To all those moving into Portland on the tail end of the great mass migration of 2014-2017, I’d like to be the first to say, “WELCOME.” Despite what anyone has told you, you are not making the biggest mistake of your life, and in fact, you are going to have a fantastic time here. However, it is indisputable that our city is in the throes of some massive changes, so if things seem a little... ummmm... tense at the moment, do not be alarmed. We’re simply experiencing a few normal growing pains—so pardon our dust, and have fun helping us create our ever-changing city.

And because it’s always a bit unnerving to move to a new place where everybody already knows the lingo and lay of the land, your new favorite newspaper, the Portland Mercury, has created a Newcomers’ Guide jam-packed with super useful information that you’ll need to fit in just fine. We’ll teach you how to semi-conveniently get around town on public transportation, or super-conveniently get around town on a bike. We’ll show you where to eat the best new dishes in town, as well as where to wash ’em down with delicious, can’t-miss cocktails. We’ll teach you everything you need to know about buying and legally smoking Oregon weed, and how to find and enjoy the best music venues and nightclubs . And if you have any time left, we’ve got all the info you need about our local pro sports teams, or—our second favorite pastime—protesting and activism.

So go ahead, tuck into this wildly useful edition of the Portland Mercury’s Newcomers’ Guide. In no time, you’ll be chatting with old-timey Portlanders about any subject and responding, “I know, right?”