Outside of Powell's and further north I explored Portland's Pearl District. This appeared to be a trendy yet slightly gritty neighborhood where old brewery factories were being transformed into residential and commercial lofts. How exciting! I had often dreamed of owning a live-in work loft. I passed galleries with impasto oil paintings, spice-scented tea rooms, shops selling antique furniture and handmade paper journals, and a place offering massages. Colorful wooden totem poles, another of the city's public art projects, proved that the theme of Portland is creativity. I pictured myself living in a place like this, taking the MAX to work, coming back home to my art studio loft, hanging out with artists and other creative types, enjoying all that a bohemian area like the Pearl District had to offer.
The variety of sights and experiences in this city were endless. The man in the tourist center had been correct in his prediction: I wanted to never leave Portland.
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