Marzbarz Posted May 16, 2023 Share Posted May 16, 2023 Hello, everyone. I'm going to Portland soon, and I want to visit Silverado and Stag. Portland's getting a lot of attention because of crime, so I'm wanting to inquire if anyone knows about the safety of the area. Thanks for your thoughts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NYmuscllover Posted May 16, 2023 Share Posted May 16, 2023 I’ve never had an issue at all. If you are concerned maybe just don’t go + Tygerscent, marylander1940 and + azdr0710 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+ leo2510 Posted May 20, 2023 Share Posted May 20, 2023 Tho the whole of the city center is rougher that its been in years gone by, anyone used to the general personal safety rules of today's American urban life should be able to navigate the Rose City safely. Using Uber or Lyft to get around the city center could make sense for a gent traversing the spots of interest for us - the south and east sections of downtown are the roughest right now, and the clubs we frequent are along the northwest reaches of the center. The city leaders have been shamed into taking a more robust outlook towards homeless camping and panhandling, and this summer should tell the tale, whether the civil discourse can be maintained. Just avoid the young ruffian groups - there is no prospect of suitable company to be found there - and don't be walking around tipsy after a night o debauchery. Use a cab, stay safe! marylander1940, + azdr0710, + Pensant and 1 other 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marzbarz Posted May 23, 2023 Author Share Posted May 23, 2023 Thank you for your insights. Normally, when I visit a new place I like to walk around, but I think I will use Uber or Lyft. Young ruffian groups - LOL, indeed not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+ Pensant Posted May 23, 2023 Share Posted May 23, 2023 I like to stay at the Hoxton, very close to Stag. It’s also near Chinatown. I’ve never had any issues walking around that area. Portland is far from being a dangerous city. Those rankings are generally in the Southeast and especially the river cities. Portland nowhere near most dangerous cities in the US, new study of crime data shows WWW.KPTV.COM Despite frequent negative media coverage, Portland is not even close to one of the most dangerous cities in... Marzbarz, raife and + Tygerscent 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbar123 Posted May 24, 2023 Share Posted May 24, 2023 I live in downtown Portland. It’s no worse than any other city. You just need to use street sense and be aware of your surroundings. The vast majority of people I meet on the streets are friendly and harmless + Pensant, Marzbarz and + Tygerscent 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Becket Posted May 24, 2023 Share Posted May 24, 2023 Good to hear from a resident that Portland is not as terrible as it is made out to be on TV. It is a fascinating city and I grieve not being able to visit because of all the negative publicity. Makes me want to get back out there again. Thanks. ICTJOCK 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marylander1940 Posted May 24, 2023 Share Posted May 24, 2023 The media always exaggerate things a bit in order to keeps folks watching. The murder rate in Portland is certainly not as high as in some of the poorest states of the country but burglaries, shoplifting, car break ins, and other property crimes have been on the rise and now are slowing coming back to pre-pandemic levels. @Marzbarz Just avoid walking around with your iPhone in your hands unless you absolutely have to use it, know where you're going and you'll be ok. Crime in Oregon starts to trend down, according to FBI data WWW.OPB.ORG A rise in crime during the pandemic across most of Oregon’s largest cities — including Portland — is abating, according to a new state analysis of preliminary federal... Portland Crime Statistics WWW.PORTLAND.GOV Interactive report summarizing the type and number of report offenses by Neighborhood. + Tygerscent and Marzbarz 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthOfTheBorder Posted May 24, 2023 Share Posted May 24, 2023 (edited) 1 hour ago, marylander1940 said: The media always exaggerate things a bit in order to keeps folks watching. correct - and the media will prioritize sensational reporting to keep people watching. Example - subway crime in New York City. About 4 million people ride subways daily (post pandemic) and crime is very low relative to overall ridership, yet it’s always sensationalized because it’s the largest US media market, almost all news organizations NYC based and it generates national interest. However, when viewing New York City overall crime rate - it doesn’t even make it to the Top 20 US cities. NYC comes in at number 42 for combined incidence of violent crime, while cities like Indianapolis, Tulsa & Anchorage are in Top 20, yet almost no national reporting in those cities because there is no interest. St. Louis and Detroit seem to get mentioned sometimes given they both top crime rate lists, yet almost no reporting of other problematic cities. So, there are two factors at work. Money - media organizations make more money when more people watch or read. The key to more people is more sensational reporting. Reporting on sensational crime in NYC is about as easy as it gets and ensures national headlines/interest. Nobody cares about similar sensational crimes in Anchorage. Narrative - it confirms what many people already believe that certain cities like New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco & Portland are the most dangerous. People like to get their beliefs confirmed in the media they consume. When something is presented that is contrary to their beliefs, they usually go elsewhere. It’s on both sides of the political divide and it is not a partisan issue - it’s human behavior in 2023 where consumers can select their media. FYI - Portland comes in at #62 in terms of incidence (per capita) violent crime. The OP is likely safer visiting Portland than almost any other US city. Interesting what happens when you actually look at statistics and start to think. Edited May 24, 2023 by SouthOfTheBorder + Tygerscent, marylander1940, nate_sf and 1 other 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+ Lucky Posted May 24, 2023 Share Posted May 24, 2023 How has the legalization of small amounts of recreational drugs affected Portland? