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Old 10-22-2010, 10:13 PM
 
8 posts, read 39,124 times
Reputation: 16

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I have dreamed of moving to Oregon for nearly 4 years now, but I have not been ready until now! I want to accomplish my goal and make my dream a reality within the next YEAR! I currently live in LAS VEGAS and this will be a big change for me. I am simply not happy here anymore and wish to move on to cooler and greener pastures!

I have narrowed it down to a few cities of interest: Eugene, Roseburg, Medford and Coos Bay/North Bend and the surrounding areas. I would prefer to live in the SOUTWESTERN region of the state, close to the beach. I know there are many other cities and towns to explore in Oregon but I’d like to stay in the Southwest to start.

I am definately interested in living in a smaller town on the outskirts of the larger cities. However, I cannot sacrifice the convenience of living near a city just yet. I absolutely must have a hospital, shopping, vet within 30 minutes of home, as well as recreation and outdoor activities, the beach etc.

I have done a fair share of research and it seems that all of the cities and towns I am interested in have a lot to offer and each and every one of them look so beautiful on the internet. BUT looks can be deceiving and I have so many questions and concerns that only OREGONIANS can answer! Hopefully you can answer a few of them for me! All replies appreciated and TY in advance!
 
WORK/INTERNET CONNECTIONS CONCERNS/QUESTIONS:

I have done a fair share of research and a number of people have told me work and jobs are hard to find in southwestern Oregon in general. I currently work as a website designer so finding work is not really a concern for me, as long as I have my computer I can work just about anywhere...just about! Due to my career I MUST HAVE a CABLE internet connection at all times. DSL, SATELLITE and WIRELESS are NOT ACCEPTABLE! A HIGH SPEED CABLE INTERNET CONNECTION IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY FOR ME TO BE ABLE TO WORK AS A WEBSITE DESIGNER IN OREGON.

I am concerned that coastal/rural areas in southwestern Oregon will not have CABLE INTERNET AVAILABLE and this brings up a few more questions:

Are a majority of homes in southwestern Oregon cable ready?
In which towns in southwestern Oregon is cable internet not available?

TOWN CONCERNS/QUESTIONS:

I know crime/poverty exists everywhere. However, I would rather stay away from high crime, high poverty areas. I would like to live in what is considered a “Good area” where housing is still affordable. I work my butt off to stay out of low income/high crime areas and do not want to live this lifestyle, or live near it.

A few questions regarding high poverty and high crime:

What cities in southwestern Oregon should I avoid due to high poverty and crime?

What cities in southwestern Oregon are considered “good areas”?

What cities in southwestern Oregon are considered low income/high crime areas?
 
HOUSING/RENTALS

As far as housing is concerned I am definately looking for a small rental home with a decent sized yard. A cottage or cabin for rent with modern conveniences (especially cable internet) would be lovely. I have seen a few photos of cabins and cottages online in various communities that have simply taken my breath away. I absolutely must live near the ocean, lakes, rivers, and outdoor activities as well as within 30 mins of a city with all of the conveniences, so nothing off of the grid

I am currently seeking out a realtor that can help me find homes/cottages/cabins for rent in southwestern Oregon. If you have any recommendations please let me know. I have been scanning craigslist but there are many fake ads. I also look thru local newspapers classified ads online. Any other recommendations would be great.


I know moving from Las Vegas to Southwestern Oregon will be a drastic change, but I am in need of a change. I have never felt at home here being from Wisconsin! I have dreamed of living in coastal Oregon for about 4 years now and it is time for me to make this dream a reality! TY in advance for all of your replies!
 
