How would you describe Grants Pass? (Corvallis, Ashland: live, shop, moving to)

[Steve97415]

Originally Posted by ExoticFish

Is Grants Pass "conservative" or "liberal"? I am not religious or political and would prefer not to live in a smaller city composed of mostly "fundamentalists" Republicans who carry shotguns in their pickups.

In many parts of the country, old-school conservatives have been displaced by neo-cons. That isn't really the case in the southern Oregon, though. Conservatives born before 1950 tend to have a different values set than the baby-boom zombies that are brain-washed by Faux News and Lush Bimbo. But when you add a conservative bent to a low level of educational attainment and the State of Jefferson chip-on-the-shoulder, what you get is not so much a political ideology, but a wholesale distrust of government in general -- more a state of ignorance than an informed political persuasion. There is a lot of irony here. Josephine County is one of Oregon's most dependent counties when it comes to government assistance, but you'll find more anti-government sentiment among the residents there than most anywhere else. Competence in local government seems elusive in Grants Pass. They can't even keep a functional council/manager style of government going because distrust runs so high. Local politics there is a mess.

Having said that, Grants Pass is in many other ways an up-and-coming place and has been improving as better-educated folks have moved in. In another 25 years it will probably be another gentrified arts town that everyone would love to live in but won't be able to afford to. It's big enough now that you can find an affinity group to hang out with no matter what your ideological leanings or age group.

Roseburg is reckoned as being in southern Oregon by some, but many others would see the Umpqua Valley area as one of a transitional nature between the Willamette Valley and the Rogue River Valley. Grants Pass is classic southern Oregon.

[EIUUW]

Looks like GP might be a suitable place for me to move, I was worried being Gay and Pagan (Though I am not out there like some of my fellow comrades) but I still wont hide who I am or pretend to believe in something I am not interested in.

My main things that a town needs to have is a body of water (check), a set of train tracks that are active (I am a HUGE Train fanatic-Check??) 75+ Restaurants (Ok so I am a foodie too, lol) and my church (Unitarian Universalist)...Besides the river are there Natural trails that a person could find themselves on away from the hustle bustle of the city or is there a river trail?

I am looking at several ideas in Oregon (Newport and Astoria, I was looking at Ashland but it seems like its more for upscale people and I am just a low income writer till I get my big break) and I am looking at Reno too but I miss Oregon, I miss the rain and the trees and nature...

Ace

[Yoni777]

If you're a gay pagan, then GP is the place.. Remember that scene in the show with Bruno (aka Borat, Sacha Baron Cohen) at the MIssissippi gun show, he said guns are the new hip trend for gay guys.. I am sure you will meet lot of hip pagan gay guys there at many GP gun shows; perhaps you can even find some huntin buddies with simliar interests.. Have you considered Billings, MT and parts of rural Wyoming as well?? Here its also kinda cool..

I like GP, my kinda town.. BTW I am a right-wing conservative religous semi-libertarian whacko don't mind me ..

P.S. EIUUW.. Goto Ashland, a town raging with gay pagans, not GP.. You're making a silly mistake.

[backdrifter]

Originally Posted by Yoni777

If you're a gay pagan, then GP is the place.. Remember that scene in the show with Bruno (aka Borat, Sacha Baron Cohen) at the MIssissippi gun show, he said guns are the new hip trend for gay guys.. I am sure you will meet lot of hip pagan gay guys there at many GP gun shows; perhaps you can even find some huntin buddies with simliar interests.. Have you considered Billings, MT and parts of rural Wyoming as well?? Here its also kinda cool..

I like GP, my kinda town.. BTW I am a right-wing conservative religous semi-libertarian whacko don't mind me ..

P.S. EIUUW.. Goto Ashland, a town raging with gay pagans, not GP.. You're making a silly mistake.

I like GP too--it's my kind of town. Oh, and I'm a Green Party member, bisexual, Unitarian Universalist, person of mixed race/ethnicity.

Originally Posted by EIUUW

Looks like GP might be a suitable place for me to move, I was worried being Gay and Pagan (Though I am not out there like some of my fellow comrades) but I still wont hide who I am or pretend to believe in something I am not interested in.

My main things that a town needs to have is a body of water (check), a set of train tracks that are active (I am a HUGE Train fanatic-Check??) 75+ Restaurants (Ok so I am a foodie too, lol) and my church (Unitarian Universalist)...Besides the river are there Natural trails that a person could find themselves on away from the hustle bustle of the city or is there a river trail?

I am looking at several ideas in Oregon (Newport and Astoria, I was looking at Ashland but it seems like its more for upscale people and I am just a low income writer till I get my big break) and I am looking at Reno too but I miss Oregon, I miss the rain and the trees and nature...

Ace

Moving to GP wouldn't be a mistake. There certainly are better options for acceptance, but you would be tolerated here, though there wouldn't be much community... Well, I actually know of a gay Wiccan commune in the area--wonderful place with wonderful people. But still, in GP you might get lonely. Anyway, it's more live and let live. And there is a UU fellowship (a small one) in GP. There are really good cafes and Pacific Northwest restaurants, a couple good Japanese and Mexican restaurants, and a decent Thai restaurant, but that's it. There is not much of a river trail to speak of, but there are plenty of hikes around the area and even in the city. One, in particular, is pretty steep, but offers a spectacular view of the city and mountains.

