Hey Portlanders, Cambrie Juarez + Ben McBee here. Between the two of us, we get the privilege of sharing local news, events, and conversations with 33,000+ in Portland, daily — here, and on our socials.
After two months of bringing you PDXtoday, we thought we should formally introduce ourselves. Consider this is us going in for a fist bump, then switching to a handshake, then settling on a hug.
Meet City Editor Cambrie
Q: Describe your perfect day in Portland in the length of a Tweet (240 characters).
A: A late brunch at Slappy Cakes to start and, miraculously, there’s no line. Gotta burn off those extra dollops of lemon curd on the Wildwood Trail. Since I didn’t get my shoes muddy at all, I’m finishing off the day with dinner at Cafe Nell.
Q: Describe Portland’s personality in three words.
A: Funky. Progressive. Casual.
Q: Hit us with your favorite piece of local trivia:
A: Portland’s famous International Rose Test Garden was created to keep certain species of hybrid roses grown in Europe safe during World War I because people worried they would be destroyed during the bombings.
Meet City Editor Ben
Q: If you were taking someone on a tour around Portland, where are the three places you’re going?
A: We’re starting at Bertie Lou’s Cafe in the Sellwood-Moreland neighborhood, where the sassy menu is brimming with classics. Next, we’re burning off breakfast with a walk around Cathedral Park. Around here, enjoying craft beer is pretty much a sacred rite, so we’d end the day at Steeplejack Brewing Company, a church-turned-pub complete with stained-glass windows.
Q: Hit us with your favorite piece of local trivia:
A: When the Skidmore Fountain was dedicated in 1888, legend has it that local beer maker Henry Weinhard offered to pump his brews into the fountain using fire hoses. The proposal was rejected for fear that carriage horses would drink it and get … disorderly.
Q: What’s something every new Portlander oughta know about?
A: Just embrace the rain. The dark and dreary days are what make our summers so fantastic, trees so green + local food scene unrivaled. That being said, invest in a top-notch rain jacket.
