Many years ago, when I was a brand manager on a food brand, I commissioned a study on snacking that required us to do some initial exploratory research. I wanted to pick two markets that were different - one that was mainstream and one that was a little more leading edge.

When I started brainstorming potential leading-edge markets with my insights manager, I suggested, “What about Portland?” I had been in Portland for one day on a cross country trip during graduate school and remembered it fondly. “Oh no,” he replied, “Portland is weird. It IS NOT a good market to do research.” Portland was unlike any other place in the United States, and therefore, he explained, it was difficult to generalize any learnings for a product intended for a national launch. Needless to say, I heeded the advice of my insights manager and conducted research elsewhere. Over the years, and after becoming a researcher myself, I’ve conducted many research studies across the country. I've also conducted lots of non-traditional research such as extreme consumer ethnographies and creative consumer groups. But somehow that “Portland is weird” statement stuck in my head, and I stayed clear of conducting research in Portland.

Last year I moved to Portland after calling New York City my home for 20 years. When I arrived here, I noticed many peculiarities about Portland that reminded me of that conversation I had with my insights manager years before. Indeed, Portland celebrates its weirdness. There are several signs around town that read, “Keep Portland Weird.” But I don’t necessarily look at Portland as Weird. I look it as Unique. In Portland, people have a heightened attention to craftsmanship and a reverence for Individuality. And Portlandians demand to live life on their own terms. I see it as place that reflects what may come to be the future in many US cities.

Being a researcher, I feel compelled to report on the many differences that I’ve found between living in Portland and living in New York. Here’s what I’ve discovered about Portland:

Blue Star's closed sign caught my attention. And so did the many differences between Portland and New York City.

1. Business is done differently here. In New York, I feel like people are out to make a buck. Whether it’s the street vendors or the retailers, or even business people, there are people making deals everywhere. Portland is different. Maybe it’s the slower pace of life. Maybe it’s the pride in the cottage industries here. Whatever it is, there isn’t that same sense of making a buck. Once I took some house guests to Blue Star Donuts to get some tasty gourmet donuts after an early dinner, and the sign said, “Sold out...but we still love you.” We drove to another Blue Star Donuts and a similar sign hung on the door. At a recent Thorns soccer game, I waited in line at two concession stands before I was told the food was sold out. A half an hour later and on my third attempt, I finally got my dinner. I can’t even imagine Yankee Stadium or Madison Square Garden ‘selling out’ of food, but it’s a common occurrence in Portland.

2. Some businesses really understand Brand Experiences. As a marketer, I love seeing brands that truly understand their consumers and try to delight them through an experience. The first time I went to my local laundromat, Spin Laundry Lounge, I was hooked. It’s located in a smartly designed, corrugated tin shed. Their large Electrolux machines are new, super powerful and fast. They give you free natural detergent with every wash. There’s a café that serves coffee, pastries and nibbles during the day, and beer and wine at night. It has lots of seating, and an upstairs lounge with a Shrek pinball machine and other video games. The owners get that doing laundry doesn’t have to be a chore. Even my daughter’s dentist – Hollywood Children’s Dentistry – makes going to the dentist fun with it’s movie theater lobby and play room. There’s prizes after both the cleaning and the exam, and a balloon at the end of the visit. It’s refreshing to see businesses that really care about the consumer experience, and it’s made me a devoted customer as a result.

3. Many people who live in Portland, don’t work in Portland. Yes there are some big business jobs here in Portland, but there are a lot more telecommuters, freelancers, and split-residence workers here. A new friend of mine moved to Portland from San Francisco and recently decided to take a job commuting to Seattle because she couldn't find a job that pays well enough here to afford her the lifestyle she wanted. Another acquaintance flies to San Francisco to do back-to-back nursing shifts for a few days, and then flies back to spend a long stretch of time in Portland. He wanted to live in Portland and was willing to do what it took to make it happen. Likewise, most of my work in branding and strategy is commissioned from outside of Portland. This idea of finding work anywhere means you can be in the place you really want to be. And that makes for happier workers.

4. Sneakers are high fashion here. In New York, you wouldn’t catch me dead in sneakers. One time, while working at a brand strategy agency, I got an e-mail announcing that a sneaker company client was coming in. The e-mail read, “Wear your Brand X sneakers.” I promptly replied, “Sneakers are for the gym!” I did wear my sneakers to the gym, but nowhere else – not even on my long walks around the city. As soon as I got to Portland, I bought a pair of black Nikes, and to be honest, I wear them almost every day. What did I expect with Nike's headquarters in Portland’s backyard? I haven’t found an occasion to wear my cute sparkly city dresses yet, and maybe I won’t ever. I guess I’m realizing that I’m not in New York City anymore.

