Husband commuting to Eugene and I to Salem. where to live in between? (Corvallis: HOA, daycare)

[samsmom98]

We will be moving to OR from NM in the next year. My husband will be commuting to Eugene and I will be going into Salem. we have two small children and are looking for a great town in which to live. Being closer to Salem, good elementary schools (we won't be there more than 3-4 years), and a safe neighborhood are most important. I don't mind driving to shopping or entertainment for the kids. not worried about the weather, OR will be a nice change from the desert. any suggestions??

[DavePautsch]

Depending on who can handle the longer commute - you might consider checking out:
Millersburg (10,000 sq ft lots, lowest taxes in the mid-valley)...lots of new construction sitting waiting for a buyer.
Albany - nice small town, decent schools (my family has been very happy with the system here).
Brownsville - closer to Eugene, small town
Halsey - rural community, close to Eugene - some very nice, very affordable new construction
Jefferson - just noth of Albany, good school reputation, nice rural community

I'm sure you can get LOTS of good information on each of these communities from this board and I could go on (read some of my previous posts - I usually do) about them...

You have lots of good choices. Which is the best depends on what you're looking for.

Best of luck.

DavePautsch

[Silverfall]

I would go with Corvallis

[DavePautsch]

Corvallis IS a great town Silverfall - the only reason I didn't put it there is the commute. I was thinking mostly in terms of I-5, but in retrospect, going 99 from Corvallis (depending on WHERE in Eugene and Salem they are commuting to) might not be that bad.

[samsmom98]

Thanks for your responses. I will be checking out all of those towns. Corvallis was recommended by a co-worker, but I was concerned with being 30mins away from my kids in daycare. Speaking of daycare, any recommendations in Albany or Jefferson?

[Silverfall]

Why don't you do daycare in Salem if you are going to work here?

Dave...I was thinking they would just shoot down 99 and depending on where in Salem can come the back roads in from Corvallis.

[samsmom98]

I just haven't heard very good things about Salem. do you think the daycare options in Salem would be good? We commute 30mins in Albuquerque and my girls school is right beside work. that works out great and prefer it that way, but was just concerned about options. I was looking at the north Corvallis area, around Lewisburg and found some great home options. My job will be on 26th st in Salem, southwest of the city. would 99 be an option for commuting to that area or would I want to cut across and go up 5?? sorry so many questions... we will be taking a 10-day house hunting trip and have to finalize everything then. I want to be prepared when we get there. Thanks!!

[samsmom98]

Now I'm looking at just living in South Salem. looking at Creekside Estates and Sumpter Elementary. the test scores were not that great but the parent reviews were good. would the commute to Eugene be an hour? what's the traffic like? is that a good area in Salem or would you recommend a different area? thanks again for all the help!

[Silverfall]

I used to live in Creekside. It is a golf club community with strict CC&R's and the HOA dues are around $35 a month. It's a nice neighborhood. When they voted to not allow basketball hoops, I knew I needed to be in a different neighborhood for my kids. It is really nice though. It is hilly so it's not a place where kids can ride their bikes in the street. It just depends on what you are looking for.

Sumpter Elementary school test scores have dropped a little recently, I think, due to overcrowding. A $242M school bond was passed in November and one of the new schools will be in south Salem. The school has a long standing reputation as a good school, but it is bulging right now.

South Salem is quite nice. The bad things you hear about Salem typically refer to the N/NE sections of the city. It is a city of 150,000 so it it much larger than Albany and Corvallis.

South Salem would give you good highway access to Eugene and yes it would take a solid hour to get there. As for daycare...if your kids are at Sumpter, Schirle, or Pringle they have before and after school programs right there in the school. Kids stay there until you are done with work. I've heard really good things from working parents about the programs and the kids are happy.

If you have a kiddo younger than elementary school age, then Bud to Blossom is probably the one most recommended by my friends. It is preschool in the morning and daycare in the afternoon.

As for where your work is, I am confused. Is your job in West Salem which is on the west side of the river? or do you mean you are on the SW part of town on the east side of the river. It makes a difference...

[samsmom98]

Thanks for your response. I will be working near McNary Field, so I guess east of the river. My husband decided that 1hr will be too long a commute, so we are looking at Albany vs. Corvallis again. I do think that I want my kids, 4yrs and 15mos in daycare near me in Salem. So I will definitely be checking out Bud to Blossom. Thanks for that recommendation. We are hoping to get out there to visit as soon as possible and are going to start with the commute. trying from North Albany to Salem and Corvallis (around the Lewisburg area) up to Salem to see which is better/shorter.

Question, Mountainside Elementary's full day kindergarten vs. Fir Grove Elementary in North Albany? either better or about the same?

Also Roth Built Homes, the new neighborhood being built in North Albany, good builders? good reputation? good quality?

As always, we appreciate any response.