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And here's a message to all the Eugene cheerleaders: C'mon guys and gals! Make more of an effort to reply to Eugene queries so that prospective residents will get a more balanced view of what Eugene has to offer. I think it's awful that someone posts and the first response they see is: Meth! Homeless! Potholes! Unemployment! Cracks in the sidewalks!
I am to busy enjoying Eugene. I don't have time to sit on a message board and defend it. I have been here over 2 yrs now and love it. If someone wants to sit and complain about Eugene on every thread let them. People can see bias.
I am to busy enjoying Eugene. I don't have time to sit on a message board and defend it. I have been here over 2 yrs now and love it. If someone wants to sit and complain about Eugene on every thread let them. People can see bias.
Problem is, I'm not sure people who don't know anything about Eugene can tell that the comments are biased. But you have a good point. Most of the complaining posts go unanswered probably because it gets tiring to counter them every single time.
And seriously, nobody should ever use comments on a message board to drive their relocation decision.
Problem is, I'm not sure people who don't know anything about Eugene can tell that the comments are biased. But you have a good point. Most of the complaining posts go unanswered probably because it gets tiring to counter them every single time.
And seriously, nobody should ever use comments on a message board to drive their relocation decision.
No, they shouldn't, however many of the comments of visitors / former residents of Eugene are insightful. Personally I have visited a variety of places and prefer clean, somewhat upscale cities such as Ashland, Corvallis, Durango, Seattle, Cave Creek/Carefree, AZ, and Ft. Collins. If you prefer the grunginess and rebellious nature of Eugene, that's fine, then you can have Eugene, I'm just not interested.
Quote:
Originally Posted by haggardhouseelf
I think CCCVDUR is stuck in Colorado - that's his problem, poor guy.
Also, I think most people ignore him and his abrasive assumptive comments anyway. It's pretty obvious he doesn't know what he's talking about when it comes to Eugene.
Colorado? I'm not in Colorado. I've visited Eugene twice, and have significant issues with the local economic structure. It is not a place where I would succeed. There are many other places where I'd reach my potential and develop my talents. I don't see you critiquing the critical posts from "lmrsd" in these threads, so why do several of you wish to comment on my observations? I really don't feel a need to defend my viewpoints, you can all enjoy Eugene, and I can have my city.
Colorado? I'm not in Colorado. I've visited Eugene twice, and have significant issues with the local economic structure. It is not a place where I would succeed. There are many other places where I'd reach my potential and develop my talents. I don't see you critiquing the critical posts from "lmrsd" in these threads, so why do several of you wish to comment on my observations? I really don't feel a need to defend my viewpoints, you can all enjoy Eugene, and I can have my city.
Sorry... for some reason I thought your hometown was Durango or someplace in Colorado. Still, though - you've admittedly only visited Eugene twice yet you have so much negativity towards it... Visiting a place and living in a place are two very different things.
Actually - when my husband brought up the idea of us (a family of four) relocating (for his work) to Eugene in 2003, I wasn't too excited. I'm from Dallas, TX. Big metropolitan area. Conservative state. I'd never heard of Eugene. I did some reading about it and came to a conclusion that it was a "little hippie college town" with a drug and lack of employment problem.
Still, we gave it a shot. At the time we were living in California (we lived there one hellish year) and we felt anything could be an improvement upon the culture we were trying to raise our kids around there. When we first got here, we saw what we expected to see... the crunchy types, the deadbeat types, the homeless everywhere...
But then we really settled in and dug our heels into the city, and bit by bit we began experiencing the flipside to the town. Upon first glance you see the dirt - because it's easiest to see, but when you're here and willing to dig a bit deeper and look beyond what's easiest to see... look beyond the end of your nose... you find there are healthy roots and buds and flowers here. It's not the sort of place that puts on appearances for outsiders. The good stuff doesn't advertise itself. You have to seek it out.
We moved away for one year for my husbands work again... we moved north to the Seattle area. We felt that since it was still the PNW that we'd still love it, that it couldn't be that much different. We were so wrong. It was a miserable and very costly - financially - mistake we made, moving away. Eugene remains the only place among all the places we've lived as a family that we've ever felt homesick for. Our kids, too, are much happier in their schools here than they were in the schools they attended in that area, even though they were supposed to be among the highest ranked in the country. Go figure? So within a year we were back, and we're here to stay at least while our kids are home with us. Once they've flown the nest we're thinking about moving to the coast.
It's not the sort of place that puts on appearances for outsiders. The good stuff doesn't advertise itself. You have to seek it out.
BINGO! This goes for much of Oregon, in my opinion. We're not car-washers here. I love seeing a person driving a filthy Mercedes--I bet when they lived in California (or Arizona or Colorado) they washed their car religiously, but fell out of the habit when they moved to Oregon mostly because they realized it didn't matter anymore because nobody cared.
BINGO! This goes for much of Oregon, in my opinion. We're not car-washers here. I love seeing a person driving a filthy Mercedes--I bet when they lived in California (or Arizona or Colorado) they washed their car religiously, but fell out of the habit when they moved to Oregon mostly because they realized it didn't matter anymore because nobody cared.
