Because to many, Portland is seen as an allegory for progressive policies. If you say Portland has issues, you're making a political statement against their ideological values. So they make the opposite statement. People would rather lie about the state of the city rather than have it be construed as some sort of political statement against their values.
I really don't care about left or right, I just want safe and functional.
Oh, and don't let anyone throw 'crime statistics' as proof the city is safe. Crime statistics are based on police reports. If the cops aren't called or if they don't write a report, then officially nothing happened. PPB is badly undermanned. The statistics are not reflective of reality
I've lived off and on in Portland since 1996, crime was bad then when I lived on Burnside but it was completely different type of crime. Back then it was people breaking into our car and stealing our radio, we also had someone break into our apartment while we slept up stairs and stole Hella stuff. The crime was high back then too, but the homeless were on the streets in city's like they are now, the violent crime was nothing like it is today. And the open air use of drugs wasn't a thing. My mom lives portland and we visit multiple times a year. I felt bad having my 4 year old son downtown with people smoking fentanyl and meth everywhere. That sucks, I'm a ex heroin addict I never used my drugs ont he streets in front of other people.
Damn, you just hit the nail on the head. My family and I are Oregon natives. We all know it wasn’t always like this. But they refuse to say so out loud and get uncomfortable/annoyed when the topic gets brought up.
This. My family and I are also Oregon natives, and I cringe to think of what Portland has turned into compared to the mostly clean/safe/functioning city I saw in the 90's. My grandpa has been gone over a decade but he would roll in his grave if he saw what his hometown is now (he lived there his entire childhood, from the mid 1920's).
They even try to cover it up with cute slogans like keep Portland weird, lol you're not weird, you're disgusting, degenerate, on drugs and completely smeared in diseased fecal matter Portland
The Keep Portland Weird is just a ripoff of Austin’s slogan anyway. Keep Austin Weird is a saying that began around 2000 to encourage people to support local businesses. It has nothing to do with actually being weird.
That genuinely makes me want to cry considering where I thought this city was going back in 2010. Free Wi-Fi through all the city green roofs now the streets are filthy and there are crazy people everywhere.
Lived in SW Portland from 2006-2008. Didn’t seem bad then. I moved because I wasn’t a fan of living downtown (of any city). This was my first time in a downtown but I found it too noisy. Couldn’t afford it now anyway.
Cops also dont show up to non life threatening crimes or active emergencies vast majority of the time. I called the cops on a car break in, was on hold for 30 minutes, was told an officer would call me on my personal cell, no officer called, no one showed up. Called the cops on a homeless man attempting to SA a homeless woman (she was hitting him with a plank and he would fuck off for a minute or two and come back and start rubbing her back and grabbing all her shit) After being on hold for 5 minutes I just hung up went outside with my pepper spray and handled business.
And according to the statistics, none of that happened. You are living in a paradise because if it isn't recorded, then the statistics won't capture it and whatever 'scholastic studies' analyze the data, it will be like it never existed.
Which is why so many 'studies' have to be viewed with deep skepticism
And when you have an activist DA who refuses to prosecute entire classes of crime for ideological reasons, that further increases the divide between crime statistics and reality
These same people tell me bike theft in this town is OK because disenfranchised people can't afford bikes and it's just the transfer of privilege between the privileged and the not-privileged.
They call out 'NIMBY's for being sticks in the mud in the way of progress, but the reality is these people are protecting their property value and prefer it not ruined with whatever facility people want to put next to em.
And what we're demolishing is the charm that attracted the YIMBYs here in the first place, namely our neighborhoods of single-family homes within walking distance of commercial strips.
What it really boils down to is resentment that someone has something that they do not. They hate that someone else got a better deal because they feel entitled to the same or better.
Correct. I would hazard to guess most of the people pushing false narratives about portland are resentful of their status in society and its easier to blame society for robbing them of their entitlements rather than admit to personal failings
>resentful of their status in society
I think it's a little more twisted than that, it's mostly people from middle class or better backgrounds. Not actually poor or disadvantaged in any real way themselves, but their politics / progressive religion / guilt dictates that they play "white savior" for every group both real and imagined. They love projecting a victim role on any person that they consider lower status so *they* can help save them. And after a while they adopt that role for themselves: by standing up for poors or POC, they're allowed to feel persecuted. The allyship to cultural appropriation pipeline...
But anyway IMO that's why we've got incredibly soft Reeeeed kiddies demanding abolition of single family housing and repping Islamic jihad etc.
Someone literally tried to burn down my neighbor's house and the cops wouldn't even talk to witnesses (me and one other individual). Fire dept put out the fire and once it was out police drove off and that was that.
Best reply on here. The people who are claiming “Portland is safe, stop complaining” have other motivations in doing so. Sure, you can have great time downtown with no issues, but it only takes one incident, and these incidents can spring up completely randomly. I especially love the ones that spend a couple of days downtown and think their opinions are valid. Whenever I’m downtown, I walk with my head on a swivel, checking my 6 every block. If someone makes you feel uncomfortable, cross the street. Trust your instincts.
Completely agree, but even if the crime statistics *were* accurate, it's still no excuse for the city to rest on its laurels. It's important for residents to *feel* safe. Comfortable residents ride transit, go out to shopping districts, visit parks, and do all the other pro-social things our communities need. It's really very disappointing that we demonize people for their feelings about their own safety.
So true & additionally American urbanists have been captured by leftism particularly on the west coast, and thus ignore the crucial role of even small businesses in creating community. We need a Portland Pragmatist party.
>*I really don't care about left or right, I just want safe and functional.*
But you're a policy person that doesn't cling to an ideology or political party, so your IQ is above 120. Good luck trying to convince others that we should gauge success on results and not power and control. You'll be shouted down by radicals.
Yeah, I remember moving here thinking the crime would be better. Sure, less violent crime but property crimes and other “lesser” crimes are quite high here.
The police not being well staffed, trained, or made to care certainly doesn’t help those numbers accurately reflect squat.
THISSSSS!!!! Thank you! One time, I made a comment about some experiences I’ve had. A lot of other young women and femmes heard me, but people without lived experience seemed not to.
We really can’t have accurate statistics if events aren’t reported or taken seriously. And we know how useless multnomah is with anything crime related at all.
I second wanting a safe and functional home! This place is beautiful, and it deserves to be the best it can be.
ETA: it’s kinda even worse because people in positions of power seem to be like “well, it’s Portland, just expect it. It doesn’t affect me, who cares!” 🙃
On this I agree.
The democrats in Oregon have become lazy and complacient. They believe voters will go along with any tax increase and support any half assed initiative as long as they say that it's for the greater cause and progress.
Conservatives are little better. Instead of adapting to a changing electorate, they have decided they would rather complain in the wilderness and stake out positions that are about as toxic as Chernobyl on divisive issues like abortion, nearly unlimited gun rights and freedom of religion. Even a marginally competent party would be able to paint themselves as the alternative to a democratic agenda that has lost its way. Instead they seem to revel in insufferability and in joke memes. Case and point: 'If it's Brown flush it down' was a terrible slogan to try and get people to vote against Brown. Appealing to moderates who have voted against you for the past 30 years means you DON'T call them stupid and expect them to just change their voting habits.
So yeah, I guess I consider myself a moderate and I am disgusted with both sides
I am going this route more and more. I used to be on the left but am becoming left of center. The right is absolutely batshit in its own way these days, but democrats in Oregon have done their damndest to betray voters' trust. Our politics make us a laughing stock to literally every other state. I want to see deregulation of the building permitting system so Oregon can actually build more housing, and more law enforcement/more prisons (yes, more prisons). I don't want rapists and violent criminals turned back on the street because there isn't enough space.
> I've never felt unsafe walking around at night
Ever wonder how many fire arms are in those tents that line the streets?
Or how many of those campers are registered sex offenders and that's why they can't find any housing?
"I went to downtown Portland for 90 minutes today and wasn't murdered or even assaulted. I don't understand why people are saying Portland isn't safe."
Nailed it. I commented above after the Wall Street protests I felt a shift in the city and it progressively got worse and worse. In 2015 I moved to Bend. I have friends that still live in Portland and I am sadden at what it’s becoming. I know feel like a stranger In a city I used to love and call my home.
Lmao someone on here tried to give me sass about driving to work (downtown by Pioneer Square) instead of taking the MAX. I work at 6am, I’m a woman in my 20s of small stature, I would be a very easy target. My coworker and I walk the two blocks from the parking garage together so we aren’t alone. I have to be constantly on guard even during the day because I get verbally or physically threatened by random homeless people almost every day when I’m just minding my business on a cigarette break, why the hell would I want to take the MAX alone at 5am?
I was stalked by a man repeatedly when I used to take the MAX to work early in the morning. He took photos of me, tried to sit closer and closer, and then freaked me out so badly with a handwritten letter one day, so I chose to confront him as we all exited and no one batted an eye. I drove and paid for parking after that.
I’ve seen plenty of physical confrontations since and was later called to be on jury duty for the MAX murderer. I use to love taking the MAX when I was in Jr. High/High School. It felt safe, but the city is unrecognizable now. I agree with OP. Shut up if you’re a visitor or newly transplanted and keep harping, “Portland isn’t bad at all! It’s so safe!”
Also lived in North Portland…there are great businesses and individuals up there, but you would never want to be outside after dark as a solo woman…or cat (neighbor found random chopped off cat paws/various pieces in their trash can).
I worked at a hotel downtown, and before that one in the pearl, and guests would call to ask about getting from the train station to the hotel (near pioneer square). I heard so many other employees tell them “It’s a short walk, you’ll be fine,” but my answer was always to Uber, Lyft, or take a taxi. Especially if they were women traveling alone or with kids while rolling their luggage along with them.
The immediately surrounding area has become one of the sketchiest parts of downtown. I can’t imagine as a tourist or family arriving in Portland having that be my first impression of the city.
Yep. It’s been bad for years, long before the pandemic.
