More information on Brookings, Oregon (Portland, Medford: sales tax, living, prices)

[Steve Pickering]

About the same as any other small town.

[Hawk J]

Originally Posted by alohagrl808

what senior activities and benefits are available in Brookings?

Spin the Bottle......poker......

[Steve97415]

If you want to live on the coast, BYOA...Bring Your Own Activities.

[Steve Pickering]

There are a lot of things to do on the coast. That is why people live there.

And what's wrong with poker. The wife and I play in a league and have a ball.

We also are not strangers to spin the bottle.

[Steve Pickering]

In response to a couple of PM's

www.goallinoregon.com

[Capnsteve60]

My wife and I just returned from a week in Brookings. We are planning our retirement and currently live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and are sick of hot summers and icy winters.

We've checked out every community along the Oregon Coast over the past three summers and concluded that Brookings meets our needs better than the rest. That said, it is remote... a six hour trip to the airport in Portland and two hours to high end shopping, but our retirement won't allow for extravagance so that isn't high on our list of needs.

We particularly like what we've discovered about the weather. Coming from an area that suffers from drought most every summer, having a wet, cooler climate with little or know chance of freezing is appealing.

As stated in other posts, the big retail facility is Fred Meyers. A beautiful store, well stocked with even a Starbucks on site. Plenty of reasonably priced restaurants and very friendly people.

We were especially impressed with the Harbor District. Lots of quaint shops, fish markets, picturesque fishing fleet, and a large public fishing pier. I think there is only one golf course... Salmon Run. Didn't get to check the pricing, but I'm sure that can be checked online.

We were concerned about the lack of medical facilities, but they are addressing that. A new emergency room will be opening soon and they recently opened a clinic in the Harbor area. Hospitals are 25 miles distant both to the north and south.

Bottom line is we find Brookings to be a good choice for us based on weather, cost of living, and just beautiful scenery. We'll be watching this forum for more information from those living in Brookings or considering it.

[texasdiver]

Brookings is as nice as any place along the Oregon coast I think.

My parents are 4th generation Oregonian and know the state inside out. They tossed around the idea of moving down to one of those towns like Brookings but eventually discarded it mainly due to the lack of transportation connections. They have grandchildren scattered around the US and decided to retire in Canby for the easy access to PDX and flights to see grandkids and for the general access to Portland for culture and healthcare.

If you don't have anyone to go visit and don't do much in the way of travel in retirement (at least air travel) then Brookings would be a nice place to settle. But it is about as far as you can get off the beaten path if you want to be flying elsewhere in the US from time to time or want access to medical specialists and cultural amenities. That's why the northern beach towns like Cannon Beach are more popular I think. Much easier access to PDX and the Portland metro.

[sourdough]

I've been looking into the Oregon Coast as a retirement location. I have found the current drought to be a issue. I just read this newyorker article and it's an eye opener…..The Earthquake That Will Devastate the Pacific Northwest - The New Yorker

[Larry Caldwell]

Originally Posted by sourdough

I've been looking into the Oregon Coast as a retirement location. I have found the current drought to be a issue. I just read this newyorker article and it's an eye opener…..The Earthquake That Will Devastate the Pacific Northwest - The New Yorker

Unlike the east coast, if you move a half a mile inland almost anywhere on the Oregon coast, you will be above any tsunami zone. Live in a wood frame house well bolted to the foundation and keep a pantry. You will be fine.

[NoMoreSnowForMe]

Originally Posted by Capnsteve60

My wife and I just returned from a week in Brookings. We are planning our retirement and currently live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and are sick of hot summers and icy winters.

We've checked out every community along the Oregon Coast over the past three summers and concluded that Brookings meets our needs better than the rest. That said, it is remote... a six hour trip to the airport in Portland and two hours to high end shopping, but our retirement won't allow for extravagance so that isn't high on our list of needs.

We particularly like what we've discovered about the weather. Coming from an area that suffers from drought most every summer, having a wet, cooler climate with little or know chance of freezing is appealing.

As stated in other posts, the big retail facility is Fred Meyers. A beautiful store, well stocked with even a Starbucks on site. Plenty of reasonably priced restaurants and very friendly people.

We were especially impressed with the Harbor District. Lots of quaint shops, fish markets, picturesque fishing fleet, and a large public fishing pier. I think there is only one golf course... Salmon Run. Didn't get to check the pricing, but I'm sure that can be checked online.

We were concerned about the lack of medical facilities, but they are addressing that. A new emergency room will be opening soon and they recently opened a clinic in the Harbor area. Hospitals are 25 miles distant both to the north and south.

Bottom line is we find Brookings to be a good choice for us based on weather, cost of living, and just beautiful scenery. We'll be watching this forum for more information from those living in Brookings or considering it.

I love Brookings. I live in Crescent City, CA, just 30 minutes south. You don't have to drive to Portland to fly, as starting this month, you can catch a flight to PDX from Crescent City. A new contract was formalized with PenAir with twice-daily flights to PDX:

Crescent City, CA

You have other cheaper shopping options in Brookings, too, besides Fred Meyer. Check out Grocery Outlet. There is also a dollar store, I forget the name. And even a nice Goodwill.

For cheaper alcohol prices, you can cross the border south to a discount liquor store on Hwy 101 (forgetting the name, but they are obvious on the highway), or you can drive to Crescent City to the Walmart and get even cheaper prices. You get cheap gas in OR, and cheap booze in CA.

I love the convenience of living on the border, so I can take advantage of zero sales tax in OR and cheaper gas, and can take advantage of some things in CA, too. You'll also get spoiled regarding traffic and parking.

Brookings is beautiful. You'll find ways to fill your time in new ways. And if you love being outside, it's so nice to be at the coast, where it's never too hot or too cold. You might have to learn to go outside when it's raining, which was quite often last winter, but it's easy to dress for. I love that I can choose between the beach or the redwoods. When it's raining hard or too windy at the beach, it's usually peaceful in the woods and you don't get drenched with all of the tree cover.

By the way, there is a bus service in Brookings with several options. I took it last week from Crescent City to Medford:

Southwest-Point

Welcome! I think you'll love it here.