Vegas v. Portland!
Nothing like a trip away to make you really appreciate Portland. Las Vegas is really something, yes indeedy, a combination of Disneyworld and Mall of the Americas and Spring Break and the Acropolis (the one in Milwaukie, not the one in Greece). It's everything that's wonderful and embarassing about the United States.
| Vegas | Portland | |
|---|---|---|
| man made environment | Colossal feats of civil engineering | Natural beauty and urban planning |
| on the main drag | 14 lanes of traffic on LV Blvd | 3 lanes of traffic on Broadway |
| gambling | Everything on the strip has its own casino | Every lower-end bar downtown has its own Video Crack |
| Pedestrians | have bridges over the traffic | have the right of way |
| Bicyclists | risk their lives riding by the curb | are traffic |
| Everyone | chain smokes everywhere | drinks alot, everywhere (local coffee, tea, microbrew, wine) |
| Apparently, people love | shopping and gambling and are skinny | outdoor sports and eating and drinking and are chubby |
| Shopping & Eating | Lots of high-end shopping, and dining at big name chefs' restaurants | Lots of low-end shopping, and great meals with local ingredients at great prices |
| Beer on tap | Miller High Life, Coors, Corona | Widmer Hefeweizen, Mirror Pond Pale, Full Sail Amber, Black Butte Porter |
| What happens | in Vegas happens at night | in Portland happens before 9pm |
| Neon | Lots of it | Some very cool neon |
| Tigers | at the Mirage | at the Oregon Zoo |
| Chihuly | at the Bellagio | at the Japanese Garden |
| Urban waterfalls | everywhere you turn | that everyone loves & uses |
| Sales tax | 7.750% | No sales tax |
| Getting around | the Monorail, $5 per ride the Deuce (public bus), $2 per ride | Downtown & Lloyd Center are fareless square, so no fare on MAX, Streetcar or buses unless you're leaving the area |
| Boat rides | The gondola at the Venetian, $15 per person or $60 a couple, 15 minutes long | Water Taxi, August, free; Jet boat rides $20 per adult, 1 hour long |
| Women's clothing | slinky, sparkly, high-heeled, self-conscious | business casual, Keen sandals, ready for a run or a ski trip |
| The quickest path anywhere | is through a casino | is via free public transit in fareless square |
| blocks | Long, unending | Short, walkable |
| Sex work | Prostitution is legal | Still, we have more strip bars |
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October 15, 2006 |
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