I haven’t been to enough cities to say for sure. But the impression of NYC that I’ve gotten from many people is pretty bad. It doesn’t mean it is, but that’s definitely how it comes across.
@elbanditoroso Being a Portlander myself, I will say that there’s a lot I love about my city, but I haven’t come across any rabid Portlanders of the variety you describe. Personally, I don’t care if people love it or hate it here – and that’s how I’d feel about any city I lived in. However, Portlanders have a lot of legitimate concerns right now about skyrocketing rent prices and gentrification, and a lot of it is due to the influx of people – particularly from the San Francisco area, since they’re pricing locals out. So a lot of natives flip out because the city is changing drastically, in ways that go against what they want the city to be and what it always has been. Which, being from here, I can understand when it comes to certain things. No one, once they’ve found a good thing, wants it to become unrecognizable. I’ll also say that Portland is, without a doubt, different. And coming from me, someone who hates America for the most part, well… that’s something that I find highly valuable. So it’s not really a matter of being “cool”, it’s more a matter being in a place that aligns with my personal views.
I loathe the show Portlandia, because I genuinely think it sucks – but more than anything, I hate the way it put Portland in the spotlight. All of the trend setters and hipsters wanted to move here, and it upped all of the worst stereotypical aspects of the city and the people in it instead of promoting the natural charm and special things about Portland that the natives have always loved. That said, Portland also sucks in ways. The fact that we’re SO white is pretty sad.