Best places to live from Corvallis north to around Portland? (Eugene: houses, living in)

[Townandcountrygal]

Relocating to western Oregon. Would like recommendations on communities to check out from Corvallis area and north to around Portland (not in it) which are not located right off from the Interstate. We are retirees who love outdoor activities and the arts. Living in a smaller community with 5 plus acres would be nice. Lived many years in Seattle and used to PNW rain.

[jjpop]

To find acreage, you're pretty much going to need to look outside of town. Since you'll be in the country anyway, does it matter to you if you are outside of a larger city like Salem or Wilsonville, or do you want something smaller?

I'd recommend finding some properties that fit your needs (lot size, home, price, etc.) then evaluate the community it is nearest. How close to town do you need to be to satisfy your need for the arts? And how "artistic" does the town/city need to be? Maybe living outside of Dallas, for example, will be perfect for you because of your proximity to Salem for "city" stuff, or maybe you find Salem doesn't fit your cultural needs, or is too far away. So it might help for you to define what you mean by "community" and "the arts." "Outdoor activities" we've got covered, wherever you land!

If these aren't concerns, then that opens up a lot of area for you to look at, from Corvallis/Lebanon in the south to Canby/Wilsonville/Forest Grove to the north.

[Silverfall]

Silverton is artsy and small. Having lived in Seattle you know that land is expensive in the PNW.

[Townandcountrygal]

[quote=jjpop;13097769]To find acreage, you're pretty much going to need to look outside of town. Since you'll be in the country anyway, does it matter to you if you are outside of a larger city like Salem or Wilsonville, or do you want something smaller?

I'd recommend finding some properties that fit your needs (lot size, home, price, etc.) then evaluate the community it is nearest. How close to town do you need to be to satisfy your need for the arts? And how "artistic" does the town/city need to be? Maybe living outside of Dallas, for example, will be perfect for you because of your proximity to Salem for "city" stuff, or maybe you find Salem doesn't fit your cultural needs, or is too far away. So it might help for you to define what you mean by "community" and "the arts." "Outdoor activities" we've got covered, wherever you land!

Prefer to live in a community larger than 100 people; fewer than 20K. Want to be within an hour of opera, art walks, plays, concerts, and 30 min from a major medical center. Acreage (not grass to mow!) with trees would be nice but might have to compromise. Cannot live in a big housing development with no trees and cookie cutter houses. Right now we live on 120 acres with our own hiking trails through the trees (really nice) and live 1.5 hours from civilization (gets old fast). Sometimes I miss being able to walk or drive 5 min. to Starbucks.....

[jjpop]

Opera may limit you to just the Portland Metro Area (Home | Portland Opera), although Eugene may get touring opera groups periodically at the Hult Center or on the UO campus, or on the OSU campus in Corvallis.

I guess I'd recommend looking at a circle around Portland that is bounded by the following cities (starting west of Portland):
Banks
McMinnville
Salem
Silverton
Molalla
Estacada
Sandy
These cities are in Multnomah, Washington, Yamhill, Polk, Marion, and Clackamas Counties.

Also, maybe you've already eliminated Clark County, WA from consideration, but you may want to look there as well.