Grants Pass Area (Portland, Salem, Medford: relocation, smog, trip)

[Oregonbound]

We are considering a relocation to either the Grants Pass or the Medford area. What can anyone tell me about the pros and cons of either, esp. Grants Pass?

Thanks

[Oregonbound]

What about the Coos Bay area...lots of fog? Expensive? Cold and wet?

Thanks

[Oregonbound]

What about these areas...It looks like we mqy be moving into theMedford ot Lebanon area.

[Oregonbound]

Another are of interest is the Albany area. Anything on these areas would be appreciated...Thanks.

[lunadee]

Hi OregonBound!
I just found this site and thought I would reply to your post about Grants Pass.
I have lived in GP my whole life, and I love it here. To me, it has just the right balance of history and modern convenience; however, it does have a few "cons" (as any town does). The median house price is consistently rising - it is a very popular place for people to retire - and the non-professional job market isn't great. I think in 20 years, it will have become something of a "suburb", slightly upper class town for professionals and retired residents.
To me, Medford (or at least most of it) is just the opposite - very urban and much more diverse. Jobs are more available and housing is less expensive, but there is a bit more of a drug culture to go along with it.

I don't know much about Coos Bay (I have only visited a couple of times) but the weather is a little more extreme there, typical Oregon Coast.

I hear Albany is nice - I have a friend that lives there. It's pretty centrally located, close to Salem and Portland, but small enough to be "off the beaten path". Beware of the Weyerhaeuser and Georgia-Pacific factories, however...two of the largest employers...their wood pulp plants tend to give Albany a very dinstincive smell.
I hear it's easy to get used to, and is usually only noticable in certain weather.

Fell free to drop me a personal message if you want more specifics about the Rogue Valley!

[Waterlily]

I live in the Bay area which includes Coos Bay, North Bend, and Charleston. This area is getting most expensive but it's not as high as Medford or Grants Pass.

We get some fog. It kind of depends on which part of town you are in on how much fog you'll get. I'm only about 2 blocks from the Bay and Highway 101. I don't get much fog here. Rain is about 65 inches per year on average.

There's getting to be a lot of retired people moving here which is okay ,but if you are young it could be hard to find a high paying job. jobs are mosty the low paying kind.

Good luck with your search for an Oregon place to live. I know it's hard to find just the right place. Taking a trip around to look at some of the possible cities might help you decide which one is best for you.

[Fred IPA]

You may want to check out the coast also, particularly Brookings. It is the largest city in Curry County and the coast line is spectacular. Jobs may be difficult to find and it is definitely becoming a retirement community. However, we get much more sun (and some fog) than further up the coast (40 more days clear of clouds than Newport, and more as you go further north) even though we get more rain, 75-80 inches per year. The coast trail is great for hiking and the beaches are plentiful and almost empty most of the year.
The down sides are that it is a much smaller city than Grants Pass so less things available and we are remote - about 2 hours to a larger city, Grants Pass, Eureka/Arcata, Coos Bay/North Bend.
My experience with Medford is that it is bigger, dirtier and smoggier than Grants Pass. It also runs slightly warmer, which is not good in the summer when both get hot.
Hope this helps.