Starting to get a little freaked out about Oregon (Portland: cost, businesses)

[MysticalDream]

Oregon is horrible place, don't move here ever.. Please stay in California..

** Getting robbed at gunpoint by a methhead as I type this **

[hamellr]

Originally Posted by mr and mrs gman

Ok my turn, my husband and I are also planning to move to Oregon, (southern area). Not exactly sure yet, but thinking Roseburg, Grants Pass, however we just found this great little house in Drain. So reading all these forums are interesting, it brings up questions that I have. Fill me in on the motorcycle riding? Are there many riders out there? My husband I each have our own Harley's and love to ride, we can ride year round here in Florida which is really nice, helmet free I might add.

Regarding careers, I am a nurse and my husband is a truck driver, are there possible job oppertunities waiting for us in the areas I mentioned above? Guess, I have asked a few questions that should get this forum started. Thanks for your comments in advance. Mr and Mrs Gman!

Drain is a nice place to visit, but it's a rather interesting town. The family that originally founded the town still own vast portions and businesses in the City. There have been issues in the recent past where they didn't get their way on the city council, so they closed the only grocery store and gas station as protest. The City caved in after the population protested heavily, and both opened back up.

There are lots of Motorcycle riders and clubs all over. Bad news is that riding is very seasonal here, and helmets are law.

[TheBletch-PortlandOR]

Originally Posted by Grailmaiden

My husband and I are currently in the process of trying to find a place to move to get out of S. California. I had my sights set on Oregon, particularly the Eugene area because that is where he could get work. However, I have been reading the posts here that are talking about how:
Oregon is the meth capital of the world
Eugene is the Anarchist capital of the world
the pollution in the Wilamette Valley is awful
the state is a financial vortex that sucks you under
that crime is rampant (although petty crime)

I am really disappointed because I was starting to think that Oregon was the place for us. We are trying to find a better place to raise our young children and from these scary pieces of info I am suddenly freaked out about Oregon.

We are a green family. We eat organic, we recycle, etc. etc. however, we are not ultra-hippie. We are middle-of-the-road politically and from what it sounds like Oregon is super liberal. I am looking for the safest, cleanest, friendliest place to raise my children. And although I am sure many of the Anarchists are very lovely people, it scares me to be in such a politically "hot" area. The meth thing scares the crap out of me too.

Does anyone have any feedback on the most family-friendly part of Oregon to live in? Or if the above statements are true or just from people who are unhappy where they are? I am really confused now. Help!

It's mostly people who are unhappy, but I'll say the crime isnt that bad in Portland, and i'm from Denver (more dangerous than Portland), which I thought was really safe for the most part. It is SUPER liberal, they have they stereotypical sheltered yuppies in electric cars, city chickens, urban farms. If you like the green lifestyle, you will like it here! Meth? sure, people are very open-minded, and do not harshly punish addicts, or jail the homeless, in fact meth is legal under a certain weight in the city. So yes it is a problem, but an overstated one. We had more tweekers in Colorado, and I don't see them hanging from the rafters everywhere I go. And actually we are the number one city for heroin, meth is pretty new in Oregon, (not many biker gangs.)
Eugene is the Anarchist capital of what now? College town, straight up. They funnel from all over the country, go to school in Eugene, demonstrate a few times, and eventually move up to Portland where they retire at 26, so they can drink lattes and tall cans of PBR. My point is they are all harmless.
sorry if this was too long.

but really you should try the west side of Portland, lots to do and family friendly (except parts of downtown)

[nardoman]

It can get hairy here in Oregon. Many people think that Oregon is just another state. It's right above California, so no big deal, right? But it's not like that at all! There are drugs here - pot growers, meth-heads, mushroom pickers, deadheads. Then there's the welfare bums and just a lot of other people who protest about everything that's wrong with society. What happens to the new people is the rain gets to them, and after a few long winter/spring rainy seasons that never, ever, ever end (and when the rain does end it's just for a short while, just a "tease" period, before it starts back up again) these new folks start getting restless and pretty soon they move on. The cabin fever breaks them down and either they turn to drinking and drugs, or they flee this mad state of affairs aptly named Oregon. Be careful coming here, that is my advice.

[Ostracon]

Originally Posted by vanight

We have the Mayor of portland wanting to constantly rename roads including renaming one in honor of a communist dictator, Chavez

Since this old thread has been resurrected, I wanted to respond to this comment, considering how blatantly misinformed it is. It's obvious what the responder's political views are from his/her post.

The respondent has confused Hugo Chavez, the Venezuelan President, with Cesar E. Chavez, US citizen, civil rights activist, advocate for workers' rights and founder of the National Farm Workers Association, which later became United Farm Workers. He was just as important to the ongoing civil rights movement as was MLK and Rosa Parks. He postumously recieved the Presidential Medal of Freedom. If anyone deserved to have a road named after them, Cesar Chavez did.

I worked with Cesar Chavez's granddaughter when I lived in the San Jose area. He's one of my heroes for the selfless work he had committed his life to in order to bring a voice to the voiceless. I encourage people to research for themselves to learn the history, which the respondent failed to do.

This Saturday, March 31st is Cesar Chavez Day. Si se puede!

[jeffredo]

Originally Posted by Ostracon

Since this old thread has been resurrected, I wanted to respond to this comment, considering how blatantly misinformed it is. It's obvious what the responder's political views are from his/her post.

The respondent has confused Hugo Chavez, the Venezuelan President, with Cesar E. Chavez, US citizen, civil rights activist, advocate for workers' rights and founder of the National Farm Workers Association, which later became United Farm Workers. He was just as important to the ongoing civil rights movement as was MLK and Rosa Parks. He postumously recieved the Presidential Medal of Freedom. If anyone deserved to have a road named after them, Cesar Chavez did.

I worked with Cesar Chavez's granddaughter when I lived in the San Jose area. He's one of my heroes for the selfless work he had committed his life to in order to bring a voice to the voiceless. I encourage people to research for themselves to learn the history, which the respondent failed to do.

This Saturday, March 31st is Cesar Chavez Day. Si se puede!

I'm still ticked off they renamed Army St. to Cesar Chavez St. in San Francisco.

[Nurse Bishop]

Mrs. G man, you are a nurse and you ride without a helmet?

[Steve Pickering]

Originally Posted by jeffredo

I'm still ticked off they renamed Army St. to Cesar Chavez St. in San Francisco.

Keeping it in Oregon (this is an Oregon thread) I am still upset they changed Centenial in Eugene to MLK.

[jimj]

Originally Posted by Steve Pickering

Keeping it in Oregon (this is an Oregon thread) I am still upset they changed Centenial in Eugene to MLK.

It was the P.C. thing to do don'tcha know..

[Steve Pickering]

DO you have any concept of what that cost the residents and businesses? Same thing when they tried to change Beltline to Randy Pape. I grew up with Randy and I don't think he would have been pleased