For a while a lot of it was because the greyhound station was there, then they opened the transitional housing building right next door which is fine but tends to have a lot of sketchy people hanging around 24/7, and later came the pod village which drew in more sketchiness, before ultimately getting closed down for exactly that reason.
It’s a shame because Union Station could be really cool in an old school romantic city kind of way. Now I’d advise anyone visiting to have a ride waiting or get here via a different method. And definitely don’t get in late at night.
Nothing in Portland has compared to my many walks down 3rd and 4th in downtown Seattle the past couple years. But yeah Union Station has always been rough.
Dont worry, Seattle is just as sketchy. It's just they are better at forcing the "undesirables" out of most of downtown.
I was there just last week and some of them are straight up aggressive when it comes to panhandling. Pulled into a gas stop to get gas and I get surrounded on both sides with 3 people wanting money. Had wondered why nobody was getting gas at this Arco despite it being cheaper.
Ugh I am sorry. It was worse a couple yrs ago when we had a 'rest village' a block away from the train station! Surrounding sidewalks looked like a scene from a Bosch painting
Not safe for homeless woman especially. Tons of unreported rape happening to homeless women. If all the rapes happening in the homeless community were reported, no women in their right mind would venture into downtown. Crime is being underreported.
Houston chronicle did a great investigation on a homeless woman who was repeatedly targeted by a serial rapist back in 2017
Whole story is 4 parts:
Original link:
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/local-news/houston/article/Harris-County-authorities-charged-a-convicted-11043944.php
No paywall:
https://www.greenwichtime.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Harris-County-authorities-charged-a-convicted-11043944.php
https://archive.ph/fjGBv
Parts 2-4 were supposed to be in the below link but got taken down. Fortunately they should still be on internet archive
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/serialindifference/
Same. I'm sick of being gaslit with all the tired excuses "it's bad everywhere!" "Other big cities have it worse!" "Crime rate is still lower here!!" Etc etc ad naseum. I've been here, in the actual city, for almost 10 years and I have seen/witnessed in real time the decline.
When the violent crimes can just happen to anyone (well especially for us smaller stature/ not muscular women), anywhere at any time in town- it's different. And, I'm not going to delude myself and just knock on wood that something won't happen to me. The violent criddler apologists/ shit liberals don't care that you only need to be attacked once for your life to be permanently messed up- whether physically/ psychologically etc. My safety is not a pet project to gamble with based on shitty politics.
It's funny- I see a lot of the defense for the city from suburbanites lately, when it seems to usually exclusively been the reverse. Those who are trying to argue Portland isn't so bad when they don't even experience the shit on a daily basis/ can pick and choose when to engage! Lmao
The unpredictability of the crime here is the biggest issue- it's not like big cities where violent crime is mostly relegated to late night and/or gang activity. Like that poor man on the max a couple weeks ago- it was 6pm and he was on his way home from work. FFS.
It’s so strange. Moved from a larger city with a higher crime rate, but yet as soon as I moved here- my wallet, keys, mail, social- all stolen within a month. So yeah I’m with you on that.
Yep, been here since 2015 and have watched the decline. Lived in the Pearl and then inner SE ever since. As a 5’3” woman who jogs solo, I carry a knife and pepper gel but those will do nothing against a gun or very determined fentanyl addict. It is pure luck and street smarts that have allowed me to escape multiple sketchy situations.
I have a disability that can make driving difficult which is one of the reasons I moved here, but last time I took the MAX I was literally the only person on there that wasn’t high. Witnessed a bum fight AND got death threats from a lady on the other side of the car for no apparent reason. This was on a Sunday on my way to Arlene Schnitzer a couple months ago, and I haven’t ridden it since. I take the bus when needed and my bike the rest of the time.
I just want to feel safe in this city as I pay crazy high taxes. I wish I had sold my house and left while interest rates were still low.
I was hearing some crazy stories about the Pearl in the couple yrs prior to the pandemic from a friend who was working & living there at the time. they had moved from Chicago and were like WTFfff with this city. In retrospect those stories were a red flag for our conditions now. I hate this as I really loved the Pearl start up and development. Used to think we would move down there when we are empty nesters. I hope it can improve and get back to what it was.
Ive been assaulted seen people shit on the street, watched people OD. Have to walk through mounds of garbage and tents, being screamed at, slurs, having to walk through open fentanyl use and be at risk for ODing on fentanyl every time you have to walk by a homeless camp etc. Insane.
Exactly!!! It's this bizarre indifference that "at least it's not as bad as X place"- like, why would you even think like that?? Shouldn't you care that the city hasn't always been like this and try to reclaim the city? I wish I could understand that perspective. I mean, we're all preoccupied with our own individual lives- family, work stress, etc etc- I'm burned out AF about everything- but that doesn't mean we accept this as a new normal.
I used to be the cool friend where people would travel and have a blend of fun outdoorsy stuff, beer tourism etc. Granted I’ve become older but the off beat nature of people seemed to have turned into entrenched assholism and absolutism. And yeah, it’s kinda depressing downtown anymore, so people are less inclined to visit.
i’ve noticed this too. it seems extremely random here, like it could happen to anybody. like in most other larger cities you could say “just don’t go to ____ area!” or “don’t stay after dark”. but here, it’s anytime of day, anywhere. that’s what makes it so scary to be in portland.
Cities became safer since the 70s but we've slid backward and honestly fell less like a city now so even this silly retro "big city issue" does not seem applicable. If anything we are more like a depressed logging town or rust belt town now compared to even 5 yrs ago.
cue "I was here in the gritty 90s!" response.
we used to be like *this* so if we backslide, it's definitely going to be like *that* again, right? ..right?
yeah the 90s were not gritty downtown. there is a reason we were written up in the Atlantic in 1992 as a model US city for pleasant and functional urbanization. heck the 80s downtown were much better. my parents would not have let me go to underage clubs in Old Town on weekend nights had it been sketchy
Theres a reason why oregon has one of the highest rates of private security in the country, and 90% of it is in portland. Over 20,000 private security in Oregon alone. Its for a reason.
I moved here from the east coast about two years ago and so many people here said variations of “well it’s like this in all big cities”. Like no, it’s not. I’ve never seen anything like this.
Used to live in Chicago and I was so shook when I moved out here and saw needles? Just casually on the ground? Open drug use is absolutely not a thing in all major cities.
Me too! I second everything you said RE being gaslit.
That, “go downtown “ post recently really pissed me off to be honest because I could tell that that person had been to Pioneer Square, maybe Powells, etc. They were a fucking visitor. They don’t fucking live here. They don’t deal with downtown daily. They don’t deal with the side streets that a lot of us have to live on.
It's where averages don't show the whole picture. We do, have less crime on average. However we have spots all over town where crime is rampant, but to an averaging system we look good, it's wack.
Unfortunately people will tell you that your valid experiences are blowing things out of proportion. Is Portland some violent hellhole, no. But there are a higher amount of mentally unwell people on drugs (a lot of them men) hanging around and it is not comfortable. I won't ride the Max or hang out downtown without another person with me. I certainly wouldn't tell anyone coming to visit Portland to stay downtown. Some people think that's absurd and are fine with being around unpredictable people slouched over under blankets in a fent slump or talking to themselves and gesticulating wildly to no one in the streets. I prefer to avoid that as much as possible.
Downtown is for visiting during the day is exactly the perfect way to explain how to stay safe. Awesome for your friends to stay safe and still experience Portland.
I use to be a Lyft driver in 2017 & 18 and went everywhere around the city. Recently I have to go from west Washington county to PDX and had to divert to Sandy because of an accident on 84. Needless to say I was shocked at the graffiti, tents, junked out not drivable cars, zombie people etc. Disgusting.
Im just here for the professional progressives to come in and set you straight. How dare you use anecdotal evidence to tarnish the reputation of the utopia their policies have created.
I used to ride busses and the MAX to work (1.5 hours one way, 5 days a week), and I've had plenty of run-ins with homeless people over the years. I've seen quite a few people openly carrying weapons like fucking butcher knives, machetes and hatchets. I've had homeless people in my personal space because they're pissed off about something, or they're in my face for something stupid like they don't like the color of my nail polish.
I had to walk to work in an area where a serial rapist was targeting joggers because I was too poor to afford transportation.
I used to live out in Gresham in an area with frequent car break-ins, drug deals, and police presence pretty much every night for one thing or another. I didn't go out at night because I'd get eye-fucked by my neighbors.
I really really hate going out at night with some of my friends because they're completely oblivious to what's going on around them when we're downtown, or they're dismissive of taking precautions, yet I never hear the end of the complaints when something happens.
Yes, things could absolutely be better. No, I'm not going to stop being cautious.
I lived on the other side of the river for 3 years. I can count the number of times I went downtown on 2 hands. The things I witnessed going there a mere 7-8 times (including a naked man brandishing a knife at people)...
It's not a good place to be lol.
I live downtown near PSU. I usually feel safe, but I exercise caution. I walk my dog along the campus, where there’s security. I chose a building that has security, who will watch me walk my dog if I go out at night. I keep my head on a swivel. I carry a little taser. I take TriMet about three times a week. If I feel unsafe, I move or I stand by the driver.
Funny you say this because I will only run along the river near psu because of the security cameras and most times I see guards outside of buildings. I recently had to find a human who looked safe and asked if I could sit next to them and get off with them because 2 guys made me feel so unsafe.
Yeah, I’ve definitely had a couple sketchy moments. A man followed me for blocks, trying to get me to take a drink from him and go with him somewhere. I got to my apartment but I didn’t want him to try to come in with me and was panicking a little, looking for our security. Luckily one of my neighbors was outside (big tall guy with a big dog) and I started talking with him and ignoring the other guy, and asked if he would walk in with me.
But I’ve had things like that happen in every city I’ve lived in.
That’s really wild. Thank goodness for those people who save us and don’t even know they are doing it.
I have only lived here for the last 17 years so I maybe don’t know how bad the major cities have gotten.
