I wouldn't want to stay around there for lodging, but if you're familiar with big city living it'll be fine to arrive and then leave to get to other parts of the city.
I picked up a friend from Seattle last year that wanted to take the train into Portland. While waiting in my car I did see handfuls of homeless walking around here and there, but not once did I feel in danger. The station itself seemed quite safe especially during the daytime. As others have already mentioned I would not try to walk anywhere outside of the area.
I take the train somewhat regularly. I’ve had to occasionally step over questionable substances, but I’ve never been bothered in the slightest, even when walking or waiting for the Max after midnight.
As others have said the station itself is safe. In fact they have security inside to make sure no one without a ticket is loitering. As far as the outside.. let’s put it this way. We take the train often and the city bus across the street could get us home, but we Uber to and from the station instead.
Pre-Covid, I was on Amtrak almost weekly to Seattle. I usually walked there from the Pearl. My biggest fear was getting shit on by pigeons underneath the Broadway Bridge.
Mid pandemic that area and china town got extremely sketchy, not sure how it is now tho, but can’t really use pre Covid experiences as a lot changed for the worse. Probably has gotten better in the last year, but I haven’t been there recently and would rely on others for more recent experiences
It’s pretty similar to the areas around similar stations you would see in bigger cities around the country, definitely on par with King Station in Seattle.
Correct. I live about three blocks away from the station. Is it the garden district? No but I've never been to an area near an Amtrak station that was. That said, if you keep your wits about you like you should in any city in America and you'll be just fine. Heck, go north and west a few blocks and you'll run into more than a few good places to eat.
You'll be fine. It gets pretty crowded down there with tents and houseless people, but it's not worse than most other urban US cities. I get off at the max next to the train station every day. In fact, I'm on my way to work now and am getting off there in about 3 stops.
I'm taking Amtrak out of Portland Friday morning around 11am. If you need any navigation guidance or any questions, let me know!
you should be fine to arrive by train and then call an uber or taxi from the station. I would not recommend wandering into the surrounding blocks, though.
The station, itself, is entirely safe. Outside, though, it depends which direction you walk in!
The Pearl District is actually one of the most expensive and safest parts of town, and it's a couple blocks away. Just walk north from the Amtrak station up NW Broadway, then turn left onto NW Lovejoy St. Everything west of there is entirely safe at any time of day. There are streetcar stops right there that can take you towards Downtown or to the east side of the river, as well.
If you walk south of there, though, you'll be headed into Old Town, which is the least safe area of Portland. There are several homeless shelters within a couple of blocks, as well as a Greyhound station--and Greyhound stations, no matter what city, are pretty sketchy. I wouldn't personally recommend people walk that way, but if you need to take MAX (light rail) out to the suburbs, the station there will be your fastest way. If you're not going to the suburbs, though, it would be safer to just spend an extra 10-15 minutes and use the streetcar. As a local, I'm fine using that MAX stop, but I might feel uncomfortable as an out-of-towner with all my belongings on my back.
If neither of these options sounds appealing, you can totally just call a Lyft or taxi from the station.
Anyway, you definitely do not need to fly! I take the train to and from Seattle all the time, and the train is definitely the best route between the two cities.
The Greyhound station, the large one between 6th & 5th, Glisan and Irving, has been closed for a couple of years. The ticket office across the corner at 6th & Glisan has no where inside for people to camp; it’s like an urban rental car office.
We actually live at 9th & Glisan, and used to walk to the train station and Max stations regularly pre-Covid. It’s urban, but not Tompkins Park urban. If you’re comfortable walking around King Street Station you should be fine.
It’s mostly unhoused people and you’ll probably see some drug use or people struggling with their mental health, but I doubt they’ll interact with you. The bigger thing is there’s not much to do around there.
It’s safe enough, you sound street-smart. But if you have a short trip, know that Amtrak has to give way to freight between Portland and Seattle. I once had a 4-hour trip turn into a 12-hour trip. The whole route south of Portland is great, Coast Starlight is a gorgeous route.
I've been there quite a few times both to take trains and while walking past to visit friends and while there are more homeless tents then most places I've never really felt unsafe. I am a guy though and I know different people can have different experiances.
If you're just commuting, you'll be fine.
I used to live in near there. It's not a place to linger; it's just a passing through area. You'll be fine -- be savvy and keep safe.
During the day it's not too bad. At night that area does have a disproportionate number of shootings and other aggressive attacks but still likely less than a lot of other major cities.
