Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
OP, I take it, that since you're considering Eugene, being close to Portland isn't a big priority...? You might consider Salem, which is closer to Portland, but not so close that RE values are significantly affected by proximity to the big city (compared to Portland suburbs).
Just north of Eugene is Corvallis, which is also worth considering. It's smaller than the other cities mentioned (about 60,000 pop.), but that might suit you, IDK. More affordable than the Portland area or Eugene, has a university (a good amenity IMO for events, lectures, etc. open to the public), and an attractive, historical downtown shopping area. Salem also has 2 small universities.
The city of Eugene is wedged into the bottom of the Williamette Valley where the town literally gets funneled into the hills. Due north/northwest of town IS the valley as it opens up and it is a lot of farmland.
That's not the only thing that gets funneled into the hills. I've heard from people who went to U of O, that all kinds of allergens from the valley get funneled through town and into the hills. Just thought I'd mention that.
It's hard to know what to believe these days, so I'm hoping to get some first-hand accounts from residents.
!
I'm probably the only person in this thread who actually lives in Eugene/Springfield. I recently moved back from the Oregon coast (thank god and never again). I'm from the Willamette Valley and am glad to be back — was going to move to Olympia, then this place came up and was ideal, so here I am. But I'm in Thurston, which is on the outer eastern edge of Springfield, which is a little too far off the beaten track for the usual encampments and other transient activity.
Quote:
I've also read though, that these data points are largely spellcraft from the "far right" who paint a picture of urban hell.
Full disclosure: I'm a Democrat but am not part of the progressive wing of the party, so no "far right" spinning here.
The homeless situation in Eugene really is that bad. It has more to do with a ruling by the 9th Circuit Court than the political leanings of the PTB in individual municipalities. Springfield took a proactive approach but was recently forced by the courts to dial it back some and allow camping in designated public areas. Springfield actually has a nice downtown area that I'm hoping doesn't get ruined going forward, but who knows.
BTW, Oregon is only blue in the larger towns and cities on the west side. You can go 20 minutes out of Eugene in any direction and find a completely different cultural narrative, with the Gadsden flag flying high and punctuated by the occasional sighting of the Stars and Bars. Newcomers are sometimes surprised to find that it's not quite the blue paradise they'd imagined.
No matter where you live in Eugene proper, the homeless population will play a part in your daily existence, most likely in the form of petty property crimes. Encampments are common in the public parks and along the waterfront trails by the Willamette. They're shuffled around on a regular basis. Eugene has been making some inroads in the area of affordable housing recently, but drops in buckets and all that. There's a lot of shapeshifting going on as the homeless are kicked out of whatever park or freeway underpass and have to find somewhere else.
Eugene has no shortage of trees — but nonetheless, the Willamette Valley is one of the important agricultural regions in the country, so you can expect to see farmland surrounding all of its towns and cities. We benefit greatly from that in the form of a consistent source of incredibly fresh produce.
Idk what the COL is in Central Florida. You mentioned renting for awhile...affordable rentals seem to be pretty scarce in Eugene, but you should be fine if you can pay $2K+ per month. I rented a temporary place for a few months and it had its own onsite dog park and small backyards.
The Eugene Parks and Rec Dept. has a lot of activity options for adults instead of just the usual swimming lessons and basketball nights for children:
The problems in Portland are somewhere in the middle between right-wing hype and leftist ideologues that won't (or can't) admit that anything is wrong. Here's a recent report from highly factual centrist local media:
The city should buy one of those office towers for use as a homeless shelter. I doubt the homeless really care about having windows. If it is a safe shelter, they will be happy with it, windows or none.
Either way, those towers should be converted to residential. The interior space could be used for common areas, storage, etc, or just sealed up and not used at all.
I'm probably the only person in this thread who actually lives in Eugene/Springfield. I recently moved back from the Oregon coast (thank god and never again). I'm from the Willamette Valley and am glad to be back — was going to move to Olympia, then this place came up and was ideal, so here I am. But I'm in Thurston, which is on the outer eastern edge of Springfield, which is a little too far off the beaten track for the usual encampments and other transient activity.
Full disclosure: I'm a Democrat but am not part of the progressive wing of the party, so no "far right" spinning here.
The homeless situation in Eugene really is that bad. It has more to do with a ruling by the 9th Circuit Court than the political leanings of the PTB in individual municipalities. Springfield took a proactive approach but was recently forced by the courts to dial it back some and allow camping in designated public areas. Springfield actually has a nice downtown area that I'm hoping doesn't get ruined going forward, but who knows.
BTW, Oregon is only blue in the larger towns and cities on the west side. You can go 20 minutes out of Eugene in any direction and find a completely different cultural narrative, with the Gadsden flag flying high and punctuated by the occasional sighting of the Stars and Bars. Newcomers are sometimes surprised to find that it's not quite the blue paradise they'd imagined.
