Salem, what we should know (Portland, Eugene: apartment complex, high crime, new home)

[desinandy]

Hello there,
My fiance and I are considering moving to Salem. I know it is somewhat of a small town. And itsn't close to Portland? I also know it rains al ot. We are not used to that (we live in Texas). But over all how is the landscap, weather, jobs, housing, things of that nature. We highly appreciate it,

desi and andy

[Chimp]

It is pretty close to Portland (depending where in town you start and where you are going it can be 40 - 90 min) The housing market here is pretty good (lots of new homes going up) but for this area the prices are getting really steep. I am not sure how it is where you are so it is hard to say if you will think the prices are high or not. As for jobs that really depends on what your field is. It does rain quite a bit here but that keeps it really green and Salem still has alot of trees and parks that keep it looking green instead of all grey concrete. It is centrally located as far as beaches, skiing, Portland(w/airport) and Eugene. If you are looking at Salem, I would look in S. Salem, W. Salem (which is on the other side of the river) or maybe Keizer. Do not look in North or Northeast salem as that has the worst crime (though that is not that much compared to actual cities. Let me know if you need any other info.

Terri

[RuralSeeker]

Originally Posted by desinandy

Hello there,
My fiance and I are considering moving to Salem. I know it is somewhat of a small town. And isn't it close to Portland? I also know it rains a lot. We are not used to that (we live in Texas). But over all how is the landscape, weather, jobs, housing, things of that nature. We highly appreciate it,

desi and andy

I have only lived in Salem for five or six months and I am already itching to leave. Too far from Portland, rains a lot, only one off-leash dog park (although a nice big one), and very few good-paying jobs. Downtown is nice, but somewhat delapidated. I am currently being ripped off by the Lancaster Commons apartment complex. Do not move there or anywhere in NE Salem. Many illegal immigrants. Salem is not for people who need progressive or cultural stimulation. Really quite conservative and provincial. Good education and health care are also difficult to come by, but maybe that goes for most of Oregon. You are lucky you are not from California. Many Oregonians blame everything on Californians, most of whom are not even really from California. Other than those cheery observations, most of Oregon is still very beautiful and most of the people I have met here are friendly.

[kazyole]

It doesnt rain as much as people say, schools are mediocre, lanscape is pretty flat, with lots of trees. North side of town is lower income, but has some nice neighbor hoods near the college. Down town has a funky vibe, and the South and West sides are more affluent, but not snooty.

[jm21]

considering myself and several people I know from OR are looking at possible moves to TX because TX housing is so much cheaper....the price of a house in a decent neighborhood up here might surprise you, depending on where in TX you're coming from. Wages are probably better here, but fewer jobs.

Parts of Salem have a very bad reputation for crime in OR, but high crime in OR isn't all that high.

[oscarforprez08]

I Was Visiting Salem 3 Years Ago And Was Surprised On How Many Mexicans (im Sorry Latinos) There Are!!!! I Cant Imagine Living There.. It Makes Sense For All Them To Crowd Into The Capital (closer To The State Welfare Office!!!) It Makes Buffalo N.y. Look Like Paridise!!!!

[Dark of the Moon]

Salem is the state capitol, so it's not really a "small town." In fact, it's the third largest city in the state, with more than 140,000 residents in Salem proper, and double that in the county. And, yes, it does have a large hispanic (Mexican) population, which really impacts the public schools.

I lived in Salem for a couple of years and absolutely HATED it. The only good thing about it was its proximity to Portland .....

[dachmom]

WOW! All the negative posts! I've lived in Salem for a few years now. I started out in NE, yes there are a lot of mexicans in NE as others have said, but I never had any problems with them. Come out, visit, give it a chance before you let all the negative posts scare you away. Yes, we get more rain than Texas, but it's not torrential downpours, and rarely do we have flash floods like some parts of Texas. The humidity is NOTHING compared to Texas.

The reason there are a lot of mexicans here is not because of

It Makes Sense For All Them To Crowd Into The Capital (closer To The State Welfare Office!!!)

it's because this is an agricultural area that requires a lot of manual labor to harvest the crops and they come here to work in the fields,etc.

[Silverfall]

Everything is a matter of perspective. Having grown up in Illinois, I can tell you that summers here are fantastic, and NOT humid. Winters can get a little dreary, but we do get breaks. It "spits" a lot for rain. It DOES NOT rain all day long every day. It starts and stops throughout the day with breaks. Some people, as you can see, don't handle it well.

I live in South Salem and like it here. Salem proper has about 140,000 or so and Keizer 35,000 or so. Our average income is $51,991 and the average home price is $273,000 or so. I can tell you coming from Texas, we will look very expensive in comparison. I have friends in Austin, TX and could not believe what they could get for the $. I know things have gone up there as well.

Salem is about 45 minutes from South Portland area. We do get some communters who live in Keizer and commute up to Portland. Whether or not Salem is the place for you depends on what your job skills are, education, etc. Salem is very family oriented and somewhat conservative.

Actually there are two off leash dog parks in town (Orchard Heights and Minto Brown)with a proposal for a third at Cascades Park (not enough funds yet).

I agree that downtown is somewhat dilapitated, but there are also 18-20 revitalization projects that are occuring down there as well. In 5-10 years, I think we will see a nice resurgence in the downtown area.

I really think it depends on what you want. I agree that if you want Broadway shows and the symphony, you will not like it here. I grew up in the Chicago area and then lived in Portland for a while, and I DO MISS those cultural happenings. It took me a while (about 3 years) to adjust to the Salem lifestyle. If you are looking for a steady, slower paced lifestyle, family oriented town, Salem is a good choice. If you need a fast paced lifestyle, you will be bored here.

I have two kids (7 and 5) and don't think the schools are overall horrible. There are school funding issues here, but I live in a more middle class area, and my locals schools are good.

The city of Salem website is City of Salem, Oregon - Official City Website

[YankeeTom]

Originally Posted by oscarforprez08

I Was Visiting Salem 3 Years Ago And Was Surprised On How Many Mexicans (im Sorry Latinos) There Are!!!! I Cant Imagine Living There.. It Makes Sense For All Them To Crowd Into The Capital (closer To The State Welfare Office!!!) It Makes Buffalo N.y. Look Like Paridise!!!!

So your saying in sumation that Business is good , but the Working Man and Woman get the Shaft.

Instead of raising wages these past 30 years , Cheap Labor has been Encouraged to come across.

I don't blame people with no land , no jobs and no money to feed their familys for comming to the USA for work.

I blame NAFTA , CAFTA Big Business and OUR GOVERMENT!

Get Rid of Incumbant Politicians

What has the experence of politicians gotten us? Want more? Keep voting for the same old creeps. Go on..waste your vote.