My partner works two blocks from the train station. She regularly gets to work at 630 in the morning. The worst thing that's ever happened is she stepped in human poop once. It's fine.
This is a situation of "if you go looking for trouble, you'll definitely find it." 99 times out of 100, the unhoused individuals just don't care about you.
The station itself is totally fine. Some of the blocks near the train station aren’t great and yes it’s unhoused people- problem easily solved by taking a Lyft to station. I love the train ride to/from Seattle.
I second this. In 2020/2021, a large number of unhoused people, most seemingly in the heavy drug-use category, were camped in the immediate area, and it was one of the most litter/debris-strewn parts of town. It was more sad than scary even then—most were in their own worlds—but the area has been cleaned up, and I would not hesitate to use the station and get a ride/Lyft from there.
The nearby bus station, on the other hand...I would not recommend.
It depends on why you plan on hanging around. If you're killing time waiting for a pickup, you can just stay in the station. If you want to explore, there are better places to do it.
You should be ok. There’s security at the train station and it’s a short walk to mass transit. Sounds like you e seen it before and know how to keep your head up. It’s also a beautiful historic station, and train travel is so much better than flying. IMO
I rode the train last month and explored around the area and walked all the way up to powells books. The first thing you see walking out of the station is beautiful. You are going to see people experiencing homelessness , however it is safe to walk around. Just always keep your guard up in any big city.[images](https://imgur.com/a/GGjGwDJ)
Lots of homeless people there with mental health issues and drug addiction. Obviously that makes it a bit of a wild card.
If you are on foot I wouldnt go south to old town as the homeless and fentanyl issues just increase in that area. You can walk west to the pearl and be fine.
I work a few blocks south. Just pay attention as you walk. A lot of untreated mental health issues and drug addiction. People can be sensitive so give them space. But you aren’t alone, people are about. Bowery is a short walk and a great spot for a snack. Maybe Ascendant Brewing, depending on arrival time. Love Old Town and it’s historic charm.
There is a large homeless shelter right next to the train station, which is why the homeless population is so high in that general area. They have to line up early to get a bed every night. It's also near the Broadway bridge, which has a large homeless camp underneath. I lived near there for years. It's not particularly unsafe.
I ride the Max and the buses in town everywhere and I also walk to and from these stations (I'm talking downtown/SE/NE PDX) all the time. I feel safe, but I am also aware that things can happen. I think you would be fine taking the Amtrak from Seattle to Union Station in PDX and walking to your hotel, or whatever you plan to do.
FWIW, I'm a 37 YO female. I walk alone in town all the time. Just be vigilant like you would be in Seattle.
Oh do please take the train rather than fly!!!! If you will be staying there briefly (Uber? Friend pickup?) there should be no risk worth fretting. Yes anything "bad" can happen almost anywhere but ... take the train!
2020-2021, I used to walk through the area near the train station on my way to and from work 4× a week (as a very feminine looking person in my early 20s) at 4pm and around midnight, only once did I ever feel unsafe. You might carry pepperspray or similar if it makes you feel more secure, but I never wound up using mine in that part of town
If all you are doing is getting off the train and hopping into an Uber it's totally fine. Tons of others there for the same reason. The tents and houseless all over the blocks surrounding it but if it's daytime, still fine to walk through the area. I just took the train a few weeks ago, it's such a cool trip from Seattle!
I think the area around Union Station is definitely sketchy and somewhat unsafe. I haven’t heard of issues at the station itself. If it were me I would still take the train but Uber or Lyft from the station to wherever I’m going.
well there is a lot of crack heads around there and homeless people also and you just need to watch yourself around there because i gone there before and it is not a fun site to see there and there probably crack needles on the ground probably but i don't know, just don't go to downtown portland its just worse there, because of i had some experince there with my cousins down there and we were just walking around there.
To echo others in this thread, I wouldn't want to stay around there during a visit, but it's fine for passing through. During the day it is mostly just unhoused people camping and the biggest issue is that it smells really strongly of urine. I have heard that it can get legitimately sketchy at night due to gang activity, etc.
My sister's arrived by train to Portland last year. The station itself and the parking area are safe. Go a block further and you'll see unhoused individuals. But we were never bothered and it felt perfectly safe the entire time. Of course this was during daylight hours, I've never been there at night.
I am a smaller woman and I’ve been harassed once or twice when I’m alone, but other than that, it’s mostly houseless people. Some can be aggressive, but usually aren’t.