No matter where you live in Eugene proper, the homeless population will play a part in your daily existence, most likely in the form of petty property crimes. Encampments are common in the public parks and along the waterfront trails by the Willamette. They're shuffled around on a regular basis. Eugene has been making some inroads in the area of affordable housing recently, but drops in buckets and all that. There's a lot of shapeshifting going on as the homeless are kicked out of whatever park or freeway underpass and have to find somewhere else.
Eugene has no shortage of trees — but nonetheless, the Willamette Valley is one of the important agricultural regions in the country, so you can expect to see farmland surrounding all of its towns and cities. We benefit greatly from that in the form of a consistent source of incredibly fresh produce.
Idk what the COL is in Central Florida. You mentioned renting for awhile...affordable rentals seem to be pretty scarce in Eugene, but you should be fine if you can pay $2K+ per month. I rented a temporary place for a few months and it had its own onsite dog park and small backyards.
The Eugene Parks and Rec Dept. has a lot of activity options for adults instead of just the usual swimming lessons and basketball nights for children:
I lived in Eugene for many years and now live in Springfield between two major parks. The unhoused are a massive problem in Eugene and increasingly in Springfield. Also, crime, including violent crime, has increased. The budgets in Lane County are under attack with significant proposed cuts in public safety, fire department, social services, etc. The budget cuts are not well covered well in the news, but I am friends with people who serve the local community. The county is currently trying to close one of the fire stations, which will also remove paramedics/first responders. Most of these agencies need increased budgets, not cuts. It is looking rather bleak.
Something else to bring to your awareness is the severity of recent fire seasons - basically, early summer until it starts raining heavily in the autumn. The air quality has been in the unhealthy range for much of the mid to later part of the summer. My birthday usually falls during Labor Day weekend, and it's been at least five years since it was healthy to hike locally during that time. We also lost most of one of our beloved wild areas to a fire a couple of years ago, the McKenzie River National Recreation Area. Many people who lost their homes in this fire are still displaced.
It's a beautiful place with many problems. The U of O rules here. Crime and problems are swept under the rug when there are major track events but the problems are not solved. Money is poured into the athletic department but not the community.
And, yes, as mentioned above racism is alive and well here. We have several large and very active white supremacist groups.
I lived in Eugene for many years and now live in Springfield between two major parks. The unhoused are a massive problem in Eugene and increasingly in Springfield. Also, crime, including violent crime, has increased. The budgets in Lane County are under attack with significant proposed cuts in public safety, fire department, social services, etc. The budget cuts are not well covered well in the news, but I am friends with people who serve the local community. The county is currently trying to close one of the fire stations, which will also remove paramedics/first responders. Most of these agencies need increased budgets, not cuts. It is looking rather bleak.
Why the budget cuts? Is the local economy there doing poorly?
I lived in Eugene for many years and now live in Springfield between two major parks. The unhoused are a massive problem in Eugene and increasingly in Springfield. Also, crime, including violent crime, has increased. The budgets in Lane County are under attack with significant proposed cuts in public safety, fire department, social services, etc. The budget cuts are not well covered well in the news, but I am friends with people who serve the local community. The county is currently trying to close one of the fire stations, which will also remove paramedics/first responders. Most of these agencies need increased budgets, not cuts. It is looking rather bleak.
Something else to bring to your awareness is the severity of recent fire seasons - basically, early summer until it starts raining heavily in the autumn. The air quality has been in the unhealthy range for much of the mid to later part of the summer. My birthday usually falls during Labor Day weekend, and it's been at least five years since it was healthy to hike locally during that time. We also lost most of one of our beloved wild areas to a fire a couple of years ago, the McKenzie River National Recreation Area. Many people who lost their homes in this fire are still displaced.
It's a beautiful place with many problems. The U of O rules here. Crime and problems are swept under the rug when there are major track events but the problems are not solved. Money is poured into the athletic department but not the community.
And, yes, as mentioned above racism is alive and well here. We have several large and very active white supremacist groups.
Do you have a link to the fire stations closing? Or can you at least share what fire station is being considered for being closed?
So far as I can tell in the last Lane County election virtually all of the bond measures passed, except one for a new fire station in the Pleasant Hill Rural Fire Protection District and the Board of Directors of that district were against it. So that would be expected to fail.
Google doesn't come up with any plans to close any Lane County fire stations.
Also in your area the levy renewal for the Springfield police and jail passed by 65% of the voters. So I don't know why there would be any budget cuts there.
Without a link or specific details it sounds like nothing but an unsubstantiated rumor.
Do you have a link to the fire stations closing? Or can you at least share what fire station is being considered for being closed?
So far as I can tell in the last Lane County election virtually all of the bond measures passed, except one for a new fire station in the Pleasant Hill Rural Fire Protection District and the Board of Directors of that district were against it. So that would be expected to fail.
Google doesn't come up with any plans to close any Lane County fire stations.
Also in your area the levy renewal for the Springfield police and jail passed by 65% of the voters. So I don't know why there would be any budget cuts there.
Without a link or specific details it sounds like nothing but an unsubstantiated rumor.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
