Corvallis for Baby Boomers? (Portland: house, university, gated)

[Thai]

We liked Corvallis when we were last in Oregon, and are wondering if it's a good place for 60-ish Boomers looking to downsize and try something new. We started out in Oregon years ago and are hoping to reconnect with our roots and indulge our passion for camping in Oregon more than once a year. We're outdoorsy vegetarian animal lovers who will be living on a modest budget. Any thoughts will be appreciated.

[Waterlily]

Well it isn't really designed for retired people but there's no reason that you couldn't live there. There is a college there and lots of younger people.

[jjpop]

Waterlily, I'm going to respectfully disagree with you. I live in Corvallis, and there are many retirees here and more coming all the time, for exactly the reason Thai is suggesting--to downsize in a smaller, very livable city.

In fact, I believe that Corvallis has a reputation among OSU students as being a place where there's nothing to do--kind of a boring burg. It's actually quite surprising how segregated the college community is from the other residents.

Anyway, that's my two cents from a current resident.

[Thai]

I wonder if Corvallis would be similar to San Luis Obispo, CA, where there is a well respected medium sized state college? SLO is a killer town except for the cost of living! Corvallis seemed quite walkable and bike-able when we were there, and doesn't it have good public transportation, too? And, is the senior center really active like most of those in CA towns nowadays. Lots of classes and activities for younger "seniors" as well as older folks? Anyone know about these aspects of Corvallis? Thanks again.

[jjpop]

I've visited SLO, and kind of think of it as a town that caters to the younger crowd a little more than Corvallis does. It seemed to me there were more post-college career-track 20- and 30-somethings in SLO, and there is probably more nightlife in SLO. Corvallis has Oregon State and Hewlett-Packard as the two major employers, and the employee population at HP has been cut in half over the past 6 or 7 years, so there hasn't been as much of a draw for younger singles or families as there used to be (other than the University).

Walkable and bikeable? Yes. I live 2.5 miles from where I work. It's an easy walk or ride from my house to shopping. All the major streets and some minor streets have designated bike lanes. I'm not a user of Corvallis's public transportation system, so I'll leave that to someone else to answer.

Also, although I'm not in the age cohort, I can tell you that the community college and the city's Parks and Rec department frequently offer classes and activities for seniors. I base this on the catalogs we receive in the mail. Hikes, painting, photography, bus tours to the coast, the Oregon Garden, etc. I think there's something going on pretty much all year around.

[Thai]

Thanks for the additional info on Corvallis.. sounds like a nice place for everyone, a well-rounded city. This may sound a little strange, but I wonder if we would become depressed by the extended season of gray and rain since we've lived many years in the Sacramento area. We just love all the green in Corvallis, but know it comes at a price! One gets used to having the sun come out after a bit of seasonal gray and wet, even in the winter. My folks grew up in Oregon and after an adult life spent in Silicon Valley they say they think it would be difficult to go back to not seeing as much of the sun, so they stayed put in retirement even though they just love Oregon and their extened families are up there. Indecision abounds...

[jjpop]

You know, Thai, I think a person just has to have more going on in their lives that they don't allow the weather to dictate their mood. I've moved a lot throughout CA and OR from Orange County to Portland. Every time I moved the weather affected me for a while. I moved from Eureka to Sacramento and missed the fog and greenery FOR A WHILE. I moved from the Willamette Valley to the Inland Empire and hated the heat and smog FOR A WHILE. I moved from the Bay Area to Portland and felt soggy FOR A WHILE.

Each time I moved there was an adjustment, but my reason for moving to the next location was because it was a new chapter in my life, never because of the weather.

NOTE: I don't want to minimize the effects of the weather on people who suffer from SAD or other conditions. I believe some people have real physiological responses to a lack of sunshine. However, I think for many people the weather is a convenient excuse for leaving a place they wouldn't like regardless of the weather.

[Kathleenh54]

Thai, as jjpop said above, weather is a fairly subjective thing. Some like what others hate,etc. Visit Corvallis for awhile and see how you feel. It may not rain as much as you think, or enough to bother you all that much.

[Rawlings]

You guys will love Corvallis. It's one of the best retirement areas in Oregon--asheville, bend are also good areas. Corvallis is unique in that it isn't your typical college town since it has a large senior citizen cohort. As far as being vegetarian or whatever--look, you're in Oregon. Where--besides the far eastern part of the state--is that ever a problem in Oregon? It's Oregon for Pete's sake!

[krolen]

We are moving to Corvallis this summer. I grew up in SLO town and yes, Corvallis reminds me very much of SLO. Actually SLO has changed so much in the past 20 years. Lots of money from LA have changed the feel of the town a bit. The prices have gone thru the roof. We currently live in Sacramento (& hate it). My kids are 11 & 8- From our research, Corvallis offers a great deal in terms of education & the arts. We are really looking forward to the move!