oregon coast relocation ideas??? (Portland, Bend: for sale, to rent, hotels)

[celticcrone]

I plan to move soon with big area of the coast in mind. Any word on the job market from about Seaside to Newport areas? I would also like some ideas about moderatly priced places to rent.

Thanks

[PDXsailor]

The Oregon coast is mainly tourism based businesses (hotels, restaurants, gift shops). If you are not into those fields, then good luck. As for places to rent that are moderately priced, probably nothing within walking distance of the beach.

The "bigger" cities on the coast are Astoria, Seaside, Lincoln City, Newport, Florence, Port Orford, and Gold Beach.

[Steve97415]

PDX is correct. There are really just four kinds of people who live on the coast:

1. retired (that is most of them)
2. the tourism and service-industry personnel that PDX mentioned (mostly minimum-wage jobs with no benefits).
3. a limited number of crucial professionals who are willing to work at below-market wages in order to live on the coast: a few dental hygienists, registered nurses, teachers, city engineers, etc.
4. free-lancers with established revenue streams: realtors, small-business owners, writers, painters, sculptors, etc.

I would subtract Port Orford and Gold Beach from the lists of "bigger cities"; they're very small and minimalist.

[Clear2land]

I would add weather to that. You have to like cool temperatures in winter and summer if you are going to live on the air-conditioned Oregon coast. You also have to learn to live with cloud cover, wind, and a lot of rainy days. That is the downside. On the upside is some of the best seafood on the planet. You can fish and dig clams to your hearts content. There is whale watching and lots of local tourist attractions popular with tourists. The coast is a great vacation spot on hot summer days. Lastly, nothing can top an ocean sunset in summer. Think twice and move once.

If you want to know about the coast, ask Steve. He lives there!!

Dan

[PDXsailor]

But the Southern Oregon coast is beautiful and if you wanted to live there, it would need to be in either Gold Beach or Port Orford.

I actually have a friend that just moved from Portland to Gold Beach working for a Yacht parts manufacturer. He took a pay cut, but for him it is worth living there.

[PDXsailor]

Oops, also forgot Coos Bay and Tillamook if you are willing to work in a cheese factory or in the fishing industry?

[freedom]

You all really have a bent view on this state. It is what you make of it. If I didn't live here and took what you say as gospel, I would never have moved to Oregon.

You must be a bunch of College brainwashed liberals that don't have a self starter concept of life. Are you just waiting for that high paying job to swoop you off your couch?

clear2land, as a moderator. Do you really endorse the way this state is being portrayed. Especially So. Oregon. No, I do not. Everyone makes it sound like you have to have a lot of money to live in Oregon and that is false. The economy is good and jobs are available if you are willing to work. People seem to want to find a city and then a job when it should be the other way around.

Has the water from up north flooded the brains of some of these posters?
Steve97415, get a clue man, not everyone buys into to the big city mentality, and if as you say southern Oregon is the Meth capital, Northern is the bum capital. How is that for a generalization. If it wasn't for the hard working, tax paying south, how would you all be able to get health care and food stamps?>

freedom

[Muhnay]

OUCH! So much for freedom of speech, and opinions.

Freedom, I would rather have a persons true feelings and opinion of the area, rather than have them lie to me. We're talking about moving to a whole new area of the country. I happen to do lots of research, look online for city web pages and images, talk to people I know, call Chambers to get relocation packets and info, and this forum is just another step to help me decide where I want to live.

I dont think anyone here has been nasty about an area.. I do have a question about gold beach..

You say minium wage jobs, would that include chefs in the resorts and hotels there on the coast? Or would they garner better pay? I have alwasy wanted to live on the coast..

Astoria was very pretty, and hey the goonies was filmed there. =) And Seaside I liked, even though I didn't see too much of it as it was getting dark and the family was too busy playing on the beach. Coos bay was also nice.. but I always got the feeling the only jobs in the area would be lumberjack jobs.. or fishing jobs. I didn't see any real big business opertunities.. but maybe opening a seaside shop of my very own.. or maybe a resturant.

[Clear2land]

I have read a lot of bellyaching here on the Oregon forum from people who can’t make a living and have to move. People say they have too much month at the end of their money. Then there are the “I hate California” posts meant to keep them from moving North. Badmouthing someone else gives Oregonians a black eye. Oregon is MY home state and as far as I’m concerned not enough good things are being said about it. Oregon has better roads than any other state I have traveled. No state is more majestic than Oregon. The quality of life is high. The weather is mild and moderate West of the Cascades. There is too much to do about the rain when 38 states get more rain than Oregon. Everyone make it sound like Oregon is a terrible place to live. Employment and I’ll shut up. Oregon is made up of small cities made up of small businesses with a small amount of employees earning a small salary based on a small amount of revenue. It takes money to build prosperity and that is what Oregon needs most. You can easily make a good living in Oregon but few will become wealthy. Oregonians real wealth lies in the state in which they live.

Dan

[tiffela74]

Hey man, I live in Coos Bay. I know there are a couple other posters on here too.
I have an unusual job and where I don’t really feel comfortable posting on internet exactly what it is cuz it would make it wayyy to easy to hunt me down. (hehe so I’m paranoid!) I make the same amount of $$ as I did when I did the same job in the Clackamas/Happy Valley area. Actually, I got a whole dollar an hour more here cuz they wanted me bad. hehe.
Anyhow, there ARE some good jobs around here, ya gotta look, ya gotta wait sometimes, ya have GOT to be able to deal w/the weather and lack of night life. There’s stuff w/do w/o and there’s stuff here that only we that live at the beach can do. It all depends on what you need in life.
By all means, COME OPEN A RESTURANT HERE!!!! ESPECIALLY if it’s an Appleby’s!!! Second choice, any really really good steakhouse! - Just a side note, someone recently opened a Mongolia grill here in North Bend and he says they’ve been waaay packed and turning away people every single night since they opened. Got some prime location up for sale here, we're just waiting for you!