The Whiteaker - any thoughts? (Eugene: apartment, to rent, condo)

[eugenenewbie]

Hi all,

I'm moving to Eugene from London, UK in a little over a week to attend grad school at UO.

I recently put in an application to rent a small house on W 1st Avenue, which I believe is in Whiteaker, and being so far away, I'd really like some advice from seasoned Eugene natives on whether I should go through with it.

I've yet to visit the property myself because I'm in England, but a colleague has offered to see it on my behalf. He's also new to Eugene, so I thought it would be best to get as many different perspectives on the area as I can. Hopefully I will get to tour the area and see the house myself before I am forced to make a final decision and pay the deposit.

I've been trying to get a feel for W 1st Ave from google, and there are a couple of things that potentially concern me. Does anyone have any thoughts on living close to the Dari Mart? Is it particularly noisy on that road? Is it possible to catch a bus from UO to W 1st at night (I walk everywhere, but just in case it isn't a good idea)!

I'm a Londoner, and as such, not afraid of things being a little bit rough but as it's my first time living alone, I want to be sure I'm not wandering blindly into some sort of crackhead's paradise! That said, I've heard tell that Whiteaker is a pretty funky area and i like the way it sounds. Just want to ask about W 1st in particular.

Thanks so much to every one on here who takes the time to help others get a feel for Eugene! It's invaluable for people like me!

[1208]

It is kind of a druggie neighborhood but not really dangerous, just be careful of leaving things out over night. The street isn't that busy, Dari Mart closes at midnight. the Dari Mart is about half a mile from most of the interesting attractions in whiteaker.
There is a bus along 1st that will take you to the downtown station, from there you can take one to the U of O, the buses run until 10 or 11 at night. check out Lane Transit District

[eugenenewbie]

Thanks very much! That's put my mind at ease. Half a mile away is okay from the attractions is okay, I think. Google told me it's a 40 min walk away from where I need to be on campus and I usually shave 10-15 minutes off their estimates. Getting there on a bike will take no time at all!

[mkl654321]

Possibly the worst neighborhood in Eugene; that said, not all that bad. Lots of homeless; lots of hopeless; drugs but not a great deal of crime. Like everybody and everything else in Eugene, even the bums are mellow. The neighborhood is pretty run-down, and I'd DEFINITELY want to check out any apartment I was renting in the area before committing to it.

You'll like Eugene in general (but I would recommend living anywhere else in town). Good vibe, good restaurants, the UO, good public transportation, the Saturday Market, etc. etc. All in all, a nice place to be. Just buy a floor-length condom and some pepper spray to deal with the daily walk to and from the bus stop (if you settle in Whiteaker) and you should be fine.

Oh, and the Dari-Mart is just a small convenience store; they're all over town.

[MisterCobalt]

Going from London to Eugene... Wow, you're going to be bored here. Haha.

[stuckinseattle]

You are going to laugh so hard when you get here and realize that this is what a "bad" neighborhood is in Eugene.

The Whiteaker is fine.

[kapetrich]

Originally Posted by stuckinseattle

You are going to laugh so hard when you get here and realize that this is what a "bad" neighborhood is in Eugene.

The Whiteaker is fine.

Exactly.

Lack of perspective kills me. (not directed at the OP)

Where do you live/frequent in London? I lived in Hackney for 1.5 years doing grad work and the Whiteaker is a bit like that area, but switch hipsters with hippies, turn the clock 'round to when it had just hit the tipping point of being 'cool' to the wannabes (where it was a bit rougher around the edges still), yet take out most of the violent crime, things to do and shrink this setting to a city block or two and you've got the Whiteaker.


This all said, it is a very interesting part of town and a pretty big microcosm of counter culture for such a small city.

[haggardhouseelf]

My husband and I love the Whiteaker... we would consider living in that neighborhood if we didn't have kids.

[stuckinseattle]

I have kids here, it's fine for kids.

[haggardhouseelf]

I consider west Eugene "the hood" of Eugene... I can't stand West Eugene. We know a few police officers and one detective and they've told us West Eugene is sketchier and has more crime than the Whit.