Salem - slum? (Portland, Eugene, Medford: real estate, for rent, high crime)

[PositiveG]

Hi,

I live in Medford and am in the process of opening a restaurant franchise. Alas, someone whose money's burned a bigger hole in their pocket than mine has jumped on the franchise territory here already (last week), forcing me to consider other Oregon metro areas. Eugene, Corvallis, Bend, downtown Portland, and obviously Medford are unavailable. I'm looking for a large-ish city, preferably with a solid college-age population and decent nightlife.

Am I wasting my time even considering Salem? I know it's big... but that's all I know so far. Well, there's also the state prison. And a lot of bureaucrats. Never been there to be there, just passed through. How is it overall as a place to do business? live?

What other cities (in Oregon) might I be well-advised to consider?

[Clear2land]

Salem should be your number one choice followed by Albany, Grants Pass, and Roseburg. Your choices are up and down the five. What about Springfield?

Good Luck!

[Steve97415]

Salem is certainly not a slum. It's also not that big, though its proximity to other urban areas increases the sense of size. At the very least, it certainly compares favorably to Medford in city planning, demographics and entertainment.

[sillygal]

All the while I have researched OR.........I have stayed away from Salem also, because for some reason I got the impression that everyone thought it was dirty, and the houses were kind of less than avg. I have never been there, but got this from people living in OR.......this board and others.

[PositiveG]

Originally Posted by sillygal

All the while I have researched OR.........I have stayed away from Salem also, because for some reason I got the impression that everyone thought it was dirty, and the houses were kind of less than avg. I have never been there, but got this from people living in OR.......this board and others.

Well I went there today...4 hour drive from Medford, ugh, should have paid the extra money and rented a plane. I certainly had the impression from other people who've been there that it was dirty and somewhat rundown. I can see how this is so in some areas...drove up and down most of Lancaster Dr. and checked out Chemeketa CC - decent. Bohemia is alive and well downtown for sure. Willamette Univ impressed me, too bad it's so small.

Basically my heart is in Medford, not Salem, which despite its relative size still seems inferior in its cultural and event appeal than the Rogue Valley. It even seemed to have a slower nightlife than Meddy. I will consider it a strong candidate to open this franchise in however as I learn more about it. Thanks for the replies!

[bobmulk]

Please note that there's a LOT of wealth in South Salem and West Salem. These are the areas to check out also when considering Salem. I live in unicorporated Hayesville on the east side and while I'm in a nice neighborhood, South and West are definitely better, but VERY pricey. Keizer is also quite nice.

[ohmy]

Originally Posted by PositiveG

Well I went there today...4 hour drive from Medford, ugh, should have paid the extra money and rented a plane. I certainly had the impression from other people who've been there that it was dirty and somewhat rundown. I can see how this is so in some areas...drove up and down most of Lancaster Dr. and checked out Chemeketa CC - decent. Bohemia is alive and well downtown for sure. Willamette Univ impressed me, too bad it's so small.

Basically my heart is in Medford, not Salem, which despite its relative size still seems inferior in its cultural and event appeal than the Rogue Valley. It even seemed to have a slower nightlife than Meddy. I will consider it a strong candidate to open this franchise in however as I learn more about it. Thanks for the replies!

Hi PositiveG,

A four hour drive isn't bad...sheesh... well, ok, with kids it CAN be a challenge... I have never flown between Salem and Medford, but I have thought of it. Maybe one day. I have driven I-5 between those two towns hundreds of times.

I don't understand why some people think Salem is a small town, (unless they're used to cities like Portland and anything less is "small") and I have never heard anyone say it was dirty and run-down, although, yes, parts of it are, just like in any town. ("felony flats" over by the prison, but that's just a small area.)

Salem is a very good location for a business!

Most of Salem is nice, and there are a LOT of very VERY wealthy people here, especially in S. and W. Salem, and out towards the countryside. You would be amazed at how many mansions and gated communities there are around here! (Morrow mansion comes to mind, and there are many others). There are a lot of beaurocrats here, but that's not where all the wealth comes from. If you want to try to affect changes in state policies and government, or just keep informed, Salem is a good place to be as a lot of decisions are made here. There are a lot of jobs here, and a lot of opportunities to make money. Starting a business is easy in Salem too, although a restaraunt will be more challenging and more likely to fail, but that would be the case anywhere as the restaraunt business is risky and complicated.

