Portland, Unpacked

Faustina’s heard that Portland is a paradise for subcultures. Any misfit can find their people here and feel like they belong. Faustina unpacks what makes this city so welcoming and accessible, all from the back of a bike. She meets Meghan Sinnott, a local advocate for two-wheeled living, and Zoe Vrabel, the world pinball champion who transformed the city’s pinball scene. 

Portland is a city of micro farms, food trucks and urban wineries. Small-scale experimental versions of grand ideas. This, paired with the region’s perfect climate for growing amazing produce, is why Portland has absolutely mastered seed-to-table deliciousness. Faustina meets a young farmer inventing new ingredients, and a collective where the tiniest wine labels come together to get their rare wines out into the world. Trap Kitchen is at 8523 SE Stark Street. This episode has a language warning.

Portland is big on community. It’s an antidote to the high-flying, ladder-climbing world, and an invitation to slow down and reconnect over coffee, food, drink, politics and music. In this episode, Faustina unpacks how the social epicentre of the world’s sneaker industry can be traced to a tiny coffee shop in Portland’s Chinatown. And what happens when a clothing store rejects the norms of fashion and becomes a community for non-conformists.

For decades, Portland has been synonymous with punk, grunge and indie rock. Music is in this city’s blood. But how does a place with so much music history hold on to what made it great, while opening up to a new generation? Faustina meets local musicians and cultural critics to unpack the music landscape of Portland today. This episode has a language warning.

When you think about booze in Portland, you probably think of beer – specifically craft beer. But the Portland scene has so much more to offer. Faustina visits a local gin and whiskey distillery that’s an all woman operation, from the farmers growing the grain to the team barrelling and bottling. Later, Faustina unpacks sophisticated cannabis culture in Portland, how the city has made the most of legalisation, and how women are making weed theirs. 

Faustina has just landed in Portland and is getting her bearings with a local. Sarah Mirk crafts zines about Portland’s past, full of stories explaining how Portland became the city it is today. She says it’s no accident Portland is an alternative and progressive town, but the city hasn’t always been this way. In fact, it’s been a winding road to get here.