Eugene bad rep?? (Portland, Springfield, Bend: fit in, 2013, attorneys)

[Metlakatla]

There are plenty of apartment buildings as well as entire neighborhoods in Eugene that are completely student-free. And yes, lots of retirees live here. This city is not just about the U of O; never was, never will be.

[bler144]

Originally Posted by Jimrob1

What apt was that where retirees were living in Eugene. I ask because I would imagine many apts, have a lot of students living in them. I can't imagine a retiree especially someone moving to Eugene from elsewhere, would want that type of living arrangement. Thanks

Technically it was a 'condo' building, but a small percent (10-20%?) of apts were rented out and I was a renter so I tend to describe it that way. But in general complexes west of Willamette (like Lincoln School) don't tend to have many students, or at least not undergrad students, particularly if it's a place with a large share of owner-occupied condos.

There are plenty of other complexes in town that are farther away from the UO that attract more working-class families.

[Metlakatla]

Originally Posted by Jimrob1

What apt was that where retirees were living in Eugene. I ask because I would imagine many apts, have a lot of students living in them. I can't imagine a retiree especially someone moving to Eugene from elsewhere, would want that type of living arrangement. Thanks

It seems like there are a few apartment buildings around that are specifically for people 55-plus.

[chessgeek]

Originally Posted by skypros

I lived in Eugene for 1 dreadful year...... Been there done that..... Don't want to ever go back (Except to go to Jerry's, as it is the best home improvement store in the USA)

What were the specific weaknesses or characteristics of Eugene that were turnoffs for you?

[blendin]

Originally Posted by NC77

I keep hearing lots of negatives about Eugene, but why??

I keep hearing about the crime, but the crime rate is not that bad, and for a city that size, really not bad. Am I missing something?

Other things I've heard are, no jobs, high rent, bad pollution.

Eh? Because, I see reasonable rents on Craigslist.

Again, am I missing something?

I have spent some time around the Eugene area and have to agree that it is a pretty depressed place.

I love the surrounding area.. went on many amazing hikes and camping trips.

Then I would head into Eugene, I would run into a lot of poor toothless meth heads, winos trying to hustle a few bucks, "hippies" that were just lazy scum hustle a few bucks. The city itself was rather untidy and shabby for a college town.
There are some nice neighborhood as anywhere is you have the money to live in them.

Jobs seemed to be very scarce and low paying, if you had to survive on the local economy I do not think this would be a nice place. If you were a college student who could party I hear Eugene is nice for that.

[bler144]

Originally Posted by blendin

Then I would head into Eugene, I would run into a lot of poor toothless meth heads, winos trying to hustle a few bucks, "hippies" that were just lazy scum hustle a few bucks. The city itself was rather untidy and shabby for a college town.
There are some nice neighborhood as anywhere is you have the money to live in them.

Jobs seemed to be very scarce and low paying, if you had to survive on the local economy I do not think this would be a nice place.

Curious which college towns you'd be comparing to. It's certainly not 'idyllic college town', but the mix of poverty and affluence reminds me of several other college towns particularly in the midwest like South Bend or Oberlin, or parts of the northeast like Providence, etc.

A lot of the working-class folks I know who do persist in Eugene manage by maximizing the available public services, and by sharing resources with friends/family. Plus I know quite a few in their 50s+who bought in when houses in many parts of Eugene were comfortably under 100k - and that was only 15-20 years ago.

But on the whole I'd say many neighborhoods are much less shabby than they were 15 years ago as well.

[cobaltking]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

There are plenty of apartment buildings as well as entire neighborhoods in Eugene that are completely student-free. And yes, lots of retirees live here. This city is not just about the U of O; never was, never will be.

The UO is pretty much the only reason we're not Flint, Michigan.

Originally Posted by Steve Pickering

Not true. It is one of the best cites in the USA. I have lived all over. I find people with a problem in a city often take their problem with them when they leave.

I've lived in a couple other places, and they were definitely both better than here. Sadly, circumstances dragged my sorry a back here both times. Also, I was born and raised here, so I didn't "take any problems" with me here...

[Jimrob1]

I think most places are what they want to be. Whether that be Eugene or anywhere. If a community wants to lets say be more prosperous. To improve its quality of life. Then it has to be a combined effort, of both the local populations and politicians. Otherwise a community basically is saying. This is what the majority of the residents want life to be like here. Your either for our way of life or culture, or then perhaps its not the place for you to be living.

I don't really completely agree with that style of majority of resident philosophy, but I know it exists in much of this country. I do believe it definitely exists in much of Oregon.

So with that said if a city as small as Eugene is, and it is on the smaller side. Didn't want Methheads and homeless to the extent described. Or as visible as it is decade after decade, then something would be done about it. As would a huge push to bring in industry, and the jobs to retain graduates. I mean that is common sense. So you get what you get with anywhere, unless people speak up for change.



So this goes for anywhere not just Eugene. Its here in the Providence RI area, another place with tons of college students from all over the world. (I believe I even saw a comparison between Providence and Eugene in one of the posts}. Yet Providence and Rhode Island itself, have had the highest unemployment in this country for several years now. It does very little to change that fact, and half its residents work in Mass and Conn.

So you get what you get whether it be Eugene or Providence or anywhere. I guess if a place doesn't live up to your expectations and you can't change it, then its not the place for you.

[bler144]

Originally Posted by Jimrob1

I think most places are what they want to be. Whether that be Eugene or anywhere. If a community wants to lets say be more prosperous. To improve its quality of life. Then it has to be a combined effort, of both the local populations and politicians. Otherwise a community basically is saying. This is what the majority of the residents want life to be like here. Your either for our way of life or culture, or then perhaps its not the place for you to be living.

It's more than just deciding one wants to be prosperous. People often assume that 'liberal policies' are what doom Eugene's business climate (though the more conservative Springfield isn't exactly blowing things out of the water).

The bigger issue is usually the larger picture. Economic growth typically requires some competitive business advantage. The southern part of the W. Valley is great for growing grass seed, but in the larger picture it's geographically isolated from how most goods/services move. The Willamette isn't the Mississippi where one can ship goods up/down it.

Eugene isn't close to any major centers of political power (like the D.C. suburbs), nor is it sitting on abundant invaluable natural resources/livestock, nor does it have great access to international or cross-country shipping. Nor, despite its remoteness, is it particularly 'cheap' in terms of land or labor.

Sure, it's got an R1 university with a big name football program (and a major corporate donor), and they've made some hay from those. But for the most part it succeeds economically by filling its own niche market - restaurants/goods/services for people who come in from elsewhere with money (students, retirees, etc.).

[Metlakatla]

Originally Posted by cobaltking

The UO is pretty much the only reason we're not Flint, Michigan.


I've lived in a couple other places, and they were definitely both better than here. Sadly, circumstances dragged my sorry a back here both times. Also, I was born and raised here, so I didn't "take any problems" with me here...

My point was, again, that it's possible to live here without being overly aware of the student presence and that there are plenty of retirees in Eugene. It would definitely be a smaller community without the school, but I'd personally be okay with that.