on the map

walking distance of my apartment

one of the best things i love about the portland metro is its modest-yet-startling beauty spread out amidst Urbania and Metropolis. i know this photo doesn't look like much, but it's the wide open spaces and all that gorgeous portland sky that gets me every time. and it's less than a mile from my apartment. i know my town isn't quite portland metro, but just south. still, i love it.

holladay park, NE 11th ave

this place always makes me smile, too, because it's a little pocket of pleasant right smack in the middle of corporate buildings and lloyd center in downtown portland. it's not quite The Block at Orange, but then again, The Block isn't quite Pioneer Square, either. so it's a trade off. but this little park is a breath of fresh air and balm for the eyes. portland is known as the city of bridges and the city of roses, but it's also home to the largest urban park in the country, and the smallest park in the world. we love our parks.

all in all, the best place to live in the whole, wide world.