Is there such a thing as hierarchy for Oregon Beach towns? (Lincoln Beach: rentals, hotels)

[gypsydoc]

Originally Posted by toffee123

Thanks guys for all the valuable input.

What's you guys take on Lincoln Beach area vs Seaside? I think Lincoln gets a bit more traffic from Salem being a bit closer. Any merit thinkng the people frequents Seaside may have a tap more spending power?

Thanks again.

I wrote long response to this... then my computer crashed and I lost it.

Basically, here's what I found. Lincoln City is a bit larger than Seaside.
2010 population : 7930 vs. 6437
Lincoln City is on 5.4 miles of land, Seaside, on 4 sq. miles.

They are 92 miles apart... about a two hour drive - at least, depending on traffic.

Lincoln City:

The median income for a household in the city was $24,959, and the median income for a family was $31,783. The per capita income for the city was $15,597. About 12.5% of families and 16.1% of the population were below the poverty line.

Tourism and retirement are the main economic resources in Lincoln City. In 1995 Chinook Winds Casino was opened by the Confederated Tribes of Siletz . The casino is on the north side of town and overlooks the Ocean.


Major employers include Chinook Winds Casino, Lincoln City Government, Lincoln County School District, and Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital.


Seaside


The median income for a household in the city was $31,074, and the median income for a family was $40,957. The per capita income for the city was $17,893. About 11.6% of families and 15.6% of the population were below the poverty line.


As far as people visiting either town, they each have much to offer. Lincoln City has Devils Lake located on the east side of HWY 101. There are places to rent there as well as a substantial number of permanent residents. It is a beautiful lake.


Seaside has the promenade, the SEASIDE AQUARIUM, which is the oldest in the US, plenty of places to ride bikes (and rent them), open beach, http://www.seasidecarouselmall.com/, many shops and it is only a few miles from Canon Beach to the South and Garabaldi and Astoria, to the north.


As far as spending power, I'd say they may be about equal. The casino in Lincoln City draws many people who want to spend. Seaside, draws many people with families who want to spend. Hard to say! Two different flavors.

[toffee123]

@gypsydoc

Man, I am hating your computer for deleting the long version. For some reason, the properties on the market in Lincoln Beach are somewhat less than the ones in Seaside. ie same money but on beach vs 'can see the ocean but few more steps".

[gypsydoc]

one of the configurations in Seaside is the canal that runs parallel to the ocean. Therefore, there is less land available for that on the sand experience. The houses along the Promenade are quite nice and some are quite large, but there is finite space for them.

Lincoln City is larger, no canal and therefore more land. There is also some boxier stores in a shopping center on the west side of HWY 101. It is further from Portland as well, which can make a difference as far as accessibility is concerned.
Lincoln city is also not as flat. There are cliffs and hills close to the beach. Seaside is pretty level, except at the south end, there is a pretty high butte, or hillside.

I think finding a place to vacation is different than finding a place to live. People want different things....

Just for fun, here's a video of the 2010 Lincoln City kite festival. Really beautiful day!!!

Oregon Coast Summer Kite Festival 2010 [HD] - YouTube

and a 180 mile coast tour in 4 minutes from Florence, to the south
up to Astoria:

180 Miles of Oregon Coast in Four Minutes - YouTube

Here's a drive through of Seaside:
including some portion of a conversation with the driver on the cell phone.
Street Scenes / Seaside Oregon - YouTube

There are tons of videos on YouTube and probably other sites that can give you a better view of the coast here.

[Random_Walk]

gypsydoc nailed the vast majority of it.

The only thing I can think to add is that Seaside also has its beachfront packed to the rafters with houses and hotels - nearly every square foot along the sand/Promenade (depending) has a house on it. There is also a lot of shopping right on the beach as well, mid-Promenade. As a result, parking in Seaside is a bit of a scream inducer during the height of the tourist season (combining beachcombers and shoppers, that is). No idea which way Lincoln City goes offhand... it's been awhile since I've been down that way.

[NWbyNW]

Lincoln City - It gathers people from Oregon, mostly Salem and Portland as well. Not as many from WA will travel down here, but they are known for their premium outlets.

Seaside - Seaside is well known beyond just Oregon. It is a very popular tourist spot and draws in money from the Seattle and Washington market as well. It is the closest "big" beach town to the entire Washington cliental. People come here from the shopping and families with kids come for the big beach and all the fun attractions. Cannon Beach nearby helps swell the population and potential buyers.

In conclusion, I am pretty sure Seaside gets far more traffic then Lincoln City. At least it gets bigger swells during the right times of the year.

[Silverfall]

I go to Lincoln City a lot with our kids and I would say Seaside definitely has more touristy traffic. It's an easy day trip for Salemites to Lincoln City so I think there is a lot of that, which wouldn't help you with a rental.

[Rob Allen]

There might be some miscommunication here - the OP keeps writing "Lincoln Beach" and people reply about Lincoln City. They're not the same place. Lincoln Beach is an unincorporated area a few miles south of Lincoln City, between Gleneden Beach and Boiler Bay. @toffee123, if you're really looking at properties in Lincoln Beach, it's a pretty quiet area.

[toffee123]

Originally Posted by Rob Allen

There might be some miscommunication here - the OP keeps writing "Lincoln Beach" and people reply about Lincoln City. They're not the same place. Lincoln Beach is an unincorporated area a few miles south of Lincoln City, between Gleneden Beach and Boiler Bay. @toffee123, if you're really looking at properties in Lincoln Beach, it's a pretty quiet area.

you are right, but I view them as one large area by the sea though. For what I want to do, ocean front property in Lincoln City or Lincoln Beach?

[gypsydoc]

OK... a bit of rewind here. What are you trying to do that location doesn't matter much?

Not all ocean front property is created equal. Some of it is on a 400 foot cliff, some of it is right by the highway and miles from shops or ameneties. If you are going to be renting it out, with all the competition, you need to know what you're up against.

Who is your market? Are you going to appeal to a small group... like childless couples, or big families, or those singles seeking solitude? Are you wanting high end or budget minded people. Granite countertops or formica?

I had never heard of Lincoln Beach and I've driven up and down the coast several times in the last few years, so it must be pretty small "blip" on the coastal radar. (No offense to any who visit or live there!) - or at least I didn't notice.

[Rob Allen]

IIRC, Lincoln Beach has a Sentry supermarket, an Italian restaurant with a piano bar, another restaurant or two and a couple of craft shops, one with the memorable name "Wild Woman Creations". The ocean is not in sight, so I don't know whether access to the beach is easy or not.