Our Portland Story
I submitted these short pieces to a local book project called Our Portland Story. This is the project of Portland designer Melissa Delzio, who crowd sources copy and graphic design to put together books about the many interesting aspects of life in Portland, Oregon. This is my take on Portland’s culture of wearing hats and getting tattoos, as well as it’s commitment to sustainable agriculture and farmers markets.
hats & tats
Portland is a city of hats. Cadets, Fedoras, Trilbys, Fishermen, Stingy Brims, Pork Pies, Newsboys, Walkers, Berets, Buckets, Charlies, Cloches, Derbys, Panamas, Boaters, Planters, Spacecaps, Pull-ons, and of course, Ball Caps and Stocking Caps of all types.
Portland also is a city of tats. Arms, Legs, Ankles, Faces, Backs, Shoulders, Full Bodies covered with Animals, Abstracts, Celtics, Tribals, Florals, Symbols, Birds, Women, Dragons, Fish, Portraits, Words, Religions and anything else anyone can dream or draw.
But Portland defies the popular notion of who wears interesting tattoos and unique chapeaux. Here, hats and tats often play a role in a number of common, but endearing, middle class scenes.
Like the young Mother — pushing a stroller and sporting a cadet — with shoulders swirling in floral ink, while Dad slowly walks alongside in his well-worn stingy brim, arms full sleeves of complex colored images, holding the hand of the baby’s elder brother.
I love Portland.
portland’s farmers markets
I love that Portland, as well as the rest of Oregon, is committed to sustainable agriculture. And one of the most visible signs of that commitment can be found in our abundance of farmers markets.
In Portland, farmers markets aren’t a novelty or an emblem of a dying way of life… they’re a thriving and genuine option. With at least 40 markets in our compressed metro area, there’s sure to be one not far from where ever you are.
What do these markets offer? You can buy good, local food… get to know the people who actually produce it… meet and make friends… deepen your sense of community. They also provide a glimpse into an independent and honorable way of life… a path that motivated young people are beginning, finally, once again, to follow.
Portland’s farmers markets are about food. Seriously good, seriously local, seriously healthy food.