DENIZENS OF PORTLAND: We get it. Portland is an increasingly growing and complicated city. We’re also a town that is interesting as fuck. Whether it’s politics, business, or playtime, Portlanders get into it and stay into it. That’s why the Mercury produces the annual Portland Handbook, which includes all sorts of good advice on how to do things at maximum “Portland-icity.” Inside this issue you’ll find articles on the bands you should be listening to, the behind-the-scenes movers and shakers in Portland politics, the exploding Foster-Powell neighborhood, local sports fandom, the foods that are required to be in every Portlander’s pantry, and the sexiest live shows in town, as well as where to get the best bagels, records, books, pot, and/or “witch shit.” Oh, and we also list the places where you should absolutely stay away from—at all costs. So, if you truly want to “Portland” with the best of ’em, don’t miss the 2019 edition of the Mercury’s Portland Handbook, where our motto is “Read It, Learn It, LIVE IT.”—Wm. Steven Humphrey, Editor-in-Chief