Culture of Corvallis OR (Portland, Eugene: co-ops, how much, house)

[elyess77]

I am considering moving my family and myself to Corvallis and I want to know what the culture is like. We currently live in California...though I am originally from Central Oregon, I just never really spent any time in Corvallis and I am sure it has changed over the last 10 years as has Central Oregon.

Some of the things I love about California are: the farmer's markets, the abundance of amazing and local produce, the diversity, the small towns with big town culture (ie.: arts, open minded, quirky, bohemian...), alternative healing. How much of this is present in Corvallis?

Also I am wondering about the commute between Corvallis and Salem...my husband would be working for the State of Oregon.

Finally, if anyone happens to be a private practice therapist/counselor out there in city-data Corvallis, how is business?

I really appreciate any information. Thanks!

[Steve97415]

Originally Posted by elyess77

I am considering moving my family and myself to Corvallis and I want to know what the culture is like.

Corvallis has consistently rated in the top ten list of small cities in America during the past few decades (it's often been rated #1 or #2).

It is not as bohemian as Eugene or Ashland, but it is politically liberal and quite tolerant, even if it seems to have a straight-laced quality at times. The farmers market is wonderful and First Alternative Co-op may be the best natural food market in the state. City planning is excellent, as are the public schools and the parks and recs program. You will find a lot of core information on Corvallis in this forum by using the search function.

Originally Posted by elyess77

I am sure it has changed over the last 10 years as has Central Oregon.

I am actually impressed by how little Corvallis changes as the decades go by. Sure, there are little things here and there. The vicissitudes of Hewlett-Packard and the University wax and wane. But it isn't one of those places like Bend that you come back to after a 20-year absence and no longer recognize the place. It is quite stable and steadfast in character.

As for the commute, it will depend on what part of Corvallis and what part of Salem constitute the start and end points (downtown, I would presume). Corvallis is off the I-5 corridor, so it would pay to look for a house near 99W. Getting from Corvallis to Salem isn't too bad, half of the commute will be within those two cities themselves. This is still a long commute by Oregon standards. Have you considered maybe living up by Adair or, better yet, in Monmouth?

[Oregonbeachlover]

I drove to Corvallis from Salem via hwy 99 for years. It is a 2 lane highway without much traffic. There is one stoplight in Rickreall and you have to drive through Monmouth....a couple more lights, and not a big deal. Corvallis is very much college oriented. It used to make me laugh that people/famers would put OSU signs and banners out in their fields. Driving around town, you see lots of OSU stickers on everything, so you wouldn't want to be seen with a U of O anything. As Steve stated, Corvallis has consistently made the top 10 lists of best small cities in America.

[oregonstateofmind]

I was born in Corvallis and spent 45 years there before one of life's little detours took me away. I miss it like crazy.
Corvallis is progressive in its political and environmental outlook. It is not, shall I say, radical, like our neighbors to the south, Eugene (and I really like Eugene). Corvallis is perhaps more yuppified. It is tolerant of all kinds of religions and lifestyles. OSU foreign students give talks on their cultures which are open to the Corvallis public. There is an event on campus where foreign students prepare food from their native countries and invite the public to experience the culinary delights! A friend of mine gave a talk a few years ago on Islam and the affects of Islam on politics in her native country. It was well attended by the public.
OSU brings in writers, thinkers, and philosophers who speak on a variety of topics. I attended one a few years ago given by Huston Smith on comparative religions that was standing room only. DaVinci Days is a science fair that OSU puts on every year that makes science accessible to the non-scientist. The Fall Festival is a three day music and craft fair that celebrates local artists. Booth after booth of exquisite arts and crafts! The farmers' market is huge and offers every kind of fruit and vegetable, as well as vinegars, salad dressings, wines, cheeses, flowers, etc., all grown and produced locally.
Corvallis is very easy to bike around in and has miles of bike lanes. I must disagree with one of the posts and say that the commute to Salem is not so easy. Hwy 99 is a small two-lane road and it can get very congested during the 8 and 5 commute times. Also, Monmouth is home to the Police Academy and the cadets in training are often seen along 99 trying to stop speeders. It really is a bad commute by Oregon standards. By California standards? Maybe not so bad. Only other option is to go through Albany to connect to I5. Also a rather congested commute during those times. Where you are working in Salem will determine which route (Hwy 99 or I5) to take from Corvallis.
It has been rated one of the top ten livable mini-cities in the US for many years based on factors such as quality of education, environmental quality, nearness to recreational activities and the like. I think Corvallis has everything you'd want, but some people I've read on this forum think that it is too small and Portland has more of what people want in the way of nightlife. This part is true; Corvallis has been described as a town that locks up its doors by 7pm. All depends on if this is important to you.
Best of luck!