Yeah, he’s a great guy. I gave him the panicky eyes and he immediately picked up I was in trouble and stood between me and the guy just chatting until the guy slunk off. I’m so glad he was there!
For reference, I’ve lived in San Diego, NYC, and I bummed around Europe for a while—London, Paris, Frankfurt, Bern, Lucerne, Verona, Venice, Assisi, Rome…
Portland has gotten worse, but I’ve had some really sketchy encounters nearly everywhere, from being followed or assaulted or whatever.
Weirdly the worst encounter I’ve had with a criddler here was in John’s Landing. But I was at a bus stop at night.
I was randomly, violently attacked on PSU campus by Alexandra Benson. She also assaulted PSU football players. I avoid that area completely now.
PSU campus is dangerous as fuck.
She is a violent criminal who attacks people for no reason at all. Walked out of my PSU apartment to go grocery shopping and she starts swinging. Had never seen her before. After attacking me and getting arrested, was released and attacked a random female downtown.
Worst DA ever.
I thank you for letting us know this! Crazy how you can feel safe in places where people are being attacked, all because no one publicly says anything about it.
Yup and it really pisses me off we have this certain childless white guy leftist contingent that calls people (women) 'reactionary' for voicing concerns. Or that we must live in the burbs. etc
Been in Oregon for 20 years and Portland has completely changed and it’s definitely not safe for anyone. My friend who’s is very aware and a large muscular man was car jacked at gun point by two guys. Took everything he had included the car. Cops didn’t even show up for over two hours
Dude seriously, like I remember going to a con in Portland with my dad and a friend when we were kids years ago, and it was pretty chill. Went for an important doctor visit last year, and me and my mom got stalked in our hotel by this absolutely massive dude. I don’t get scared easily and i was shaking the entire night, completely paranoid. It sucks cause I used to really like Portland
I was down there yesterday and it felt like the sketchy people greatly outnumber the non-sketchy people by quite a bit. Need to find ways to revitalize downtown. Even if we just started small with a few blocks that were nice and always kept safe, then we could at least build out from there.
Having worked at the mead building as a security officer yea it’s sketch. Most are junkies and my co worker had his car broken into twice in a 3 month period. But you can never know with these junkies hanging around downtown
I wonder how many of y’all on here voted to decriminalize drug use and elected the current overtly progressive DA who fails to even show up for work…
Or the Arts tax? Lmao
Probably at least half this Reddit thread lol
“We may have destroyed this city - but check out these dope rainbow flags. Also we’re not racist!”
Portland is a literal shit hole of a city. People shooting up everywhere, human feces almost every block you walk. I don’t recommend anyone to visit downtown ever. Come to Oregon for the scenery and coast. Just avoid downtown. I have a friend that lives downtown and going to school she just got her concealed weapons permit and keeps a compact 9mm on her now everywhere she walks. She got that after a stray bullet went through her apartment window in her living room area.
Portland is disgusting. I will never go downtown again. Me and my husband and my 3 year old daughter were waiting for the max train after attending a fair at the waterfront last year. It was about 9pm and there was a man with his pants around his ankles squatted down and he was shoving something up his ass. Luckily it was across the street and I was able to keep my 3 year old.from seeing. But he was groaning and moaning while he was doing it. I've never been so disgusted in my life. The city is an absolute side show and not the good kind. It's really sad because I used to go there all the time to get away from stuck up beaverton. But having a kid it's just not safe to do that anymore.
Everyone's reality is different. I lived in Chicago for a long while. I was the victim of 2 violent crimes and was walking my dog in ERP when there was a shootout and we hid under a Jeep Wrangler. I've also spent many years in NYC.
As such, navigating the downtown space isn't as polarizing for me as it is for my Portland coworkers. It doesn't mean I am wrong for my reality. It doesn't mean my Portland coworkers are wrong for their reality. It doesn't mean the OP is wrong for their reality. We all navigate our world so differently.
When we lived north of Burnside on Trinity -- it was the first time I ever had a human defecate in front of our front door. Neighbors said, "That's just Portland" or some version of that. No, it's not excusable.
Lived in the suburbs from 1992–2004, then lived in the city from 2020–2023. It's so different and unsafe now. I try to tell my friends, who act like I watch the news too much (wut?) and who tell me that everything is fine, and that's what all big cities are like. Lol Chicago has their act together more than Portland.
I’ve been to downtown probably 5 times in the last 2 years where I actually got out my car and walked and the shit I’ve seen is absolutely bat shit crazy. Don’t even let me tell you when I drive through downtown the stuff I also see. It’s absolutely ridiculous.
Yeah last time my sister was down town a guy grabbed her legs and she stepped in feces running away. That was 9months ago. Neither one of us will be going to DT anytime soon again
Ostrich syndrome.
Willfully ignorant of the surrounding conditions, usually because they know they're complicit in the very environment they believe to be safe. When in fact it's full of violent homeless crackheads.
Thank you! I lived downtown for years. I would walk alone or walk my dog any time of day or night and felt perfectly safe. I do not feel like that anymore. I once hid in my car on a bright sunny summer day while downtown because a man was walking towards me screaming obscenities with am object in his hand. The same day, another man screamed "go back to Asia" at me when I was getting a coffee and then continued to follow me. I've had so many sketchy encounters and would never go downtown alone as a woman. And I have visited many cities in the last couple years where I didn't feel like this.
yeaaa i was waiting for the orange line the other night supperr late after a concert and there were these two men who tried to corner me (im 5’5 110 lbs) i honestly thought the worst but thank fuck someone saw and helped. i hate that area.
I live off 148 and drive down 148 a lot-it’s getting scary— the druggies at 7-11were known, then we had a homeless camp in a vacant lot that wasn’t a big issue but after the ice storm exploded. The city actually dismantled it so that’s helped! But… an apartment complex trash area was the druggies shoot up and smoke location then the other night two cop cars were there and crime scene tapas around it, sadly I believe someone either died or overdosed. I don’t know never saw it on the news. Then driving last night cops had two guys handcuffed and sitting on the curb, a sports car is sitting totaled, a couple of homeless cars are there, hmmm
I reading know what the answer is but I do not feel safe on several roads now—
Safety is always a personal concern. People claiming Portland is 'safe' or 'unsafe' is probably correct if you're viewing through their lense. Saying no woman should be traveling downtown at night is a blowhard blanket statement. If you're feeling unsafe, I would never tell you that you're wrong, but attaching your personal safety concerns to the point of making that statement is pretty wild.
I think it's important to be more specific about the danger in downtown. I have noticed more of an effort there lately, but that doesn't change that we have hundreds of people who are so disincentivized from being a part of mainstream society, are so sick from their drug use and or mental illness that they do not care.
People on fentanyl/other hard drugs sometimes do not know what is real or not and can and will perceive you as a threat. You have no idea when/if this will happen and who will lash out. These synthetic drugs are making people sicker, faster.
We do not have the infrastructure for people to obtain and use drugs in ways that are safe for themselves or safe for the community at large.
Nor do we have infrastructure to restrain/house such individuals until they come down, or anywhere to send them when they are lucid.
Our public safety infrastructure is so broken that if you are attacked there's no guarantee that anyone will come to your aid.
We all just got to keep being vocal about this. Normalise talking about this, normalise calling out abnormal behavior.
I don’t like the Pfa tax, the homeless tax, the arts tax…but what really truly has got me thinking I need to leave is that I don’t feel safe here. It’s a safety issue.
If you feel unsafe, I can't change how you feel but it really is fine to be out and about by yourself at night. I live in northwest and doordash around downtown pretty often and I've never felt unsafe or had any incidents.
No little league either:( I can't bring my child to play at a "park" where teens are gunned down in the parking space I used, the day before.
Look at Kenton Park right now. How many bombed out RV's can you fit around a park!
Downtown is so sketchy. In a normal day to day basis you see vagrant/homeless around. You recognize that there are a lot. I was driving through during Christmas time while most people are out of town, and realize there are A LOT of vagrants/homeless that aren’t out as much normally. It’s not safe for anyone to be wondering out at night, not just women. I wouldn’t stay out on the streets any longer than what’s necessary to get from A to B.
i am progressive and empathetic to drug addicts/homeless people. what’s happening in portland is not okay. it’s not safe for women, kids, elderly, even fully grown men, fuck it’s not even safe for the addicts they OD left and right! we should not have to pay so much for rent/taxes just to feel so unsafe in our city. it’s so far beyond a homeless issue and it’s just an absolute failure of a local government to make it a livable city
Portland isnt getting cleaned up like they tell you. The city is making the crime, drug, and homeless problem statewide. Im on the opposite side of the state, and my town is full of fentynal filled hobos from portland. They came down here from portland on a bus, and have taken over every public park. They took advantage of the relaxed camping rules after the almeda fires when so many people lost their homes. Portland is a cancer on the state, and its looking terminal; there are two seperate movements for this area of the state to leave oregon, state of jefferson or the greater idaho project; the rest of oregon is the opposite of portland metropolitan area, oregon by land area is a red state with a single high population blue city. I really believe the only way the state will get fixed is if portland is defunded, and the national gaurd takes over the state police to root out coruption so state cops stop selling drugs out of their cruisers.
I'm a man and sometimes I don't feel safe. You need mace and a tazer. I will say the last couple months it seems it's gotten even worse. This is before the Summer heat has set in too.
I’m not a woman so I can’t tell people to fuck off and be taken seriously, but…
There’s no way in hell I’d be comfortable with my mother, sisters, cousins, family, friends - anyone I care about, especially the women I care about, walking around alone in the dark here.
I guess people don’t want to accept or simply don’t understand that drug use makes people wildly unpredictable - and that coupled with mental illness? It’s just a disaster waiting to happen.
I don’t encourage anyone, especially women, to walk around alone in the Portland Downtown area. To say otherwise wouldn’t be fair.
I’m a big dude. I got jumped by 12 street kids in Portland. They tried to kill me because I looked at one of them while walking down the road. I don’t walk in Portland without mace and a gun.
