Relocating to Oregon

[ExNooYawk]

Check out Ashland. It is small (20,000 pop.) but sophisticated. The schools are decent, the town hosts The Shakespeare Festival from February through October (not all plays are by Shakespeare) and has many good restaurants. There are concerts here and in nearby Medford which is a larger city. We have wineries, Mt. Ashland skiing, the Britt Festival in summer and best of all, non-oppressive winters. It ain't cheap but would be worth a look. Good luck in your search.

[scottinpdx]

Corvallis would be a good choice! it has a great community even though its a college town. You are 45 min to Newport on the coast. 1h 30 min to Portland and about a hour to Eugene. It also not to terrible of a drive to the mountains for great snowboarding, skiing and other winter activity. I think it would match most if not all of your criteria.

[Discovery1]

Originally Posted by hltweed

We don't want to be right in Portland but close I guess within an hour. What communities or cities are decent with good schools and a "hometown" feel? We are planning a trip to check out some areas but would like some ideas before we go. We have heard good things about Bend. How about Astoria, Salem, Newport? We are raising a family so it is important to have access to outdoor as well as indoor activities. We really don't want to be in the desert area. It would also be nice to have a yard that is a few acres but not a necessity.

1. Lake Oswego, Or
2. Camas or Washougal, Wa

[Steve97415]

You don't want to move to the coast unless you:

1,) are retired, have made your life's savings, and have no kids living with you
2.) think that high temperatures in the mid-50's is "perfect summer weather"

I can't tell you how many people have moved to the coast unaware that it is summerless and wore out the roads leading to the inland areas during summer and fall. Also, being a flatlander, you might not have thought of this, but there is a major mountain range between the coast and the Willamette Valley where cities like Salem, Corvallis and Eugene are located. The coast and the valley have very different climates.

[Silverfall]

Originally Posted by Steve97415

The coast and the valley have very different climates.

As does Bend/Central Oregon.

Having grown up in Illinois where the climate is essentially the same all over the state...midwest climate is not like it is out here. There are micro climates all over Oregon. The coast is different than the valley, which is different than central Oregon, which is different than southern Oregon.

I do agree with Steve97415 that many people have a romanticized notion of the Oregon coast. They think we have great weather like CA and don't realize how cold the Pacific water is up here. When you look at pictures of the Oregon coast and the rugged rocks, just remember that those aren't formed by nice calm wind and water.

[hltweed]

They all sound nice. The wineries in Ashland would be interesting. My husband brews his own beer and makes wine. His dream is to open a restaurant featuring his beer. That's down the road though. You're right we have dreamt of the coast but we have an idea it is cold. We like the four seasons but just don't like the freezing winters we have here in Minnesota. We are just looking for milder winters, it is better for my husbands rheumatoid arthritis. This website has been so helpful. Who would I contact to find out more about school districts?

[scottinpdx]

This might help for schools Oregon Public School Rankings

[hltweed]

Thank you for the website! I've also seen that certain cities home pages list school district information. Your help is greatly appreciated!