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DestinationsOther |
Gresham OregonGresham is the place about which you hear only stories and tall tales if you spend all your time in Portland and never venture east of Interstate 205. It's that place that the gentrified reference as "that place with the crime, right?" as if it were some sort of theme park devoted to gang violence and tipped porta-potties. It's that place on the urban edge, suburban sprawl's tip of the spear. While Portlanders hail the city as the place where the crime went, the Greshamites blame their western neighbor for the rise in crime. Like those farmers in the Bronx protesting the subway back in the 1900s, the people of Gresham blame a lot of their ills on the MAX line that goes straight from the heart of Portland to their previously (apparently) peaceful neck of the woods. Gresham's fall into violence has even been used as a weapon against further expansion of the MAX to other suburbs around Portland to varying degrees of success. In terms of the city itself, though, Gresham really doesn't have much to offer. Deep inland off the freeway, you can find the microscopic downtown, where you can grab a bite at its cafe and brewpub (which serves to remind you that you're still in Oregon) and walk around it in about 7 minutes. When taking the MAX, a trip to Gresham is almost worth it, considering the ticket only costs 2.50. Then you remember you're commuting over an hour for about half an hour's worth of things to do. There are more constructive uses of your time than coming out to Gresham. 
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