Spot The Difference: Portland Or Portlandia (PHOTOS)

You know the stereotypes. Portland, Oregon is where young people go to retire. Where everything is decorated with the outline of a bird. Where waiters wax on about the day to day life of the chicken on the menu.

And while there may be a grain of truth to the above, there's more to Portland than bike valets and artisan knot shops.

Portland is where Kurt Cobain reportedly met Courtney Love. The New York Times dubbed the city "the capital of karaoke". Perhaps to the chagrin of its hipster residents, Portland served as the set of the Twilight vampire saga.

We at Global Yodel asked eight Portlanders to share photos and insider tips on their hometown for a perspective beyond Portlandia.

There are no pictures of allergy pride parades, but there is a one of a street festival that residents compare to a miniature version of Burning Man. There are no adult hide and seek leagues, but there is a photo of a major highway shut down for the pleasure of thousands of bike riders.

Check out the following slideshow. Sorry, you can't pickle it.

-- Helen Anne Travis

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