Move from NJ to Roseburg.. where to live? (Portland, Eugene: rental, low crime)
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Hello all, new member here from the NJ/PA border.
I have an interview for a job at the VA hospital in Roseburg; my girlfriend and I are looking forward to the move from the east coast to the west, assuming I land the job of course.
I am inquiring about areas to live in or outside of Roseburg and would love to hear what you guys suggest!
Im ideally looking for a commute that is no longer than 30 minutes to the VA hospital in Roseburg.
Im intending to stay East of the Cascades. (I understand this is where you don't get ridiculous amounts of rain?)
We have 2 cats and a dog (the dog is a smaller than average retriever).
We eventually plan on starting our new life in Oregon around Roseburg, so we are looking for both a great community, low crime, low cost of living, etc. (pretty much what everyone else is looking for too LOL).
Do you have any recommendations on surrounding towns or cities that fit our mold? Is Roseburg just as good as any surrounding city? We need a lot of help and fast, in the event that I snag the job!!!
Additionally, my girlfriend is a cosmetologist and has been in the field for 6 years. The move scares her a bit due to the fact that her license wont transfer over on top of the 14% unemployment rate in Roseburg..
Does anyone have any information regarding cosmetologist licensing? She has done research, but I am interested in doing some research as well to help her out, but I dont know where to start!
Is the cosmetology profession alive in or around Roseburg? Will she have a more than difficult time finding work as a cosmetologist in or around Roseburg? Do you have any more information regarding cosmetology in Oregon and around Roseburg?
Thank you all so much in advance for your responses.
You intend to drive over the Cascades daily? That is nuts!!!
When I first started to work in NJ a co-worker took me on a drive, pointing out the 'mountains'. I looked around for several minutes and asked, "What mountains?" He said, "Those, over there." I shook my head, "We build houses on those hills."
While you are here for your interview drive over the Cascades but be sure to carry chains for the mountain passes.
There is a poster on this forum who lives in Roseburg. He may be able to provide specific information about local weather conditions.
Oh, dear.. I should have done more geographical research before posting! I see what you mean.. Roseburg is actually west of the cascades..
What does this translate to in terms of rainy weather?
Wikipedia shows that my current area in NJ gets upwards of 45 inches a year, where as Roseburg gets 33, so thats making me feel a little better about the rainy weather situation.
Does anyone have information on surrounding areas compared to the city of Roseburg? Is there much a difference in price, quality of living, etc. between the surrounding areas within 30 minutes?
You will experience that in spades! Unfortunately there is likely to be a lot of overcast but if the skies open up you will see what drew our forefathers over the Trail.
Because I don't live in Roseburg I will deferr to the locals. Keep in mind that weather comes from the west. As storm systems approach the mountains they deposit rain on the west slope. So, if you want less rain live on the east slope of a high hill or ridge (what we call a rain shadow).
So, how is VA expecting you to arrive? Fly from NJ to PDX then drive south? Eugene would be the closest airport but most folks drive between Portland & Eugene. Roseburg is about 45 minutes drive south of Eugene (I usually just pass through on I-5 so don't depend on my recollection). The drive from Portland to Eugene is about 2.25 hours except for Saturdays when either the U of O or OSU has a home football game - all bets are off then. One detail you should know is that our police, particularly the State Police, take speed limits literally. Don't try to make time by pushing it. I could attribute that to the fact that college students tend to speed and drive under the influence and that the police have their parents investment in mind but.. this isn't California. Story here: years ago there was a funding item for the State Police on the ballot. They campaigned based on the fact that they could field more police on the highways. The measure lost by a significant %. They picked the wrong responsibility for their campaign.
Roseburg is a nice small-ish town. Most drive to Eugene for serious mall shopping. It is one of those places where there is one degree of separation if you stay there long (as my Mother once admonished, be discrete). Economically it is wood products dependent (other than the VA health system) so there is a lot of unemployment. In some ways wood products is like the auto industry, when they have jobs the pay is family wage level for high school graduates, when there are no jobs there is a lot of family stress. The other local saying is that there is no such thing as a dumb logger, only the smart ones survive more than a week..
Last edited by Nell Plotts; 11-10-2011 at 11:27 PM..
Your rental situation will be the best in Roseburg. If you want to get out of town, there are several small communities with not much different to offer. However, lots of people live out of town and work in Roseburg. The population of Roseburg is 22,000, except 8 to 5 Monday through Friday, when the population is about 50,000. Surprisingly, traffic jams are rare.
