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December 13, 2023

10 Essential Rules for Surviving Portland

City Cast Portland

10 Essential Rules for Surviving Portland

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Portland has its own set of unwritten rules: Even our street names have unique pronunciations. Today on City Cast Portland, producers John Notarianni and Giulia Fiaoni join host Claudia Meza to spell out some of the unofficial rules for how to survive and thrive in Portland.

Portland’s 10 Essential Rules:

  • Hold a strong set of beliefs on a niche topic.
  • Learn how to pronounce our deceptively simple street names, like “Couch.”
  • Know that you’ll never know who is gay.
  • Learn how to wake up early.
  • Keep your hiking boots on hand.
  • Learn how to parallel park.
  • Get ghosted gracefully.
  • Getting compliments from strangers is normal. 
  • Get your ass outside when the sun shines.
  • Embrace the grittiness.


Here’s 10 ideas from Portland Monthly for reinventing the city


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