---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't really like New York better than…"
description: "\"I don't really like New York better than Portland. It's just a different place.\" — Elliott Smith"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/256/elliott-smith-8566_different_i-don-t-really-like-new-york-better-than_864031.jpg"
---

#  I don't really like New York better than Portland. It's…

![“I don't really like New York better than Portland. It's just a different place.” quote by Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/256/elliott-smith-8566_different_i-don-t-really-like-new-york-better-than_864031.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/256/elliott-smith-8566_different_i-don-t-really-like-new-york-better-than_864031.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/256/elliott-smith-8566_different_i-don-t-really-like-new-york-better-than_864031.jpg)

> “I don't really like New York better than Portland. It's just a different place.”

[Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Expresses personal preference for Portland over New York, highlighting subjective city experiences.

**In simple terms:** Portland feels different, not better.

Key Takeaway

Accept personal taste without judgment.

Themes

preferences city life subjectivity

Mood

contemplative nostalgic

Type

personal reflective

When to use this quote

- choosing a city
- travel experiences
- living environments
- artistic inspiration

Key Concepts

urban culture personal identity

Questions to Reflect On

- What makes a city feel right for you?
- How do environments shape creativity?

A Different Perspective

Cities cannot be universally compared.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[New york](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-york/) [Portland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/portland/)

## Related quotes

> [Something about Portland just really resonated with me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-armisen/something-about-portland-just-really-resonated-with-me/)

[Fred Armisen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-armisen/)

> [I care about making New York better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-catsimatidis/i-care-about-making-new-york-better/)

[John Catsimatidis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-catsimatidis/)

> [Chicago was a good place for me. Maybe New York will be better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-oakley/chicago-was-a-good-place-for-me-maybe-new-york-will-be-better/)

[Charles Oakley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-oakley/)

> [I got the chance to experience the full effect of New York and win in New York. There's nothing better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-angelo-russell/i-got-the-chance-to-experience-the-full-effect-of-new-york-and-win-in/)

[D'Angelo Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-angelo-russell/)

> [I like New York better than Seattle. It's bigger. I was really sad when I left, because I miss my friends, but I call…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-trachtenburg/i-like-new-york-better-than-seattle-it-s-bigger-i-was-really-sad-when/)

[Rachel Trachtenburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-trachtenburg/)

> [I just wanted to move out of Portland to do something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/i-just-wanted-to-move-out-of-portland-to-do-something/)

[Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/)

> [But I was also doing odd jobs around Portland, like spreading gravel and transplanting bamboo trees.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/but-i-was-also-doing-odd-jobs-around-portland-like-spreading-gravel/)

[Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/)

> [I like to think Portland and L.A. are not rivals; they're cousins. As cities on the West Coast, they're distinct in their own way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-armisen/i-like-to-think-portland-and-l-a-are-not-rivals-they-re-cousins-as/)

[Fred Armisen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-armisen/)

> [Whether it's in in livability, transportation, or the environment, Portland is always leading the country. We have more to do before we achieve our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-blumenauer/whether-it-s-in-in-livability-transportation-or-the-environment/)

[Earl Blumenauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-blumenauer/)

> [Portland is a pretty magnificent place to live.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leni-zumas/portland-is-a-pretty-magnificent-place-to-live/)

[Leni Zumas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leni-zumas/)

> [I didn't mean to live in Portland. It was kind of an accident - I mean, the equivalent of my car breaking down there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-brock/i-didn-t-mean-to-live-in-portland-it-was-kind-of-an-accident-i-mean/)

[Isaac Brock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-brock/)

> [ Traditionally, when we lived here \[in Portland\], we have a record player in the living room, and there's lots of stuff playing, all different… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-malkmus/traditionally-when-we-lived-here-in-portland-we-have-a-record-player/)

[Stephen Malkmus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-malkmus/)

> [The City of Portland, our police bureau, and our employees do not cooperate with ICE.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-wheeler/the-city-of-portland-our-police-bureau-and-our-employees-do-not/)

[Ted Wheeler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-wheeler/)

> [Summer explodes into Portland. In early June the heat was there but not the color--the green were still pale and tentative, the morning had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/summer-explodes-into-portland-in-early-june-the-heat-was-there-but/)

[Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/)

> [Once my family grew bigger I loved Portland more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rasheed-wallace/once-my-family-grew-bigger-i-loved-portland-more/)

[Rasheed Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rasheed-wallace/)

## More by Elliott Smith

> [Somewhere where people aren't so mad would be nice, but I don't know if there is anywhere like that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/somewhere-where-people-aren-t-so-mad-would-be-nice-but-i-don-t-know/)

[Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/)

> [I actually don't think that I'm gonna sell a lot of records.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/i-actually-don-t-think-that-i-m-gonna-sell-a-lot-of-records/)

[Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/)

> [Because God only knows why people like what they like and don't like something else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/because-god-only-knows-why-people-like-what-they-like-and-don-t-like/)

[Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/)

> [My girlfriend at the time convinced me to send these songs to Cavity Search. When they wanted to put out my record I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/my-girlfriend-at-the-time-convinced-me-to-send-these-songs-to-cavity/)

[Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/)

> [People think they know all these things about other people, and if you ask them why they think they know that, it'd be hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/people-think-they-know-all-these-things-about-other-people-and-if-you/)

[Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/)