That said, I wouldn't look at GP (yet...maybe in a few years) as a great alternative to the overall atmosphere of Ashland. An alright alternative, but not great. The North Coast is definitely more liberal than Southern Oregon, but within the city limits of Ashland it is more radically liberal than the North Coast. You might want to consider Talent, a small town just outside of Ashland. It's cheaper than "A-town" (type-A-town? ) but is close enough for easy access to A**land's (can you tell how I feel about it yet?) restaurants and cultural offerings.

Honestly, have you looked into Eugene? I'm personally a huge fan of Eugene--it's really underrated and overlooked--and I think you could definitely find more of what you're looking for there, except maybe restaurants... But Portland (foodie paradise) is only an hour and 40 minutes away. Eugene is a bit bigger, but it's close to nature and trails and hiking, is much more down to earth than Ashland, has the Willamette and McKenzie Rivers running through it, it's close to the coast, has a liberal and accepting outlook, is big enough to support some good restaurants, has an excellent arts and music scene... Though it does also have suburbia, strip malls, potholes, and freeways galore, and is close to Springtucky... er... Springfield... But likewise, Ashland is close to Medford so...

[Yoni777]

Originally Posted by backdrifter

I like GP too--it's my kind of town. Oh, and I'm a Green Party member, bisexual, Unitarian Universalist, person of mixed race/ethnicity.

Actually, I lied about being a conseravtive, right winger. In realityl, I am a trisexual, Cosmotarian anarcho-communist who is part chinese, african, eskimo and a bit Dutch. Along with my gun rack, you will find rainbow flag, Obama and Free Tibet stickers on my car. I was chased out by the rednecks in Ashland and found refuge in Grants Pass.

[EIUUW]

Im from Eugene so I would never go back and its too big for what I am looking for at this phase in my life. Been to Talent, hated it. Portland seems like ParaDice to me but I think not knowing anyone there would leave me lost in such a big place-I wont get lonely, been in vegas for 12 years and still dont have any real friends and pretty soon I wont be worrying about finding a mate.

I love Lithia Park in Ashland and I think theres a train there, restaurants are fine for me, plenty of shopping so maybe I will reconsider it as a back up. I found an apt in Grants Pass already though that would take me but I need to visit first, Ive never been to GP, I have been to Ashland but I dont remember too much of it, Medford sucks, strangely enough all of the towns I really like are Anti Gay-Cottage Grove, Junction City, Lebanon...

I dont think I would like Corvallis, I cant move somewhere that is too far spread out, where it takes 3 hours to get from my house to church for example, I cant walk as well as I used to and I dont drive-if the bus doesnt run on the weekends, its also not a good choice for me...I hate Albany and Salem.

I hate Vegas so Eastern Oregon seems like a second hell to me. I dont really like the coast except for Newport and Astoria-and Toledo but its very small and probably anti Gay too, lol

Right now, Id say its between Newport, Astoria, Ashland, Grants Pass, Reno Nv and MAYBE Portland or some town I havent considered or heard of. Montana and Wyoming, never considered them, theyd have to have something to offer me before Id do that though, something Oregon doesnt have.

Ok, I am in Ritual today, continued from yesterday so I should go and get back into it, Blessed Be and Thanks!

[backdrifter]

Originally Posted by EIUUW

Im from Eugene so I would never go back and its too big for what I am looking for at this phase in my life. Been to Talent, hated it. Portland seems like ParaDice to me but I think not knowing anyone there would leave me lost in such a big place-I wont get lonely, been in vegas for 12 years and still dont have any real friends and pretty soon I wont be worrying about finding a mate.

I love Lithia Park in Ashland and I think theres a train there, restaurants are fine for me, plenty of shopping so maybe I will reconsider it as a back up. I found an apt in Grants Pass already though that would take me but I need to visit first, Ive never been to GP, I have been to Ashland but I dont remember too much of it, Medford sucks, strangely enough all of the towns I really like are Anti Gay-Cottage Grove, Junction City, Lebanon...

I dont think I would like Corvallis, I cant move somewhere that is too far spread out, where it takes 3 hours to get from my house to church for example, I cant walk as well as I used to and I dont drive-if the bus doesnt run on the weekends, its also not a good choice for me...I hate Albany and Salem.

I hate Vegas so Eastern Oregon seems like a second hell to me. I dont really like the coast except for Newport and Astoria-and Toledo but its very small and probably anti Gay too, lol

Right now, Id say its between Newport, Astoria, Ashland, Grants Pass, Reno Nv and MAYBE Portland or some town I havent considered or heard of. Montana and Wyoming, never considered them, theyd have to have something to offer me before Id do that though, something Oregon doesnt have.

Ok, I am in Ritual today, continued from yesterday so I should go and get back into it, Blessed Be and Thanks!

Portland is gigantic compared to Eugene, but they're the only two cities in Oregon that have any decent sort of public transportations systems. Grants Pass and Ashland don't have any bus systems to speak of. If you cycle, it is possible to get around either one pretty well. Walking is also very efficient in Ashland since it is very compact, as you may have noticed.

[EIUUW]

I thought Grants Pass had a bus line...I know Ashland does but it doesnt run on weekends...

[rtg143]

Josephine County Online - Josephine Community Transit Schedule-Effective September 28, 2009

[backdrifter]

Originally Posted by rtg143

Josephine County Online - Josephine Community Transit Schedule-Effective September 28, 2009

Exactly, not anything to speak of.

It's often late and not efficient at all. It's not worth the trouble really. It doesn't run on weekends either. Most of the stops aren't located near any major residential areas except for senior living facilities, the rest are only commercial areas... Which really is fine if you're wanting to get from one commercial area to another, to the doctor, and then back to the retirement home.