I understand what you and house elf are saying. I can assess cities very quickly since my background is in geography and biology.
I don't care about image, either. In fact, I don't like Arizona because it's all about image, and not about your personality or talents.
However, over 12% unemployment with no end in sight - COMBINED with deteriorating morales (drugs, pornography, graffitti, and the residents obviously not offering enough assistance to the homeless and mentally ill) a reason to choose another location. On the other hand, if you don't care about these things, then we share different values and I'm sure Eugene is a fine town for you but it's not for me or my family members.
Corvallis is a more conservative, cleaner area, and better for young families and people who don't want to get exposed to drugs, crime, and pornography. However, of course you will find pockets of these elements anywhere.
However, over 12% unemployment with no end in sight - COMBINED with deteriorating morales (drugs, pornography, graffitti, and the residents obviously not offering enough assistance to the homeless and mentally ill) a reason to choose another location. On the other hand, if you don't care about these things, then we share different values and I'm sure Eugene is a fine town for you but it's not for me or my family members.
Corvallis is a more conservative, cleaner area, and better for young families and people who don't want to get exposed to drugs, crime, and pornography. However, of course you will find pockets of these elements anywhere.
"Pornography." Ok, I think I see where you're coming from now. You drove through town, saw too many dirty hippies, and now think Eugene is the new Sodom. Is that about right?
I understand what you and house elf are saying. I can assess cities very quickly since my background is in geography and biology.
I am also a student of geography (I won't say I was a student of geography even though I've been out of school for over 10 years since I think there's so much more to learn!), so we share a similar background. I don't think you can know a city based on short visits and statistics. What you can do is make a judgement call based on what you see, which I what I think you're doing here.
Quote:
Originally Posted by CCCVDUR
However, over 12% unemployment with no end in sight - COMBINED with deteriorating morales (drugs, pornography, graffitti, and the residents obviously not offering enough assistance to the homeless and mentally ill) a reason to choose another location. On the other hand, if you don't care about these things, then we share different values and I'm sure Eugene is a fine town for you but it's not for me or my family members.
I'll give you the unemployment problem. The Eugene-Springfield area has a lot of recovering to do from this recession. But to say that I or Eugene residents "don't care about these things" is a very black-and-white point of view. People care--activism is ingrained in the community there. It's just that people who live there, day-in and day-out obviously don't see Eugene as the festering black hole of drugs, pornography (tee-hee!), grafitti, etc. that you have labeled it as in your drive-through/statistical assessment. Certainly they see elements of those things, but they also see another side to Eugene that, on balance, continues to make Eugene an attractive place to call home.
Quote:
Originally Posted by CCCVDUR
Corvallis is a more conservative, cleaner area, and better for young families and people who don't want to get exposed to drugs, crime, and pornography. However, of course you will find pockets of these elements anywhere.
By conservative, I assume you mean the the general demeanor of the populace rather than the political persuasion. I agree here--for example, if you compare the Saturday Markets of the two cities, there's a little more hemp in Eugene. The OSU campus is somewhat more conservative than the UO campus, probably owing to the programs offered more than anything else. UO is considered a liberal arts campus, after all. Both cities are solidly politically liberal though.
As an individual whose car was stolen right from our driveway in a quiet residential neighborhood in Corvallis, I can tell you there is crime. Less crime than Eugene I would agree. There is (gasp!) an adult shop on NW 9th for residents' pornography needs.
Yes...pockets. Corvallis has pockets of dirt, maybe you've never seen them. Eugene has pockets of dirt. Corvallis is just over 9000 acres in size, Eugene is over 27,000 acres, so by extension, Eugene probably has larger, more noticeable pockets.
"Pornography." Ok, I think I see where you're coming from now. You drove through town, saw too many dirty hippies, and now think Eugene is the new Sodom. Is that about right?
I think to cast me in a judgemental state against gays as you have done means its time to close this thread. Your accusation could not be further from the truth. My comments were primarily about the relative economic conditions. However I would not raise a family in a meth city with needles in the parks. Corvallis and Ashland are better Oregon cities to raise kids. I know that you folks like the grunginess in your Eugene. I don't like it so just leave me alone! I have never received a response from any forum on city-data.
[quote=CCCVDUR;13274651]That's fantastic that the neighbors were very friendly and welcoming, however, LIFE IS SHORT, and I expect my streets to be safe, walkable, and bikabale, and therefore 90% free of potholes and with no sidewalk cracks, like in Corvallis and Ashland. I would also expect in a college town to be able to walk up from the Whittaker neighborhood to Skinners Butte at night to look at the stars, and not be attacked by gangs (see recently posted GANG thread and the SAFETY poll on the Oregon forum). Mr. E writes:
I used to work at the Whittaker Hostel and we would routinely bike new guests up to Skinner's Butte.
It was quite a workout I can tell you... but we never encountered any gangs whatsoever.
I'm actually quite jealous that someone had the finances and connections to get a place in such a coveted neighborhood!
But I wish them well!
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