Please tell me about Eagle Point and Shady Cove (Medford: foreclosure, to rent)

[Nina-in-Ashland]

My DH and I have been sure we'd move to Bend for about a year now, and we do love it ... but with the wretched unemployment rates there now and sad state of the local economy (on top of the 6 month long winter), we're a little unsure.

So, we'd like to know a little more about Eagle Point and Shady Cove. We used to live in southern OR (Medford and Ashland) but never explored these 2 areas, and we understand they are nice. DH is planning a trip very soon, but any input is greatly appreciated. The weather is significantly milder in the RV and elevation much lower compared to Bend, and that is what is piquing our interest, and we are considering giving Jackson County another chance. Just about all the same recreational activities seem to exist in the RV as in Bend (and we are interested in cycling, hiking, rafting, skiing, and good yoga). A little about us: we are coming with good, stable jobs so employment is not a concern, and we have no kids so schools rank the same; we are in mid-30s, looking for a safe, very low-crime, friendly, tidy (HOA is A OK) area. We plan to rent anywhere from 1-2 years before buying so housing prices at this time are not relevant. Thank you so much.

P.S. What's freaking me out a little is the chatter on here re: White City, and I see on googlemaps it's only 3.3 miles from Eagle Point. Is it really that bad? (ie. violent crime? CD doesn't have the crime stats on its White City page). I think the most recent post I read was from early '08, so if things have changed pls. advise.

[Cornerguy1]

The most important factor when considering relocation these days seems to be employment. The Medford area is no different; its economy is in the midst of an extreme slowdown.

Not sure about Shady Cove, but there`s a world of difference between White City and Eagle Point.

[backdrifter]

Originally Posted by Nina-in-Ashland

My DH and I have been sure we'd move to Bend for about a year now, and we do love it ... but with the wretched unemployment rates there now and sad state of the local economy (on top of the 6 month long winter), we're a little unsure.

So, we'd like to know a little more about Eagle Point and Shady Cove. We used to live in southern OR (Medford and Ashland) but never explored these 2 areas, and we understand they are nice. DH is planning a trip very soon, but any input is greatly appreciated. The weather is significantly milder in the RV and elevation much lower compared to Bend, and that is what is piquing our interest, and we are considering giving Jackson County another chance. Just about all the same recreational activities seem to exist in the RV as in Bend (and we are interested in cycling, hiking, rafting, skiing, and good yoga). A little about us: we are coming with good, stable jobs so employment is not a concern, and we have no kids so schools rank the same; we are in mid-30s, looking for a safe, very low-crime, friendly, tidy (HOA is A OK) area. We plan to rent anywhere from 1-2 years before buying so housing prices at this time are not relevant. Thank you so much.

P.S. What's freaking me out a little is the chatter on here re: White City, and I see on googlemaps it's only 3.3 miles from Eagle Point. Is it really that bad? (ie. violent crime? CD doesn't have the crime stats on its White City page). I think the most recent post I read was from early '08, so if things have changed pls. advise.

Keep in mind that the Rogue Valley has similar unemployment rates/bad economy to Central Oregon (Bend, etc) but much less on the home foreclosure front, as far as I know. But I could be wrong on that.

White City is just, overall, not a pleasant place to live or even be for any amount of time. I would never be scared for my personal safety being there, but it's just not a place I'd ever choose to stop at, unless I was making a pit stop on the way to Klamath Falls. Eagle Point, however is a decent area and really is a lot different in character than White City. It has some really nice newer subdivisions out there and it's worth looking into. It has a suburban flavor to it, as it is basically a suburb of Medford. It's comparable in size to Phoenix or Talent (around 6-7000 people). Not sure if you're familiar with those towns or not.

Shady Cove is a much smaller town, about the size of Jacksonville, if you're familiar (around 2000+ people). It's way out in the boonies compared to Eagle Point, and it definitely feels more rural. I haven't been out to Shady Cove in a couple years now, but it's a beautiful area. I believe it probably receives more annual precipitation than Eagle Point, but again I could be wrong on this, but I am guessing this as the vegetation in the area feels more like Grants Pass area's than the Medford/White City area's more barren, scrublike vegetation.

They're both nice places, though Eagle Point is a little redneck and Shady Cove is a very small town, but if you want the convenience of being close to Medford and its amenities then Eagle Point wouldn't be a bad choice. If you enjoy the peace of feeling (and actually being, to some extent) far from civilization, then Shady Cove is a good choice.

[Nina-in-Ashland]

Originally Posted by Cornerguy1

The most important factor when considering relocation these days seems to be employment.

