whats it like living in oregon? (Portland, Eugene: transplants, motel, homes)

[collint]

For some reason i have a fascination with the Pacific Northwest idk y but i do. I think it's cause i grew up near the woods in indiana and always loved trees and gardens and Oregon seems like just the place for that. So i was wondering from my soon to be fellow oregonians (i think thats how it's spelled). whats it like to live there in general. I want responses from all over oregon to get the a general idea. Thank you very much

[tiffela74]

Hi. Im probably not the best person to respond to you, because I dearly love Oregon. Ive lived here all my life, and while Ive been tempted at times to move elsewhere, we've just never found anywhere that we thought we could be as happy.
I live along the Southern Oregon Coast. LOOOOOOVE IT!!! Ive been here 5yrs now, and really, my only complaints are lack of shopping, (I do miss being able to hit the malls w/friends) theres no Applebees or OliveGarden where Im at, and it doesnt snow here.
Now, there IS a FredMeyers, SuperWalmart, BiMart, Safeway, Albertsons, most your typical fast food places, and lots of terrific specialty shops for everything from gifts, to foods, so i shouldnt complain too much eh? The fresh seafood is incredible. Its an experience i never tire of, going down to the docks, chatting w/the local fishermen, watching the seals, then picking out my live crab and then laze away for a bit while they cook and clean it for me. For $4.00lb. And of course, when they get to know you, typically some extra thrown in as well. I love our beaches! They arent what you see on the BayWatch reruns, ours are much more wild and secluded. Not so many volleyball playing buxomous babes and colgate smile guys. lol But the people are almost always friendly and will share anything from a story to directions to their own personal fav. lookout.
I like that in Oregon, we dont pump our own gas. Thats a HUGE plus for me when I have a carload of sleeping kids and its pouring outside!
I like that I can be at the beach in the morning, and on a mountain skiing in the afternoon.....that you can see one of Americas tallest waterfalls in the afternoon, and be in desert before nightfall. You can go windsurfing in the Gorge where its famous for the winds, or kayaking all day and never see another soul. You can go Urban in downtown Portland, visiting our famous Powells bookstore, or catch a movie while having a drink, lounging on a couch in what used to be a grade school auditorium. You can spend the afternoon touring the stunning rosegardens, or the Portland Zoo....spend the day at OMSI, go on a submarine, or checking out the funky shops on 23rd.
l love Oregon.....thanks for letting me think again of just some of the reasons.
best of luck to you!
tiffany

[Lillietta]

my only complaints are lack of shopping, (I do miss being able to hit the malls w/friends) theres no Applebees or OliveGarden


All this actually makes Oregon even better, IMHO

[collint]

thanks u guys anybody know of any good places to go camping or hiking around oregon. Thats also one of my fav things to do and it seems like oregon would have plenty.

[Squidlo]

Originally Posted by collint

thanks u guys anybody know of any good places to go camping or hiking around oregon. Thats also one of my fav things to do and it seems like oregon would have plenty.

Just pack and get to Oregon already. It is a paradise for hikers and campers. Hiking is a bit easier than camping. Improved campgrounds fill fast and are on the verge of the cost of a motel room. Primitive campers would love the state. I have a huge amount of camping gear that will not see daylight again until I move out of Texas. I think the wild parts of Oregon are the best parts.


Squidlo

[collint]

Originally Posted by Squidlo

Just pack and get to Oregon already. It is a paradise for hikers and campers. Hiking is a bit easier than camping. Improved campgrounds fill fast and are on the verge of the cost of a motel room. Primitive campers would love the state. I have a huge amount of camping gear that will not see daylight again until I move out of Texas. I think the wild parts of Oregon are the best parts.


Squidlo

actually my cousin and i are more into the primitive type of camping. that and doing 20-30 mile hikes we're thinking bout doing a roadtrip out there either this summer or next not sure yet what our schedules will be like.

[spiritbear928]

I moved here from Minnesota 4 years ago. First three years in Newport. Now in Albany. Oregon is about as diverse as you can get. It has its dirty towns (like Albany). Its nice little towns (name almost any coastal town except Lincoln City). It has its big city (Portland) and its far left college towns (Ashland, Eugene, Corvallis to some extent).

I found that living here shifted my political leanings a bit to the left but that may be from being around people from Eugene and being dissatisfied with Bush. Anyway. The biggest problem with Western Oregon (defined as west of the Cascades) is RAIN. Its not heavy like in the midwest but 6 months out of the year its gray and miserable. Less so on the Coast but its windy and stormy. If you have seasonal affective disorder, DONT MOVE HERE. If you can stand gray rain but beautiful fairly mild summers you will love it. The weather is pretty boring comapred to the midwest.

If rain is an issue, consider Bend. Its very dry but somewhat isolated. One of the fastest growing areas in the nation.

Oregon is also expensive. Not as bad as California bu everything costs more. Rents are high in nicer areas but can be reasonable if you look hard.

The job market SUCKS!!!. Portland is better but the rest of the valley is awful. Lots of mexican immigrents which makes for some diversity and excellent food but it is a different culture. Woodburn is 75% hispanic.

The good of Oregon is pristine forest and some of the most beautiful mountains you will find anywhere. You can lose yourself in the forest. The coast is also amazing. 3 hrs drive and you can go from ocean thru rainforest into desert. I love it for that. Also some really nice people. Though some real jerks too. Few people seem to be from Oregon. Most are transplants. Many from California. i pride myself on the fact I have never lived in Cali

I hope this helps.

FWIW I think it was a good move but it was culture shock.

[PNWhike]

Whatever you do, be advised that Bend is the absolute cesspool of the state. Californians are a bilght throughout Central Oregon. A form of cancer if you will. Steer clear of the decay they bring. The rest of Oregon is great.

[DavePautsch]

I'm in Albany also, although maybe with a slightly different cut on it than Spiritbear (with regard to the "dirty" part...let's just say its a matter of opinion ).

I grew up in PA, and spent a year in Indianapolis in the early 80's, then joined the USN and spent the next 20 something years all over (including So. Cal)...so my perspective is a little different than many I guess.

We found the mid-Willamette valley to be a great place to raise kids and become part of the community. I spend quite a bit of time in Lebanon and Corvallis as well, both nice towns and (as with any town) have pros and cons as well.

It was a bit of a culture shock when we first got here (went to the mall one night to catch a movie at about 6:30...mall was closing, theater is actually a few blocks away! Yikes, we thought "what the heck did we do!") but have really come to love being part of a small town where you are constantly running into people you know...and where people actually talk to you in the lines at the grocery store.

Easy access to I-5, short drive to either the coast or the mountains, lots of hiking trails, bike path access all through Corvallis, river, Reservoir just a bit south of here for boating...fishing. Homes are affordable (more so recently) as compared to many other areas of the country (and even most of Oregon)....

I'd say the mid-Valley would be worth a look for you...

[ladysrodgers]

Originally Posted by collint

actually my cousin and i are more into the primitive type of camping. that and doing 20-30 mile hikes we're thinking bout doing a roadtrip out there either this summer or next not sure yet what our schedules will be like.

Just beware, there are HUGE critters in the woods. A lot of people don't consider that. Also, it's quite easy to get lost in the moutains......they can be pretty rugged in some places.

The Forestry has maps you can get that show various off the beaten path roads if you're interested.