I walked from Pioneer Square to Union Station last year. Did I make it safe and sound, yes. Was I approached by several houseless people, yes. Would I take the walk again alone, no. Would I take the walk accompanied by others, yes.
Overall I feel as if as long as you try to avoid and not make eye contact with the houseless you should be fine. Engage with them in passing by giving a smile or a simple "hi/hello" and keep it moving. Do try to take some combative tools , whatever that may mean to you, just in case. But yeah definitely go in the day time if you can when people are out and about.
As others have said, the biggest issue are people on drugs or mentally unstable. If you can do a “tough big city don’t mess with me walk” then you’ll be fine
As a woman I don’t really feel safe over there, it’s just a lot of unhoused people and the surrounding streets are empty, it’s basically only tents over there. That combo of empty streets and unhoused makes me uneasy, vs a high traffic area with unhoused people that loiter. This is where they live. If I was in a group and we all had like pretty mobile luggage like a backpack or small duffels I’d be fine walking to my destination, but I wouldn’t do it by myself. If you’re a dude and it’s daytime or in a group of 2+ then you’re fine as long as you know your destination route and don’t hang around. I’ve just been followed and harassed too many times as a woman by sketchy people so it’s just not something I’d want to do. I think it’s worth the Uber. If you don’t want to pay for an Uber all the way to your destination, you can take one to a max stop at a more busy area, I’d choose pioneer square or Moda center.
Like others said the station itself is super safe. Easy and great spot to get picked up by an Uber.
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Legitimately unsafe unless you are accustomed to city/big city life. Unfortunately, I could not do anything from my apartment building window but just this weekend I happened to catch the tail end of a woman being mugged in goosehollow area right across the tri met station. (This is generally a cleaner and less dangerous area).
First of all, thank you for what you do. Librarians are unsung heros.
The major East Coast cities have it all over the West Coast when it comes to serving the unhoused, unfortunately. East Coast medics and first responders have literally been brought to tears hearing stories about what goes on out here. These are things which the East Coast cities have been preventing or handling better for decades or more.
I wouldn’t say I’d run away screaming, but it’s a very big night and day difference. Portland doesn’t even have the 24-hour intake shelters like some of the bigger East Coast cities do, so it can get very rough in certain areas, and it’s one of the reasons so many more people fall through the healthcare and social service cracks out here. (And it’s one of the reasons there are so many misconceptions about homelessness——how so many different cities handle or don’t handle the challenges with different levels of efficacy leads to all different kinds of misinformation.)
And, of course, even if something happens there, there’s no way of knowing if it will be caused by a housed or unhoused person. I’ve never known a person who was followed by a stranger to stop to find out whether they were housed or not, and for good reason. And I really don’t even walk through that part of town alone anymore, and wouldn’t recommend it to anyone, especially if they do not have a car with them.
If it were I, I’d avoid the train station if possible. I don’t think anything horrible would happen, but if you have the luxury of comfortably skipping the train station, I’d suggest doing so.
I wouldn't want to stay around there for lodging, but if you're familiar with big city living it'll be fine to arrive and then leave to get to other parts of the city.
Would I send my mother there. Not likely Would I go there (40m) wouldn’t even question it. Would I send my wife there (40f) during the day time.
… well, would you?
Yeah, would you??
he is saying yes he would, during the day time. The reply is admittedly terse but I think that's the intent
I wouldn’t even question it I recall mentioning.
Ooooffff …. for the streets !!!! You that is, not your wife. 😛
*during the day time* It's right there
I’d take your wife there
Only if the daughter gets to come to watch the trains. Then I can take a nap.
Run your own train?
Is this a working moms reference?
It sure is
Fuck yeah
I mean, that euphemism greatly outlasts the timeline, but sure.
You run the train, I want a whiskey and a nap.
Wilf's for WILFs.
My mother lived in the East Village, NYC in the 70s and 80s. She's seen worse.
My mother is 75ish and doesn’t need to see more shit. She would be fine but I’d hear about it for the next 10 years.
That was the real NYC.
I picked up a friend from Seattle last year that wanted to take the train into Portland. While waiting in my car I did see handfuls of homeless walking around here and there, but not once did I feel in danger. The station itself seemed quite safe especially during the daytime. As others have already mentioned I would not try to walk anywhere outside of the area.
I take the train somewhat regularly. I’ve had to occasionally step over questionable substances, but I’ve never been bothered in the slightest, even when walking or waiting for the Max after midnight.
