City Cast Portland

Conversations about crime or homeless encampments often focus on one symbolic neighborhood: Old Town. The district has a long history as Portland's official Chinatown, but because of historic city neglect, rising crime, and rising rents, many businesses have been forced to relocate. Plus, since the pandemic, this struggling district has seen a lot more people living on the streets. Today we’re tal...

We're rounding up headlines that caught our attention this week, everything from Governor Kotek's proposed housing plan to the possibility of the Florida Tampa Bay Rays moving to Portland. Joining host Claudia Meza are Andy Giegerich, managing editor for the Portland Business Journal, and City Cast Portland's lead producer, John Notarianni. Still want more Portland news? Then make sure to sign up...

A few years back a world-renowned pizza consultant (yes there’s such a thing) proclaimed that Portland might have the best pizza scene in the country. So, of course, that received a lot of backlash. But then just a couple of months ago, a travel blog proclaimed Ken’s Artisan Pizza as the second-best pizza IN THE WORLD.  Today on the show, host Claudia Meza talks with local pizza expert, Blaine Bar...

Usually, on the show, host Claudia Meza asks the questions. But today, David Plotz, co-host of the Slate Political Gabfest podcast and CEO of City Cast, is joining us and interviewing Claudia about Portland. You can listen to David’s podcast here: Political Gabfest  Sign up for our daily, morning newsletter! We’re also on Instagram and Twitter! Follow us at @CityCastPDX  What questions do you have...

Oregon is officially in a COVID lull, but Portland’s hospitals are still struggling. Today on the show, Dr. Esther Choo, an ER doctor and associate professor at the Oregon Health & Science University, is giving us a check in on how she and her crew are holding up and why, to them, we’re still very much in an active pandemic.  What does pandemic safety look like for your family today? Shoot us an e...

Portlanders spend a lot of time crossing the 12 local Willamette River bridges. But have you ever wondered: who are the people in charge of lifting the bridges? Why was my day ruined by an unexpected stop in traffic? Today on the show we have answers from Multnomah County Bridge Operator Tod Richards. You can find more information on the effort to improve pedestrian safety near Lents Park here. Is...

More pedestrians were killed by cars in Portland in 2022 than in any of the past 70 years. And a Multnomah County report a few years ago also found that a majority of Portland’s deadly crashes occur in neighborhoods with larger populations of people of color and low-income households.  Today on the show we have pedestrian and transportation advocate Sarah Iannarone, Executive Director of The Stree...

Food carts are easily the beating heart of Portland’s food culture, but they’re facing a new challenge. An Oregon law about managing wastewater went into effect in Multnomah County on January 1st. Many owners are saying compliance is too expensive and nearly impossible— some are even shutting down completely. Brooke Jackson-Glidden, editor for Eater Portland, takes us inside the new set of food ca...

A lot of Oregon students are having a hard time reading. We’re talking more than 60% of third graders and over half of seventh graders. But what if the problem was never with the students, or the parents, or the teachers? What if the problem is the approach and materials school districts use? Today on the show, we’ll talk with Julia Silverman, who’s gone deep on the problem for The Oregonian. She’...

January has been officially declared Portland Music Month. And now 21 venues have come together to put on hundreds of shows in a month-long music festival.  The pandemic stalled Portland’s music scene for a few years. That was especially devastating to a city where so much of our music industry infrastructure and economy is built around live events. Today on the show we have J. Pinky Jansen, found...

Today on the show, Dia Miller from Shooting Hoops, a Trail Blazers podcast she co-hosts with Adam Drexler (yes, that’s Clyde Drexler’s son), is giving us an update on the Blazers’ season so far. We talk injuries, new players, and Damian breaking Clyde Drexler’s franchise record for most points scored. We’ll also hear what Clyde has to say about that. Want some more Portland news? Then make sure to...

The Portland dive bar scene is just built differently.  It’s cold and wet here for a good chunk of the year, so when we seek refuge from the elements, we also expect something not just hot, but also delicious to eat. That’s not common in most U.S. cities. Today on the show, producers John Notarianni and Giulia Fiaoni join host Claudia Meza for a Portland dive bar roundup. Which has the best food?...

A lot of great new stuff is coming to Portland in the form of food. Brooke Jackson-Glidden, the editor of Eater Portland, gives us her top picks for the coming year and also offers a defense as to why the new Ritz-Carlton building might not be the worst thing that’s happened to downtown. But we’ll see about that... To read about more new exciting Portland restaurants debuting in 2023, check out th...

2023 is going to be a rocky year for home buyers. Portland homes were selling for record-breaking prices during the pandemic, and last year we saw mortgage rates skyrocket. Today on the show, host Claudia Meza talks with Jonathan Bach of the Portland Business Journal about the tricky year ahead in real estate – and what “Breaking Bad” taught him about negotiating rent.  We’re also on Twitter! Foll...

Today we’re sharing the story of how Darcelle XV, the oldest working drag queen in the world, became a Portland living legend. And if you have no idea who that is, buckle up, host Claudia Meza is taking you back to the gritty ‘60s in Old Town Portland. Want more stories? Sign up for our newsletter, Hey Portland. Stay connected with us on Twitter and Instagram.

Portland had its fair share of newsworthy events this year. From elections to scandals to much-needed reforms, 2022 brought a lot of change to the city. Today on the show, City Cast Portland lead producer John Notarianni joins host Claudia Meza to discuss the ups and downs of Portland’s year and how it will impact 2023. Looking to read more about what’s happening in your city? Sign up for our morn...

Clogs are having a moment: #Clog has over 60 million views on Tiktok, and celebrities like Bella Hadid and Jennifer Garner are wearing them regularly. But can Portland take credit for one of 2022’s biggest trends in footwear? Today on the show, we’re talking about Portland’s unique love affair with clogs, from the feet of workers at the Tillamook Cheese factory to their high fashion moment in the...

Portland has more than 50 miles of gravel road. Yep, that’s INSIDE city limits! And if you lived in these areas and wanted sidewalks installed - or other basic things like street lights, storm drainage, and ADA-compliant curbs - the city says it’s up to you and your neighbors to pay for it. Southeast Portland homeowner, Bryan Vance, found this out when he received a notice from the Portland Bureau...

You might have already seen superstar Portland barista Morgan Eckroth in one of their many viral TikTok videos. In them, they silently pantomime amusing barista-customer interactions — little slices of the life of working at a coffee shop, where she’s always wearing a black turtleneck. This year, she became the first Portlander to win the US Barista Championship and was runner-up at the World Bari...

Unions are being organically grown at our favorite neighborhood grocery stores, New Seasons Market (see what we did there?). Alex Zielinski, the news editor for the Portland Mercury, has been following the unionization efforts of New Seasons’ workers. She’s brought us some stories (her articles got posted up in several New Seasons break rooms with heavy edits by management?!) and answers our burni...

A while back, a bumper sticker made its way around town: “Fred & Toody, Not Fred & Carrie!” In the most classic (passive-aggressive) Portland way, it pointed out the schism that Portlandia (with Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein) had created between some old Portlanders and the new ones. Fred and Toody Cole were the husband and wife duo behind the legendary Portland rock band Dead Moon, active in...

City Cast Portland captures the one-of-a-kind creative spirit of this place and tackles who we are and where we’re going — from big deals, like equity and livability, to tiny delights, like the city's most wonderful doughnut. Our home is teeming with creativity and controversy, natural beauty and impossibly good food and drink. Start your weekday with neighbors, newsmakers, artists and entrepreneu...