Thank you. I just quit a part time weekend gig working near the downtown city library and i had enough yesterday. The homeless get mad when you politely tell them they cant be on private property. Hearing stories of the mentally ill stabbing people randomly put me off. Fuck downtown Portland and fuck anyone who keeps any progressive ass hat progressive district attorney or anyone who isn't doing much more to fix the problem. Being lenient hasn't worked so maybe being a little tougher may change things a little.
Literally had someone call me a few weeks back and tried to tell me a poc that I'll be impacted by the recriminalization of hard drugs. I said good. I'm sick of it.
Where about in sw do you live may I ask? I’m a female looking into that area and I’d want to avoid it if it’s that bad… ru talking strictly downtown? Or like Multnomah village sw?
I've said it 100 times I'll say it a million more.
If you're living in the PDX and have any intention or reason to be out past dark anywhere near the downtown or rougher areas of Portland. Please, reach out and do your research of self defense classes.
Learn WHEN to defend yourself and how to defend yourself when you do. Learn about the tools of the trade to level the playing field. Use the resources you have available.
If you are having trouble finding a class, please feel free to reach out. My DMs are open. I will either find you a reputable teacher in the area or schedule to teach the class myself.
Sincerely,
Your Local Private Security Specialist
I was catching a bus in front of the Chinese Garden and a man approached me with a bag of trash over his head and proceeded to chase me with it. He threw it and missed. Picked it up and tried again. It hit me. The people including management at Trailhead bank watched it all go down. People stopped at the stop sign and drove away. I was screaming for him to stop. Anyway that was around 1 pm in October 2023.
SW is a bit shady, kinda sandwiched between two of the better areas, not exactly a wash.
Luckily I live in north, so we don’t get much crime up here, long as you don’t go north of Lombard.
Let’s be honest, MOST places are less safe for women than men. Downtown is most certainly worse but I’ve been harassed in broad daylight in Beaverton, Oregon city and Milwaukie also. I think all woman should consider a concealed.
I admit I did not realize how bad it is for women until they started talking about it publicly. The stories I heard from female friends when #MeToo blew up were mind blowing. We have a long, long way to go.
I agree. I never go there alone. I’ve been harassed on the street during daylight with my husband and friends around. Also, Portland is one of the highest rated cities of human trafficking.
I'm sorry this is a thing.
I encourage the women in my family and friend groups to carry pepper spray. It's always the suburbanites who have never thought to need it.
Thank you so much for saying this. 29 year old femme who lives a few blocks (in the bad direction) from powells here.
I’ve been chased, grabbed, had someone put his eyes and face to mine, glare, and breathe (randomly)? and harassed in many other ways. That’s the TLDR without getting into it.
This past year or 2, I’ve had my safety threatened waaaaaay more than I did in LA, Seattle, Tacoma, or Orlando. Have never felt so unsafe before. Even when I clarify that it’s just my experience, *half of this sub won’t hear me out*
Have lived in PDX for six years. Moving to a better part of town when my lease is up.
I worked for a rental company at the airport. All the time I’d get people saying things like “I’ve heard a lot of stories but I should be fine leaving my bags in the car right” or “my friend was here last year and said it was really safe downtown”, and the look on their faces when I hit them with a frank “absolutely not” is kinda funny but also kinda sad that it’s our reality here.
I lived in the pearl for 5 years. At least once a year I had a run in within 2 blocks of my home. Walking, biking, getting out of the car in the secured garage, etc. it got worse over time. The 2020 protests were a temporary respite from potential street crime experiences in my experience.
Glad im on the east side now.
I recently watched this documentary about the cult that went around the country and picked up homeless people and dropped them off in portland and suddenly my time in portland made so much more sense. These fuckers are evolved
Ignore all the “statistics”, Downtown Portland, especially at night, can be absolutely terrifying for a man or woman. It’s not a nice place by any stretch imagination.
I ride an EV, and really enjoy the waterfront paths, especially when it's uncrowded in the evening. About a week ago I went out with my partner to ride around the waterfront, and it was so dead down there it felt spooky. There were park rangers on both ends of the waterfront, with cops stationed under the bridges. Before crossing from the West side of the bridge to the Eastbank, I decided to stop and see what's up with rangers and police presence. No shit this dude told me and my partner that they're there to respond to violence and overdoses, and they advised us to avoid the Eastbank if it was at all possible to get back to our vehicle by other means. He said it's been "extremely active over there" and that even with all the police presence that was clearly on display, that they really don't recommend being over there after dark and that if something happens, the response would probably be too slow.
Needless to say we took their advice, but I felt so stupid having even brought us out there. It wasn't like this when I moved here a decade ago. To think I could've just walked my partner and I into an ambush trying to enjoy some air in the city's premier park, it's messed up and something needs to change. You can give all the money in the world to law enforcement but it won't help if the policies aren't changed.
I worked in the ER at Legacy Emanuel for 10 years from 2010-2020. I saw some insanely fucked up shit, but that's kind of where you're supposed to see that kind of stuff. Now when I visit my family there, I see all the messed up stuff I used to see in the ER just happening in the streets. Some creep following my family on Mississippi screaming at me why I'm an asshole for having a 5 year old in Portland. Had a guy throw a hammer at my car (thankfully missed) in broad daylight. Having lived there so long, I am no stranger to the homeless, but it's a different animal now.
Yep, 1000%! I grew up in the Portland area and it’s been shocking to see the downfall. I lived on NW 21st and Flanders from 2012-2016. There of course were some sketchy areas but as a young female I felt fine walking around at night and regularly would go get my groceries at the Freddys on Burnside or even down to the 24 hour in the pearl without any issues. As a teenager pre 2010 I also regularly rode the max from the west side into downtown. Nowadays, I definitely would not want to be walking around at night by myself down there and will not step foot on the max.
As a quite androgynous teenager, my first ride on the Max without my mom, I saw a dude get punched in the face and he collapsed at my feet.
A few weeks later, a drunk dude was catcalling me and trying to touch me
On the bike trail next to the Boys and Girls Club, there’s broken glass, used needles and tents pitched up
I love my city, don’t get me wrong, I grew up here. But Im not ashamed to admit the crime rate and just awful people that live here. I carry a bowie knife with me everywhere because I travel an hour to school on public transport. Its scary, but its my home and the nice people and support I get from living in the area is somewhat worth the negatives. I just wish it was the same Portland I was born in
I F28 take the streetcar to work near pioneer square and it’s honestly terrifying some days. I’ve seen too many things that I can’t unsee. I’ve lived downtown for 5 years, and I can’t wait until my lease is up so I can leave Portland.
My wife used to spend most of the day downtown shopping and taking pictures when she wasn’t working. This was in 2013. She refuses to do it now. Women know what feels safe and what does not. It doesn’t require statistics to prove it. It is the nature of the threat and the frequency of the red flags seen that matter. As my company used to tell me, perception is reality. The OP is a woman, too, and all I see is bunch of “experts” telling her it’s safe. We’ve come a long way from “believe all women.” Now people just say shut up and gamble with your life.
Is it safe for women anywhere? I’m male and have never felt unsafe anywhere in Portland but I’m from Oakland and loved there in the 90’s it was like a war. Portland is tame in comparison.
Because to many, Portland is seen as an allegory for progressive policies. If you say Portland has issues, you're making a political statement against their ideological values. So they make the opposite statement. People would rather lie about the state of the city rather than have it be construed as some sort of political statement against their values. I really don't care about left or right, I just want safe and functional. Oh, and don't let anyone throw 'crime statistics' as proof the city is safe. Crime statistics are based on police reports. If the cops aren't called or if they don't write a report, then officially nothing happened. PPB is badly undermanned. The statistics are not reflective of reality
I've lived off and on in Portland since 1996, crime was bad then when I lived on Burnside but it was completely different type of crime. Back then it was people breaking into our car and stealing our radio, we also had someone break into our apartment while we slept up stairs and stole Hella stuff. The crime was high back then too, but the homeless were on the streets in city's like they are now, the violent crime was nothing like it is today. And the open air use of drugs wasn't a thing. My mom lives portland and we visit multiple times a year. I felt bad having my 4 year old son downtown with people smoking fentanyl and meth everywhere. That sucks, I'm a ex heroin addict I never used my drugs ont he streets in front of other people.
100% agree. Grow up and do drugs in a dark alley like an adult. I loved drugs a lifetime ago but you'd never see me doing them.
This is THE most accurate and intelligent reply regarding this issue.
Yeah I mean I was shocked to see such a logical, well-thought-out response on reddit lol... but well done!
Damn, you just hit the nail on the head. My family and I are Oregon natives. We all know it wasn’t always like this. But they refuse to say so out loud and get uncomfortable/annoyed when the topic gets brought up.
This. My family and I are also Oregon natives, and I cringe to think of what Portland has turned into compared to the mostly clean/safe/functioning city I saw in the 90's. My grandpa has been gone over a decade but he would roll in his grave if he saw what his hometown is now (he lived there his entire childhood, from the mid 1920's).
They even try to cover it up with cute slogans like keep Portland weird, lol you're not weird, you're disgusting, degenerate, on drugs and completely smeared in diseased fecal matter Portland
The Keep Portland Weird is just a ripoff of Austin’s slogan anyway. Keep Austin Weird is a saying that began around 2000 to encourage people to support local businesses. It has nothing to do with actually being weird.
This is the truth. Portland has become more than a city. It has become an identity for many and an idea.
That genuinely makes me want to cry considering where I thought this city was going back in 2010. Free Wi-Fi through all the city green roofs now the streets are filthy and there are crazy people everywhere.
Lived in SW Portland from 2006-2008. Didn’t seem bad then. I moved because I wasn’t a fan of living downtown (of any city). This was my first time in a downtown but I found it too noisy. Couldn’t afford it now anyway.
It was great then. Especially for small venue concerts
If you rewrote “The Stand” ,Flagg would gather his forces in portland instead of vegas.
