illustrations by KRIS HARGIS

LEAD STORY Seattle Envy Is Portland a provincial backwater or the most livable city in the Northwest? Is Seattle a haven of cosmopolitanism or the epitome of congested urban sprawl? We asked five writers--from both cities--to make the case for the better burg.

Navigate: Introduction CHARTS The Battle of the Lattes Portland and Seattle: A Selective History ESSAYS Vanity Blemishes Rose City's Charm; Ambition Tarnishes Emerald What's in a Song? Torn Between Two Cities: An I-5 Love Story If Seattle is a Scorpio, Portland Is a... You Say Monorail; I say Oregon Trail

With Halloween--the annual celebration of alter egos--around the corner, we've been thinking about what costume we would dress Portland in. It has to be someone who is small but compensates for it well, someone who often ignores what the rest of the world is up to and does things his own way. Someone who is always operating in the shadow of a bigger, brassier sister. Don't get us wrong. We love our hometown precisely for all the things that make it the opposite of that teeming urban megalopolis up north--breathable air, affordable rent, bikeable streets. But for all its charms, Portland has always seemed a bit burdened by what you could call a Napoleon complex. "So we're little, so what?" we say. "We can still kick your town's butt on social services, city planning and parks"--all the things Seattle forgot about in its quest to become a Goliath of global commerce. For a city with only 33,000 more people than Portland (OK, the Seattle metro area has almost one million more people than the Portland area), Seattle sure acts much bigger, louder and more grown up. We think comparisons between us are apt, but Seattle reacts like a big brother who'll give us a wedgie if we don't shut up and go away. Willamette Week thought a little discussion on the topic was in order. First we compiled a comparative chart, a historical timeline and a wealth of trivia (see the thick black line on pages 22 through 33) on Seattle and Portland. Then we asked five writers who know both cities well--some Seattle fans, some hometown boosters--to help us compare the two and explore the oneupmanship between them. So, which is better--Seattle or Portland? The reactions were surprisingly mixed. Each city was proclaimed the friendlier, quirkier or trendier by different writers. What we've learned is that we'll never settle this age-old grudge--unless Paul Schell and Vera Katz, Bill Gates and Phil Knight or Eddie Vedder and Elliott Smith want to arm wrestle for it. Just remember, we've got former WWF bruiser Rowdy Roddy Piper on our side. Try to top that, Seattle.   - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Willamette Week | originally published October 28, 1998