Coos Bay. How do you like it? (buy, living)

[foxford]

Normally I would say Coos bay is paradise...no longer......There is a proposed LNG ...liquid natural gas facility going in that would wipe out most of the area, including many of the schools. Just south of town there is an open pit mining operation that may take in as many as 6,000 acres. The local politicians promote the LNG even though it would only provide gas to California. (California rejected it as being too dangerous) If your really serious about moving here...I would wait and see....I'm looking to move when the mine and LNG go in. Sorry..

[oregon lover 123]

I take it that there is no chance of that ??!!!, anyway. how about location??

[tiffela74]

Originally Posted by oregon lover 123

Hi, might be relocating to Coos Bay and would like to know which is better to live .
Coos Bay or North Bend? We would love waterview.Which area is newer?. Would like no fog if possible. I really enjoy your info it is very informative.Thanks.

Hi. Well, for the most part, if youre right on the water, youre gonna get fog many mornings. We lived right on CapeArago Hwy for awhile, and woke to fog fairly often. But, go inland a mile, and it'd be clear as a bell. In town, you can get up some higher elevations and have a nice waterview w/o the fog around you.
Both Coos Bay, and North Bend have some newer developments.
Personally, I love living here.

[aragonbrown]

My husband and I stayed a week in Coos Bay for Valentines. We went all around the bay. We thought we would like Empire district...not bad but really liked the Empire Lakes better. North Bend School District is very impressive. The movie house is great, 12 screens vs. our 1 in Socorro, NM. The people were friendly and nice. Our stay had 2 sunny days, 5 overcast days, with mist to rain. Our favorite restaurants were, Pancake Mill, Mediterrean Cafe, and Puerto Vallarta (the Mexican Restaurant in downtown) oh and that Outdoor In was just great, can't wait to have our bambina enjoy that. We plan to move in approx 45 days. We look forward to being part of the community.

[tiffela74]

if you like Mexican food, go to LaCosta instead! The owner, Rafael, is a hoot!! We just love him to death. went there last night, after they closed, and they had a 2guy band (the worn out frets) still there just kinda jammin. We watched while Rafael made a video of himself singing (he's really quite good!!) then we sat around w/the kitchen staff, the band guys, and Rafael just chattin, and singin, and wow, what a great experience it all was!!! My kids loved it too, and thats not something you can do just anywhere. But here in Coos Bay, yup.
The Boys and Girls club has some terrific stuff going on for the kids, and plenty of sports programs. The gymnastics starts at the youngest ones, they can do parent involvement classes from walking up. I know a lot of parent groups/play dates have sprung up out of that! Dance starts em at 4yrs old, and more playdates/groups. The libraries have a neat variety of different activites and guests, there really is quite enough to do around here if you just get out and talk to people.
Me, personally, after running errands, I left the kiddos at home playing in shorts/tshirts in the yard, hubby washing his car, and I went to the beach for a few hours and enjoyed the sunshine and blue skies. Bypassed the popular Sunset beach where there were lots of people playing/swimming (BRRR!!!) bbq/picnicing/softball/vollyball/all sorts of games and fun stuff going on, and I went to some more...private and secluded spots and got my recharge on.
Its 8pm, my windows are still open to let in a light breeze, my husbands out at the bbq on the deck, and Im just thinkin it cant get much better than this.
I love living here....
How exciting for you all Aragonbrown!!! Let us know when get here and how it all goes!

[tiffela74]

thought id post a few pics from today... try to ignore those nasty ole blue skies and all....darn sun keeps shining and chasing all the clouds away!!! lol

[haggardhouseelf]

We recently considered buying our first home in Mapleton. My husband, though, ultimately decided it was too far a commute. He works in far west Eugene... it would have been a 45 minute to hour drive for him - one way. Bummer. He said that if we had a car that got 100 miles to the gallon he could have done it though! We actually know people who have a longer commute than that in places like the Seattle area and the bay area in California. Mapleton would be a great place to live. The place we found was right on the river... you could drop your boat right out your backyard and go all the way to the ocean... then home again when you're ready! Good fishing, so we're told, too! And yes - seems much more affordable than the coast, but you're still very close! And less wind and cold...

We really like living in Eugene, though. We go for day trips to the coast all the time. We just went today actually. It's an easy, beautiful drive. Someday we might live nearer to or even right at the coast... but for now the Willamette Valley isn't such a bad place to be, either!

[tiffela74]

just thought Id brag again.....just had to reapply sunblock on the kiddos, theyre out playing in the sprinkler and already were turning pink! uh-oh! anyhow, its clear blue skies, and so pretty out its just thrilling. My folks were supposed to be here a few hours ago, (theyre from Bend)but they got stuck down on the beach. They were just gonna do a quick stop down on the beach to let the dog run a bit before coming here but its so nice, they wont even come in to see their grandkids! lol

[Steve97415]

Originally Posted by tiffela74

just thought Id brag again.....just had to reapply sunblock on the kiddos, theyre out playing in the sprinkler and already were turning pink! uh-oh! anyhow, its clear blue skies, and so pretty out its just thrilling. My folks were supposed to be here a few hours ago, (theyre from Bend)but they got stuck down on the beach. They were just gonna do a quick stop down on the beach to let the dog run a bit before coming here but its so nice, they wont even come in to see their grandkids! lol

Well...that may sound to you like an ringing endorsement, but the fact that a sunny day is a big deal...something to celebrate and document with pictures...will not be seen by reasonable people as evidence contradicting the coast's reputation of climatic gloom. Most people will know that in a good climate, blue skies and sunshine are not noteworthy: they're the expected norm.

It's true that sunny days do occur on the Oregon coast, just as rainy days occur in southern Arizona. But it's also a reminder that there is a law of probability issue with their frequency of occurrence. However heavenly the sunny days may be, 236 overcast days a year is a lot. That's what Coos Bay logs as an annual average, and that doesn't include the partly cloudy days. Admittedly there are people who need green beside them more than blue above them, and for those who prefer predominantly cool cloudy weather, the Oregon coast can be paradise. But do understand what you're getting into with the coast's Jekyll-and-Hyde climate. It's not for everybody.

[Oregonbeachlover]

Love the pix Tiffela! I'm learning to ignore Steve's constant Oregon coast=doom and gloom. Of course, those of us who live on the coast KNOW that is not the truth. We've had so many gorgeous days on the coast already this year, that I'm trying my hardest not to take it for granted! The sunsets still take my breath away. Oh, and speaking of sun....let us not forget all the locations which have to deal with heat...my friend in northern Cal said it was 100 degrees there today....and another friend on the east coast is always complaining about the humidity. I'll take our weather anyday over any of that. Even on a "cloudy" day on the coast here, the air is wonderfully refreshing. Again, I have said this over and over....we can have sunny days at any time of the year. We can have frantic wild storms, too, which change back to the brilliance of blue sky in a blink of the eye. Even after all these years, I still cannot believe how blessed I am to be able to live with this beauty around me.