Corvallis vs Eugene vs Ashland (live in, moving, retired)

[Steve97415]

Originally Posted by rosanielle

Dave -- I like the idea of living more rural since I grew up that way and my heart's still there. But my husband has some arthritis in his knees and he's more comfortable walking on level surfaces like city sidewalks and park paths than country trails or hikes.

He'll be a lot more comfortable walking in a less humid climate. If I had a dollar for everyone I've known who moved here not knowing how the humid winters would aggravate their arthritis and then had to move away again...

[ExNYr]

We moved from SoCal to Ashland this past summer. My husband retired from his job and found the COL here to be more amenable to a fixed income. I can say that Ashland is a very charming town. There are many activities, including a Newcomer's Club, Racquet Club, a very active 'Y', wineries, restaurants, and a lively arts scene. Yes we paid quite a bit for our house but to have all these amenities all rolled into one place, it had to cost something.

Good luck in your search!

[rosanielle]

He'll be a lot more comfortable walking in a less humid climate. If I had a dollar for everyone I've known who moved here not knowing how the humid winters would aggravate their arthritis and then had to move away again...

Bummer! I am troubled by dry eyes in Colorado and have to use prescription eye drops for relief. I was really hoping to find a place that wasn't THAT humid but just comfortably humid, like Hawaii. Is there not a place in Oregon like that? Come on, don't laugh! I'm serious!

[Woof]

The coastal areas are very humid most of the year, and the eastern end of the state is desert dry much of the year, probably most like Colorado.

The center is the compromise, pretty much along I5 .... you can't have it both ways, you're going to be more comfortable in the winter and he will be more comfortable in the summer.

[Clear2land]

The humidity that Oregonians talk about is not the same as the humid conditions of summer in the Midwest or Northeast. Not all Oregonians will have first hand experience with the hot sticky Florida type conditions. Swelter they don't. I had no idea what humid felt like until I spent some time in Michigan. Florida is clearly the standard when it comes to damp heat.

It is safe to say that there is dampness in the Oregon air but it is neither uncomfortable in winter nor sweltering in summer by any stretch of the imagination.

Dan

[PDXsailor]

Humidity in the summer is only 20-30%. In the winter, it is 70-100%, but also in the 40's. Eastern and central Oregon has even less humidity.

[Steve97415]

But if the experience of my mother-in-law is any indication, cool temperatures with dampness is the worst possible confluence of climate conditions for personal comfort among the arthritis-afflicted. Warm humidity (like Hawaii) may be okay, and cold may be tolerable if it's dry (like the Rockies). But put cold and wet together and...nuh uh! The response of any given person's cartilage may be different, but without trying a place out first, I'd be suspicious.

P.S. my wife has developed dry-eye syndrome since we moved to the coast. I don't think that environmental humidity has much effect on it. We spent two weeks in Phoenix over Thanksgiving and she said there was no difference. It has more to do with aging than environment. Don't expect that you can move somewhere that will let you throw the artificial tear drops away, sorry.

[rosanielle]

It's good to hear from other people who have, or know someone who has, dry eyes or arthritis! This is excellent information! Sounds like we should stick to the drier climates for hubbie's arthritis since it apparently won't make that much difference for dry eye syndrome. Honestly, if it weren't for the winter brown cloud and heavy traffic in Denver, we'd stay put...Denver's been good to us two Midwestern transplants! Rural Colorado isn't entirely out of the picture. However, we're attracted to the Pacific and its sea mammals. We know coastal living is ridiculously high but it would be nice to take day trips there from an interior location somewhere.

I guess now my question is where might one look in Oregon for the desert/semi-desert retirement town? Other than Bend, which I understand is pricey and getting too popular?

[washinton native]

Originally Posted by rosanielle

Dave -- I like the idea of living more rural since I grew up that way and my heart's still there. But my husband has some arthritis in his knees and he's more comfortable walking on level surfaces like city sidewalks and park paths than country trails or hikes. Heavy sigh! But I've learned to enjoy the amenities and sights of the city, and I'm not as country-arrogant as I used to be! And the insect question is also for his benefit.... he gets eaten alive by mosquitoes and chiggers everytime we go back to see our families in Ohio and Illinois, and we need to avoid such places (beautiful or not!).

Washington Native, I've actually read a bit about McMinnville in a book on Oregon's wineries and it sounded like a possibility. Any particular reason why you favor it?

i lived there and it probably was the best place i've ever sat down digs ... small, but big enough that it has its own arts scene and plenty of "low-impact" excersize areas.

[DavidB95]

Originally Posted by DavePautsch

Corvallis is a fairly typical college town. Historic buildings, plenty of cultural opportunities on campus, downtown offers many "boutique" type stores. As a city, Corvallis has been very "non-growth" oriented and you have to travel to Albany, Salem, Lebanon, and other areas for big name shopping (like Lowes, Home Depot, Costco, etc...).
Corvallis has a reputation for being fairly liberal in their views, due in large part to the population of academics there, but the reputation is significantly less liberal than that of Eugene.
Crime is not a huge problem, typical to what you see in most college towns, although Corvallis did make the national news last year with the Brooke Willburger abduction. Still and all, not a dangerous place to walk at night, especially along the river.
Great location with regard to recreational activities; located midway between the mountains and the coast. Weather in the mid-Valley is pretty temperate. Not much snow, winters (Nov-April/May) can be pretty wet and gray but the summer months are unbeatable.
Bike paths are everywhere! You could do fine in Corvallis with a bike or on foot for day to day life.
Housing prices...very expensive for the region. We are seeing values in excess of $165-170 per square foot pretty regularly with appreciation continuing in the near future. You can mitigate this somewhat by moving toward Albany (better access to I-5 but still a nice small town), or to the west toward Philomath and Alsea...but housing prices are continuing to rise (hey, supply and demand rules, right?)
I worked at OSU for 4 years and loved it. Go Beavers! Its a great place to live and to raise a family.
Send me a private e-mail if you have questions on specific areas, affordability, schools, or recreation here in the valley.

Good luck!

Dave

Hello Dave. Im Dave too. I live In Florida and I just retired from the Fire service.My wife and I are thinking about moving. I would love to talk to you. Here Is my email address. [email]Flashover95@aol.com[/email] You seem to know the area of Corvallis well.