 
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Old 10-22-2010, 10:20 PM
 
499 posts, read 1,441,353 times
Reputation: 303
If you want to live within 30 minutes of urban conveniences then you'll need to live in either the Eugene or Medford areas. Coos Bay will get you on the beach and they have a hospital & vets & a small shopping center. I guess your shopping needs will determine which city you pick. I love Southern Oregon. It's one of the PNW's most unique areas. Good luck with your move!
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Old 10-22-2010, 10:25 PM
 
8 posts, read 39,124 times
Reputation: 16
P.S. I have posted a few links below to a few of my DREAM rentals that have caught my eye on craigslist. Wether they are fake ads or in good or bad areas I could not tell you BUT they all look absolutely gorgeous to me

Cedar Log Cabin near Beach (http://oregoncoast.craigslist.org/apa/2019920959.html - broken link)

Coastal Cabin Retreat... (http://oregoncoast.craigslist.org/apa/2014012328.html - broken link)

Must see this Doll House...all New Inside (http://medford.craigslist.org/apa/2012469508.html - broken link)

Small Cottage (http://eugene.craigslist.org/apa/2009479940.html - broken link)

Cute Little ......... Victorian Cottage ............. (http://medford.craigslist.org/apa/2009199204.html - broken link)

Classic A-frame beach cabin- blocks to beach (http://oregoncoast.craigslist.org/apa/2006490020.html - broken link)
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Old 10-22-2010, 10:31 PM
 
8 posts, read 39,124 times
Reputation: 16
Ty for your reply PUERCO! Thankfully I do alot of my shopping online . I am more or less talking about grocery stores, home depot/lowes/hardware stores, walmart/kmart/target etc. I am really thinking of Eugene area..it is in the middle of the state and I can explore from there! I have noticed that Eugene does not have a walmart haha but Medford does. The hardest part for me will be TIME. Here in Vegas I can go grocery shopping at 2 am, 24/7...out there things will be drastically different. I dont mind taking a drive to get to the non necessities though.

Please tell me more about Southern Oregon...What do you love about it?
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Old 10-22-2010, 11:13 PM
 
499 posts, read 1,441,353 times
Reputation: 303
I mostly like S. Oregon for its geography & climate. I consider it to have Oregon's best climates. The Rogue Valley gets about 1/2 the rain that the Willamette Valley has. (Eugene's in the WV). Summers can be hot & spring comes a lot sooner to the RV than to the WV. I like the vegetation - lots of manzanitas, madronas, tanoaks, live oaks and in Brookings, redwoods. The Siskiyous are really diverse with a mixture of PNW & California vegetation. And Brookings & Gold Beach have palms, citrus, etc... Oh yeah, and there's gold in the area! Southern Oregon has an interesting history, too.
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Old 10-22-2010, 11:14 PM
 
499 posts, read 1,441,353 times
Reputation: 303
BTW, I've never lived in the area. I like big city living. But it's a great area to visit.
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Old 10-23-2010, 01:10 AM
 
Location: Oregon
1,457 posts, read 6,008,916 times
Reputation: 1419
We lived in Applegate Valley outside Medford, and had a Jacksonville address, though 10 minutes over the hill. Community of 2000.

Yet we had cable out there. Outages were few.

We ran 3 computers online at once. Me working on my website and the kids websurfing.

Plus television in the home and for my mother in an entra building.

Just call the providers. If you know you're internet stuff, then you know how to access that kind of search.

Now it wasn't FIOS. And now having FIOS it would take getting used to for as fast as I can move images. But its fast enough cable in some small towns to load web pages and photos for that kind of stuff.
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Old 10-23-2010, 02:54 AM
 
Location: Southwest Washington
2,316 posts, read 7,789,823 times
Reputation: 1746
Quote:
Originally Posted by cutecouple702 View Post
I have dreamed of moving to Oregon for nearly 4 years now, but I have not been ready until now! I want to accomplish my goal and make my dream a reality within the next YEAR! I currently live in LAS VEGAS and this will be a big change for me. I am simply not happy here anymore and wish to move on to cooler and greener pastures!

I have narrowed it down to a few cities of interest: Eugene, Roseburg, Medford and Coos Bay/North Bend and the surrounding areas. I would prefer to live in the SOUTWESTERN region of the state, close to the beach. I know there are many other cities and towns to explore in Oregon but I’d like to stay in the Southwest to start.