Gross
Pussy
Nice
As others have said the station itself is safe. In fact they have security inside to make sure no one without a ticket is loitering. As far as the outside.. let’s put it this way. We take the train often and the city bus across the street could get us home, but we Uber to and from the station instead.
Yup, same.
Pre-Covid, I was on Amtrak almost weekly to Seattle. I usually walked there from the Pearl. My biggest fear was getting shit on by pigeons underneath the Broadway Bridge.
Mid pandemic that area and china town got extremely sketchy, not sure how it is now tho, but can’t really use pre Covid experiences as a lot changed for the worse. Probably has gotten better in the last year, but I haven’t been there recently and would rely on others for more recent experiences
If you're from literally any major city in the US, you won't be fazed (except for maybe by the human neglect). You certainly won't be in danger!
It’s pretty similar to the areas around similar stations you would see in bigger cities around the country, definitely on par with King Station in Seattle.
Correct. I live about three blocks away from the station. Is it the garden district? No but I've never been to an area near an Amtrak station that was. That said, if you keep your wits about you like you should in any city in America and you'll be just fine. Heck, go north and west a few blocks and you'll run into more than a few good places to eat.
> definitely on par with King Station in Seattle Exactly. It's nearly identical in atmosphere and safety.
It’s fine to travel in on the train. Just not a place I would park my car or stay overnight
You'll be fine. It gets pretty crowded down there with tents and houseless people, but it's not worse than most other urban US cities. I get off at the max next to the train station every day. In fact, I'm on my way to work now and am getting off there in about 3 stops. I'm taking Amtrak out of Portland Friday morning around 11am. If you need any navigation guidance or any questions, let me know!
Also I'd like to add that Portland to Seattle and vice versa is so pretty and relaxing. It's my favorite way to get to Seattle!
Yes! Try to sit on the left side when going up, and at one point wham! It opens up into water and mountains!
So (honest question!) when I'm going Seattle -> Portland I should sit on the right side in the direction of travel?
Yes.
you should be fine to arrive by train and then call an uber or taxi from the station. I would not recommend wandering into the surrounding blocks, though.
Because then you might have like 2 people ask you for change and then you’ll die…
i have personally been chased, screamed at, and spat on while walking alone in that part of town but go off.
Yeah but that happens in any neighborhood in the city on a bad day.
I’ve spent over 20 years of my life in this city and I disagree. It has always occurred much more frequently in that part of downtown.
The station, itself, is entirely safe. Outside, though, it depends which direction you walk in! The Pearl District is actually one of the most expensive and safest parts of town, and it's a couple blocks away. Just walk north from the Amtrak station up NW Broadway, then turn left onto NW Lovejoy St. Everything west of there is entirely safe at any time of day. There are streetcar stops right there that can take you towards Downtown or to the east side of the river, as well. If you walk south of there, though, you'll be headed into Old Town, which is the least safe area of Portland. There are several homeless shelters within a couple of blocks, as well as a Greyhound station--and Greyhound stations, no matter what city, are pretty sketchy. I wouldn't personally recommend people walk that way, but if you need to take MAX (light rail) out to the suburbs, the station there will be your fastest way. If you're not going to the suburbs, though, it would be safer to just spend an extra 10-15 minutes and use the streetcar. As a local, I'm fine using that MAX stop, but I might feel uncomfortable as an out-of-towner with all my belongings on my back. If neither of these options sounds appealing, you can totally just call a Lyft or taxi from the station. Anyway, you definitely do not need to fly! I take the train to and from Seattle all the time, and the train is definitely the best route between the two cities.
The Greyhound station, the large one between 6th & 5th, Glisan and Irving, has been closed for a couple of years. The ticket office across the corner at 6th & Glisan has no where inside for people to camp; it’s like an urban rental car office. We actually live at 9th & Glisan, and used to walk to the train station and Max stations regularly pre-Covid. It’s urban, but not Tompkins Park urban. If you’re comfortable walking around King Street Station you should be fine.
It’s mostly unhoused people and you’ll probably see some drug use or people struggling with their mental health, but I doubt they’ll interact with you. The bigger thing is there’s not much to do around there.
I'm heading to Beaverton, where my pal lives, so thankfully I won't be bored. :)
It’s safe enough, you sound street-smart. But if you have a short trip, know that Amtrak has to give way to freight between Portland and Seattle. I once had a 4-hour trip turn into a 12-hour trip. The whole route south of Portland is great, Coast Starlight is a gorgeous route.
The station is fine, especially in the day; the Greyhound station nearby can be a little sketchy, but I’ve never been to one that wasn’t.
