Can you tell me about Brookings and Gold Beach? (Eugene: fit in, real estate)

[mamma2_4girls]

We may possibly be relocating to Brookings for my husbands job very soon. This is a very sudden event. He will have a promotion because of it but we know nothing about the area.
We could live in either Brookings or Gold Beach. We have 3 gilrs 16, 4 and 3.
If you can tell me anything about the areas I would so greatly appreciate it!
Info about schools, crime rate, activites and things to do. Etc etc...also would like to know if the high schools offer the ROTC program. My daughter is involved in that here in Rosebrug and I know that she would like to continue it if at all possible.
What about cost of living?? Anything you can think of that would be helpful to us! My husband will be working as assistant manager at the Fred Meyer Jewlers in Brookings.

[Brenda-by-the-sea]

The southern Oregon coast is very much a retirement area and quite isolated from any big city shopping or entertainment. It's a 2-hour + drive to even a moderate-sized city like Medford, Eureka or Coos Bay. Most residents are over 70. Crime is practically non-existent as a result. The non-retirement scene is very blue-collar and you'll see that reflected in the schools which are in a continuous state of budget crisis. Not sure why you would consider Gold Beach if the job is in Brookings. That's a winding hilly 40-minute drive up and over Cape Sebastian. I wouldn't want to be doing that in 90 mph winds during one of our numerous winter gales. Cost of living is reasonable for the West Coast, but by Oregon standards, wages are depressed and real estate is comparatively expensive compared to the valleys. If you have a marked preference for small town living and prefer very cool weather all year round -- no real summer -- then it might work for you.

[mamma2_4girls]

thanks for your info
we did live on the coast in Reedsport for a couple years but moved back to Roseburg for my husbands job and now may be relocating back to the coast haha. We loved the weather on the coast!

Gold beach was just a possibility, the school ranked higher on the greatschools.com web site and education is very important to us. Thats why we were considering it.

The job is not finalized yet, but its a VERY good possibility and I just want to know as much as possible before moving there

[Leannec]

I don't live in brookings, but my best friend does with her husband and 3 children (5,4 and 2). Her eldest goes to kindergarten there and they seem pleased with the schools.

I do know it's mostly retirees, but there are young families around. If you want to send me your email addy I can have her email you with more info about how it is for families. I only know what she tells me on the phone!

Good luck with everything! We've talked about moving there to be close to them... but it's the kind of place where you need a job first, I think!

[Jacochops]

I posted this in another thread, and I cut and pasted it from there. (By the way, I worked in the schools in both Brookings and Gold Beach.)


The entire South Coast of Oregon is beautiful, but REALLY isolated. Here's the lowdown from someone who just moved from there:

GB is a really small town, and in the summer, it's either foggy, or sunny and REALLY windy. Winter storms are cool...the 101 can get nasty in the winter, especially if you go to Brookings a lot (which you will, since there is no shopping in GB, and 2 really expensive poorly stocked grocery stores, Ray's and McKays. Great names for the 2 stores in town, about 250 feet apart.) There's nothing to the north, except Port Orford, where there's not much going on. You have to drive 1.5 hours north to get to Coos Bay, which has decent shopping. I worked in Brookings for 2 years and Gold Beach for 1. GB is a pretty poor town, and the county seat. Lots of meth problems in Oregon, as well as welfare/trailer types, especially along the coast. Nearest airports (other than the private one in town) is Eugene, which is 3 hours away, or Medford, about the same. Cops HAUNT the 101, so don't speed...at all. They WILL get you.

The good parts: it's REALLY beautiful there. Quiet. Lots of sea lions by the jetty, and Jerry"s Jet Boats are a blast in the summer. Good restaurant in town (Spinner's...I wouldn't recommend the Northwestern), good pizza shop, which used to be a great breakfast place, GREAT calzones at Homie's, Curry County Fair is nice, as is the Port Hole Cafe, and decent high school with a REALLY active football program. Nice little micro-mall next to McKays, with specialty shops. Pharmacy in town has nice people, but slow and expensive. Better one in Brookings, but avoid the one in Fred Meyer. Water's clean, air is perfect, and there's one road in, one road out...the 101. I don't know about rents, as we owned there, but there are some decent condos in town, right on the beach...I'm sure in this economy, and especially this time of year, I'm sure you could find something. Check out the Curry County Reporter, or the paper in Brookings; I don't recall its name.

PM me if I can be of more help.

[Steve Pickering]

I also posted this in the same "Other Thread". It wouldn't matter as I am sure these people made their choice months ago, but the comment about Ray's, McKay's, and the Airport are important. The Coast "DOES" have a full service Airport at OTH.

Both McKay's and Ray's are local Oregon chains. Ray just killed himself and his wife awhile back (Old Age and Pain), but the stores are still in business, good, clean, and well stocked. McKay's is a larger chain.

There is a full service Airport in Coos Bay, so the closest is not Eugene. It is called the Southwest Regional and uses the code OTH. It is currently served by Skywest/United and several FBO's.

[jennybkona]

Well I guess I am going to find out soon enough, as we are moving to Gold Beach, from Hawaii. I can't believe it's all bad. just as people "assume" it is wonderful here in Kailua-kona, it is not. After years of paying outrageous prices, I can't see it being any worse. It's all relative, and really one has to find out for ones self. Make your own conclusions from your experience. You can have negative or positive attitude and make the best of something, instead of tearing it down. I myself and excited for peace and quiet after 7 years of riding behind lost tourists on this island

[Steve Pickering]

Gold Beach has more lost tourist driving through town than you can imagine.

