Best place to retire on the coast (Portland, Eugene: vacation home, neighborhoods)

[pdxMIKEpdx]

If you do not want "touristy", stay south of Newport.
North of Newport is geared to the day tripping Portland crowd.

BTW, there is NO WAY you can avoid tourists at the coast, whether they be RVer's, local retirees, day trippers from Portland, summer vacationers, people doing the 101 drive north or south, etc.....

It used to be fairly quiet during the winter months, and it still is relatively, but there will ALWAYS be tourists on the Oregon Coast wherever you go.

[texasdiver]

Originally Posted by pdxMIKEpdx

If you do not want "touristy", stay south of Newport.
North of Newport is geared to the day tripping Portland crowd.

BTW, there is NO WAY you can avoid tourists at the coast, whether they be RVer's, local retirees, day trippers from Portland, summer vacationers, people doing the 101 drive north or south, etc.....

It used to be fairly quiet during the winter months, and it still is relatively, but there will ALWAYS be tourists on the Oregon Coast wherever you go.

The least touristy towns are all those that are close to the coast but on bays or rivers and not actually beachfront as they all have some other economic reason to exist beyond providing vacation lodging and dining for tourists.

Tillamook (actual town not the cheese factory down the road)
Coos Bay/North Bend
Reedsport
Astoria
etc.

The most touristy towns are those that are centered on beaches and don't have actual working harbors for any other type of coastal industry and are mostly located in the northern coast as pdxMIKE says.

Lincoln City
Canon Beach
Manzanita
Seaside
Rockaway Beach
etc.

But Highway 101 is BY FAR the most tourist-traveled highway in Oregon so any town along 101 is going to see an endless stream of tourists during the summer, even if they are on the way to someplace else.

[pdxMIKEpdx]

HAHA, if you want the least most touristy town on the Oregon Coast, choose Reedsport.

Astoria is VERY touristy but it's not obvious.

[texasdiver]

Originally Posted by pdxMIKEpdx

HAHA, if you want the least most touristy town on the Oregon Coast, choose Reedsport.

Astoria is VERY touristy but it's not obvious.

Astoria has a touristy downtown and waterfront but the rest of the city is filled with more regular businesses and it has its own local economy based on shipping, fishing, etc. not just tourism. So the density of tourist things like AirB&Bs in Astoria is going to be about 1/10th what it is in say Seaside or Lincoln City. Mainly because the nearest beaches are 8-10 miles away.

[subarugeorge]

To me Seaside is too touristy.. so is Rockaway Beach and a few other spots away from bays like texasdiver mentioned. What about some towns off the 101 like Oceanside or Netarts? We would like to live in a nice community still, not just airbnb's...

We do need to visit the south coast, seems like it doesn't get as many tourists.. maybe next summer!

[texasdiver]

Originally Posted by subarugeorge

To me Seaside is too touristy.. so is Rockaway Beach and a few other spots away from bays like texasdiver mentioned. What about some towns off the 101 like Oceanside or Netarts? We would like to live in a nice community still, not just airbnb's...

We do need to visit the south coast, seems like it doesn't get as many tourists.. maybe next summer!

I love Oceanside and Netarts. That is where we most often go for weekend airb&b trips when friends visit. But they are really nothing more than collections of houses. There is one or two cafes in Oceanside that randomly seem to open during the tourist season. In Netarts there are two tiny general stores and one or two restaurants. And that's it. Otherwise you will be driving to the Fred Meyer outside Tillamook for every single thing you ever need to buy and that's a 10.5 miles 20 minute drive which I have made many many times.

Nice place for a weekend or week-long visit. But not where I'd choose to retire permanently due to the need to drive endlessly for every single errand. Also I'm not sure how much "community" is actually in Netarts and Oceanside as opposed to just being a large collections of weekend homes and vacation rentals. My sense is not that much. I'd rather live someplace with a much larger collection of local permanent residents.

[subarugeorge]

Originally Posted by texasdiver

I love Oceanside and Netarts. That is where we most often go for weekend airb&b trips when friends visit. But they are really nothing more than collections of houses. There is one or two cafes in Oceanside that randomly seem to open during the tourist season. In Netarts there are two tiny general stores and one or two restaurants. And that's it. Otherwise you will be driving to the Fred Meyer outside Tillamook for every single thing you ever need to buy and that's a 10.5 miles 20 minute drive which I have made many many times.

Nice place for a weekend or week-long visit. But not where I'd choose to retire permanently due to the need to drive endlessly for every single errand. Also I'm not sure how much "community" is actually in Netarts and Oceanside as opposed to just being a large collections of weekend homes and vacation rentals. My sense is not that much. I'd rather live someplace with a much larger collection of local permanent residents.