I am definately interested in living in a smaller town on the outskirts of the larger cities. However, I cannot sacrifice the convenience of living near a city just yet. I absolutely must have a hospital, shopping, vet within 30 minutes of home, as well as recreation and outdoor activities, the beach etc.

I have done a fair share of research and it seems that all of the cities and towns I am interested in have a lot to offer and each and every one of them look so beautiful on the internet. BUT looks can be deceiving and I have so many questions and concerns that only OREGONIANS can answer! Hopefully you can answer a few of them for me! All replies appreciated and TY in advance!
 
WORK/INTERNET CONNECTIONS CONCERNS/QUESTIONS:

I have done a fair share of research and a number of people have told me work and jobs are hard to find in southwestern Oregon in general. I currently work as a website designer so finding work is not really a concern for me, as long as I have my computer I can work just about anywhere...just about! Due to my career I MUST HAVE a CABLE internet connection at all times. DSL, SATELLITE and WIRELESS are NOT ACCEPTABLE! A HIGH SPEED CABLE INTERNET CONNECTION IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY FOR ME TO BE ABLE TO WORK AS A WEBSITE DESIGNER IN OREGON.

I am concerned that coastal/rural areas in southwestern Oregon will not have CABLE INTERNET AVAILABLE and this brings up a few more questions:

Are a majority of homes in southwestern Oregon cable ready?
In which towns in southwestern Oregon is cable internet not available?

TOWN CONCERNS/QUESTIONS:

I know crime/poverty exists everywhere. However, I would rather stay away from high crime, high poverty areas. I would like to live in what is considered a “Good area” where housing is still affordable. I work my butt off to stay out of low income/high crime areas and do not want to live this lifestyle, or live near it.

A few questions regarding high poverty and high crime:

What cities in southwestern Oregon should I avoid due to high poverty and crime?

What cities in southwestern Oregon are considered “good areas”?

What cities in southwestern Oregon are considered low income/high crime areas?
 
HOUSING/RENTALS

As far as housing is concerned I am definately looking for a small rental home with a decent sized yard. A cottage or cabin for rent with modern conveniences (especially cable internet) would be lovely. I have seen a few photos of cabins and cottages online in various communities that have simply taken my breath away. I absolutely must live near the ocean, lakes, rivers, and outdoor activities as well as within 30 mins of a city with all of the conveniences, so nothing off of the grid

I am currently seeking out a realtor that can help me find homes/cottages/cabins for rent in southwestern Oregon. If you have any recommendations please let me know. I have been scanning craigslist but there are many fake ads. I also look thru local newspapers classified ads online. Any other recommendations would be great.


I know moving from Las Vegas to Southwestern Oregon will be a drastic change, but I am in need of a change. I have never felt at home here being from Wisconsin! I have dreamed of living in coastal Oregon for about 4 years now and it is time for me to make this dream a reality! TY in advance for all of your replies! 
 
First off I HAVE to say... This is not Las Vegas or Milwaukee, honey. There aren't bad areas to avoid here. You will need to be careful, however, if you speak about "bad areas" or "impoverished areas" up here because you will get some cold shoulders because it comes off as classist. That said, there is poverty all over Oregon and you can't avoid it (like you said... it's everywhere), but all classes mix and mingle in Oregon. We aren't very segregrated, generally speaking. We have a high unemployment rate, but there is generally order and calmness despite that terrible fact.

Anyway, these are all beautiful areas and you will have no trouble finding cable internet anywhere there is cable service, which... is everywhere pretty much...