[Brenda-by-the-sea]

Originally Posted by jennybkona

It's all relative, and really one has to find out for ones self. Make your own conclusions from your experience. You can have negative or positive attitude and make the best of something, instead of tearing it down. I myself and excited for peace and quiet after 7 years of riding behind lost tourists on this island

I don't think it's so much a matter of some place being good or bad by objective measures or even a matter of attitude. It's really more a matter of a "good fit" for you and the idiosyncrasies of your lifestyle. There are plenty of people who think that coastal Curry County is the bees knees and there are plenty who wouldn't live here for a million dollars. Having a good attitude in a place that isn't suited to you only goes so far. The more you can fit in with these criteria, the more likely it is that you and Gold Beach will be a match:

1. A marked preference for cool, damp, cloudy, breezy weather over warm sunny weather. Above all, being a summer-hater -- someone who wishes that the progression of seasons would stall at mid-spring and summer would never come. If you have no sandals, tee-shirts or shorts in your wardrobe, that's a good sign.

2. Older demographic. You should fit in well with the over-70 crowd. That doesn't mean necessarily that you need to be in that demographic, but you should be happy living someplace where the social values of people born during the Depression prevail. If you have kids you should really think twice about whether or not living here would serve their best interests. This is an area that builds its reputation on retirement living. Most people live on a fixed income and vote accordingly.

3. Small-town sensibility. A lot of people will tell you that Curry County is very conservative. But it's more than that. It's not as if people here are big on Glenn Beck or Sarah Palin. It's more a very old-fashioned sense of civic values and personal responsibility. It's a bit like going back to live in the 1950's.

4. Self-sufficiency. Living in a small town is one thing. Living in a small town that is a long ways away from anywhere else is another. This is an isolated part of the country and you need to be able to supply your own needs and recreation. If hiking, fishing and hunting occupy much of your spare time, that's a major factor in your favor. Curry County is seriously considering the possibility of declaring bankruptcy in the coming year or two. If you rely much on government services, this is probably not the place.

As I said earlier, this CAN BE paradise for people with a certain quirky set of preferences. If what Curry County has is what you want, then you won't be able to find it anywhere else. But there's also a reason that the entire population of the county is just 22,000, despite the lovely scenery.

[rebalol]

Originally Posted by Brenda-by-the-sea

I don't think it's so much a matter of some place being good or bad by objective measures or even a matter of attitude. It's really more a matter of a "good fit" for you and the idiosyncrasies of your lifestyle. There are plenty of people who think that coastal Curry County is the bees knees and there are plenty who wouldn't live here for a million dollars. Having a good attitude in a place that isn't suited to you only goes so far. The more you can fit in with these criteria, the more likely it is that you and Gold Beach will be a match:

1. A marked preference for cool, damp, cloudy, breezy weather over warm sunny weather. Above all, being a summer-hater -- someone who wishes that the progression of seasons would stall at mid-spring and summer would never come. If you have no sandals, tee-shirts or shorts in your wardrobe, that's a good sign.

2. Older demographic. You should fit in well with the over-70 crowd. That doesn't mean necessarily that you need to be in that demographic, but you should be happy living someplace where the social values of people born during the Depression prevail. If you have kids you should really think twice about whether or not living here would serve their best interests. This is an area that builds its reputation on retirement living. Most people live on a fixed income and vote accordingly.

3. Small-town sensibility. A lot of people will tell you that Curry County is very conservative. But it's more than that. It's not as if people here are big on Glenn Beck or Sarah Palin. It's more a very old-fashioned sense of civic values and personal responsibility. It's a bit like going back to live in the 1950's.

4. Self-sufficiency. Living in a small town is one thing. Living in a small town that is a long ways away from anywhere else is another. This is an isolated part of the country and you need to be able to supply your own needs and recreation. If hiking, fishing and hunting occupy much of your spare time, that's a major factor in your favor. Curry County is seriously considering the possibility of declaring bankruptcy in the coming year or two. If you rely much on government services, this is probably not the place.

As I said earlier, this CAN BE paradise for people with a certain quirky set of preferences. If what Curry County has is what you want, then you won't be able to find it anywhere else. But there's also a reason that the entire population of the county is just 22,000, despite the lovely scenery.

And again, i disagree.

1. I wore my shorts, t-shirts and flip flops a lot for several months in a row. It is cooler here than 100's but that's why I moved here -- to escape the excessive heat...but that doesn't mean it's not sunny EVER (or rarely as you like to post). And even if it is cooler here, from the mid 60's or higher, it feels much warmer because of the humidity. And I know I've only lived here for 9+ months, but I also know that this past summer was cooler and wetter than normal, too.

2. Yes, there are older people here - it's a great place to retire. It's quiet, it's safe, it's got beautiful clean air to breathe, etc. But according to the census bureau, only 27.9% of people are over 65 (5,900)...last I learned in school, that IS NOT a majority. In fact, 15.8% are under 18 (3,341)...there's not that much difference and it leaves nearly 12,000 that fall somewhere in between!

3. So old fashioned values are a bad thing now? Only if you get involved in politics do you really need to worry about that stuff anyway, right? As long as you live your own life and are a decent person, I don't see what the problem is.

4. What about all the local plays, events, etc that go on all the time? I find more to do in this area than I sure did in the "big city". And what's great about it is when you do go somewhere, you have enough space to breathe and don't have to worry about standing in line for hours or paying lots of $$ for that entertainment. And what is wrong with outdoor recreation? Walking on the beach, being out in nature enjoying what there is without being surrounded by parking lots, bad air, and too many cars. As for Curry County possibly declaring BK, name me some places in this country that are doing well financially. Government agencies all over this nation are hurting financially. As for isolated, you make it sound like it takes days to get anywhere. Sure all the malls and big stores aren't right around the corner but that's the draw for a lot of people, right? It's not like you can't get anything you need from the stores that are around or they have this new thing now called the internet.

And one last comment. If it's so bad here, then why do YOU stay????????