Your posts have been very informative, thank you! I would rather live somewhere with more local permanent residents too, it sounds like Newport and LC are still the top spots for us.. we have found a few lots that we need to check out in person when we go up next!

[pdxMIKEpdx]

Originally Posted by texasdiver

Astoria has a touristy downtown and waterfront but the rest of the city is filled with more regular businesses and it has its own local economy based on shipping, fishing, etc. not just tourism. So the density of tourist things like AirB&Bs in Astoria is going to be about 1/10th what it is in say Seaside or Lincoln City. Mainly because the nearest beaches are 8-10 miles away.

I see what you are saying, but how many "tourists" are going to go "up the hill" and explore the real Astoria?
It is pretty much all residential with nothing to see.
You can see the industrial parts, but you can't go there, and that just enhances the touristy feel of seeing a place like Astoria.

The Column,,,yes, but actually how many people passing through town are going to see what you are saying is the "real" Astoria?
Get the Astoria Safeway experience maybe?

Not many I think. I certainly wouldn't want to do it with a 28 foot travel trailer.
Astoria is the "turn around point" unless you are continuing to the OP.

All you see on the "main drag" are touristy things.

And your comments about a place like Netarts being isolated and having to drive endlessly.............Netarts is about 15 minutes away from Tillamook.
Hardly an endless drive.
There are certainly a few markets where you could get milk or soda or chips or something like that.
Even stuff like meat or fresh veggies.
You will pay but??????
You would drive farther (or take you longer because of traffic) if you lived in SE Portland and wanted to go to the mall at Clackamas Town Center.
Except coming from Netarts, the scenery is better.

[texasdiver]

Originally Posted by pdxMIKEpdx

I see what you are saying, but how many "tourists" are going to go "up the hill" and explore the real Astoria?
It is pretty much all residential with nothing to see.
You can see the industrial parts, but you can't go there, and that just enhances the touristy feel of seeing a place like Astoria.

The Column,,,yes, but actually how many people passing through town are going to see what you are saying is the "real" Astoria?
Get the Astoria Safeway experience maybe?

Not many I think. I certainly wouldn't want to do it with a 28 foot travel trailer.
Astoria is the "turn around point" unless you are continuing to the OP.

All you see on the "main drag" are touristy things.

And your comments about a place like Netarts being isolated and having to drive endlessly.............Netarts is about 15 minutes away from Tillamook.
Hardly an endless drive.
There are certainly a few markets where you could get milk or soda or chips or something like that.
Even stuff like meat or fresh veggies.
You will pay but??????
You would drive farther (or take you longer because of traffic) if you lived in SE Portland and wanted to go to the mall at Clackamas Town Center.
Except coming from Netarts, the scenery is better.

I didn't mean that the drive is endless. It is exactly 10.5 miles and about 20 minutes which is what I wrote.

I meant that you will be driving endlessly for every single errand because there is absolutely nothing within walking distance. Especially during the off-season. I did live in SE Portland for about a decade and never once went to Clackamas Town Center. I walked or biked to nearby restaurants and groceries or took the #19 bus downtown for fancier shopping.

If I'm living year-round on the coast I'd at least like someplace within walking distance where I can go for a cup of coffee or a pint and bowl of chowder on a cold rainy afternoon to read my newspaper or chat with neighbors.

[subarugeorge]

Originally Posted by pdxMIKEpdx

I see what you are saying, but how many "tourists" are going to go "up the hill" and explore the real Astoria?
It is pretty much all residential with nothing to see.
You can see the industrial parts, but you can't go there, and that just enhances the touristy feel of seeing a place like Astoria.

The Column,,,yes, but actually how many people passing through town are going to see what you are saying is the "real" Astoria?
Get the Astoria Safeway experience maybe?

Not many I think. I certainly wouldn't want to do it with a 28 foot travel trailer.
Astoria is the "turn around point" unless you are continuing to the OP.

All you see on the "main drag" are touristy things.

And your comments about a place like Netarts being isolated and having to drive endlessly.............Netarts is about 15 minutes away from Tillamook.
Hardly an endless drive.
There are certainly a few markets where you could get milk or soda or chips or something like that.
Even stuff like meat or fresh veggies.
You will pay but??????
You would drive farther (or take you longer because of traffic) if you lived in SE Portland and wanted to go to the mall at Clackamas Town Center.
Except coming from Netarts, the scenery is better.

Mike, Astoria is a cool town! Love the vibe, but so far from the beach! We want to walk the dogs every day for miles! Hmm Netarts and Oceanside are interesting, but a little isolated and when getting older its nice to be close to shops/restaurants which in Newport you are in walking distance!

What are the downsides to Newport? Traffic seems better than LC, but it does get crowded in the summer months for sure!