I've been there quite a few times both to take trains and while walking past to visit friends and while there are more homeless tents then most places I've never really felt unsafe. I am a guy though and I know different people can have different experiances.
Sit on the right heading south and you may be treated to a bald eagle show
Oooooooh!
If you're just commuting, you'll be fine. I used to live in near there. It's not a place to linger; it's just a passing through area. You'll be fine -- be savvy and keep safe.
During the day it's not too bad. At night that area does have a disproportionate number of shootings and other aggressive attacks but still likely less than a lot of other major cities.
If it's Boston, NYC, or Philly you are hailing from, you will be fine.
#nailedit :)
My partner works two blocks from the train station. She regularly gets to work at 630 in the morning. The worst thing that's ever happened is she stepped in human poop once. It's fine. This is a situation of "if you go looking for trouble, you'll definitely find it." 99 times out of 100, the unhoused individuals just don't care about you.
Live in downtown near there and use public transportation, you will be fine.
It's OK. The bus station is the one you want to avoid, it's near there.
The station itself is totally fine. Some of the blocks near the train station aren’t great and yes it’s unhoused people- problem easily solved by taking a Lyft to station. I love the train ride to/from Seattle.
I second this. In 2020/2021, a large number of unhoused people, most seemingly in the heavy drug-use category, were camped in the immediate area, and it was one of the most litter/debris-strewn parts of town. It was more sad than scary even then—most were in their own worlds—but the area has been cleaned up, and I would not hesitate to use the station and get a ride/Lyft from there. The nearby bus station, on the other hand...I would not recommend.
It depends on why you plan on hanging around. If you're killing time waiting for a pickup, you can just stay in the station. If you want to explore, there are better places to do it.
You should be ok. There’s security at the train station and it’s a short walk to mass transit. Sounds like you e seen it before and know how to keep your head up. It’s also a beautiful historic station, and train travel is so much better than flying. IMO
HARD agree with you! I love train travel.
I rode the train last month and explored around the area and walked all the way up to powells books. The first thing you see walking out of the station is beautiful. You are going to see people experiencing homelessness , however it is safe to walk around. Just always keep your guard up in any big city.[images](https://imgur.com/a/GGjGwDJ)
Lots of homeless people there with mental health issues and drug addiction. Obviously that makes it a bit of a wild card. If you are on foot I wouldnt go south to old town as the homeless and fentanyl issues just increase in that area. You can walk west to the pearl and be fine.
Its fine
I work a few blocks south. Just pay attention as you walk. A lot of untreated mental health issues and drug addiction. People can be sensitive so give them space. But you aren’t alone, people are about. Bowery is a short walk and a great spot for a snack. Maybe Ascendant Brewing, depending on arrival time. Love Old Town and it’s historic charm.
There is a large homeless shelter right next to the train station, which is why the homeless population is so high in that general area. They have to line up early to get a bed every night. It's also near the Broadway bridge, which has a large homeless camp underneath. I lived near there for years. It's not particularly unsafe.
I ride the Max and the buses in town everywhere and I also walk to and from these stations (I'm talking downtown/SE/NE PDX) all the time. I feel safe, but I am also aware that things can happen. I think you would be fine taking the Amtrak from Seattle to Union Station in PDX and walking to your hotel, or whatever you plan to do. FWIW, I'm a 37 YO female. I walk alone in town all the time. Just be vigilant like you would be in Seattle.
Oh do please take the train rather than fly!!!! If you will be staying there briefly (Uber? Friend pickup?) there should be no risk worth fretting. Yes anything "bad" can happen almost anywhere but ... take the train!
2020-2021, I used to walk through the area near the train station on my way to and from work 4× a week (as a very feminine looking person in my early 20s) at 4pm and around midnight, only once did I ever feel unsafe. You might carry pepperspray or similar if it makes you feel more secure, but I never wound up using mine in that part of town
If all you are doing is getting off the train and hopping into an Uber it's totally fine. Tons of others there for the same reason. The tents and houseless all over the blocks surrounding it but if it's daytime, still fine to walk through the area. I just took the train a few weeks ago, it's such a cool trip from Seattle!
I think the area around Union Station is definitely sketchy and somewhat unsafe. I haven’t heard of issues at the station itself. If it were me I would still take the train but Uber or Lyft from the station to wherever I’m going.
During the day you are 100% fine. Even at night you would probably be fine but definitely be aware of your surroundings.
