Home field. Portland.
Long Game is headquartered here. Rivers, bridges, a forest at the edge of downtown, and a job market that runs a lot bigger than the city limits.
Like I made it.
I've always loved the style of the Pacific Northwest: camping, the woods, the ocean, the snow. A lot like Northern California.
But the Nike draw was real. It took a while and a lot of trying, and when I finally landed it, I went all in.
The day before my first day, I drove through campus. It was a crazy feeling. Like I made it.
There are so many amazing things to do here, and so many great people. It's the perfect spot for Long Game.
The lesson Portland taught me: you can start over without starting from zero. And when you put down roots, you can build.
The Portland career landscape.
When people say they work in Portland, they often mean Hillsboro, Beaverton or another suburb. Many of the region's biggest employers sit outside the city line, so a Portland job search is really a metro-wide search. The state projects Portland tri-county jobs to grow about 7% by 2034.
Intel and the Silicon Forest
Oregon's largest private employer anchors a deep chip and hardware cluster in Hillsboro and Beaverton.
OHSU · Providence · Kaiser Permanente
Clinical, research, administration and operations roles across the region's big health systems.
Nike and the brand bench
Beaverton and Portland run deep on footwear, apparel and outdoor brands, plus the agencies and suppliers around them.
Daimler Truck North America · The Standard · PacifiCorp
Trucks, insurance, banking and energy: steady employers with real operations and leadership tracks.
Portland is a relationship town. Reputation travels fast, warm introductions beat cold applications, and the right positioning matters more than volume.
Networking in Portland, done the long way.
Show up more than once. The second visit is where the real conversations start.
Events across Oregon and SW Washington, including its Women and Allies community.Visit → Women in techPDX Women in Technology
Rebooted in January 2026 after a quiet stretch. Free gatherings, listed on Meetup.Visit → Startup newsSilicon Florist
Portland startup news, events and jobs in one place.Visit → Community calendarCalagator
Portland's long-running community calendar for tech meetups.Visit →
Cost of living and housing.
Costs run above the national average, and they swing a lot by neighborhood and commute. Check a living wage estimate before you name a number in a negotiation.
Close-in east side, west side near the Nike and Intel corridor, or the suburbs: the commute you can live with usually decides it. Look at the commute before the rent.
Numbers change fast, so we link the live sources instead of printing figures that go stale.
Where to clear your head.
Forest Park
One of the largest urban forests in the country, minutes from downtown.
Plan it →Columbia River Gorge
Waterfalls and big climbs about 30 minutes east.
Plan it →Mt. Hood
The mountain on the Long Game mark. Trails, snow and the Timberline Trail.
Plan it →Basecamp Portland on the map.
Coaching runs by video. When Coach Leighty is in town, in-person conversations happen over coffee or on a trail. Book a call first.
Protect it. Live it. Visit it.
Listed as local resources, not partners or sponsors. Something closed or missing? Email mike@longgamelife.live.
Your long game has its own map.
Every Basecamp starts with the same trail markers. Yours might need a fabric store, a card shop, a maker space, a climbing gym or a quiet place to write. Tell us what belongs on this page and Coach Leighty adds the ones that fit.
What's open right now.
Go see it for real.
Wildlife, landmarks, trees and flowers and night sky. Find one, tap it, and it gets a stamp.
Osprey
Pandion haliaetusWhere to lookSpring and summer, fishing the Willamette and Columbia from big stick nests.
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Anna's hummingbird
Calypte annaWhere to lookHere all year, even in winter. Listen for the buzzy song.
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Bald eagle
Haliaeetus leucocephalusWhere to lookWinter on Sauvie Island and along the Columbia.
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Vaux's swift
Chaetura vauxiWhere to lookFor decades, thousands roosted in a Northwest Portland school chimney each September. They mostly skipped it in 2024, so check Bird Alliance of Oregon before you go.
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Black-tailed deer
Odocoileus hemionus columbianusWhere to lookEarly mornings in Forest Park.
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Beaver
Castor canadensisWhere to lookDusk at Oaks Bottom and the sloughs.
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Coyote
Canis latransWhere to lookSeen all over the city. Give them room and keep pets close.
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Multnomah Falls
Columbia River Gorge, about 35 min eastGetting thereOregon's tallest waterfall, 620 feet. Walk up to the Benson Bridge. Summer can need a timed reservation, so check first.
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Forest Park
Northwest PortlandGetting thereOne of the biggest city forests in the country. Hike from Lower Macleay Park to the old Stone House.
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Mount Tabor
Southeast PortlandGetting thereA park on top of an old volcano, right in the city.
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International Rose Test Garden
Washington ParkGetting thereFree, with thousands of roses. Peak blooms come in June.
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Portland Japanese Garden
Washington ParkGetting thereQuiet ponds, koi and maples. Tickets needed.
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Pittock Mansion
West HillsGetting thereHistoric house with a big view of the city and, on clear days, Mount Hood.
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Douglas-fir
Pseudotsuga menziesiiWhere to lookOregon's state tree, all over Forest Park.
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Western redcedar
Thuja plicataWhere to lookSoft, stringy bark and drooping branches near creeks.
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Bigleaf maple
Acer macrophyllumWhere to lookLeaves bigger than your face. Golden in fall.
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Pacific dogwood
Cornus nuttalliiWhere to lookBig white blooms in the forest in spring.
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Oregon grape
Mahonia aquifoliumWhere to lookOregon's state flower. Yellow blooms in spring.
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Western trillium
Trillium ovatumWhere to lookThree white petals in early spring. Please don't pick it.
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Big Dipper and North Star
Ursa Major and PolarisWhere to lookFind the dipper, then follow the two stars at the end of its cup up to the North Star.
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Orion the Hunter
Winter constellationWhere to lookLook south after dark for three bright stars in a row: Orion's belt.
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Perseid meteors
Meteor shower, mid-August peakWhere to lookLie back after midnight around Aug 11 to 13. No telescope needed.
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Geminid meteors
Meteor shower, mid-December peakWhere to lookOften the year's best shower. Bundle up around Dec 13 to 14.
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Milky Way
Our home galaxyWhere to lookNeeds a moonless night away from town lights. Summer shows the brightest part. Forest Park trailheads at dusk and the Coast Range west of town are darker than downtown.
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Space Station flyover
International Space StationWhere to lookA bright, steady dot crossing the sky in a few minutes. NASA's Spot the Station app lists times.
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Never feed wildlife, stay on trail, and follow posted closures. Hours, permits and seasons change, so check before you go. Months are a guide. Photos from Wikimedia Commons under the free licenses shown. Stamps stay on this device only.
Everybody has a long game. Ours starts here.
New in town, changing direction, or coming back after a layoff: start with a free 20-minute call.
Or email mike@longgamelife.live