details about family life in ashland... experiences, advice wanted (Corvallis: real estate, rental)

[vanman james]

family of 4 with a 3 year old and newborn looking to move to ashland later this year....

can someone with kids fill us in on what its like to live there? esp details about daily life, schools, market (organic/local food), programs 4 kids, etc..

where in ashland should we look? we'd likely rent first then look to buy... we realize its expensive there but we're coming from honolulu which IS WAY too expensive for us in the long run. we'd be selling our house here. we'd like to live where we can walk to the food coop (tell us about that.... are the prices reasonable?.... in hawaii....organic milk $6, dzn eggs organic $5+ ), walk to town, shops, schools, etc...and in a friendly community with lotsa kids.

i'll be looking for work as a physical therapist if anyone knows how the job market is there. want to bike to work... maybe ashland community hospital eventually... or any SNF nearby... etc... homecare..

any details about living there would be great.... we're visiting next month, still looking for a rental, housesit, or house/car swap..
thanks!!
aloha and peace-james

[Steve97415]

Sounds like you have some idea of what to expect. Like most college towns, Ashland is a very progressive and kid-friendly community and has a good school system. Some people refer to it as "Berkeley North" or "Birkenstockland". The Ashland Community Food Store is probably one of the better coops in the state, just behind First Alternative Coop in Corvallis in what they offer. Coop food always seems expensive, but there are also good opportunities to get locally grown food (not many growers of rambutans, sugar apples, mangos, pineapples and sugar cane, though...you'll have to learn to adapt) or better yet, eat from your own garden.
Real estate is expensive by southern Oregon standards, but has been holding steady through the interest rate hikes. Ashland can still be a good value even though the buy-in price may be high. Competition is highest for Craftsman and historic homes and larger lot sizes suitable for gardening.
I assume you know that Ashland's economy is based in large part on theater tourism. During the summer, throngs of tourists swell city streets and the traffic congestion is more than what you might expect for a town of its size. Some like the noise and rhythm of this constant influx of tourists, others find it tiresome. At any rate, the pace of life is not as subdued as in some other places in Oregon.
I know several people who live in Ashland without a car. You can walk or bike most anywhere. I'm sure you've seen other posts about the air quality and water situation there. Check realtor"DOT"com for housing expectations. Being a college town, the rental market is rather competitive.

[vanman james]

thanks for the info steve... someone else posted something that's just what i wanted to say... ...so i cut and pasted it below at the bottom! especially as ashland sees to be a top retirement place... is it also a thriving place for young families? (how about versus corvallis, eugene, bend?)

any other discussion websites for oregon/ashland? i've found the tribe "ashland!" on tribe.net if anyone's interested it gets some traffic.

thanks!-james

------------------------
hi there. great website. can anyone out there tell me how they like living in ashland. i am looking to move with my family to a beautiful town, with great education, climate, 4 seasons, sunshine and quaint downtown...with organic grocery stores. the flyers sent to me seemed like ashland was mainly for older, retired couples and I did not get any sense of youth or community for my young family to thrive. also, i keep hearing how great bend is now. please advise. thank you in advance.
-------------------------