[Jumpman023]

Take what I say with a grain of salt because I don't live there, but I really didn't like Corvallis at all. It was way too small for my taste, and it didn't seem like there was much to do every time I visited there. To be fair though, I live in Portland, which is much more urban and a totally different lifestyle, and a lot of people I know LOVE it, but I think if you used to live in central OR, you should be fine there. I think Corvallis is one of those places you'll either love or hate, and I personally really didn't like it, but who knows. Maybe you will?

[Silverfall]

Also Dennison Farms is in Corvallis (a local CSA) and they have top notch organic produce.

My hubby commutes from South Salem to Corvallis every day and it takes him 35 minutes. He is on the eastern part of Corvallis and doesn't need to go over the bridge though. He should plan on a 45-50 minute commute one way. If you come up 99, then you will hit the bridge traffic in the morning. There is only one bridge that brings people over the Willamette River from West to East and that is the Marion Street bridge. The state buildings are all downtown so he'd have to go through downtown Salem to get to work.

[crazylegs5150]

I too was curious about Corvallis so spent the day exploring it 2 weeks ago. I had looked up to it for so long and while i enjoyed my visit, I do not know if I could find myself living there. I too enjoy the farmers markets and culture that you speak of. However, having said that I think it is very dependent on the college and flows with the change in seasons of the college. Some may consider that fine, others may find it a bit too slow for their liking. The OSU college is beautiful and I really enjoyed the downtown riverfront area. Maybe I just need to be there during an active period to fully experience it. It seemed very sleepy compared to Eugene which i had visited the exact same time a year earlier.

[ak.nessa]

There is still an abundance of agriculture which means you will have easy access to fresh, ORGANIC, & local produce all year long. There are 2 food co-ops in Corvallis so you can eat a healthy diet all year long. No need to shop at Winco, Albertson's or Bi-mart but they do have those as well! Corvallis is definitely a college town, and the downtown area is very busy, and the campus area restaurants are always ridiculously busy. Lots of people flock to the good food sources. There is a lot of great food there!! It is gloomy in the fall, winter & spring though - cloudy, rainy, and grey. But you can still do fun stuff. If you have dogs they have a few off leash dog parks you can drive or walk to safely and they are lots of fun and quite big!

Trust me, you would NOT like Salem. It is ghetto. I would never use the word "artsy" to describe Salem. Wow, it's hilarious to even think of the 2 words in the same sentence. Yuck.

Corvallis is clean, pretty, just don't be afraid of the occasional drunk college kids, they can get pretty rowdy and they don't all live on campus - trust me!

If you want artsy I recommend heading south to Eugene. Or heading north to Portland. Corvallis is not very artsy, in my opinion. It does have culture - organic food, lots of bicyclists, wonderful parks for walking in, and great beer!

[ak.nessa]

oh and I lived there for 2 or 3 years very recently. So I know lots about Corvallis and what it's like currently. It is in the middle of nowhere though you don't notice if you stay in town. Lots of stuff to do! But surrounded by farmland!!! Plenty of nice people. There is an abundance of homeless people though, especially downtown.

[Steve97415]

Originally Posted by ak.nessa

oh and I lived there for 2 or 3 years very recently. So I know lots about Corvallis and what it's like currently. It is in the middle of nowhere though you don't notice if you stay in town. Lots of stuff to do! But surrounded by farmland!!! Plenty of nice people. There is an abundance of homeless people though, especially downtown.

As a 12-year resident of Corvallis, I find the assertion that Corvallis is "in the middle of nowhere" to be risible. Within an hour's drive you can be in Eugene, Newport, Monmouth, Salem and many other places. Portland is within two hours. Corvallis is Latin for "heart of the valley" and it is very well located for interesting side trips. But it is also its own place to be. The fact that it is surrounded by farmland with wonderful u-pick orchards and forests to hike in is exactly what makes it so desirable. There are plenty of metro areas with an endless expanse of concrete and asphalt for the urbanites who need the rat race to avert boredom. But a good micropolis is hard to find. Corvallis is one of the few.