Portland, Oregon

Thought I'd share with you my response to "why is Portland the best city in the U.S.?"

It's the perfect size, WITH public transportation AND bike lanes, so you can change up your commuting style if you want. Portland has great music scene (rivals Austin's), great coffee, great food, and the most microbreweries per capita of any city in the U.S. There are hippies in Portland, but most travel south to Eugene (my second favorite city in Oregon), Portland is more filled with industrial hipsters, artists, musicians, and there's a tiny section of town that's similar to an 'Uptown' in any town. Portland has great shopping, lots of boutiques (I can think of one major shopping mall/center in city limits), lots of good second hands good (CDs, clothes, furniture, books) and no sales tax anywhere. The Willamette river runs through the middle of downtown and there are plenty of hiking trails in Forest Park that's just above the city. If you want to see the ocean or go snowboarding, both activities are only 90 minutes to the West or East. The people are smart, conscientious, and conversational. Keep Oregon green is our slogan. It is. :)

Portland rules.