Eugene/Springfield - The Bad News (Beaver: crimes, buy, university)

[elcapitan]

Haggardhouseelf offered a balanced realistic assessment of Eugene, in my opinion. It is a great medium sized town to live and raise a family. I am politically moderate, so some of the extreme leftism is kind of obnoxious to me. (But I don't think any type of extremism is good.)

Many of the people who have lived here for generations are very afraid of change. They claim to be very progressive, but will vote down any bill aimed at improving quality of life (such as downtown redevelopment, road maintenance, etc.) Actually, the friendliest and most "open-minded" people that I have met here are all California transplants. There are many underachievers here that like to bring other people down, but there are also many successful people with clear, balanced heads on their shoulders.

All in all, I think it's one of the best cities to live in day to day.

[x-evanstonian]

The Duck fever thing is annoying. Football fanatics EVERYWHERE!

[x-evanstonian]

Haggardhouseelf:

Again I ramble. What I mean, is, if you're thinking of moving to Eugene... you need to be aware that there are a lot of people - a lot - there who have very strong feelings about things and tend to want to make a big deal about these things they have chosen to have very strong feelings about

This is what makes this place AWESOME! If passive idiots make you feel more at home, Eugene is NOT the place to come too. If you consider yourself an ACTIVIST, you'll be VERY comfortable in Eugene.

and yet when it comes right down to it - they seem to actually do very little besides make noise and pretty artsy craftsy things.

How do you know? Have you followed each of these Activist's? Do you have some official report on what they do when they are not making noise and holding up a banner?

[seven of nine]

Originally Posted by x-evanstonian

The Duck fever thing is annoying. Football fanatics EVERYWHERE!

sorry but you got it wrong it's a QUACK ATTACK!

[haggardhouseelf]

As I said before...

Originally Posted by haggardhouseelf

Also, if you do not agree with them, you might either come under attack (verbal) or you might just be snubbed.

Not sure if that user (x-evanstonian) is an extremist from Eugene or what... but that's the sort of treatment I was referring to which made us uncomfortable from time to time. It's just an aggressive sort of response you sometimes receive from certain sorts of people there.

Being a Southerner and being more accustomed to more gentile social codes I wasn't used to it at first, but soon you learn they are just doing their own thing, on their own trip, and perhaps even addicted to the drama, and you begin to see it as entertainment. My husband and I laugh about it now. It might have something to do with Eugene being a college town? Anyway - you simply learn to just act American (ignore them) and keep walking.

I do love Eugene, though... nothing ever changes there (the talkers talk but that's about it). Nobody needs to get defensive towards the little town on my account - I'm hoping to move back!

[melisey27]

I moved here six months ago to attend school and take in the sights of the area. I enjoy being close to the mountains and the coast, but greatly dislike the people of the area. The people of Oregon are some of the most rude and disrespectful people I have ever encountered. If your not a "true" Oregonian then you will always be an outsider here. I was at the Wal-Mart last night grocery shopping and observed hundreds of pitiful and dirty looking people who were shopping with their welfare cards, which is the usual for the beginning of the month. I began to realize that these people have something very seriously wrong with them. Not because they are poor, but because they are like zombies with no ambitions or thoughts, just pitiful derelicts living off the states bank account. I believe this area is actually a walking psychology experiment! I am from Kansas and I thought people were a little strange there, but they are actually quite normal. Everything is off here, even the way people dress, especially young women. They wear large sweat pants tucked into unusual looking boots and wear over sized sunglasses that make them look like bugs. I also see many young women dressed in really ridiculous, over the top, attire, that I suppose they think is fashionable. My boyfriend and I quite often comment on how ridiculous these women with their noses in the air look. Aside from the attire, these people are the worst drivers I have ever encountered!! I have driven in most of the major cities in the United States and have never witnessed such horrible driving skills! The people here become overwhelming with their elitist attitudes towards everything. They plaster stickers on their cars and trucks stating their love for organic food, liberal politics, the trees, and most importantly that they use bio-ethanol fuel. And while these are not bad things to love, I feel they mostly "love" these things because it is a trend and they are jumping on the bandwagon. I love the scenery here and all of these negative feelings I have for Oregon subside when I am hiking in the forest or watching the tide roll in on the coast, but I spend 5 out of 7 days here in Eugene dealing with the weirdness and insanity, and I cant help but be concerned that I too will become a part of the walking psychology experiment that is Eugene, Oregon.

