I visited Portland for the first time last month, and was struck by how much it reminded me of San Francisco minus the worst things about San Francisco.<p>1. San Francisco is a right bastard to get around since the various districts are spread out and separated by huge hills. Portland is easily walkable.<p>2. San Francisco has slow, dirty, overpriced public transport. Portland has a convenient light rail system which is free in the downtown core area, and drops you right at the airport for a buck fifty.<p>3. San Francisco is filthy. Portland is clean. San Francisco has aggressive panhandlers and crazy people everywhere, Portland somehow keeps most of 'em out.<p>4. San Francisco is insanely expensive and only those earning multi-hundred-K a year can afford to actually buy there. Portland is nice and cheap.<p>5. San Francisco has great scenery which is spoiled by tourists. Portland has perfectly adequate scenery which isn't.<p>Another nice thing: no sales tax. That means that you wind up paying what it says on the label and don't have to do the "compute in head and fumble with loose change" thing. Plus they've got good food, funky bars, and a classic video game arcade.<p>What they unfortunately don't have is a first-rate university, or anywhere else that might be likely to employ me.