Right up until the time I relocated to Portland in 2007, Lefty and Jerry were still living. All of my friends adored Lefty, but no one except me admired Jerry, and I only got along with him because I had met him in Paris a number of years before, when he was selling roses on the streets of Paris. His sales were apparently sufficient for him to relocate to the United States, specifically to Portland, where he continued to support himself by selling flowers from bar to bar until his death there in 2011.

Lefty and Jerry come to mind because they were two of the more stereotypical personalities of downtown Portland. Lefty was a one-armed guitar player who used to perform on the streets and make a respectable income for himself and his family. In addition to having a gravelly, husky voice that would have made Tom Waits jealous, he also played the guitar, strumming it with the help of a pick that was hooked to the hook where his arm had once been. They each represented a fading breed of oddity that the city is fighting to keep alive, and regardless of what others thought of them, they each represented a piece of the city's now-famous weirdness that has been lost.

When Small Towns Become Larger Cities

Downtown Portland is undergoing transformation. The downtown area is hemmed in by the Willamette River bridges to the east and the hills of Beaverton to the west, driving directions and as the city's popularity grows, the old is being gradually replaced by the new, resulting in a crowded and congested downtown. A similar situation occurred in Seattle throughout the 1990s, only that the downtown area of Seattle was less constrained, allowing for more room for the city to expand outward.

However, even as the unstoppable river of gentrification sweeps through the city, there are still some of the vulgar, nasty, and yet charming bottom-feeders of the weird who persistently refuse to be condoned out of existence, despite the overwhelming tide of gentrification.

The Central Nervous System

Opinions differ on where the most important elements of Portland can be found – with major arterials such as Alberta, Mississippi, Hawthorne, and NW 23rd posing as strong contenders – but it's difficult to argue that Burnside Street is anything less than the spine that supports many of the city's most renowned locations. Burnside Street is a major thoroughfare that connects many of the city's most renowned locations to the rest of the city.

It is Powell's City of Books, which occupies a full city block and is billed as the world's largest independent used book store, that serves as the nerve center of Burnside. This vast temple dedicated to the printed word is a bibliophile's dream come true. Miles of bookcases line the walls of its various rooms, and it's easy to lose track of time while browsing through its selection of titles.

There is a song for every mood.

Several of Portland's most well-known music venues can also be found on Burnside Avenue. A show to suit almost any taste can be found every night of the week, in venues as diverse as McMenamins Crystal Ballroom and the Roseland to more intimate settings such as Dante's and the Ash Street Saloon (my top recommendation if you're in the mood for live music).

North of Burnside, you'll discover the Pearl District (an expensive neighborhood that will be the subject of a separate article), as well as the Old Town/Chinatown region, which is known for its vibrant nightlife. In addition, when condos take over the riverside, this is where you'll see some of the most obvious signs of money flowing into the city.