@bdp24
Congrats on getting to Portland. I tried it back in '89 and stayed at my sister's place over in Lake Oswego (the old town area if it's still standing) but had a heck of a time trying to get a job.
At the time I was working for Kaiser Permanente and visited there the year prior and was told that transferring wouldn't be a problem. Well, a year later it was and they put a hiring freeze on anyone from out of state and whenever I put in a resume, I was politely declined. They hated Californicators, as they called them, and had a very small town attitude.
Back then the population was 250K but now I hear it's over 2.5M. I still miss it and can close my eyes and be transported back to the place, a place I'm told I wouldn't recognize. Back then, the locals burnt down some condos, twice, to stop development.
Anyway, enjoy the town as it has lots to offer and despite the weather, you get used to it really quick. There's a price to pay for all the clean air, water and the greenery.
And as to your assessment of forcing things on neighbors, I agree. I had a bumper sticker that was funny here, in LA, but I noticed that whenever anyone was behind me, they'd study it intently and that serious look never left their faces. I removed it after a week.
All the best,
Nonoise