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthOfTheBorder Posted May 24, 2023 Share Posted May 24, 2023 (edited) 1 hour ago, Lucky said: How has the legalization of small amounts of recreational drugs affected Portland? probably the same as the other 20 states/cities with legal recreational marijuana sale & consumption. It’s too widespread across the country to be a bigger problem in Portland than other places. Edited May 24, 2023 by SouthOfTheBorder + Pensant 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+ Lucky Posted May 24, 2023 Share Posted May 24, 2023 Portland didn't just legalize marijuana. Possession of drugs such as heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine will no longer be punishable by jail time, but instead amount to something similar to a traffic ticket. marylander1940 and + Vegas_Millennial 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthOfTheBorder Posted May 24, 2023 Share Posted May 24, 2023 10 minutes ago, Lucky said: Possession of drugs such as heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine will no longer be punishable by jail time, but instead amount to something similar to a traffic ticket. you referenced “recreational” drugs, not drugs that have been decriminalized. there’s a difference in terminology. recreational generally refers to legalized recreational marijuana in some states vs legalized medical use marijuana in others. and Portland doesn’t have an out-of-control crime wave anyway - it’s #62 on the list with 61 other cities with bigger problems. you’re looking for the cause of a problem that doesn’t exist relative to current & comparative US crime trends. + Pensant and + Tygerscent 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marzbarz Posted June 1, 2023 Author Share Posted June 1, 2023 (edited) Sorry to report, but I’m in Portland now and just took an Uber to Silverado and Stag. The area looked awful, and I’m from Detroit. The Uber driver was concerned and told me not to get out of the car- that it was a very bad area. So I didn’t. I’d asked at the hotel the day before about walking to Powell Books nearby but was told to take the tram because the area was bad. Any suggestions for a plain old gay bar in a safer part of town? Damn, I wanted to see naked men so bad. Other parts of town look fine. Edited June 1, 2023 by Marzbarz + Vegas_Millennial 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+ Tygerscent Posted June 1, 2023 Share Posted June 1, 2023 (edited) On 5/15/2023 at 7:28 PM, Marzbarz said: Hello, everyone. I'm going to Portland soon, and I want to visit Silverado and Stag. Portland's getting a lot of attention because of crime, so I'm wanting to inquire if anyone knows about the safety of the area. Thanks for your thoughts. Oh, I stop in there frequently… I lived there for 26 years. I still consider Oregon Home and go out of my way to visit there. Any chance I can get. And I walk around their day and night and pretty much any part of town and I’ve never had a problem. It actually seems that Portland has tidied up the homeless problem there. People from Portland complain a bit about the traffic but, really the only traffic is Vancouver traffic. The rest is easy in comparison to other cities around the country~ I personally find Seattle to be much more tragic, Violent, Dirty & broken when it comes to cities over all and find myself being uneasy/concerned more about walking around in San Francisco, Miami or Fort Lauderdale than I ever would in Portland~ The images below are only to show that I walk around there in the wee hours of the morning and in every part of town~ I’ve never felt threatened but, to each their own comfort level~ Edited June 1, 2023 by Tygerscent ICTJOCK and + Pensant 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+ Tygerscent Posted June 1, 2023 Share Posted June 1, 2023 (edited) On 5/23/2023 at 5:37 PM, Becket said: Good to hear from a resident that Portland is not as terrible as it is made out to be on TV. It is a fascinating city and I grieve not being able to visit because of all the negative publicity. Makes me want to get back out there again. Thanks. The media greatly exaggerates the reality of Portland, and paints a very in accurate picture of the city. Most people don’t know the history of Portland, what people are trying to protect their and why~ If somebody was to single out the violence and despair in cities, like Florida or New Orleans… It would make Portland look like a high tea Jubilee party. Edited June 1, 2023 by Tygerscent Luv2play 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+ Tygerscent Posted June 1, 2023 Share Posted June 1, 2023 On 5/24/2023 at 7:38 AM, Lucky said: How has the legalization of small amounts of recreational drugs affected Portland? Quite frankly, I see much bigger problems with drugs in Seattle, Austin, Texas, San Antonio, Texas, San Francisco, all kinds of places in