As far back as my memory goes, I've always known about Mt. Tabor. This beautiful park that displays a stunning view of the entire city of Portland, Oregon. Even now, after having been there so many times, the view still captivates me. Some of my favorite memories come from this park.
Countless times I've watched a sunset settle over the city, reflecting its orange, pink, and red tones onto the glass of the skyscrapers in the distance. I have shared this place with my family, my best friends, my girlfriend, and the rest of the city.
I write this in a lens stained by nostalgia. I have known Portland, and by extension Mt. Tabor, as my home for 18 years. Having this birds-eye view of the city allowed me to really take it all in. The inner workings of the city are on full display, the street grid, the highways, the waterfront district, everything is visible in such a small scale. It's like Earth being just a speck of dust in the universe. This park showed me what Portland really means to me. I can see the route I biked with my friends over quarantine, the bike rides I took with my brothers, dad, and friends to catch Pokemon way back in 2016. The public transportation that dropped me and my friends off outside our sports arena, where I saw my first basketball game and my first concert. I could see the other arena where I graduated, where I watched my first ever soccer game. I could see the neighborhood I grew up in, the high school I attended, the kindergarten where I met the people I have been friends with since. I am able to see the street where I had my first date, and the little grass patch we sat in after. While I'm sure other Portlanders views differ, this park is very much the center of the city for me. Everything seems to orbit around Mt. Tabor. It is it's own universe, a sanctuary of quiet surrounded by a bustling city full of smells and noises.
Portland is very well known for its greenery, and how weird we are. Mt. Tabor combines this is in the very best way. Every Wednesday night, the park hosts a rave. Every year, there is a soapbox derby down the park. People party, people dance, people live their lives through this park. Hell, I've lived my life through this park. Looming trees cover the slopes of the park, and three reservoirs dot the sides. It was even a previously active volcano.
This park has instilled the ideals of my perspective of urban planning. The emphasis on green space and discontinuity from the machine that is the city is something that I hope everyone has, and something I hope to incorporate into my wok. It is a quiet place to reflect, and a place to share with the people you love.
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