The Doom Room: ILF Edition

[D-Day]

If I was elsewhere and choosing between the two I would go Portland. It's less expensive and has a way more crackin music scene plus way better comic book shops (Fantagraphics aside!). Not that there isn't plenty of great music here but the lower cost of living really helps foster the arts in general down there. If AW were to fold I'd be seriously considering relocating for the first time in 16 years. My gf has a brother down there and my two best friends of about 36 years now are both down there. Plus it seems as though I have just as many righteous rockerass friends down there as I do up here at this point. It's already my home away from home. The other killer city that's under the radar right now is Tacoma. And I'm not just saying that to butter John and Tony's muffins. There's a certain 'come as you are' kinda freedom down there that reminds me of Portland but on a smaller scale.

[Ancient Astronaught]

I visited Portland back in 08 while on tour with Ol' Scratch and I felt immediately at home. All the trees and mountains, the come as you are attitude, the strip clubs, the 24 hour donut shops, the insane gear stores, the even though its not legal nobody cares attitude towards the herb. It just felt right being there. I've been ranting and raving about it since. I haven't been to seattle though, and the misses really wants to visit, so hopefully someday we'll get a chance to come through and check it out. Then and only then can I truly make the decision.

All though lower cost of living sounds great right about now, I live in what is apparently one of the most expensive counties in America right now. My 1200sqft built in 1964 house thats in almost deplorable condition is valued at 280k, go across the highway that runs through my town and the average house run's 600k+.

[AxAxSxS]

I think all three towns kinda kick ass in thier own ways. The whole PNW loves the wierd and the arts are great everywhere. Seattle has it going on and they know it. Portland takes the cake for just being Portland. Craft beers and foods and people take pride in what they create being quality. I dont see myself ever relocating to a different part of the country.

[D-Day]

Well if you come to Seattle you need to get in touch. I'm the KING of the driving tour, cheap/awesome restaurant encyclopedia and all around quality advisory board for the savvy tourist. That goes for any of your Doomists on here too.

And John's right about everything he just said.

[ryan summit]

portland didnt like me for some reason
i really wishd it did
cause my boys are/were out there
but yeah all those things you talk about AA
i thought i was in heaven when i got there
heaven turns to hell when you mix it with certain illicits
the music scene is crazy there
makes nyc scene seem so weak
the people though
thats how i didnt jive
interactions are just completely different here
but shit
i went to devils point the first night i was there
wait what
$2.50 buds,pool table,good music,AND the suicide girls
where am i?

[Ancient Astronaught]

I think all three towns kinda kick ass in thier own ways. The whole PNW loves the wierd and the arts are great everywhere. Seattle has it going on and they know it. Portland takes the cake for just being Portland. Craft beers and foods and people take pride in what they create being quality. I dont see myself ever relocating to a different part of the country.

You just nailed why I want to move there. I live in DC where its the exact opposite mentality. Around here they consider the arts a "worthless and unprofitable career choice". Nobody comes out to shows unless their told to by certain press site, and even then most of the time they show up to be part of the drinking scene, not to see the band. DE was the first badn I've been in that actually seemed to draw people to shows, but alot of that was due to paying for facebook ADs and blurbs on all the music sites. Metal shows are lucky to get 50 people there unless its a rare or really big name band. We have smaller scenes all around DC but nobody seems to comingle so it just seems like friends getting together every weekend to drink and inviting bands to play. Also around here its all about cost and quantity not about quality, they could care less how well its made if its cheap and readily available.

Well if you come to Seattle you need to get in touch. I'm the KING of the driving tour, cheap/awesome restaurant encyclopedia and all around quality advisory board for the savvy tourist. That goes for any of your Doomists on here too.

And John's right about everything he just said.

When we do I most definitely will hit you up!!!! First thing one the agenda will be the best coffee we can buy.

portland didnt like me for some reason
i really wishd it did
cause my boys are/were out there
but yeah all those things you talk about AA
i thought i was in heaven when i got there
heaven turns to hell when you mix it with certain illicits
the music scene is crazy there
makes nyc scene seem so weak
the people though
thats how i didnt jive
interactions are just completely different here
but shit
i went to devils point the first night i was there
wait what
$2.50 buds,pool table,good music,AND the suicide girls
where am i?

My friend who lived in Portland briefly said the exact same thing about the people, that the interactions are completely different then how things seem to work on the right coast. But he was also hanging out with the homeless and vagrant punk scene at the time as he was a backpack traveler. I met alot of really cool people when I was there, and one of the badns who opened for us that night even took us to their rehearsal space, and when the owner of the space saw us loading in he started shitting bricks as we were not the ones paying and once the guy told him we were a touring band from DC the owner was like oh shit, my bad! and he gave us an even bigger room that was empty so that our friend didn't have to unload their room. It was way cool.


The thing that gets me most is around here everyone dresses in suits and expensive clothes that all look the same, if you look even a tinge "alternative" you get the evil eye everywhere you go. In portland it seemed the exact opposite, I didn't see a single person wearing a nice ass suit walking down the street. It was comfort and style for as far as I could see, and that brought a smile to my face that they tended to embrace individuality.

[AxAxSxS]

And bicycles, bicycles everywhere

[Ancient Astronaught]

And bicycles, bicycles everywhere

[louderthangod]

Portland is a pretty awesome place and my wife and I try to get up there at least once a year from the Bay Area. I'm a misanthrope but even I feel welcome up there. The food scene is really good as well as everything else mentioned. I actually like the weather but it might lose the novelty if I had to live in 9-months of drizzle. If I could afford it I would have a place in LA, the bay, PDX and Seattle and I'd just bounce around to each every few weeks because they all have so much to offer and are completely different from each other.

[D-Day]

My first winter here featured 109 days of rain. All in a row! I was new so it just seemed crazy and kinda neato. Now I go mental and cut.

[D-Day]

Okay I don't really cut. But winter sux!

[ryan summit]

And bicycles, bicycles everywhere

uh huh
when are we gonna start dissing the food?
(just saw LTGs post,things must've changed since '09)

but hold on
before that
FREE WI-FI EVERYWHERE
and free maxx train if you take risks

[Ancient Astronaught]

My first winter here featured 109 days of rain. All in a row! I was new so it just seemed crazy and kinda neato. Now I go mental and cut.

I like rain, it makes me happy.

I'm weird... I know....

[ryan summit]

my firs winter there was no freeze
so the spiders next summer were ridiculous
webs across the streets
but no bugs
it was crazy
i didnt mind the showers in winter
didnt get as freezing as NY

[nightterrors]

Don't really want to post another thread about it or anything because I started getting weird emails/messages about it...
but I'm selling my Matamp to buy a bass and an amp for now.
If any of you duders are interested send me a PM!