Have you thought about Grants Pass also? It's bigger than Roseburg, close to Medford for quick flights to Portland, SF, LA, Las Vegas, Seattle, and beyond. There is everything you need there, and I think it's a lot prettier than Roseburg or Eugene or Medford (though the surrounding ruralish areas of all these places are just about equally stunning). It's got a river running right through it, half hour from literally one of the purest rivers in the country, an hour and a half from the redwoods, and an hour and 45 minutes from the coast. There are hospitals, shopping, the largest farmer's market in Southern Oregon (Eugene isn't considered Southern Oregon), "dinosaur" mountains as my Portland-raised friend called them, and all the conveniences you would need or want really.

These kinds of pictures that I'm linking to don't really do the area justice.

Grants Pass Twilight | Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jbury/3771434421/ - broken link)

Grants Pass barn | Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/photon-frieze/173340813/ - broken link)

Vintage Grants Pass | Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/acidcookie/4304769761/ - broken link)

Rogue Theatre, Grants Pass, OR | Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/25229906@N00/4048583109/ - broken link)

Grants Pass, Oregon (AJM NWPJ) | Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ajmstudios/4498777681/ - broken link)
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Old 10-23-2010, 09:07 AM
 
Location: Powers, OR
1 posts, read 9,287 times
Reputation: 28
I recently moved from Central California to Powers, OR, which is a VERY rural area! It was a drastic change for me, considering I left the Tulare/Visalia area, where I had access to everything I needed. I, however, was looking for a peaceful setting, with forests, rivers and trees, where neighbors watched out for each other and I could feel safe leaving my doors open!

I highly recommend that you look into the city of Coquille, OR. It's a smaller town, yet within a 30 minute drive of all the amenities you're looking for. Coos Bay is touted highly around here as the place to do your shopping, sightseeing, etc., but in actuality, it's the city of North Bend that has all the amenities, Super WalMart, KMart, etc. The fishing docks offer a variety of fresh ocean catch, however, bear in mind that both of these cities sit ON the bay, not on the ocean..
I, prefer to spend my beach time in Bandon. It's a cross between Morro Bay and Monterey, CA. Beautiful scenery, fresh seafood abounds, including dungeness crabs and clams. You can actually do your own crabbing from the small pier and go down to the beach and dig your own clams! You can whale watch from the shore during the migration period! If you want to live in an ocean city, with small beach cottages, look at Bandon. It has grocery stores, hardware stores, etc. And, it's only 27 miles to North Bend, where you'll find the larger stores. Coquille, Bandon, North Bend and Coos Bay should all offer DSL through the local phone company, which is either Verizon or Frontier (they changed Verizon over to Frontier on July 1st, so I'm not sure which serves each community).

I hope this helps you out. I did quite a bit of research before I chose Powers as my new home. They don't offer DSL, but they recently put in WiFi. It's further from the amenities you're looking for, but I will add this... We arrived in the moving truck here at 9:30 pm. Each neighbor on both sides of me came out immediately. One set up a spot light for us, so we could see from the moving truck to the door, the other helped us unload our bed and get it set up so we could have a place to sleep for the night, then, the following day, he came over and helped us unload the truck completely. I've made several trips back and forth to California to settle business matters and to be there for grandchildrens birthdays (they're all under 3). I let my neighbors next door, across the street and behind me know that I was leaving and never once worried that something would happen to my house. After an extended 3 week trip, I came home to find that the teenaged neighbor on one side had come over and mowed my lawn, without me even asking! He also refused payment. One other quick note... Yesterday, while leaving the town market, I had a boy, approximately 12 years old, hold the door open for me while I exited, and I had only 1 small item in my hand! The children around here are taught to be respectable, and it's really nice to see them playing outside in the yard, riding their bikes downtown, and especially great to see a group of 8 young teenaged boys walking down the street, coming from the river where they'd been fishing and swimming, and didn't require adult supervision. We do have 1 sign as you enter town that's been tagged. Someone actually changed D on the DEER sign to a B, so it reads BEER. THIS is my paradise!

I hope you find yours!
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Old 10-23-2010, 10:44 AM
 
499 posts, read 1,441,353 times
Reputation: 303
Wow! Powers! Now that's really off the beaten path.
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