Portland's East Side Neighborhoods Are Still Great -- Here's Why

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The worst part about living in Philly is the constant feeling of abandoned trolley lines underneath your tires.

That last comment about idling engines hit me, its depressing how so much of the background noise of our every day lives is an internal combustion engine.

Meanwhile in Seattle, we can't even agree to make the Pike Market a pedestrian zone. This is a street that can take about an hour to drive a block on a weekend.

For some reason, my brain chose to interpret "predates the automobile" as in "hunts and eats cars." That would have been a very different video. 😂

the idea of a neighborhood getting together and convoying the kids to school on bikes is way cool. you go PDX.

I live in the Kenton neighborhood and I never want to leave .The fact that we have a MAX stop and good bus access as well as bike infrastructure really makes my life possible despite being poor. The East side neighborhoods in Portland is my favorite thing about the city I just wish they were still all as well connected as Kenton is.

Former long-term Sellwood resident here: The east side now draws some of the most insane housing prices + cost of living in the state. Our family (with our high 6 figure income) was forced out and will not likely be able to return. Only the lucky who bought cheap + wealthy families buying now can afford a family home in the area. It's frankly the best place to live on the west coast if you're into an urban life. It makes me sick that it's on the fast track to become the next exclusively wealthy, urban enclave. That we have to fight an impossible battle for this level of livability everywhere is beyond discouraging.

Speaking up to defend gray skies. Different courses for different horses. I've lived in desert areas. I find bright, sunny days glaring & oppressive. I much prefer gentle gray skies as a background. They make the flowers and moss POP. I understand that some people have Seasonal Affective Disorder. This is not the town for them.

The streetcar legacy for so many cities is interesting, thanks for the Portland insight

I moved to Portland a year ago and ditched my car when I moved. I live in Inner SE and it's definitely a great place to live and easy to get around without a car. Loving Portland!

My daughter relocated to Portland a few years ago for graduate school. She hasn't left and has been able to make a solid living as an artist. Your video tantalizes people not living in Portland to visit the small neighborhoods with the shops, restaurants, and yes...gourmet doughnut shops. Thanks for your work.

I moved to the Sellwood neighborhood last year! Portland isn't perfect but it's such an improvement from where I was before. It was fun seeing my new home featured here.

Literally just stayed in the Mississippi area over the weekend, and it was fantastic. Love visiting Portland.

I appreciate how excellent Portland looks and not the Urban Hellscape some want to have us believe. Bravo Portland! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Nice job, Ray. I especially liked your observation that cities that developed while streetcars were still in existence have this quality as opposed to the ones that developed during auto dependency.

I loved living in Portland. There was so much to do.

Portland was way ahead of the curve with their awesome trolley car network in the 1920's. I visited my grandmother in Philadelphia in the 70's and remember seeing all of the trolley tracks through the pavement....and wondering how great it would be to ride the trolley all over town.❤

My two daughters and I live in a townhome in South blocks PSU and Art museum adjacent, we love the availability of streetcar,bus, Max line all within three block radius. Yes, downtown has had a ruff run past 5 years, improvements are happening, streets are getting cleaner, people are getting displacement services finally.❤🎉😊

Washington, D.C. used to have a robust electric streetcar/trolley network but, tragically, it was stopped in 1962 after a whole century of service. Ray’s assertion rings true here: the corridors where the streetcars traveled are now some of the D.C’s most vibrant, in-demand, and transit-friendly areas. And there are still remnants of the streetcar network, such as trolley turnarounds turned into parks and bus terminals.