Would like information on Enterprise or Joseph, OR

[bobmulk]

I LOVE Joseph. Went there on vacation about four years ago; had read about it for a long time, especially its emergence as a top artist colony specializing in bronze work. I fell in love. If there were some way to make a living, I'd consider moving there.

[TrapperDan]

My family has resided in Joseph for several years now. I can say, in our opinion, it is beautiful and a great place to live. HOWEVER, nobody has posted the downsides and there are quite a few to consider, so I will be the spoiler here:

1. Very few jobs and wages are very, VERY low
2. Good Ole Boys are unfriendly to Newcomers
3. City Government is always in turmoil
4. Housing is over-inflated due to part-time residents and retirees
5. Bad Contractors are rampant - time to become a do-it-yourselfer!
6. Main Street is lovely, but get a couple blocks back and the streets are not maintained, some housing is shoddy, lots of mobile homes, abandoned property, dogs run loose, etc.
7. If you need any out-of-the ordinary healthcare, plan to drive at least 2 hours. This can be a problem in the wintertime.
8. LOTS of tourists in the summer. Looky Lous driving up and down the streets, loud outdoor music downtown on the weekends, RV's parked everywhere, Lake is overun with people from June to September.
9. Businesses cater to tourists. You can shop local, expect to pay more, gas is always higher. 2-hour drive to major shopping or comparison shopping.
10. The Forest Service is considering closing down many of the roads in the Wallowa Natl Forest to ATV travel. This will make many areas inaccessible to folks that enjoy ATVing. This is a big controversy right now.

Sorry to be negative, but you need to be aware that there are downsides too. Alot of people move here with high expectations only to be let down and move on.