I live in NE. Salem and have lived here for 19 years, so I can say that I know what it's like. I also have family in Meddy, and I visit them several times a year. In fact, I just came back from there last night!

I don't really know how to compare Salem's nightlife to Medford's, but it probably is about the same, except if you're in Salem and you're really into going out at night, Portland is great for that and is only about a 30 minute drive from Salem. That's probably why Salem doesn't have much nightlife. In my mind, Salem and Medford are about the same, with Salem being bigger but Medford is growing very fast and will probably catch up in a few years.

What sucks about Salem is;
the political correctness,
snobs,
beaurocrats,
liberals,
and most of all; the large population of illegal immigrants and thier welfare mentality and sense of entitlement, (unless you like that sort of thing).

Medford has the same problem with immigrants, but I think it's worse here though, or they are more vocal, because they come here to try to push thier agenda and be more visible. I think people in Medford are probably freindlier in general, and less PC. Also, although our cost of living isn't high, (except for rent) real estate is expensive here, but Medford also has that problem. I think it costs about the same to live here as there.

Culturally, I don't know. There's a lot going on in Salem in the spring and summer, probably about the same as in Medford. Although, we don't have anything like the Shakespearian Theater in Ashland, and there's no Rougue River to go rafting on. *sniffle* I miss Medford. There aren't any nice views in Salem like in Medford, unless you live up in the hills or out in the countryside. Salem makes a good effort to preserve trees though, it's nice in that way. I have thought about moving back to Medford, but it would be hard to start over, and houses are so expensive.

Good luck with your venture, if you need more advice you can contact me.

ohmy

[ohmy]

Originally Posted by sillygal

All the while I have researched OR.........I have stayed away from Salem also, because for some reason I got the impression that everyone thought it was dirty, and the houses were kind of less than avg. I have never been there, but got this from people living in OR.......this board and others.

Hi Sillygal,

No, the houses in Salem aren't less than average! Salem is actually pretty nice, for the most part. There are many very very wealthy people in Salem, mostly S. and W. There are a lot of gated rich communities, multi-million dollar homes, and sprawling mansions, scattered in the hills. The Englewood neighborhood in NE Salem is also very nice, with older charming homes on larger lots, and in the upper $200-$300,000 price range for houses built in the 1940's and 50's.

For the average person, a new (small, modest) home with 3-4 bedrooms, and almost no yard costs around mid $200,000 and up, and a nicer house can cost $300,000 to $500,000, or more! The average house price for a small older home is around $150,000 to $180,000 and the average price for a small new home is around $300,000, if it's on a small lot. A house with a large lot is more, and if you want acreage you better have a LOT of money. A small older home on 2 acres can be $500,000-$700,000! There are a lot of new neighborhoods popping up with small but luxurious homes in the $500,000 and up range, and they are crammed together and don't really have much of a yard. It's ridiculously expensive, and only getting worse. We bought our older NE salem house 10 years ago for less than $40k, (extreme fixer-upper) and it's now worth 3-5 times that much, and it's not even finished.

Where do you live?

ohmy.

[Ownahome]

I agree with Ohmy. My parents own a house in NW Salem area - very nice neighbourhood, luxury homes, minutes to downtown. It depends on the area of town. I think Salem has changed a lot in the last few years because of new house developments.

[Clara1082]

To Austim,
I use to live at Lancaster Commons when I first moved to Salem. Dont do it! They look nice from the outside but that is a high crime area. We visited the aparments on a beautiful sunny afternoon and saw their perfectly furnished model room, as well as the pool and signed up that day. I quickly regreted it. Its right in back of a big strip mall, near a Wal-mart. Definatly a lot of gang activity in the area. I think someone was just murdered there if I remember correctly.

Salem CAN be nice. It really can. Just stay away from NE Salem if possible, Lancaster Avenue in particular. Like people have already mentioned, West Salem, South Salem and Kiezer are great places to look (if you have the means).

Good Luck!