Moving from Florida to Coos Bay area....need advice about area! (Bend: crime rate, how much)

[Steve Pickering]

Let me put the school situation this way. Little Ol' Coos County "Powers" passed the state exams with flying colors. Marshfield (Coos Bay) and North Bend did not.

Powers has always been the butt of Coos County jokes. Not so much anymore. Remember Powers High School is the one where the students drive their tractors and 4X4 to school with their rifles in the rack in the window, or on the tractor fender during hunting season.

[SETabor]

I visit Coos Bay for work occasionally. It is pretty but the job situation is rough. Coos Bay and North Bend seem to have everything you need but if you're a shopper or like fancier stuff, you'll have to travel. The entertainment is what you would expect to find in a smaller town - no opera but there's movie theaters.

I do like Marshfield High School's radio station.

[Steve Pickering]

Actually there are three operas and a very large community culture program including art, music, and theater.

[SETabor]

Could you provide the names of the operas? I tried googling and couldn't find anything. The only theater sites I found were LTOB – Little Theatre On The Bay » Maintenance Mode which is in maintenance mode and The On Broadway Thespians, Inc...Coos Bay, OR which hasn't been updated in quite a while.

I know a lot of the older towns have opera houses that have survived but they're rarely used for opera now.

[Steve Pickering]

Coquille is in the Coos Bay Market. Widen your search. Also look for the Two Community Concert Series. They bring things like Swan Lake Ballet to the Bay Area Market.

[Connie J Lewis]

For anyone wishing to receive honest information from someone who has been quite involved over our 30+ years of living here, I'm very willing to share what I know and have experienced first hand.

IF you can avoid moving here... I would. Especially if you have school aged children.

Environmentally it can be one of the most pristine places on the planet (last visit to beach was a whole 'other story' with glass, nails, condoms, and crap strewn everywhere!). The city has hidden parks, lakes, trails and amazing sunsets. It also has a ton of corruption in local politics; schools are all "at risk" and Title 1 funded (who intentionally moves their kid into one of these?) and our main elementary school in Coos Bay is (in the words of a city official) the WORST place a person would choose to be (or want their children) when the impending earthquake and tsunami hits. Regardless of magnitude, downtown Coos Bay was called MARSHFIELD for years and for very good reason.

Jobs available here are in hospitality which would indicate we are a tourist town. Not necessarily so. There's an apparent effort to keep people from even knowing we're here. Not a bad idea.

Though even closer to bankruptcy than Coos County, the people and scenery around Gold Beach and Brookings is breathtaking as well. For those looking to live on the coast, I'd recommend it only for independently wealthy retirees, or those who can live a reclusive life, drawing income from elsewhere.

[Steve Pickering]

Well said Connie. But once they make up thier mind, they don't change.

[WhiteFerrari]

My wife and I moved to Coos Bay two years ago and purchased a home. We came from San Diego so there is some adjustment to the rain and the colder weather in the winter. However we love it and plan to make it our last move. We have lived in large cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego and smaller towns. Coos Bay and adjacent city North Bend have about 25,000 residents. It is the largest city on the Oregon coast. Airport, Wallmart, Junior College, several museums, modern library, high schools, and lower grades, two medical centers and a hospital with lots of parks and near by beaches and sand dunes. Many restaurants and most types of businesses you might need. Very little traffic and some of the friendliest people we have ever met.

Not everything is available but most things are and its only about a 2 hour drive to Eugene Oregon where just about anything else can be found.

It is a slightly depressed area as the two major former income sources lumber and shipping are way down. But if you are in the military then a job should not be an issue.

We have never regretted our decision.

[Steve Pickering]

Slightly is not a good word for the disaster the area is (not has been) going through.

[mochajen]

I know you don't have a choice being in the Military but I personally hate it here, The people who enjoy it here generally like being by the ocean, enjoy the out doors, and being in a small town . There is really nothing to do, the only major chains you have around here for stores are Safeway, Walmart, JC Penny, Ross, Big 5, Dollar Tree, and Macy's I think... They are opening walgreens and big lots really soon. The official hang out though is WAL-MART.

Lot's of methheads, crime is rising, poverty everywhere you look including lot's of homeless people. As far as school goes, I had to spend my last two years of high school at North Bend High, I hated every second of it, the school is the size of a elementary school in a major city, Maybe even smaller. The education level is very low, was way to easy to get good grades here not much effort. If your child is not into goth or being a redneck, they will most likely not fit in. Unless they are in Elementary school then they will be fine.

Everyone talks about how wonderful the traffic is but, we only have 2 lane roads, some without turning lanes so if you get stuck behind to slow drivers your screwed. At least in the city if the traffic is going slow it's because there are lots of cars ahead of you... here it's because someone can't see over the wheel or just doesn't drive very fast, very frustrating.

To sum it up you either love it or hate it here, it all depends on your preference, I prefer the Real Bay Area (California) And as soon as I can get a transfer I'm gone. Your in the military so most likely it's not going to be a permanent thing, but this is not a place I would recommend anyone to live, unless you love the rain, and being bored out of your mind, and looking at people with no teeth... But for a vacation it could be enjoyable depending on how much you like being out in the wilderness, I personally am not a outdoors person and that can be the reason I really hate it here.

Good luck to you