The wettest month is December. Winters are rainy with minimal snow. Many mornings you will be able to look at the snow on surrounding hills but drive on bare pavement. The altitude of Roseburg varies from about 470' on the South Umpqua River to about 1000' on the city hills. Winter temperatures are generally in the 50s or 60s during the day, dropping to the 30s or 40s at night. A cloud cover moderates temperature swings. On clear nights it will get into the 20s. Summers are warm and dry, with none of the obnoxious humidity that plagues the East.
I should also mention that the population of Roseburg on summer weekends is about 10,000. If you move here, don't sit in town in your spare time. Take up camping, hiking, cross country skiing, fishing, hunting or some other outdoor hobby. The Oregon Coast is only about 1.5 hours away, and it is NOTHING like you have seen. Even people who live here go there just to look. Wear a coat, even in the summer. There is no Gulf Stream to warm things here. This is the North Pacific.
As for your girlfriend, she can find out everything I know at
First of all, there is no such thing as a 30 minute commute to Roseburg from the "East side of the Cascades". Now you can have a 30 minute commute to Roseburg from towns such as, Sutherlin, Winston, Myrtle Creek and Gilde. There are allot of communities outside of Roseburg which offer a rural style of living. Just like all towns, cities ect., they all have their pro's and con's, you'll find Roseburg to be mostly a conservative town, some would even call it "redneck". I've always like Roseburg, I have family that live their and I spend allot of time at the Roseburg VA hospital. I think you'll enjoy the area, there's allot to do recreation wise.
Location: 'Shangri-La 'mountains west of Wolf Creek, Oregon
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Howdy Jaebird Welcome.
Fer several lustrum i've received my healthcare, at least once a year, at the VA hospital thar in Roseburg. I've been well taken care of. Great, caring folks at the hospital. They also mail me my meds, every 3 months.
We live happily in the mountains west of Glendale/Wolf Creek. It's a very beautiful area from here to Roseburg, in my opinion.
We usually get about 20"-25" of rain so i figger Roseburg gets about 30"-35" usually.
The rain i love cuz it keeps the timber growing & green, keeps the waterways full, helps with fire danger & lightning strikes. I truly love living in Oregon I bet y'all will too.
I love to explore the BLM lands & do some fishin'. Mostly c&r. The Umpqua River is right thar around Roseburg.
Nell, thanks for all the info! The interview is via telephone, so I wont be out that way until I land the job and get a chance to visit before the big move. I guess Ill have to leave my lead foot in Jersey, Im sure the whole nation knows we Jersey drivers love to go fast, fast, fast haha! In fact, I cant remember the last time I went less than 80 on the interstate.. is that a bad thing? In all seriousness, I look forward to the more "laid back" lifestyle on the West coast.. I am so tired of the hustle and bustle (not to mention the severely overcrowded highways) of Jersey.
Great news Larry, I sure wont miss the WAY below freezing temperatures during the day here in Jersey. Although I love to see snow on mountains I hate driving in it, so that is great news! Thanks for all the info and the website! It looks like transferring her license wont be too difficult.
Terryj, believe it or not, here in Jersey we have rednecks and I happen to live in hick country lol. Its good to know that adapting shouldnt be a problem!
Hawk J, thanks! I do enjoy fishing. Here we have trout stocked rivers and streams and on the Atlantic we have sea bass, ling, cod, blackfish, blues, etc. I do love deep sea fishing more than stream and river. However, I have a friend who visited Montana this past summer and I was amazed at how beautiful the river and streams are. Do Oregon waterways resemble those in Montana? I was also amazed to hear that the waterways there arent stocked, is this the case throughout Oregon? How is deep sea fishing in the Pacific?
I must say that I am super psyched to have a chance at moving out West and beginning my life in Oregon! (Its hard not to get my hopes up, but Im confident I will land the job!)
Those of you who visit the VA campus in Roseburg, what do the police do? Do they patrol, or just sit inside the hospital as liaisons/security?
If there is anyone that works anywhere in Oregon as a cosmetologist, can you shed some light on the field and how difficult/easy it is to find work? My girlfriend has been in the field 6 years and on a regular basis does everything from hair, to all the chemical treatments (excuse my ignorance), nails, manicures, pedicures, etc. She does it all and she does it well! Without sounding arrogant, she is very good at what she does, but she doesnt do weaves.. is that an issue in this area of Oregon?
Thank you all so much for the info and kindness regarding my inquiries!
Last edited by Jaebird; 11-11-2011 at 05:18 PM..
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Welcome.
In all seriousness, I look forward to the more "laid back" lifestyle on the West coast.. I am so tired of the hustle and bustle (not to mention the severely overcrowded highways) of Jersey.