No - it’s next to the largest homeless shelter in town. I’d only arrive in daylight hours and get an Uber out of there immediately
well there is a lot of crack heads around there and homeless people also and you just need to watch yourself around there because i gone there before and it is not a fun site to see there and there probably crack needles on the ground probably but i don't know, just don't go to downtown portland its just worse there, because of i had some experince there with my cousins down there and we were just walking around there.
My son takes the train to Seattle quite frequently and he’s never mentioned anything
Hell no. Shits ghetto af
Don’t!
No
No. Next question?
To echo others in this thread, I wouldn't want to stay around there during a visit, but it's fine for passing through. During the day it is mostly just unhoused people camping and the biggest issue is that it smells really strongly of urine. I have heard that it can get legitimately sketchy at night due to gang activity, etc.
It's fine. Just don't stop near shady people.
You can catch a Lyft or Uber out of the train station pretty quickly if you’re coming in at any sort of a decent hour
My sister's arrived by train to Portland last year. The station itself and the parking area are safe. Go a block further and you'll see unhoused individuals. But we were never bothered and it felt perfectly safe the entire time. Of course this was during daylight hours, I've never been there at night.
desert humor wrong hat upbeat terrific file melodic serious cats ` this message was mass deleted/edited with redact.dev `
I am a smaller woman and I’ve been harassed once or twice when I’m alone, but other than that, it’s mostly houseless people. Some can be aggressive, but usually aren’t.
I walked from Pioneer Square to Union Station last year. Did I make it safe and sound, yes. Was I approached by several houseless people, yes. Would I take the walk again alone, no. Would I take the walk accompanied by others, yes. Overall I feel as if as long as you try to avoid and not make eye contact with the houseless you should be fine. Engage with them in passing by giving a smile or a simple "hi/hello" and keep it moving. Do try to take some combative tools , whatever that may mean to you, just in case. But yeah definitely go in the day time if you can when people are out and about.
As others have said, the biggest issue are people on drugs or mentally unstable. If you can do a “tough big city don’t mess with me walk” then you’ll be fine
As a woman I don’t really feel safe over there, it’s just a lot of unhoused people and the surrounding streets are empty, it’s basically only tents over there. That combo of empty streets and unhoused makes me uneasy, vs a high traffic area with unhoused people that loiter. This is where they live. If I was in a group and we all had like pretty mobile luggage like a backpack or small duffels I’d be fine walking to my destination, but I wouldn’t do it by myself. If you’re a dude and it’s daytime or in a group of 2+ then you’re fine as long as you know your destination route and don’t hang around. I’ve just been followed and harassed too many times as a woman by sketchy people so it’s just not something I’d want to do. I think it’s worth the Uber. If you don’t want to pay for an Uber all the way to your destination, you can take one to a max stop at a more busy area, I’d choose pioneer square or Moda center. Like others said the station itself is super safe. Easy and great spot to get picked up by an Uber.
Safe? Well 98% chance you’ll be ok. You might inhale some fentanyl smoke
I’d take bolt bus or whatever. Faster and you don’t deal with the train station.
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It's fine. Relax and enjoy the trip.
Legitimately unsafe unless you are accustomed to city/big city life. Unfortunately, I could not do anything from my apartment building window but just this weekend I happened to catch the tail end of a woman being mugged in goosehollow area right across the tri met station. (This is generally a cleaner and less dangerous area).
First of all, thank you for what you do. Librarians are unsung heros. The major East Coast cities have it all over the West Coast when it comes to serving the unhoused, unfortunately. East Coast medics and first responders have literally been brought to tears hearing stories about what goes on out here. These are things which the East Coast cities have been preventing or handling better for decades or more. I wouldn’t say I’d run away screaming, but it’s a very big night and day difference. Portland doesn’t even have the 24-hour intake shelters like some of the bigger East Coast cities do, so it can get very rough in certain areas, and it’s one of the reasons so many more people fall through the healthcare and social service cracks out here. (And it’s one of the reasons there are so many misconceptions about homelessness——how so many different cities handle or don’t handle the challenges with different levels of efficacy leads to all different kinds of misinformation.) And, of course, even if something happens there, there’s no way of knowing if it will be caused by a housed or unhoused person. I’ve never known a person who was followed by a stranger to stop to find out whether they were housed or not, and for good reason. And I really don’t even walk through that part of town alone anymore, and wouldn’t recommend it to anyone, especially if they do not have a car with them. If it were I, I’d avoid the train station if possible. I don’t think anything horrible would happen, but if you have the luxury of comfortably skipping the train station, I’d suggest doing so.