City Cast Portland
When $100k isn't enough in Portland
April 17, 2025 · — Rachel Monahan
Good morning, Portland ☀️ It’ll hit 70 degrees today and tomorrow — good grilling weather 🥩 Just in time, Zeph Shepard, owner of Proletariat Butchery in Southeast Portland, has some tips for you next backyard barbecue 🍴
What's CITY Talking About?
An Older, Peaceful Crowd Protests at Tesla
There have now been 10 straight weeks of Portland protests against Tesla CEO and Trump administration official Elon Musk. Despite vandalism at some Tesla dealerships, it’s been a peaceful group dominated by baby boomers. [Willamette Week]
- Related: A photo essay from a week of Portland protests. [Willamette Week]
Gov. Kotek Rebuffs U.S. Department of Education
Gov. Tina Kotek has directed Oregon schools to continue with diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in the face of the U.S. Department of Education's threats to withdraw funding. The U.S. Department of Education has already postponed one deadline for compliance; the new one is April 24. [KOIN]
We have done nothing unlawful, and we are not changing how we do our work here in the state of Oregon.
$100K Not Enough Income
A Portland family of three with an income of $100,000 a year is likely to spend more than they earn, according to a new analysis by the online marketplace Lending Tree. Portland is one of 25 U.S. cities where that’s the case. The biggest budget item here is housing, followed by childcare. [KOIN]
Portland Chatter
We love bumper stickers in this town — on our vehicles and our water bottles. In honor of 503 Day, our celebration of all things Portland that’s becoming a totally real holiday this May 3, I have asked for your ideas for a bumper sticker that captures our city at this moment.
The ideas keep rolling in:
Yup, Another Subaru.
— Mel M.
My Other Car Is Also a Subaru
— Anonymous
Keep Portland Kind
— A Levy
Come for the Rain; Stay for the Homeless Camps!
— Mark G.
PDX - Pretty Damn Xtrordinary
Or the tamer versions: PDX - Pretty Dang Xtraordinary
— Claudia
No, You Go First. No, You Go First.
— Brett
I Stop @ Stop Signs
— Brett
Go Around!! I Left on Time!
— Jeanne F.
Less Honkin' More Tonkin'
— Bradley Spaulding
Keep Portland Passive-Aggressively Weird
— Anonymous
I Thought About Saying Something! Then I Got This Bumper Sticker Instead...
— Michael Stevenson Jr
Portland
The Itty Bitty Gritty City or Our Beloved Itty Bitty Gritty City
— Peggy Pf
📲 Your bumper sticker nomination: I’m still looking for nominations for the perfectly Portland bumper sticker. Please submit your idea — or respond to this email.
🎟️ And RSVP here — for the latest updates on our 503 Day block party, happening May 3 from 1 - 6:03 p.m. in downtown's Ankeny Alley!
What To Do
Thursday, April 17
- 🧱 Afternoon Kids Clay Class | 4:15 p.m. | $300 (5 weeks) | Buckman neighborhood
- ⚖️ Divorce Deep Dive: Divorcing the Narcissist | 6 p.m. | Free | Online
- 🎥 Echoes of the Grunge Age | 7 p.m. | $10 | Clinton Street Theater
- 🌲 People Into Trees | 7:30 p.m. | $40 | OMSI
Friday, April 18
- 🎵 Music Colloquium: Sensing the Abyss | 5 p.m. | free | Lewis & Clark College
- 😆 Brain Rot | 7 p.m. | $9+ | Kickstand Comedy
- 🎥 Purple Rain (A queer celebration & screening) | 7 p.m. | $15 | Clinton Street Theater
- 🎻 Brooklyn Rider: Chalk & Soot | 7:30 p.m. | $35+ | Beaverton
- 😆 Jimmy O. Yang | 8 p.m. | $85.92+ | Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
- 🎬 Portland Panorama Film Festival | ongoing (final weekend) | $16.79+ | Cinema 21 and Hollywood Theatre
- 🎭 Fertile Ground Festival | final weekend | various prices | various locations
Saturday, May 3
- 🎉 503 Day Block Party | 1 - 6:03 p.m. | Free | Downtown
💰 Tip for saving money: If you’re looking for savings at the grocery store, you may want to check out Stumptown Savings, a new newsletter by former City Cast director of digital strategy Bryan M. Vance.
It highlights the best deals around at local Portland supermarkets — and menu suggestions for what to cook using this week’s specials 🍽️
Free · Daily