Portland Monthly contains a delicious mix--snarky, funny, thought-provoking, illuminating -- wrapped up in a graphic package. City and Regional Magazine Association, 2005 -- Portland Monthly is the 2005 Gold medal winner for General Excellence.

Customer Rating:
Summary: Surface beauty, little substance.
Comment: Out of Portland pride, I subscribed to this magazine for over a year and it has put out some decent issues. But see it for what it is: great aesthetics and okay content. 75% ads? Try 80%+ in some issues, mainly real estate which would be helpful to the serial RE investor or out-of-towner but it's too much for the local. (Not to mention Bend is the only clear winner for RE investments in Oregon). The editorial information can be better acquired elsewhere--and more accurately too. I'm a great lover and 15-year resident of Portland and this magazine seems to be "selling" more of a flashy Beaverton-esque image than Portland. I keep telling my visitors Portland is better than it's portrayed here and not as superficial. PM is known for having won numerous awards . . . for layout and design which I do give credit. This is good if you intend to advertise with them. However, when I get Portland Monthly issues in the mail, they go to straight to my roommate who likes the pictures. It's probably difficult to pull off style and substance these days in the extremely competitive and dwindling print media industry. They get a star for trying.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: I enjoy it every month!
Comment: I agree with the other reviewer - there certainly are a lot of ads. Nevertheless, as a long time Portlander, I always enjoy sitting down and perusing the mag from cover to cover each month. It's *not* a hard hitting news source, nor is it usually very in depth. It's not intended to be. It is a slick, glossy overview of the best of what the city has to offer (including the ads). I've had two separate gift subscriptions, and am planning on renewing for myself when this year is up.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Don't waste your money
Comment: I know all magazines have lots of ads, but Portland Monthly takes it to a whole new level. At least 75% of the magazine is ads, probably more. The remaining pages are usually uninteresting and poorly written. Once in a great while they will have something moderately interesting, but I can spend 5 minutes on the internet and find more interesting content. Needless to say, I won't be renewing my subscription. I wouldn't even read the magazine if they sent it to me for free.

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