[downtownpdx]

Originally Posted by 10023

I've been told (by a local) that Portland is where young people go to retire. Other than working for Nike, or in some form of foodservice, what does one do in Portland?

Rather than give some vague generalizations on my part, here's wikipedia to the rescue:

The city's marine terminals alone handle over 13 million tons of cargo per year, and the port is home to one of the largest commercial dry docks in the country.[115][116] The Port of Portland is the third largest export tonnage port on the west coast of the U.S., and being located about 80 miles (130 km) upriver, it is the largest fresh-water port.[111] The city of Portland is largest shipper of wheat in the United States,[117][118] and is the second largest port for wheat in the world.[119]

The steel industry's history in Portland predates World War II. By the 1950s, the steel industry became the city's number one industry for employment. The steel industry thrives in the region, with Schnitzer Steel Industries, a prominent steel company, shipping a record 1.15 billion tons of scrap metal to Asia during 2003. Other heavy industry companies include ESCO Corporation and Oregon Steel Mills.[120][121]

Technology is a major component of the city's economy, with more than 1,200 technology companies existing within the metro.[111] This high density of technology companies has led to the nickname Silicon Forest being used to describe the Portland area, a reference to the abundance of trees in the region and to the Silicon Valley region in Northern California.[122] The area also hosts facilities for software companies and online startup companies, some supported by local seed funding organizations and business incubators.[123] Computer components manufacturer Intel is the Portland area's largest employer, providing jobs for more than 15,000 people, with several campuses to the west of central Portland in the city of Hillsboro.[111]

The Portland metro area has become a business cluster for athletic and footwear manufacturers.[124] The area is home to the global, North American or US headquarters of Nike, Adidas, Columbia Sportswear, Dr. Martens, Li-Ning,[125] Keen,[126] and Hi-Tec Sports.[127] Portland-based Precision Castparts is one of two Fortune 500 companies headquartered in Oregon, the other being Nike. Other notable Portland-based companies include film animation studio Laika; advertising firm Wieden+Kennedy; bankers Umpqua Holdings; and retailers Fred Meyer, New Seasons and Storables.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portland,_Oregon#Economy