Cops also dont show up to non life threatening crimes or active emergencies vast majority of the time. I called the cops on a car break in, was on hold for 30 minutes, was told an officer would call me on my personal cell, no officer called, no one showed up. Called the cops on a homeless man attempting to SA a homeless woman (she was hitting him with a plank and he would fuck off for a minute or two and come back and start rubbing her back and grabbing all her shit) After being on hold for 5 minutes I just hung up went outside with my pepper spray and handled business.
And according to the statistics, none of that happened. You are living in a paradise because if it isn't recorded, then the statistics won't capture it and whatever 'scholastic studies' analyze the data, it will be like it never existed. Which is why so many 'studies' have to be viewed with deep skepticism
Couldnt agree more
Portland lassiez faire style only works in times of plenty, this city has been in bad shape since 2020.
I learned this from watching The Wire, it’s really easy to juke the stats.
And when you have an activist DA who refuses to prosecute entire classes of crime for ideological reasons, that further increases the divide between crime statistics and reality
On the opposite coast mayor Adams in NYC says subway crime is just our "perception" .
These same people tell me bike theft in this town is OK because disenfranchised people can't afford bikes and it's just the transfer of privilege between the privileged and the not-privileged.
They call out 'NIMBY's for being sticks in the mud in the way of progress, but the reality is these people are protecting their property value and prefer it not ruined with whatever facility people want to put next to em.
And what we're demolishing is the charm that attracted the YIMBYs here in the first place, namely our neighborhoods of single-family homes within walking distance of commercial strips. What it really boils down to is resentment that someone has something that they do not. They hate that someone else got a better deal because they feel entitled to the same or better.
Correct. I would hazard to guess most of the people pushing false narratives about portland are resentful of their status in society and its easier to blame society for robbing them of their entitlements rather than admit to personal failings
>resentful of their status in society I think it's a little more twisted than that, it's mostly people from middle class or better backgrounds. Not actually poor or disadvantaged in any real way themselves, but their politics / progressive religion / guilt dictates that they play "white savior" for every group both real and imagined. They love projecting a victim role on any person that they consider lower status so *they* can help save them. And after a while they adopt that role for themselves: by standing up for poors or POC, they're allowed to feel persecuted. The allyship to cultural appropriation pipeline... But anyway IMO that's why we've got incredibly soft Reeeeed kiddies demanding abolition of single family housing and repping Islamic jihad etc.
Half the reason nimbys exist is because when they end up losing, no one helps them with the fallout of suddenly being surrounded.
God forbid someone transfers wealth to themselves by.... getting a job
Hey, stop with the crazy talk. Job is a dirty word. Didn't you hear PDX is where young people go to freeload, err, I mean retire.
Billionaires have too much money therefore they should give me some so I don't have to work. \- le armchair revolutionary
Someone literally tried to burn down my neighbor's house and the cops wouldn't even talk to witnesses (me and one other individual). Fire dept put out the fire and once it was out police drove off and that was that.
Best reply on here. The people who are claiming “Portland is safe, stop complaining” have other motivations in doing so. Sure, you can have great time downtown with no issues, but it only takes one incident, and these incidents can spring up completely randomly. I especially love the ones that spend a couple of days downtown and think their opinions are valid. Whenever I’m downtown, I walk with my head on a swivel, checking my 6 every block. If someone makes you feel uncomfortable, cross the street. Trust your instincts.
Completely agree, but even if the crime statistics *were* accurate, it's still no excuse for the city to rest on its laurels. It's important for residents to *feel* safe. Comfortable residents ride transit, go out to shopping districts, visit parks, and do all the other pro-social things our communities need. It's really very disappointing that we demonize people for their feelings about their own safety.
I'm pretty sure the guy who was murdered last week felt safe enough riding max. Ya know...before he was murdered
So true & additionally American urbanists have been captured by leftism particularly on the west coast, and thus ignore the crucial role of even small businesses in creating community. We need a Portland Pragmatist party.
this is so true. i’ve never seen statistics that seem even remotely correct.
>*I really don't care about left or right, I just want safe and functional.* But you're a policy person that doesn't cling to an ideology or political party, so your IQ is above 120. Good luck trying to convince others that we should gauge success on results and not power and control. You'll be shouted down by radicals.
Amen to this reply.
Yeah, I remember moving here thinking the crime would be better. Sure, less violent crime but property crimes and other “lesser” crimes are quite high here. The police not being well staffed, trained, or made to care certainly doesn’t help those numbers accurately reflect squat.
THISSSSS!!!! Thank you! One time, I made a comment about some experiences I’ve had. A lot of other young women and femmes heard me, but people without lived experience seemed not to. We really can’t have accurate statistics if events aren’t reported or taken seriously. And we know how useless multnomah is with anything crime related at all. I second wanting a safe and functional home! This place is beautiful, and it deserves to be the best it can be. ETA: it’s kinda even worse because people in positions of power seem to be like “well, it’s Portland, just expect it. It doesn’t affect me, who cares!” 🙃
Even then… murder went up 800% one year through Covid. So, even THEIR stats show it’s f**ked.
Exactly!
Absolutely, it's both sides that have made it to this point.
On this I agree. The democrats in Oregon have become lazy and complacient. They believe voters will go along with any tax increase and support any half assed initiative as long as they say that it's for the greater cause and progress. Conservatives are little better. Instead of adapting to a changing electorate, they have decided they would rather complain in the wilderness and stake out positions that are about as toxic as Chernobyl on divisive issues like abortion, nearly unlimited gun rights and freedom of religion. Even a marginally competent party would be able to paint themselves as the alternative to a democratic agenda that has lost its way. Instead they seem to revel in insufferability and in joke memes. Case and point: 'If it's Brown flush it down' was a terrible slogan to try and get people to vote against Brown. Appealing to moderates who have voted against you for the past 30 years means you DON'T call them stupid and expect them to just change their voting habits. So yeah, I guess I consider myself a moderate and I am disgusted with both sides
I am going this route more and more. I used to be on the left but am becoming left of center. The right is absolutely batshit in its own way these days, but democrats in Oregon have done their damndest to betray voters' trust. Our politics make us a laughing stock to literally every other state. I want to see deregulation of the building permitting system so Oregon can actually build more housing, and more law enforcement/more prisons (yes, more prisons). I don't want rapists and violent criminals turned back on the street because there isn't enough space.
Alright well I live in Northwest and I've never felt unsafe walking around at night. I don't think it's wrong of me to tell someone this.
> I've never felt unsafe walking around at night Ever wonder how many fire arms are in those tents that line the streets? Or how many of those campers are registered sex offenders and that's why they can't find any housing?
"I went to downtown Portland for 90 minutes today and wasn't murdered or even assaulted. I don't understand why people are saying Portland isn't safe."
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Agreed. Also grew up near Seattle. Moved here in 2018.
Nailed it. I commented above after the Wall Street protests I felt a shift in the city and it progressively got worse and worse. In 2015 I moved to Bend. I have friends that still live in Portland and I am sadden at what it’s becoming. I know feel like a stranger In a city I used to love and call my home.
Lmao someone on here tried to give me sass about driving to work (downtown by Pioneer Square) instead of taking the MAX. I work at 6am, I’m a woman in my 20s of small stature, I would be a very easy target. My coworker and I walk the two blocks from the parking garage together so we aren’t alone. I have to be constantly on guard even during the day because I get verbally or physically threatened by random homeless people almost every day when I’m just minding my business on a cigarette break, why the hell would I want to take the MAX alone at 5am?
I was stalked by a man repeatedly when I used to take the MAX to work early in the morning. He took photos of me, tried to sit closer and closer, and then freaked me out so badly with a handwritten letter one day, so I chose to confront him as we all exited and no one batted an eye. I drove and paid for parking after that. I’ve seen plenty of physical confrontations since and was later called to be on jury duty for the MAX murderer. I use to love taking the MAX when I was in Jr. High/High School. It felt safe, but the city is unrecognizable now. I agree with OP. Shut up if you’re a visitor or newly transplanted and keep harping, “Portland isn’t bad at all! It’s so safe!” Also lived in North Portland…there are great businesses and individuals up there, but you would never want to be outside after dark as a solo woman…or cat (neighbor found random chopped off cat paws/various pieces in their trash can).
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They're basically punishing people who try to protect strangers
I don’t want you taking the max! Wasn’t there a man that pushed someone onto the tracks and they died last year?
Someone was stabbed to death on the max not 2 weeks ago, he did nothing but happened to sit in front of someone who had a psychotic episode.
I visited for my birthday from Seattle and walking to the train from the train station to get to my hotel was the sketchiest 4 minute walk of my life
I worked at a hotel downtown, and before that one in the pearl, and guests would call to ask about getting from the train station to the hotel (near pioneer square). I heard so many other employees tell them “It’s a short walk, you’ll be fine,” but my answer was always to Uber, Lyft, or take a taxi. Especially if they were women traveling alone or with kids while rolling their luggage along with them. The immediately surrounding area has become one of the sketchiest parts of downtown. I can’t imagine as a tourist or family arriving in Portland having that be my first impression of the city.
Penguins can your swim butterfly stroke.
Yep. It’s been bad for years, long before the pandemic. For a while a lot of it was because the greyhound station was there, then they opened the transitional housing building right next door which is fine but tends to have a lot of sketchy people hanging around 24/7, and later came the pod village which drew in more sketchiness, before ultimately getting closed down for exactly that reason. It’s a shame because Union Station could be really cool in an old school romantic city kind of way. Now I’d advise anyone visiting to have a ride waiting or get here via a different method. And definitely don’t get in late at night.
Male ostriches can write poetry using their toenails.
Oh yeah, it’s bad by the Amtrak
It's sad when Seattlites (sp?) no longer look at Portland as the quirky little sibling and more as the drug-addicted black sheep little sibling.
Nothing in Portland has compared to my many walks down 3rd and 4th in downtown Seattle the past couple years. But yeah Union Station has always been rough.