[longing 4home]

Well, melisey27, you got it a little wrong. Many of those pitiful derelicts are poor because they are zombies with no ambition. Many of them are 2nd,3rd, and even 4th generation welfare recipients whose most academic action is to come up with additional ways to get free money,medical benefits, or free services. I know I sound bitter, but I work in a doctors office in a small town in CA and it's the same down here. I've actually asked new patients in the office what brought you to our town and was told we offered the best low income housing and they didn't have to worry about be harrassed by the welfare office to look for a job because they knew there wasn't any jobs within 50 miles. I believe the welfare system was created to be a stepping stone to get back on your feet. It was not created to be a life style but has become so. And dang it, stop giving them more money just because they had another baby!! You "employed people" does your boss give you more money just because you have another baby? I don't think so!! Ok, I've vented. I just have to add my positive thought about the field burnings. I can remember running around the house shutting up the house, then waiting for evening. Thats when the Willamette valley has the most amazing sunsets!!

[Helloagain]

Originally Posted by melisey27

Everything is off here, even the way people dress, especially young women. They wear large sweat pants tucked into unusual looking boots and wear over sized sunglasses that make them look like bugs. I also see many young women dressed in really ridiculous, over the top, attire, that I suppose they think is fashionable. .

I just had to respond to this comment for some reason, While I have to agree that it is an interesting mix of attire, I must say it is not strange. Girls dress like that all over the place now...that is the UGG boot phenomenon, the glasses come with the package. We can all thank Jessica Simpson and Britney Spears for the look. Open any tabloid magazine or turn on MTV and you will see a slew of girls dressed in the same style clothes...This is hardly something that is only found in Eugene Oregon.

[nocoldiron]

Live in Mapleton,45 minutes from Eugene,15 minutes from Florence.plan to be in Eugene today to go shopping.I was raised in Leawood KS for years,1 minute away from stateline and Missouri.I consider myself a Southener in act and attitude,I talk to everyone,anywhere, and tend to be very polite!!! I show up with food if there is a death in the family,give my neighbors Christmas presents,and stop to give assistance if you break down. I haven't met too many Oregonian youngsters I like but my neighbors daughter who just arrived this year from CA takes the cake.Her father was ragging on her for her grades and telling her she was going to flunk and she told him she couldn't flunk,hadn't he heard of Bush's No Child Left Behind program? She actually thought it meant you couldn't flunk. True Oregonians always seem so surprised that I am so friendly,they always respond well.What I don't like is their messiness.Trashed yards and I am not being fussy.Oblivous to others,one neighbor complained to another about the basketball bouncing at midnight was keeping them awake and he said he nobody else complained,they were just being fussy.Another one up the street who is a friend of mine has children who can do no wrong,they made an ATV track out of their extra lot and were real pissy when neighbors complained of the noise + all the screaming from the kids.The younger daughter got a hold of the riding lawnmower and made countless trips up and down the street until the police were called.Seems to be an Oregonian phemonanon,they do not think they intrude on neighbors with noise and will only respond to police if complaints are made.Just because you have an acre of ground doesn't mean sound doesn't carry,especially at night.The values the kids are raised with are strange to me.

[rosarugosa]

Originally Posted by Steve97415

No matter how many people swear up and down that Eugene is the best place to live in North America, if its qi doesn't dance with your own, then its just another mid-sized city with advantages and disadvantages.

Your whole post was so great, so true, thanks