Florida, Missouri, Arizona and DC~ + Pensant 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+ Tygerscent Posted June 1, 2023 Share Posted June 1, 2023 (edited) On 5/24/2023 at 12:48 PM, Lucky said: Portland didn't just legalize marijuana. Possession of drugs such as heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine will no longer be punishable by jail time, but instead amount to something similar to a traffic ticket. Oregon decriminalized drugs in 2020: How’s it going? WWW.OREGONLIVE.COM With Oregon being the first state in America to decriminalize possession of personal-use amounts of heroin... Chart: Then & Now Portugal's Drug Decriminalization | Statista WWW.STATISTA.COM This chart shows key developments since Portugal decriminalized drugs in 2001. It’s a bit early to tell exactly how things are going because it’s a new approach not only in Portland, but in the states~ My understanding is that Portland, Oregon is the first to do it here in the states. For a number of years, I ran a needle exchange program, along with my homeless provision program, (which I’m still currently doing in reference to homeless provision program)… some people thought of that as condoning/encouraging the use of heroin or other drugs that can be administered using needles but, really the goal was to reduce the spread of HIV and hepatitis C among people who use drugs regardless of laws prohibiting them: ie., shooting up with dirty needles and sharing them~ There’s a lot of stigma around mental illness and drug abuse, (in the homeless population both can be a concern), and that stigma can generate fear and resentment/anger/confusion of the unknown~ Edited June 1, 2023 by Tygerscent Luv2play 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+ Vegas_Millennial Posted June 1, 2023 Share Posted June 1, 2023 16 hours ago, Marzbarz said: Sorry to report, but I’m in Portland now and just took an Uber to Silverado and Stag. The area looked awful, and I’m from Detroit. The Uber driver was concerned and told me not to get out of the car- that it was a very bad area. So I didn’t. I’d asked at the hotel the day before about walking to Powell Books nearby but was told to take the tram because the area was bad. Any suggestions for a plain old gay bar in a safer part of town? Damn, I wanted to see naked men so bad. Other parts of town look fine. Sorry to hear about your experiences. When I was last in Portland in 2019, I gave up walking to/from Stag after dark for my own safety. But I still felt safe enough to take the light rail to Silverado. It's a pity you didn't make it in, it is great inside. Thank you for sharing, so others like you and I who aren't as accustomed to frequent encounters with the mentally ill, homeless, and drugs can be aware of what to expect and plan accordingly. Marzbarz 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marzbarz Posted June 2, 2023 Author Share Posted June 2, 2023 Thanks, Vegas. If I’d been with a group, but I was by myself, and the Uber driver was having a mini-meltdown. Yeah, I’d like to have gone inside…. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+ Vegas_Millennial Posted June 2, 2023 Share Posted June 2, 2023 3 hours ago, Marzbarz said: Thanks, Vegas. If I’d been with a group, but I was by myself, and the Uber driver was having a mini-meltdown. Yeah, I’d like to have gone inside…. If you're still in Portland, why not give Silverado another chance? Uber there before nightfall. They have a doorman right inside collecting cover charges. When you leave, wait inside until your Uber arrives. + Pensant, + Lucky and + tassojunior 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marzbarz Posted June 4, 2023 Author Share Posted June 4, 2023 Thanks, sir. I've already left, but my last day there I took the streetcar to Powell's and then walked to both places - it was about 4pm. Burnside is OK, but it got dicey once I got to the side streets. I felt safe enough during the day. BTW, Silverado has a Couch Street address, but it's entrance is on the side street, 6th Avenue. This was confusing to me and the Uber driver - we couldn't find the place. I don't believe "Silverado" appears on the building on the Couch Street side. Maybe I'm wrong... I did go in Stag and had a drink - there were some dancers there. Maybe next time I go to PDX I'll try again. Thanks for your suggestion... + Vegas_Millennial 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BALCONY Posted July 1, 2023 Share Posted July 1, 2023 As a frequent visitor to Portland (and many other cities to compare it to), the anxiety expressed on these posts is highly exaggerated. It’s true that the streets of Old Town and the Pearl District contain their share of houseless inhabitants, but I would certainly not be scared away. (The Uber driver, “don’t get out”? Really?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Travelguy368 Posted July 14, 2023 Share Posted July 14, 2023 Was just in Portland for an overnight last Sunday. Had no issues with safety going to Stag and Silverado. I stuck to the main avenues and public transportation routes, not the side streets. This is something I would do in any city when traveling. marylander1940 and + Pensant 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thelatin Posted July 14, 2023 Share Posted July 14, 2023 I think it comes down to if you look like a tourist, or not. If you look uncomfortable, lost, confused. I always use google to map out where I’m going, look at street views, what’s nearby, a Hilton or Marriott, decent restaurants? If there isn’t much recognizable in a block or two….I pass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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