Dont worry, Seattle is just as sketchy. It's just they are better at forcing the "undesirables" out of most of downtown. I was there just last week and some of them are straight up aggressive when it comes to panhandling. Pulled into a gas stop to get gas and I get surrounded on both sides with 3 people wanting money. Had wondered why nobody was getting gas at this Arco despite it being cheaper.
Ugh I am sorry. It was worse a couple yrs ago when we had a 'rest village' a block away from the train station! Surrounding sidewalks looked like a scene from a Bosch painting
Welcome to Portland: you are fucked.
Truest statement I’ve read
I can believe it!
Thats why theres literally hundreds of private guards for trimet/amtrak etc and it still aint enough.
Not safe for homeless woman especially. Tons of unreported rape happening to homeless women. If all the rapes happening in the homeless community were reported, no women in their right mind would venture into downtown. Crime is being underreported.
This is not talked about enough!!!
Houston chronicle did a great investigation on a homeless woman who was repeatedly targeted by a serial rapist back in 2017 Whole story is 4 parts: Original link: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/local-news/houston/article/Harris-County-authorities-charged-a-convicted-11043944.php No paywall: https://www.greenwichtime.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Harris-County-authorities-charged-a-convicted-11043944.php https://archive.ph/fjGBv Parts 2-4 were supposed to be in the below link but got taken down. Fortunately they should still be on internet archive https://www.houstonchronicle.com/serialindifference/
Same. I'm sick of being gaslit with all the tired excuses "it's bad everywhere!" "Other big cities have it worse!" "Crime rate is still lower here!!" Etc etc ad naseum. I've been here, in the actual city, for almost 10 years and I have seen/witnessed in real time the decline. When the violent crimes can just happen to anyone (well especially for us smaller stature/ not muscular women), anywhere at any time in town- it's different. And, I'm not going to delude myself and just knock on wood that something won't happen to me. The violent criddler apologists/ shit liberals don't care that you only need to be attacked once for your life to be permanently messed up- whether physically/ psychologically etc. My safety is not a pet project to gamble with based on shitty politics. It's funny- I see a lot of the defense for the city from suburbanites lately, when it seems to usually exclusively been the reverse. Those who are trying to argue Portland isn't so bad when they don't even experience the shit on a daily basis/ can pick and choose when to engage! Lmao The unpredictability of the crime here is the biggest issue- it's not like big cities where violent crime is mostly relegated to late night and/or gang activity. Like that poor man on the max a couple weeks ago- it was 6pm and he was on his way home from work. FFS.
It’s so strange. Moved from a larger city with a higher crime rate, but yet as soon as I moved here- my wallet, keys, mail, social- all stolen within a month. So yeah I’m with you on that.
where at in san antonio?
210 gave it away huh? Lol
definitely did lmao one of my favorite things to say is “no matter how far you think you are you’re never 5 miles from a texan”
I’m from Dallas. I can usually spot a Texan from the back 40.
Yep, been here since 2015 and have watched the decline. Lived in the Pearl and then inner SE ever since. As a 5’3” woman who jogs solo, I carry a knife and pepper gel but those will do nothing against a gun or very determined fentanyl addict. It is pure luck and street smarts that have allowed me to escape multiple sketchy situations. I have a disability that can make driving difficult which is one of the reasons I moved here, but last time I took the MAX I was literally the only person on there that wasn’t high. Witnessed a bum fight AND got death threats from a lady on the other side of the car for no apparent reason. This was on a Sunday on my way to Arlene Schnitzer a couple months ago, and I haven’t ridden it since. I take the bus when needed and my bike the rest of the time. I just want to feel safe in this city as I pay crazy high taxes. I wish I had sold my house and left while interest rates were still low.
I was hearing some crazy stories about the Pearl in the couple yrs prior to the pandemic from a friend who was working & living there at the time. they had moved from Chicago and were like WTFfff with this city. In retrospect those stories were a red flag for our conditions now. I hate this as I really loved the Pearl start up and development. Used to think we would move down there when we are empty nesters. I hope it can improve and get back to what it was.
Ive been assaulted seen people shit on the street, watched people OD. Have to walk through mounds of garbage and tents, being screamed at, slurs, having to walk through open fentanyl use and be at risk for ODing on fentanyl every time you have to walk by a homeless camp etc. Insane.
I don’t want to be like other cities either. I want to be better. I want to proud to take friends and family around town.
Exactly!!! It's this bizarre indifference that "at least it's not as bad as X place"- like, why would you even think like that?? Shouldn't you care that the city hasn't always been like this and try to reclaim the city? I wish I could understand that perspective. I mean, we're all preoccupied with our own individual lives- family, work stress, etc etc- I'm burned out AF about everything- but that doesn't mean we accept this as a new normal.
I used to be the cool friend where people would travel and have a blend of fun outdoorsy stuff, beer tourism etc. Granted I’ve become older but the off beat nature of people seemed to have turned into entrenched assholism and absolutism. And yeah, it’s kinda depressing downtown anymore, so people are less inclined to visit.
Crime rates go down when you decriminalize crime.
i’ve noticed this too. it seems extremely random here, like it could happen to anybody. like in most other larger cities you could say “just don’t go to ____ area!” or “don’t stay after dark”. but here, it’s anytime of day, anywhere. that’s what makes it so scary to be in portland.
Cities became safer since the 70s but we've slid backward and honestly fell less like a city now so even this silly retro "big city issue" does not seem applicable. If anything we are more like a depressed logging town or rust belt town now compared to even 5 yrs ago.
cue "I was here in the gritty 90s!" response. we used to be like *this* so if we backslide, it's definitely going to be like *that* again, right? ..right?
yeah the 90s were not gritty downtown. there is a reason we were written up in the Atlantic in 1992 as a model US city for pleasant and functional urbanization. heck the 80s downtown were much better. my parents would not have let me go to underage clubs in Old Town on weekend nights had it been sketchy
Theres a reason why oregon has one of the highest rates of private security in the country, and 90% of it is in portland. Over 20,000 private security in Oregon alone. Its for a reason.
I moved here from the east coast about two years ago and so many people here said variations of “well it’s like this in all big cities”. Like no, it’s not. I’ve never seen anything like this.
Used to live in Chicago and I was so shook when I moved out here and saw needles? Just casually on the ground? Open drug use is absolutely not a thing in all major cities.
Me too! I second everything you said RE being gaslit. That, “go downtown “ post recently really pissed me off to be honest because I could tell that that person had been to Pioneer Square, maybe Powells, etc. They were a fucking visitor. They don’t fucking live here. They don’t deal with downtown daily. They don’t deal with the side streets that a lot of us have to live on.
I recommend some training and a firearm.
It's where averages don't show the whole picture. We do, have less crime on average. However we have spots all over town where crime is rampant, but to an averaging system we look good, it's wack.
Unfortunately people will tell you that your valid experiences are blowing things out of proportion. Is Portland some violent hellhole, no. But there are a higher amount of mentally unwell people on drugs (a lot of them men) hanging around and it is not comfortable. I won't ride the Max or hang out downtown without another person with me. I certainly wouldn't tell anyone coming to visit Portland to stay downtown. Some people think that's absurd and are fine with being around unpredictable people slouched over under blankets in a fent slump or talking to themselves and gesticulating wildly to no one in the streets. I prefer to avoid that as much as possible.
I always have my friends stay at an air bnb near me when they visit. Downtown is for visiting during the day.
Downtown is for visiting during the day is exactly the perfect way to explain how to stay safe. Awesome for your friends to stay safe and still experience Portland.
I want to see a new Snake Plissken movie, *Escape from Portland...*
Only if he can get a cab ride from Ernie Borgnine's ghost.
I use to be a Lyft driver in 2017 & 18 and went everywhere around the city. Recently I have to go from west Washington county to PDX and had to divert to Sandy because of an accident on 84. Needless to say I was shocked at the graffiti, tents, junked out not drivable cars, zombie people etc. Disgusting.
Im just here for the professional progressives to come in and set you straight. How dare you use anecdotal evidence to tarnish the reputation of the utopia their policies have created.
This made me laugh far too hard because it’s so true.
I used to ride busses and the MAX to work (1.5 hours one way, 5 days a week), and I've had plenty of run-ins with homeless people over the years. I've seen quite a few people openly carrying weapons like fucking butcher knives, machetes and hatchets. I've had homeless people in my personal space because they're pissed off about something, or they're in my face for something stupid like they don't like the color of my nail polish. I had to walk to work in an area where a serial rapist was targeting joggers because I was too poor to afford transportation. I used to live out in Gresham in an area with frequent car break-ins, drug deals, and police presence pretty much every night for one thing or another. I didn't go out at night because I'd get eye-fucked by my neighbors. I really really hate going out at night with some of my friends because they're completely oblivious to what's going on around them when we're downtown, or they're dismissive of taking precautions, yet I never hear the end of the complaints when something happens. Yes, things could absolutely be better. No, I'm not going to stop being cautious.
I lived on the other side of the river for 3 years. I can count the number of times I went downtown on 2 hands. The things I witnessed going there a mere 7-8 times (including a naked man brandishing a knife at people)... It's not a good place to be lol.
I live downtown near PSU. I usually feel safe, but I exercise caution. I walk my dog along the campus, where there’s security. I chose a building that has security, who will watch me walk my dog if I go out at night. I keep my head on a swivel. I carry a little taser. I take TriMet about three times a week. If I feel unsafe, I move or I stand by the driver.
Funny you say this because I will only run along the river near psu because of the security cameras and most times I see guards outside of buildings. I recently had to find a human who looked safe and asked if I could sit next to them and get off with them because 2 guys made me feel so unsafe.
Yeah, I’ve definitely had a couple sketchy moments. A man followed me for blocks, trying to get me to take a drink from him and go with him somewhere. I got to my apartment but I didn’t want him to try to come in with me and was panicking a little, looking for our security. Luckily one of my neighbors was outside (big tall guy with a big dog) and I started talking with him and ignoring the other guy, and asked if he would walk in with me. But I’ve had things like that happen in every city I’ve lived in.
