Moving back to Oregon choosing between Corvallis vs Eugene (Portland: rentals, home)

[downnice]

Just moved back home to the Pacific Northwest and chose Renton as my starting point because there was a nice temporary place for Job and stuff. I like Renton but Oregon is my place and I looked throughout Washington and Oregon and even though I love both Oregon seems slighty better for Me.

I Grew up in Corvallis and lived in Eugene for a little bit and those are my top 2 choices. My thought is Eugene has more places to shop and grow opportunity but I have some allergies and Eugene with the Seed Grass and other stuff could be a problem.

Corvallis I grew up in and with the locals markets I love it. I concerned about shopping because growing up you had to drive to get to major shopping. Another thing I like about Corvallis is it is close to Waldport and Newport which I love as well.

It is hard to Choose because Eugene has a big city feel and after living in Seattle/Renton I came to adapt to. Corvallis though Has the coast and it always has a soft spot in my heart. But Corvallis feels so much smaller again because I was spoiled with big city life.

I am doing a at home job so jobs are not the issue =)

[Steve97415]

I don't think there are many people who would choose Eugene over Corvallis if they had a completely free choice. Some would go for Eugene because there are better employment prospects there. Corvallis is a much more bicycle/pedestrian-friendly environment than Eugene. Though smaller, Corvallis has most of what Eugene has. Eugene doesn't have the kind of urbane vibe that Seattle or Portland has; it's just a medium-sized city with a larger residential base. What it does have, though, is a significant population of vagrants and shifty characters, something that is much less a problem in Corvallis. For a city of its size, Corvallis has a remarkable array of eating and shopping options. How many towns of 55,000 people have a Market of Choice and a Trader Joe's? It takes less than an hour to drive the 47 miles from Corvallis to Eugene, so if there's a concert or a restaurant in Eugene that appeals to you, it's easy enough to zip down there.

Still, if you've grown up in Corvallis, the been-there-done-that factor might loom large. There's a lot of truth to the saying "you can never go home again." The Corvallis of today isn't exactly the Corvallis you grew up in. The loss of Tanner's and Ritchey's Market, for example, has taken some of that hometown flavor away from Corvallis. Eugene and Corvallis are both nice spots. Settling in either one will give you ample opportunity to enjoy the other.

[Steve Pickering]

The grass is grown in and around Corvallis, not Eugene. Lane County has all but eliminated seed grass farming. It is mostly Linn and Benton counties now.

[jjpop]

If you are reasonably mobile (not going to buy a house, for example), you might consider moving to one, but visiting the other regularly. Then in a couple of years, if you change your mind, you could move again.

If I were going to do this, I would choose Corvallis and visit Eugene.

[Steve Pickering]

Not many available rentals in Corvallis. Good for landlords, not so good for renters.

[Sizzle-Chest]

Originally Posted by Steve97415

I don't think there are many people who would choose Eugene over Corvallis if they had a completely free choice. Some would go for Eugene because there are better employment prospects there. Corvallis is a much more bicycle/pedestrian-friendly environment than Eugene. Though smaller, Corvallis has most of what Eugene has. Eugene doesn't have the kind of urbane vibe that Seattle or Portland has; it's just a medium-sized city with a larger residential base. What it does have, though, is a significant population of vagrants and shifty characters, something that is much less a problem in Corvallis. For a city of its size, Corvallis has a remarkable array of eating and shopping options. How many towns of 55,000 people have a Market of Choice and a Trader Joe's? It takes less than an hour to drive the 47 miles from Corvallis to Eugene, so if there's a concert or a restaurant in Eugene that appeals to you, it's easy enough to zip down there.

Still, if you've grown up in Corvallis, the been-there-done-that factor might loom large. There's a lot of truth to the saying "you can never go home again." The Corvallis of today isn't exactly the Corvallis you grew up in. The loss of Tanner's and Ritchey's Market, for example, has taken some of that hometown flavor away from Corvallis. Eugene and Corvallis are both nice spots. Settling in either one will give you ample opportunity to enjoy the other.

There's 156,000 people who chose Eugene over Corvallis, that's 100,000 more than chose Corvallis over Eugene. That's not including the metro area, which is roughly 350,000, and I've never in my entire life of living in Eugene met anyone who said they would rather live in Corvallis, ever.

[FVWinters]

If mobility isn't an issue, try Junction City. You can visit either Corvallis or Eugene at will with no more issue than spending a few bucks on gas.

[Steve97415]

Originally Posted by Sizzle-Chest

There's 156,000 people who chose Eugene over Corvallis, that's 100,000 more than chose Corvallis over Eugene. That's not including the metro area, which is roughly 350,000,

That's ridiculous. Less than 5% of the population is in a position to freely choose to live anywhere based on lifestyle considerations. Most people live where they live for employment-dependent or family-dependent reasons. The mere fact that someone lives in a given city cannot be taken to imply that they wouldn't rather live somewhere else if they had their druthers.

Originally Posted by Sizzle-Chest

and I've never in my entire life of living in Eugene met anyone who said they would rather live in Corvallis, ever.

You haven't met many people, then. In the 13 years I lived in Corvallis I met lots of ex-Eugenians who made considerable sacrifices to make the move to Corvallis.

[Sizzle-Chest]

Originally Posted by Steve97415

That's ridiculous. Less than 5% of the population is in a position to freely choose to live anywhere based on lifestyle considerations. Most people live where they live for employment-dependent or family-dependent reasons. The mere fact that someone lives in a given city cannot be taken to imply that they wouldn't rather live somewhere else if they had their druthers.



You haven't met many people, then. In the 13 years I lived in Corvallis I met lots of ex-Eugenians who made considerable sacrifices to make the move to Corvallis.

Sorry, after reading your initial post I thought we were making broad sweeping generalizations about people we don't know.