Florence/Eugene Area

[sarahkate_m]

Originally Posted by Wood & Creek

Thank you Jenny, that is just the type of info/advice that I'm looking for!

Did you move to any of the places in Oregon that you were considering?

[haggardhouseelf]

Originally Posted by FoxyKnox

My family has property at Triangle Lake (east of Mapleton), west of Junction City. These are gorgeous areas, but are not really living-friendly.

First, there aren't amenities. You have to go at least 30 minutes for groceries, and the gas that is out there is really expensive.

Second, the crime level is high. Springfield/Eugene police do not cover that territory, so Florence police do. In the summer the speeding at the lake is ridiculous and sometimes (aka 1-2x/summer) cops will use our driveway to catch 'em. My Grandfather always takes the cops food and soda, and interesting conversation ensues. Basically, it boils down to the forces being too small and too under-funded to cover Mapleton, Walton, Deadwood, etc. What makes this problem worse is that the locals know this. One officer I spoke to called the area "lawless." Supposedly it's not so bad in the summer, but in the winter there is no vacationers headed through there, so crime escalates. I'm sure you could find data with the actual statistics. But you couldn't pay me to live out there.

If you really want to live in this area, I would suggest living just east of Florence. The farther west you go on Highway 36, the nicer things seem to get. And there is some amazing property along the Siuslaw River near Florence.

As far as tsunamis go, there's always going to be a threat if you choose to live coastally, but even if you lived in Eugene, it would still affect you. I haven't heard anything about one being "due" to occur, though.

Employment in Florence. What type of employment are you looking/suited for? There's a large year-round population, but that area really blooms in the summer. Also, the town is known for it's retiree population.

Hope this info helps you out. Sorry to be a downer about Mapleton, Deadwood, etc, but I need to be honest. Good Luck!

I really appreciate your honesty. Thank you for sharing. I know I'm not the OP, but my husband and I have often looked at homes in the Mapleton area. We had wondered about crime and livability... yours is an interesting perspective. Thank you!