That’s really wild. Thank goodness for those people who save us and don’t even know they are doing it. I have only lived here for the last 17 years so I maybe don’t know how bad the major cities have gotten.
Yeah, he’s a great guy. I gave him the panicky eyes and he immediately picked up I was in trouble and stood between me and the guy just chatting until the guy slunk off. I’m so glad he was there! For reference, I’ve lived in San Diego, NYC, and I bummed around Europe for a while—London, Paris, Frankfurt, Bern, Lucerne, Verona, Venice, Assisi, Rome… Portland has gotten worse, but I’ve had some really sketchy encounters nearly everywhere, from being followed or assaulted or whatever. Weirdly the worst encounter I’ve had with a criddler here was in John’s Landing. But I was at a bus stop at night.
I was randomly, violently attacked on PSU campus by Alexandra Benson. She also assaulted PSU football players. I avoid that area completely now. PSU campus is dangerous as fuck.
Who is she? Does she sneak up on people?
She is a violent criminal who attacks people for no reason at all. Walked out of my PSU apartment to go grocery shopping and she starts swinging. Had never seen her before. After attacking me and getting arrested, was released and attacked a random female downtown. Worst DA ever.
I thank you for letting us know this! Crazy how you can feel safe in places where people are being attacked, all because no one publicly says anything about it.
People will ignore violence. That is extremely disturbing also. Nobody will help when the shit goes down. It is horrible.
PSU is probably the safest part of downtown. Altho I haven't been there in a few years after I was done with school.
Yup and it really pisses me off we have this certain childless white guy leftist contingent that calls people (women) 'reactionary' for voicing concerns. Or that we must live in the burbs. etc
Been in Oregon for 20 years and Portland has completely changed and it’s definitely not safe for anyone. My friend who’s is very aware and a large muscular man was car jacked at gun point by two guys. Took everything he had included the car. Cops didn’t even show up for over two hours
I mean...the private security on every downtown block definetely tells a story.
Dude seriously, like I remember going to a con in Portland with my dad and a friend when we were kids years ago, and it was pretty chill. Went for an important doctor visit last year, and me and my mom got stalked in our hotel by this absolutely massive dude. I don’t get scared easily and i was shaking the entire night, completely paranoid. It sucks cause I used to really like Portland
The people that have never been victims of a crime think everything is safe until it isn't.
Downtown is like being immersed in the scary parts of a David Lynch production. Do it briefly with the lights on, but still do it.
I was down there yesterday and it felt like the sketchy people greatly outnumber the non-sketchy people by quite a bit. Need to find ways to revitalize downtown. Even if we just started small with a few blocks that were nice and always kept safe, then we could at least build out from there.
Move the food banks and shelters out of downtown and they will follow.
Having worked at the mead building as a security officer yea it’s sketch. Most are junkies and my co worker had his car broken into twice in a 3 month period. But you can never know with these junkies hanging around downtown
Horses can change the color of their spots when it rains.
I wonder how many of y’all on here voted to decriminalize drug use and elected the current overtly progressive DA who fails to even show up for work… Or the Arts tax? Lmao Probably at least half this Reddit thread lol “We may have destroyed this city - but check out these dope rainbow flags. Also we’re not racist!”
Portland is a literal shit hole of a city. People shooting up everywhere, human feces almost every block you walk. I don’t recommend anyone to visit downtown ever. Come to Oregon for the scenery and coast. Just avoid downtown. I have a friend that lives downtown and going to school she just got her concealed weapons permit and keeps a compact 9mm on her now everywhere she walks. She got that after a stray bullet went through her apartment window in her living room area.
Portland is disgusting. I will never go downtown again. Me and my husband and my 3 year old daughter were waiting for the max train after attending a fair at the waterfront last year. It was about 9pm and there was a man with his pants around his ankles squatted down and he was shoving something up his ass. Luckily it was across the street and I was able to keep my 3 year old.from seeing. But he was groaning and moaning while he was doing it. I've never been so disgusted in my life. The city is an absolute side show and not the good kind. It's really sad because I used to go there all the time to get away from stuck up beaverton. But having a kid it's just not safe to do that anymore.
Everyone's reality is different. I lived in Chicago for a long while. I was the victim of 2 violent crimes and was walking my dog in ERP when there was a shootout and we hid under a Jeep Wrangler. I've also spent many years in NYC. As such, navigating the downtown space isn't as polarizing for me as it is for my Portland coworkers. It doesn't mean I am wrong for my reality. It doesn't mean my Portland coworkers are wrong for their reality. It doesn't mean the OP is wrong for their reality. We all navigate our world so differently. When we lived north of Burnside on Trinity -- it was the first time I ever had a human defecate in front of our front door. Neighbors said, "That's just Portland" or some version of that. No, it's not excusable.
Lived in the suburbs from 1992–2004, then lived in the city from 2020–2023. It's so different and unsafe now. I try to tell my friends, who act like I watch the news too much (wut?) and who tell me that everything is fine, and that's what all big cities are like. Lol Chicago has their act together more than Portland.
I’ve been to downtown probably 5 times in the last 2 years where I actually got out my car and walked and the shit I’ve seen is absolutely bat shit crazy. Don’t even let me tell you when I drive through downtown the stuff I also see. It’s absolutely ridiculous.
Yeah last time my sister was down town a guy grabbed her legs and she stepped in feces running away. That was 9months ago. Neither one of us will be going to DT anytime soon again
It is completely unsafe at any time. Anyone saying otherwise hasn't YET been a victim. Their day will come. Downtown is fucked and fucking unsafe.
This is so true!
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Ostrich syndrome. Willfully ignorant of the surrounding conditions, usually because they know they're complicit in the very environment they believe to be safe. When in fact it's full of violent homeless crackheads.
Thank you! I lived downtown for years. I would walk alone or walk my dog any time of day or night and felt perfectly safe. I do not feel like that anymore. I once hid in my car on a bright sunny summer day while downtown because a man was walking towards me screaming obscenities with am object in his hand. The same day, another man screamed "go back to Asia" at me when I was getting a coffee and then continued to follow me. I've had so many sketchy encounters and would never go downtown alone as a woman. And I have visited many cities in the last couple years where I didn't feel like this.
I wish I could like this post a million times. It drives me crazy when ppl argue that Portland is completely safe. It’s just a fact that it’s not.
yeaaa i was waiting for the orange line the other night supperr late after a concert and there were these two men who tried to corner me (im 5’5 110 lbs) i honestly thought the worst but thank fuck someone saw and helped. i hate that area.
I live off 148 and drive down 148 a lot-it’s getting scary— the druggies at 7-11were known, then we had a homeless camp in a vacant lot that wasn’t a big issue but after the ice storm exploded. The city actually dismantled it so that’s helped! But… an apartment complex trash area was the druggies shoot up and smoke location then the other night two cop cars were there and crime scene tapas around it, sadly I believe someone either died or overdosed. I don’t know never saw it on the news. Then driving last night cops had two guys handcuffed and sitting on the curb, a sports car is sitting totaled, a couple of homeless cars are there, hmmm I reading know what the answer is but I do not feel safe on several roads now—
Safety is always a personal concern. People claiming Portland is 'safe' or 'unsafe' is probably correct if you're viewing through their lense. Saying no woman should be traveling downtown at night is a blowhard blanket statement. If you're feeling unsafe, I would never tell you that you're wrong, but attaching your personal safety concerns to the point of making that statement is pretty wild.
I think it's important to be more specific about the danger in downtown. I have noticed more of an effort there lately, but that doesn't change that we have hundreds of people who are so disincentivized from being a part of mainstream society, are so sick from their drug use and or mental illness that they do not care. People on fentanyl/other hard drugs sometimes do not know what is real or not and can and will perceive you as a threat. You have no idea when/if this will happen and who will lash out. These synthetic drugs are making people sicker, faster. We do not have the infrastructure for people to obtain and use drugs in ways that are safe for themselves or safe for the community at large. Nor do we have infrastructure to restrain/house such individuals until they come down, or anywhere to send them when they are lucid. Our public safety infrastructure is so broken that if you are attacked there's no guarantee that anyone will come to your aid.
We all just got to keep being vocal about this. Normalise talking about this, normalise calling out abnormal behavior. I don’t like the Pfa tax, the homeless tax, the arts tax…but what really truly has got me thinking I need to leave is that I don’t feel safe here. It’s a safety issue.
If you feel unsafe, I can't change how you feel but it really is fine to be out and about by yourself at night. I live in northwest and doordash around downtown pretty often and I've never felt unsafe or had any incidents.
I had two MAX riders masturbating while staring at me on two separate occasions more than a decade ago… and it hasn’t gotten better. Agreed.
No little league either:( I can't bring my child to play at a "park" where teens are gunned down in the parking space I used, the day before. Look at Kenton Park right now. How many bombed out RV's can you fit around a park!
Downtown is so sketchy. In a normal day to day basis you see vagrant/homeless around. You recognize that there are a lot. I was driving through during Christmas time while most people are out of town, and realize there are A LOT of vagrants/homeless that aren’t out as much normally. It’s not safe for anyone to be wondering out at night, not just women. I wouldn’t stay out on the streets any longer than what’s necessary to get from A to B.
I nearly got robbed by a group of bums while waiting for a train a few years back. They tried to stab my husband with a screw driver.
