Best affordable, green, family-friendly cities in Oregon?

[hamellr]

Your biggest problem that I see is going to be Internet access. You're going to be limited to bigger cities, or need to live in very close to medium sized cities.

Portland, Eugene and Bend have telecommunication hubs, but every other region feeds off of one of those. The Dalles and Prineville have growing Internet access due to the data centers being built there, but that has yet to spread to the rest of the towns.

The other thing you need to worry about is line quality of the physical wires. In many places the telephone lines were installed in the early 20th century and are still the original copper wires. This is especially true in older houses.

If you're in an area with Cable you should be better off, but a lot of rural and semi-rural people rely on satellite and DISH for TV. FIOS is still extremely rare even in places like Portland, and non-existent once you get outside of the Portland.

Keep in mind that your internet choices are frequently going to be limited to one type and one provider. So if you don't like your service, you don't have much choice.

[stuckinseattle]

Spend some serious time here before you make the move. Oregon is much less developed that California, much less populated, much less sophisticated. Some Californians really like it here, they don't miss what they left behind. I really, really wish I had known what it was like up here before I moved though. It's not a slower paced California, it's a completely different animal, and you really need to understand what you're giving up for yourselves and your kids and figure out if the tradeoff is worth it.

I'm going to give you a really specific example, and one that is guaranteed to get Oregonians jumping down my throat: I've had a bad cold for a few days, I don't feel like cooking and everyone's been cooped up, so I want to take the kids out to lunch today. But restaurant food here is consistently bad and overpriced, service people are surly, and the standards of cleanliness are REALLY low. So something that I just assumed as part of normal life in California - spending some extra money for the convenience of a reliably tasty and reasonably priced meal out - is not available here.

That's just one example. Because there just aren't very many people here, and most of them live in the Portland metro area the state as a whole can't support the kinds of things you're used to. All normal American family life amenities are in or near Portland.

If you want land and space this is DEFINITELY the place for you. I like having way more space than I could have had in the Bay Area. I like the quiet. But go in understanding what the tradeoffs are.

[Lootmeister]

You're interests mirror Hood River to a "T".

[Goin'toasquarestate]

McDermitt!

[Fiddlehead]

Talent, OR.

[brman70]

I just came upon this blog and ,seriously you have read my mind!!! We are also thinking of relocating to Oregon , from So cal b/c ist is too expensive. My husband had lived near Portland years ago and said how beautiful it was and how people are just a bit kinder! I too have trouble finding a"the perfect town" to raise my 3 young children. Have you found a town yet?

Originally Posted by wavesofgrace

My husband and I are hoping to relocate to Oregon sometime next year. We are Southern California natives, but the cost of living here is killing us!!!! In addition, we're looking for a slower-paced lifestyle that is conducive to raising a family.

I am part-time freelance writer and a stay-at-home mom to our 18-month old daughter. My husband is a web developer but hopes to keep his current California job and telecommute from Oregon when we move. Because both of our careers allow us to work from home, we are not looking for a city with any particular industries or job opportunities (though, perhaps some IT companies nearby would provide a nice "back up" for my husband).

Qualities of our Desired City

• -affordable (for us, that's about $1200/mo for a 2 to 3 bedroom house or condo)
• -safe
• -pretty (doesn't have to be breathtakingly scenic, but needs to be clean and green... preferably with some nice walking trails or outdoor spaces)
• -family-friendly (plenty of parks, safe places to walk, local activities and events for children, etc.)
• -located near decent shopping; at the very least it must have a Trader Joes or the equivalent (a place where I can purchase reasonably-priced, real food); a Target is nice, though not necessary!

Other (Not As Important) Qualities

• -My husband and I actually do like semi-rural areas! We don't want to live in a one-stoplight town, but we do enjoy having farms nearby-- or even within a reasonable driving distance
• - I enjoy gardening (specifically growing fruits and veggies), so a climate that is garden-friendly would be nice, though not necessary
• -nearby museums or other attractions are a plus
• -I'm trying to prepare myself for the gray, but--hey-- I'm a Californian! Perhaps one of Oregon's sunnier cities would be a good option?

Bend and the Portland suburbs (Beaverton, etc.) top our current list of potential cities/areas. I visited Portland a few years ago and did like it-- though I do not want to live in Portland, proper; it is a bit more urban than what we are looking for. I have not visited Bend, but it seems to be a nice city.

I am open to learning more about any other Oregon city that meets my family's criteria! I'd also love to hear more about Bend and the Portland suburbs. So, Oregonians, what are your thoughts?

Thanks in advance for your help!

[Nell Plotts]

Oregon's IT employers are located in the Beaverton - Hillsboro area.

"Rural" and Trader Joe's don't mix. There is a Trader Joe's in both Beaverton & Hillsboro.

I think you can find housing in your budget around Hillsboro, particularly if you are willing to go somewhat further south or west (aka, further away from Intel). Both of those communities are in Washington County, give Craigslist a spin.

[WolfBoy914]

We just moved to the Medford area this year from DC and love it. We're living in Central Point, I work in Medford and my wife commutes up to Ashland for her job. We have all the amenities you need, plus very easy access to outdoor activities. As for housing, our newer 3br 2.5 bath single family home in the Twin Creeks development is ~$1200 in rent. The same we were paying for a 1br apartment in DC with no dishwasher or washer & dryer. And we have a view of 9,600' Mt McLoughlin.

There is a big cycling community here, plus camping, fishing, hiking and watersports (rafting/kayaking) are huge.

By the way, Medford is getting a Trader Joe's and REI next spring. The only problem I've had shopping here is finding suits for work.

[SF2012]

I would say Bend is really a wonderful place to raise a family, it's VERY safe and there's so many different things to do, not to mention there are many new neighborhood homes at incredible prices. We have your typical stores [Trader Joe's and Target of course ], lots of cute little shops downtown as well.

Have you heard of Hilsboro at all? It's your typical suburbia, but you would have easy access to Portland and lots of country too. (If you have ever seen the show "Little People Big World" it is filmed in Hilsboro!)

[Nell Plotts]

Originally Posted by WolfBoy914

By the way, Medford is getting a Trader Joe's and REI next spring. The only problem I've had shopping here is finding suits for work.

That is a good reason to fly to SFO