> [I didn't think I was gonna be playing on the Oscars or anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/i-didn-t-think-i-was-gonna-be-playing-on-the-oscars-or-anything/)

[Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/)

> [All your secret wishes could right now be coming true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/all-your-secret-wishes-could-right-now-be-coming-true/)

[Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/)

> [I can't think of anything off the top of my head that seems more important than something designed to raise money to keep something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/i-can-t-think-of-anything-off-the-top-of-my-head-that-seems-more/)

[Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/)

> [I went walking around the city some more, people watching with a cold, blank stare. And I saw your face in everyone, I swear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/i-went-walking-around-the-city-some-more-people-watching-with-a-cold/)

[Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/)

> [There are lots of things I like about playing in a band, the things I can't do by myself you know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/there-are-lots-of-things-i-like-about-playing-in-a-band-the-things-i/)

[Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/)

> [The band's filter, but playing live is a lot of fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/the-band-s-filter-but-playing-live-is-a-lot-of-fun/)

[Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/)

> [Well, I try not to think about the general public since I have no idea what the general public is and I don't think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/well-i-try-not-to-think-about-the-general-public-since-i-have-no-idea/)

[Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/)

> [People can be chaos but it's hard to fit it into some creative piece that you made. It's hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/people-can-be-chaos-but-it-s-hard-to-fit-it-into-some-creative-piece/)

[Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/)

> [“Tired of dancing on a pot of gold flake paint”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/tired-of-dancing-on-a-pot-of-gold-flake-paint/)

[Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/)

> [A lot of people are kind of depressed. I'm happy some of the time, and some of the time I'm not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/a-lot-of-people-are-kind-of-depressed-i-m-happy-some-of-the-time-and/)

[Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/)

[Explore all 80 Elliott Smith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/)

## More Different quotes

> [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/)

[Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/)

> [I've seen a lot of people come out of Carol City, but I had this distinct vision for Carol City, just me coming out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-curry/i-ve-seen-a-lot-of-people-come-out-of-carol-city-but-i-had-this/)

[Denzel Curry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-curry/)

> [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/)

[Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/)

> [Some shows just go away - and that's fine. They serve their purpose and their entertainment value, but there are shows that touch people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cudlitz/some-shows-just-go-away-and-that-s-fine-they-serve-their-purpose-and/)

[Michael Cudlitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cudlitz/)

> [I love casting against type and doing things you wouldn't expect, because I think you get more interesting performances that way. Hollywood loves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/i-love-casting-against-type-and-doing-things-you-wouldn-t-expect/)

[David S. Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-goyer/)

> [One of the reasons that I do a lot of different kinds of pictures is because I learn a lot when I'm doing them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-jason-leigh/one-of-the-reasons-that-i-do-a-lot-of-different-kinds-of-pictures-is/)

[Jennifer Jason Leigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-jason-leigh/)

> [I painted the words "GREAT ADVENTURE" in Beijing, Dallas, San Francisco, Copenhagen, and Japan. What it means to me is completely different to everybody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-eine/i-painted-the-words-great-adventure-in-beijing-dallas-san-francisco/)

[Ben Eine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-eine/)

> [I'm 38 and I'm single, and I'm having my most intense and gratifying relationship with a dog. But we all learn about love in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-knapp/i-m-38-and-i-m-single-and-i-m-having-my-most-intense-and-gratifying/)

[Caroline Knapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-knapp/)

> [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/)

[G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/)

> [If you have a different mindset, you will have a different outcome: if you make different choices from your peers, your life will then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/if-you-have-a-different-mindset-you-will-have-a-different-outcome-if/)

[Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/)

> [Suffering did different things to different people...Some souls became tempered, unshakable in their faith, while others became twisted and mis-shapen, throwing off all connection…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-ragen/suffering-did-different-things-to-different-people-some-souls-became/)

[Naomi Ragen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-ragen/)

> [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/)

[Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/)

> [I always aspired to do something different.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayushmann-khurrana/i-always-aspired-to-do-something-different/)

[Ayushmann Khurrana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayushmann-khurrana/)

> [The talk shows in the States want celebrities, not authors. In France, it is different; writers are called upon to comment on everything. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-white/the-talk-shows-in-the-states-want-celebrities-not-authors-in-france/)

[Edmund White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-white/)

> [My favorite job is the next one. Its such a gratifying experience getting to creatively keep trying something new and push things in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-craig-smith/my-favorite-job-is-the-next-one-its-such-a-gratifying-experience/)

[Roger Craig Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-craig-smith/)

Browse all 28,697 Different quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I don't really like New York better than Portland. It's just a different place.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Elliott Smith"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/i-don-t-really-like-new-york-better-than-portland-it-s-just-a/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Different"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/i-don-t-really-like-new-york-better-than-portland-it-s-just-a/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/256/elliott-smith-8566_different_i-don-t-really-like-new-york-better-than_864031.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/256/elliott-smith-8566_different_i-don-t-really-like-new-york-better-than_864031.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/256/elliott-smith-8566_different_i-don-t-really-like-new-york-better-than_864031.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I don't really like New York better than Portland. It's just a different place.” — Elliott Smith",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Elliott Smith",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I don't really like New York...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/i-don-t-really-like-new-york-better-than-portland-it-s-just-a/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/i-don-t-really-like-new-york-better-than-portland-it-s-just-a/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