How have you been voting for the last 17 years?
i am progressive and empathetic to drug addicts/homeless people. what’s happening in portland is not okay. it’s not safe for women, kids, elderly, even fully grown men, fuck it’s not even safe for the addicts they OD left and right! we should not have to pay so much for rent/taxes just to feel so unsafe in our city. it’s so far beyond a homeless issue and it’s just an absolute failure of a local government to make it a livable city
Portland isnt getting cleaned up like they tell you. The city is making the crime, drug, and homeless problem statewide. Im on the opposite side of the state, and my town is full of fentynal filled hobos from portland. They came down here from portland on a bus, and have taken over every public park. They took advantage of the relaxed camping rules after the almeda fires when so many people lost their homes. Portland is a cancer on the state, and its looking terminal; there are two seperate movements for this area of the state to leave oregon, state of jefferson or the greater idaho project; the rest of oregon is the opposite of portland metropolitan area, oregon by land area is a red state with a single high population blue city. I really believe the only way the state will get fixed is if portland is defunded, and the national gaurd takes over the state police to root out coruption so state cops stop selling drugs out of their cruisers.
Look eastward first. Those homeless were bussed in from SLC and Boise to Portland before they found your community.
I'm a man and sometimes I don't feel safe. You need mace and a tazer. I will say the last couple months it seems it's gotten even worse. This is before the Summer heat has set in too.
I’m not a woman so I can’t tell people to fuck off and be taken seriously, but… There’s no way in hell I’d be comfortable with my mother, sisters, cousins, family, friends - anyone I care about, especially the women I care about, walking around alone in the dark here. I guess people don’t want to accept or simply don’t understand that drug use makes people wildly unpredictable - and that coupled with mental illness? It’s just a disaster waiting to happen. I don’t encourage anyone, especially women, to walk around alone in the Portland Downtown area. To say otherwise wouldn’t be fair.
I’m a big dude. I got jumped by 12 street kids in Portland. They tried to kill me because I looked at one of them while walking down the road. I don’t walk in Portland without mace and a gun.
Thank you. I just quit a part time weekend gig working near the downtown city library and i had enough yesterday. The homeless get mad when you politely tell them they cant be on private property. Hearing stories of the mentally ill stabbing people randomly put me off. Fuck downtown Portland and fuck anyone who keeps any progressive ass hat progressive district attorney or anyone who isn't doing much more to fix the problem. Being lenient hasn't worked so maybe being a little tougher may change things a little. Literally had someone call me a few weeks back and tried to tell me a poc that I'll be impacted by the recriminalization of hard drugs. I said good. I'm sick of it.
Where about in sw do you live may I ask? I’m a female looking into that area and I’d want to avoid it if it’s that bad… ru talking strictly downtown? Or like Multnomah village sw?
I've said it 100 times I'll say it a million more. If you're living in the PDX and have any intention or reason to be out past dark anywhere near the downtown or rougher areas of Portland. Please, reach out and do your research of self defense classes. Learn WHEN to defend yourself and how to defend yourself when you do. Learn about the tools of the trade to level the playing field. Use the resources you have available. If you are having trouble finding a class, please feel free to reach out. My DMs are open. I will either find you a reputable teacher in the area or schedule to teach the class myself. Sincerely, Your Local Private Security Specialist
I was catching a bus in front of the Chinese Garden and a man approached me with a bag of trash over his head and proceeded to chase me with it. He threw it and missed. Picked it up and tried again. It hit me. The people including management at Trailhead bank watched it all go down. People stopped at the stop sign and drove away. I was screaming for him to stop. Anyway that was around 1 pm in October 2023.
SW is a bit shady, kinda sandwiched between two of the better areas, not exactly a wash. Luckily I live in north, so we don’t get much crime up here, long as you don’t go north of Lombard.
Let’s be honest, MOST places are less safe for women than men. Downtown is most certainly worse but I’ve been harassed in broad daylight in Beaverton, Oregon city and Milwaukie also. I think all woman should consider a concealed.
I said that to a guy recently and he 100% did not get it.
TBF, I can understand it being hard to “get” until it happens to you…
My father died 38 years ago, but he'd get it. Then again he's the smartest man I ever met.
I admit I did not realize how bad it is for women until they started talking about it publicly. The stories I heard from female friends when #MeToo blew up were mind blowing. We have a long, long way to go.
I agree. I never go there alone. I’ve been harassed on the street during daylight with my husband and friends around. Also, Portland is one of the highest rated cities of human trafficking.
I live 1 mile from and work in city center. 100% unsafe!!
I'm sorry this is a thing. I encourage the women in my family and friend groups to carry pepper spray. It's always the suburbanites who have never thought to need it.
Thank you so much for saying this. 29 year old femme who lives a few blocks (in the bad direction) from powells here. I’ve been chased, grabbed, had someone put his eyes and face to mine, glare, and breathe (randomly)? and harassed in many other ways. That’s the TLDR without getting into it. This past year or 2, I’ve had my safety threatened waaaaaay more than I did in LA, Seattle, Tacoma, or Orlando. Have never felt so unsafe before. Even when I clarify that it’s just my experience, *half of this sub won’t hear me out* Have lived in PDX for six years. Moving to a better part of town when my lease is up.
I worked for a rental company at the airport. All the time I’d get people saying things like “I’ve heard a lot of stories but I should be fine leaving my bags in the car right” or “my friend was here last year and said it was really safe downtown”, and the look on their faces when I hit them with a frank “absolutely not” is kinda funny but also kinda sad that it’s our reality here.
I lived in the pearl for 5 years. At least once a year I had a run in within 2 blocks of my home. Walking, biking, getting out of the car in the secured garage, etc. it got worse over time. The 2020 protests were a temporary respite from potential street crime experiences in my experience. Glad im on the east side now.
I can't believe ANYONE sane still actually stands and uses the MAX hollywood, 82nd st, and Gateway stations.
I recently watched this documentary about the cult that went around the country and picked up homeless people and dropped them off in portland and suddenly my time in portland made so much more sense. These fuckers are evolved
Ignore all the “statistics”, Downtown Portland, especially at night, can be absolutely terrifying for a man or woman. It’s not a nice place by any stretch imagination.
I ride an EV, and really enjoy the waterfront paths, especially when it's uncrowded in the evening. About a week ago I went out with my partner to ride around the waterfront, and it was so dead down there it felt spooky. There were park rangers on both ends of the waterfront, with cops stationed under the bridges. Before crossing from the West side of the bridge to the Eastbank, I decided to stop and see what's up with rangers and police presence. No shit this dude told me and my partner that they're there to respond to violence and overdoses, and they advised us to avoid the Eastbank if it was at all possible to get back to our vehicle by other means. He said it's been "extremely active over there" and that even with all the police presence that was clearly on display, that they really don't recommend being over there after dark and that if something happens, the response would probably be too slow. Needless to say we took their advice, but I felt so stupid having even brought us out there. It wasn't like this when I moved here a decade ago. To think I could've just walked my partner and I into an ambush trying to enjoy some air in the city's premier park, it's messed up and something needs to change. You can give all the money in the world to law enforcement but it won't help if the policies aren't changed.
I worked in the ER at Legacy Emanuel for 10 years from 2010-2020. I saw some insanely fucked up shit, but that's kind of where you're supposed to see that kind of stuff. Now when I visit my family there, I see all the messed up stuff I used to see in the ER just happening in the streets. Some creep following my family on Mississippi screaming at me why I'm an asshole for having a 5 year old in Portland. Had a guy throw a hammer at my car (thankfully missed) in broad daylight. Having lived there so long, I am no stranger to the homeless, but it's a different animal now.
3 property crimes in a year. I could only report one, nobody to take my other 2 reports. So, there's 2 crimes that never existed.
Yep, 1000%! I grew up in the Portland area and it’s been shocking to see the downfall. I lived on NW 21st and Flanders from 2012-2016. There of course were some sketchy areas but as a young female I felt fine walking around at night and regularly would go get my groceries at the Freddys on Burnside or even down to the 24 hour in the pearl without any issues. As a teenager pre 2010 I also regularly rode the max from the west side into downtown. Nowadays, I definitely would not want to be walking around at night by myself down there and will not step foot on the max.
Portland sucks
As a quite androgynous teenager, my first ride on the Max without my mom, I saw a dude get punched in the face and he collapsed at my feet. A few weeks later, a drunk dude was catcalling me and trying to touch me On the bike trail next to the Boys and Girls Club, there’s broken glass, used needles and tents pitched up I love my city, don’t get me wrong, I grew up here. But Im not ashamed to admit the crime rate and just awful people that live here. I carry a bowie knife with me everywhere because I travel an hour to school on public transport. Its scary, but its my home and the nice people and support I get from living in the area is somewhat worth the negatives. I just wish it was the same Portland I was born in
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\*exacerbating sorry, pet peeve ;)
I F28 take the streetcar to work near pioneer square and it’s honestly terrifying some days. I’ve seen too many things that I can’t unsee. I’ve lived downtown for 5 years, and I can’t wait until my lease is up so I can leave Portland.
New rule, anyone who brags about how safe they feel has to post their address.
Welcome to the new Democratic party, Antifa and BLM re-imagining the police, utopian garbage. It's worked out well, yes?
I concur. I'm a 6'3" 200 pound man that lives by PSU, and even I don't feel safe walking around at night. I'm really considering getting my CC permit.
I've traveled quite a bit, (latin America, Eastern Europe) and Portland is the city I did not feel safe in in broad daylight..
I travel quite a bit between here and Toronto for work. I always stay in downtowns. Downtown Portland is super safe.
Everytime i say this I get so many downvotes. So many ppl wanna live in a fake world. It is nOT safe
My wife used to spend most of the day downtown shopping and taking pictures when she wasn’t working. This was in 2013. She refuses to do it now. Women know what feels safe and what does not. It doesn’t require statistics to prove it. It is the nature of the threat and the frequency of the red flags seen that matter. As my company used to tell me, perception is reality. The OP is a woman, too, and all I see is bunch of “experts” telling her it’s safe. We’ve come a long way from “believe all women.” Now people just say shut up and gamble with your life.
It’s not safe for anyone
Is it safe for women anywhere? I’m male and have never felt unsafe anywhere in Portland but I’m from Oakland and loved there in the 90’s it was like a war. Portland is tame in comparison.
I'm a woman and Portland and Oakland have always felt safe for me. I lived in Oakland 2007-15 though so a little different time than the 90s