5. Portland sounds more like a farm than a city. In New York City, you are surrounded by the sounds of cars honking their horns, buses passing and pedestrians cursing at the bikers and cars swerving by them. You hear dogs barking, particularly little dogs yapping at the big ones, and you will definitely overhear the cell phone conversations of people talking too loud about TMI topics. In Portland, our next-door neighbors have three chickens that cluck away day and night. Down the street, there is house with three goats in the front yard, and boy-oh-boy are those kids super loud. Almost everyone here has a dog and for the most part they are pretty well behaved. But aside from the farm noises, it’s surprisingly quiet here in Portland. The occasional train I hear is a subtle reminder that I'm still living in a city.

6. A bug in your food is a good thing. This is a true story. Andy and I were hosting friends from out of town and we took them to this great restaurant in Downtown Portland. When we got to the end of the salad that we shared, I noticed a bug lying on a lettuce leaf. So as not to alarm our guests, I surreptitiously took the dish back to the kitchen and pointed out the tiny grasshopper to the cooks. Their response went like this: “Oh, it just came from the farm and we wash it when we get it.” They were nonchalant and not one bit apologetic. In New York, we would have gotten our salad comped, and we might even have been offered a free dessert. We definitely would have received apologies from the wait staff. But in Portland, bugs in your food just means that the food is super fresh.

7. Foraging in our backyard is the best and closest grocery store. As of late, I’ve been foraging for food in my backyard. The wild blackberries in the backyard were plentiful a month ago, and we picked over two dozen pints of them. Our neighbor’s raspberry bushes were ripe for the picking every time we passed the property. Our Italian plum tree is at its peek ripeness and a few days ago I made a delicious plum pie. Our other neighbor’s grapes are growing over our driveway, and should be ready to be picked soon. In New York, the Union Square Market was the closest thing I came to getting local, fresh fruit. Now I can truthfully say, "I know where my fruits come from." That’s a pretty cool thing.

8. People wait in line for good food. In New York, I swore to myself I would never wait in line. I have to admit that I did wait in line to get into the hottest new bar or club when I was younger, but I’ve wised up since then. A bar can’t be ‘that good’ to warrant an hour wait. But good food might be! In Portland, people will wait for a good food experience. On a hot summer day, there is a line around the block to get into one of the Salt & Straw shops in town to indulge in Portland’s most inventive ice cream. Pear and Blue Cheese ice cream anyone? Voodoo Doughnut always has a line, so when you have a fix for an Old Dirty Bastard Doughnut (a chocolate doughnut with chocolate frosting, Oreos and peanut butter), you will definitely have to wait. At breakfast time, you have to wait in line for Pine State Biscuits famous sandwiches that are made to order. The food in Portland is definitely worth waiting for, and I have had to drop my pledge to never wait in line.

9. Fast Casual Restaurants are Fast and Fabulous. Because of Portland’s culture of food cart eating, people have grown accustomed to eating great food without all the amenities that a full-service restaurant offers. So a great dining experience doesn’t have to have a wait staff or a 10 page wine list. Places like Grassa, Bollywood Theater and Tilt serve up top notch food. You wait in line and order your food. When it arrives at your table, you can dive into a fresh and flavorful made-to-order meal. Bussing your own table when you are done is no big deal because pitching in is part of the culture here. Portland’s Fast Casual Restaurants is casual dining at its best.

10. It’s easy being Green in Portland. Though composting always appealed to me, I never did it when I lived in New York. If I wanted to compost, I’d have to haul a container of smelly kitchen scraps to a collection site in Union Square Market. Here in Portland, compost is picked up every week, along with the recycling (garbage only comes once a week). It’s easy to reduce your waste when many restaurants use hand towels and real silverware instead of the throw away kinds. Recycling and upcycling is highly encouraged. Thrift shops and consignment shops are plentiful and can be found in every neighborhood. Powell’s, the local mega book store displays used books in the same piles as new books. I’ve become more conscious about what I consume and how my actions impact the environment, and that feels pretty good.

I never thought I’d like any place as much as I like New York City, but Portland has truly captivated my heart. As a brand marketer, I am a delighted that Portland is home to many local brands that are authentically and artfully created. As a researcher, I have to disagree with my old colleague. Portland IS a great place to gather insights. If you are looking where everyone else is looking, you’ll find what everyone else finds. If you look somewhere like Portland, you might discover something that will surprise you…and that makes for an interesting insight that could potentially lead to breakthrough brand ideas. So the next time you think about conducting research, think – “Weird is good” and consider Portland. While there may not be enough donuts to go around, it will definitely be a trip that's chock full of highly caloric insights.

The 10 Biggest Differences Between Portland and NYC