LA Grande Oregon (Pendleton, Hermiston, Boardman: real estate, job, houses)

[wildberries61]

Can anyone tell me what they think about La Grande and Anthonys Lake Ski Resort? Thanks

[ORexpat]

I just posted 2 replies on La Grande, so you might look at any thread with La Grande in the subject. As for Anthony Lakes skiing, I don't know what you are looking for, but it has wonderful powder, and people like it. I don't know much about facilities there. I always thought they seemed rather sparse.

[parteira]

I used to live in Boise, a few hours from La Grande, and had to drive through it a half a dozen times or so. I received a speeding ticket for $650 in La Grande for going 82 in a 75 (or something close to that) in a supposed work zone. I had a nervous break down. I returned for my "trial" date only to find that because I was in a work zone my fine could not be reduced by law. There was no work zone. There were no workers. There was maybe one cone on the side of tha road, so I think it was a scam.

Occaisonally I would stop for food or to take a little excursion through town. I've lived in preogressive cities or small towns my whole life and my experience of La Grande was not pleasant. It felt very back woods to me. In my opinion the surrounding scenery is kind of blah...mostly brown all year, though pretty in certain lights or with snow. If you want a small, rural, conservative town with virtually no metropolitan influence you may like La Grande.

[scirocco22]

--delete--

[ReturningWest]

It's been many years since I've been in that area and now that I'm moving back west. LaGrande is one of the places I'm considering.

The Wallowa valley is one of the most beautiful places on earth as far as I'm concerned.

I know very little about the city proper other than what I read here and elsewhere on the 'net.

But if you enjoy outdoor activities it might be the place for you.

If you into metropolitan activities ...maybe not.

It is still rural for the most part. but again the valley and the surounding mountains are beautiful.

[washinton native]

La Grande is two words.

[ORexpat]

This is in response to Parteira. I lived in La Grande for 22 years, until fall of 2003, so I know it pretty well.
The speed limit in Oregon is 65, and in a work zone would probably be 55 or 45. It isn't a speed trap (like Arlington, or even Boardman), but it is a training area for state police. Sometimes they get too enthusiastic, so I was always careful.
La Grande is not terribly friendly to outsiders. The university helps, but it doesn't have a good relationship with the town. I think the isolation is much to blame for the "back woods" feel.

[frederico flinthead]

ok ok I have read many of the various posts and am wondering is the prevailing theory in america that small town = backwoods unfriendly people and larger towns or perhaps cities = open minded friendly folk? I mean come on people its not always about that.. For many people job security is key. And this theory that small towns have back woods unfriendly people is kind of silly.. In my opinion if your stranded in rural america your much more likely to get help, not somebody who will mug you or steal from you but real genuine help.. than you would in most metro cities of america.. So um please take a step back an stop making generalizations about places many of you have simply driven through a few times.
thanks and happy friday to all.

[parteira]

Originally Posted by frederico flinthead

So um please take a step back an stop making generalizations about places many of you have simply driven through a few times.

I guess it's a matter of perspective. If a person has spent most of their life in towns or cities (small or big) in less rural states , I don't think it is unreasonable for them to view certain places/towns as "backwoods," at least on the surface, as that is how they appear to them. This is to say nothing, of course, about the nature of the people or activities in the town. So as an outsider who's lived in medium towns, small cities and large cities in seven states, La Grande left me with the impression of being much more "backwoods" than other areas I've spent time in. I agree with Orexpat, isolation does a lot to further that impression.

[teacups]

I have been living within the town of La Grande for 7 years. I am still not "one of" these people, and I don't think I really wanna be. The term "backwoods" does INDEED refer to La Grande. The people here are very isolated and they want to stay that way. Job opportunities present themselves fairly regularly but the city council tells companies that want to locate here that they're not welcome, because "It would adversly affect our lifestyle".
We came here from Hermiston, which is 75 miles west of here, and within 3 days, the Union County Sheriff gave me a ticket for not wearing a seatbelt. I had a perfectly clean driving record, but instead of any warning, he went ahead and wrote me up. My husband was in the passenger seat, and since he is a retired police officer, he didn't help my situation at all when he let them know that he thought they were being grossly unfair. But to this day, I am 100% convinced that I only received the ticket because my tag numbers indicated that I was not a local. After about 4 calls all over town, trying to find out how to get this ticket off my record, and AFTER I informed the court clerk that I had just bought a house and moved here THEN they told me that I could pay $25 and sit through a lecture about the dangers of not wearing a seatbelt and it would be expunged. So, the previous poster is COMPLETELY correct, it is a trap.
I befriended the 90 year old lady who lived across the street (until 4/04 when she passed away) who told me that La Grande has always been an unfriendly place. She moved here 40 years ago from northern Idaho when her husband took a job at a local lumber mill. She said that she was so miserable here...and that only years later her husband confessed to her that if she had just told him she was gonna leave, he'd have had his bags packed before she could finish the sentence--because he'd hated it here too! When she died, she didn't want to be buried here, she had her kids scatter her ashes over the Priest River.
We have priced houses in Hermiston, and it's only the price of real estate that keeps us here. That, and the fact that Hermiston is EVEN UGLIER and BROWNER than La Grande. By far. But I am continually amazed at how rude the people are here, and it's kinda amazing that I'm still not used to it, and that I can still BE surprised after 7 years. People who work retail know good and well that it's 75 miles to Pendleton, 150 miles to Boise, and 150 miles to Tri-Cities. So they don't have to try very hard to be competetive, or even modestly friendly. Also, it doesn't help that I am not a member of the religious majority. The same religious majority which resides in Idaho, and Utah. That's all I'm gonna say about that. If you don't know what that means, then I can't explain it.