Portland, but it feels like it is slowly dying.