Recent accolades for Portland

  • No. 6, "Fittest Cities in America" – Men's Fitness (February 2009)
  • No. 2, "America's Best Airports 2008" – MSN.com (January 2009)
  • “20 Best Places to Retire” – Black Enterprise Magazine (October 2008)
  • No. 1, “Most eco-friendly big cities in America” – SustainLane.com (September 2008)
  • No. 5, “Top 10 Cities for Design in America” – BusinessWeek / RMJM Hillier (July 2008)
  • No. 1, “Best Gay Cities in America” - Gay and Lesbian International News Network (July 2008)
  • Platinum-level Bicycle Friendly Community designation (one of only two cities in the United States to currently hold this rating) - League of American Bicyclists (May 2008)
  • No. 25, “World’s Most Livable Cities” (one of only two U.S. cities listed) – Monocle (UK-based magazine, July 2008)
  • No. 5, “America’s 10 Cleanest Cities” – Forbes.com (March 2008)
  • No. 1, “Greenest City in America” – Popular Science (February 2008)
  • No. 1, “Best Cities in America to Have a Baby” – Fit Pregnancy magazine (February/March 2008)
  • 2008 Distinctive Destination (one of 12 cities chosen in the United States) – National Trust for Historic Preservation (February 2008)
  • “Top 10 Cities for Independent Moviemakers” – MovieMaker Magazine (2003-2008)

 

Did You Know?

  • In 2008, Sam Adams was elected mayor, making Portland the largest city in America with an openly gay mayor.
Gay Softball World Series, Summer, 2002
  • From March 3-April 20, 2004, Portland's Multnomah County Courthouse became the third government entity in the nation (after Massachusetts and San Francisco) to issue same-sex marriage licencses. During the first month 3,212 couples were issued licenses.
  • The North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance (NAGAAA) held its 26th annual Gay Softball World Series in Portland in the summer of 2002. More than 2,500 men and women from 120 teams across the country met in two Portland area parks for a week of fun, yet competitive play.
  • The October 2002 issue of Girlfriends magazine named Portland the fourth-best place in the United States for lesbians to live. Criteria included the number of lesbian hangouts, anti-discrimination laws, housing costs and public transportation.