Why I miss the Rose City

Author Marc Acito does a kick-ass fantastic job of characterizing Portlanders, and everything I love about them, in a recent Oregonian article in which he identifies a quality in PDXers he calls Portland Bohemianism, or Pobo. You should read the whole thing, but in case you don't, here are some places where he hits the nail on the head:

PoBo is sneakers at the symphony and Birkenstocks at the ballet. It's "Geek Love," Pink Martini and Dangerous Writers. It's the space between Chuck Palahniuk's ears. It's a force of nature called Storm Large ...

Unlike traditional bohemians, PoBos don't necessarily live in self-induced poverty. Instead, PoBos opt for simplicity. Even downsizing empty-nesters paying too much in the Pearl are bohemian in their rejection of the sprawling, fuel-inefficient suburbanism of places such as Phoenix, a city that expands 1.2 acres an hour.

In the city that works, our artists and intellectuals do just that, free from the cutthroat competition of New York, the mendacious maneuvering of Los Angeles or the smug self-congratulation of San Francisco. We're a humble bunch, content to create in our affordable houses and ride our bikes to the farmers market in our sensible footwear. That's the true Portland spirit, and it's attracting creative people by the thousands. It's why filmmaker Todd Haynes moved here and what makes Gus Van Sant stay.