SeeingGreen ™

When I first moved to Portland in 1994, the city was a weird place. I lived in the downtown area (where I thought you lived when you move to a city) before the light rail extended past Pioneer Square and where the only people who lived downtown were “junkies, convicts, and perverts” (she says with a William S. Burroughs staccato). On my daily treks around the grid, it was not uncommon to come across something that left you thinking, “now that’s weird.” Whether it was a museum dedicated to UFOs, an impromptu art show featuring cigarettes and vials of blood on the sidewalk, or the gentleman who walked around in lederhosen carrying a three-foot long teddy bear, Portland had a vibe best explained as “weird.”

Over the years, as people discovered this gem of a city, I noticed the weird started disappearing. Gone was the UFO museum, the infamous Church of Elvis, the smoky bars where you could get a can of Pabst for 75 cents, and the endless cast of characters that anonymously shared the city with you. In its place came high design concept bars, national chain stores, manufactured “loft-like” condos and fancy fleece pants to replace the lederhosen.

But all of Portland’s weird has not been lost. In fact, one long-time business owner is doing his best to “Keep Portland Weird.” Don MacLeod, owner of the Pacific Northwest’s oldest music store, Music Millennium, launched the “Keep Portland Weird” public awareness campaign as a way to preserve and promote the uniqueness of Portland. Keeping Portland weird means supporting the local businesses by purchasing goods from them as opposed to national or global chain stores. Keeping Portland Weird also means pursuing that artistic, community based venture that wouldn’t fly anywhere else but Portland. You can show your cheer for the campaign by purchasing a bumpersticker with the sentiment “Keep Portland Weird” at participating businesses (visit keepportlandweird.com for a list) or just go out there and do something weird. Portland thanks you for it.