Agreed, we would not even be considering moving back to OR (anywhere in OR) were it not for our very good jobs for which we both do not depend on OR to provide.

Thank you both for the information. We did like a lot of the restaurants in Medford so being close enough to them and to the airport is desirable.

[Steve97415]

Originally Posted by Nina-in-Ashland

We did like a lot of the restaurants in Medford so being close enough to them and to the airport is desirable.

Really? I've only found one restaurant in Medford that I care for. We usually eat in Ashland or Grants Pass. What are some good restaurants in Medford (other than Kaleidoscope Pizza)?

[Nina-in-Ashland]

Originally Posted by Steve97415

Really? I've only found one restaurant in Medford that I care for. We usually eat in Ashland or Grants Pass. What are some good restaurants in Medford (other than Kaleidoscope Pizza)?

We really liked the salads at Kaleidoscope, but we preferred the pizza at Jackson Creek Pizza (we always went to the downtown location). Their margherita pizza is great, they somehow get the cheese perfectly crispy without burning the crust. It's my fav pizza ever. I don't care for the cornmeal that Kaleidoscope used on the bottom of their crust, but they had a broccoli and chicken pizza with an alfredo-like sauce that was good.

We also really liked Yummy Yans for Chinese. Their lunch specials are nice b/c you can get 2-3 different dishes with your rice. Everything was really fresh.

In Ashland, we liked Cucina Biazzi for Italian. And there is a little diner on the north end of town on Siskiyou just before leaving that we liked, too, but I can't remember the name.

What is the Medford restaurant that you like? I guess I shouldn't say we liked "a lot" of the restaurants - we are happy if we can find good pizza and Chinese available whenever we move to a new spot. If we could find good sushi there, now that we are fans, that will be a boon.

[ConeyIsBabe]

I would choose ASHLAND !! More upscale, best restaurants, nicer people, beautiful surroundings, only 11 miles to Medford, college atmosphere

[Nina-in-Ashland]

Originally Posted by ConeyIsBabe

I would choose ASHLAND !! More upscale, best restaurants, nicer people, beautiful surroundings, only 11 miles to Medford, college atmosphere

Thank you, but we lived in Ashland* for a year, and I don't want to move back. I do think it's a cute town, but it's not for me. I pretty much require a neighborhood with an HOA. Not interested in the hodge podge housing (ie. beautiful home next to shack that needs a new roof and paint job) you frequently find in Ashland, I'm too structured for that. Don't want to look out my door every a.m. and be po'd at my neighbor, not a good way to live. I know you need to be more laid back than I'm capable of being to live there (happily).

*I joined this forum when we lived there, and I can't figure out how to change my name (which is really the cat's name), so it's stuck.

[bluebird39]

Why not Medford? I lived in Central Point for many years, and enjoyed living there. I also worked for Jackson County and drove all over the valley, and IMO White City isn't as bad as everyone says. So much has changed. BUT, it still, for some reason, has a bad rap, so I'd be a bit concerned about buying/selling a house there. I have a friend who had a house there, and had a horrible time selling it. But I'd say there's a lot more blue-collar, working folks there, but that's not a bad thing...

Eagle Point is nice, especially near the river. I haven't lived there for almost 3 years (we're also trying to get back to Oregon, BTW), and haven't been to Eagle Point since they put in the Wal-Mart.

Shady Cove is also nice, but as mentioned, more rural and spread out. I knew some retirees who were looking there, and finally decided against it because health care and the hospital is just too far away. Also, the commute into Medford would get old if that's where you work.

From what you're describing, HOA's and such, I'm not sure where in the Rogue Valley you'd find something like that. It's just too small of a population to gravitate towards that. In my 15 years of living there, my experience has been that a subdivision might go IN with restrictions, but they quickly get ignored in a few years or so. I would think that there may be a few places, especially in East Medford that may be what you want...shrug...

Good luck!

[backdrifter]

Concerning HOAs...

You may not have an HOA, but you may have covenants that bind your particular neighborhood. For instance, there is no longer an active homeowner's association where my parents live in Grants Pass. Their home was built in the 1960s in what is now a centrally located part of the city, but they were required to sign the covenants when they purchased the home in 1991 which forbade them from painting their home any funky colors, parking an RV in front of the house, having old junk cars sitting on their lawn, etc. This may have had to do with city ordinances, but I am not privy on the exact information. Of course those restrictions aren't as strict as an HOA... But it might be worth investigating what the city ordinances are in, say, Eagle Point.