Hmmm....Oregon sounds really nice, too!!! (Portland, Eugene: transplants, home, schools)

[Babyteeth]

The sky is the limit for me. My husband and I are avid outdoors people and want to locate somewhere spectacular. We love fishing, hiking, snowboarding, and whitewater kayaking. He has allergies and struggles with the humidity and I am from a small town, and am comfortable with a small town feel, but need to be near a larger city that has several hospitals for work. We have two very young kids so schools will be an issue soon. We are also entertaining the idea of CO but I am kind of scared at the idea that people are not nice???(according to several postings on this forum) Can anyone give me a good comparison of CO vs Oregon? We are from KY and love Lexington; anything comparable you could recommend researching? Thanks for your tips!

[Tesaje]

I have lots of relatives in CO and people in general are nice. My mother was just the recipient of a gorgeous florist plant from a total stranger. He knocked on her door and said he was looking for a home for the plant as he was suddenly called out of town. Her neighbors constantly help her and look out for her. She said she would be happy to keep it for him until he returned and he said oh no maam, I want to give this to you. I was shocked to see a report that people in CO are not nice. I'm sure there are some not nice people but it doesn't seem to be the norm. There's a lot of people claiming people in OR are not friendly to non-natives but there are also plenty of people on this forum who seem quite nice. You would probably run into that in more rural areas than in city areas. My personal experience with people in OR has been good but tends to be transplants so I'm probably not one to ask.

There's a lot of aggressive and poor driving there but you see a lot of poor driving in OR too. Depending on what his allergies are, either place can be bad. My very worst allergies are in CO in the summer. I have them in OR, but they are no worse there than anywhere else. Lots of other people will say the reverse.

I think either place can give you what you want. Obviously the snow is more powder in the CO mountains than in the Cascades. The Cascades tend to have a lot of wet snow. The wet side of the Cascades will be greener than anywhere in CO if that's something you want (thinking similar to Lexington) but both states are western, not Appalachian southern. They will be different in subtle cultural ways you may or may not like.

[Imperial1904]

Originally Posted by Babyteeth

The sky is the limit for me. My husband and I are avid outdoors people and want to locate somewhere spectacular. We love fishing, hiking, snowboarding, and whitewater kayaking. He has allergies and struggles with the humidity and I am from a small town, and am comfortable with a small town feel, but need to be near a larger city that has several hospitals for work. We have two very young kids so schools will be an issue soon. We are also entertaining the idea of CO but I am kind of scared at the idea that people are not nice???(according to several postings on this forum) Can anyone give me a good comparison of CO vs Oregon? We are from KY and love Lexington; anything comparable you could recommend researching? Thanks for your tips!

I am currently in Oregon and have lived in (Denver) Colorado. Honestly, I'd rather move back to Colorado. I have found the people in Colorado to be more friendlier than people in Oregon. I've had people just come up to me and start talking. In Oregon you really have to make the effort to meet people.

I never knew I had any allergies until I moved to Oregon. When I moved to Colorado, I didn't have any problems.

As for the driving as one member posted, I see more poor driving in Oregon than I ever did in Colorado.

[seven of nine]

Originally Posted by Babyteeth

The sky is the limit for me. My husband and I are avid outdoors people and want to locate somewhere spectacular. We love fishing, hiking, snowboarding, and whitewater kayaking. He has allergies and struggles with the humidity and I am from a small town, and am comfortable with a small town feel, but need to be near a larger city that has several hospitals for work. We have two very young kids so schools will be an issue soon. We are also entertaining the idea of CO but I am kind of scared at the idea that people are not nice???(according to several postings on this forum) Can anyone give me a good comparison of CO vs Oregon? We are from KY and love Lexington; anything comparable you could recommend researching? Thanks for your tips!

Allergies in Oregon, very bad for mold and grass suffers, consider this!

[seashelly]

Here's my take -- We (Oregon and Colorado) both have mountains. We both have awesome State-Federal Parks. We both have Sand Dunes. We both have gold in our streams. We both have some awesome Rafting Rivers. We both have areas of the West-Horses. But, only Oregon of the two has The Ocean. We (Oregon) have the fresh-water AND salt-water fishing. Oh yeah, and we have Cranberries along with the season along the Coast where something seems to be blooming or flowering all year round which means, we cut grass all year round.

[Tzaphkiel]

very wet and not much visible sun in Oregon and Washington on the WEST side of the states; but if you live on the EAST side of the mountains, in either Oregon or Washington, much more sun, much more dry air, and more seasons for more sports. You could still drive in a few hours to the coast for white water sports.

[dogdorks]

I actually live in Colorado and am movign back to Oregon soon (where I grew up and spent many years). If you're looking for outdoor adventures, either state can provide ample opportunities. The skiing in Colorado is great but there is no ocean, which for me is a big con. However, the weather in Colorado is great. Mostly sunny year round and snow that melts quickly. The most populated parts of Oregon are rainy and much less sunny, but it's very green and lush. Central and Southern Oregon are more sunny and dry. If you want little humidity, Colorado or Central/Southern Oregon would be the places for you.

As for nice people, I think both states do well in this department but I've always been impressed with how nice people are when I go home to Oregon. It seems that big cities tend to bring out the mean in people, but both Portland and Denver are overall happy places.

The one thing I would caution about living near Denver is the urban sprawl. The city goes on forever, with overflowing housing and too many housing developments. But there are nice towns in the mountains if you want a more small town feel. Oregon has an urban growth boundary so you don't have these same problems. There are lots of great towns surrounding Portland, Salem, or Eugene. I don't know anything about Lexington, so I can't compare. Good luck in your search!

[Babyteeth]

Awesome insight! Thank you so much, mostly glad to hear that both places have nice people. I can deal with a lot, but rude people really make me sad.

[ladysrodgers]

Originally Posted by seven of nine

Allergies in Oregon, very bad for mold and grass suffers, consider this!

Amen to that. I had chronic allergy problems the entire 3.5 years I lived in southern Oregon from mold, grass, and smoke in the air due to controlled burns by the Forestry.

[dogdorks]

Good luck with your decision Babyteeth - I hope you find something you love!