In search of the "Real" Klamath Falls... (Medford: low crime, buy)

[phywackette]

We are trying to find out about Klamath Falls...the real insides of it, so to speak. We currently live in what we call "The Arm Pit of the Universe or Hell)...aka, Lufkin Texas...okay Texans don't get your panties in a bunch! We want to know what K-Falls is "really" like. Is it uptight and religious right-winged ran...or is it laid back easy going? I realize that there is probably no nightlife, fine, I realize that there is probably little shopping, but I am not a shopper and as long as I can get good groceries...I am fine.

But it is important to know what the town is really like. If someone there sees you have tattoos on your legs, are they going to raise their eyebrows and go to the other side of the street? Can you buy booze there or do you have to drive an hour to get some vodka...and forget to even get beer on Sundays???? We are not over the top with our tattoos, just on our legs...we enjoy a good beer or drink and going out to eat dinner once and awhile.

So...any insights would be helpful, because if this place is as scary as it seems to look on here, unless your over 50 or ready to retire...let me know. I have lived in Hell for almost 3 years now and would welcome a rest from other peoples intolorences...and if this place is like that, I don't want to go there...Thanks

[PNW-type-gal]

Well, I have a tattoo on my ankle and a purple streak in my silver hair, and I get along fine every time I'm there. Doesn't even get a second glance. Although I did see a young local with the kind of Mohawk you have to use white glue to achieve, and that got a few stares - on the other hand, why someone would want to dress as though the punk movement was still in ascendancy, I have no idea.

Yes, it's a conservative place, although not as conservative as cities east of the Cascades can be. It doesn't have that strong militant right-wing Christian feel that, say, Colorado Springs, CO has, although there are a number of churches. It also has a strong "western" feel, as a great deal of the area is devoted to ranching - the usual cowboy bars and country/western music in the background in most stores/shops. (Alas, mostly the modern, boring stuff, not the older stuff I love.)

Oregon, Washington, Idaho all have state-controlled liquor, meaning you can buy beer and wine in grocery stores but you have to go to an actual liquor store for anything else. The liquor stores keep pretty short hours. Dunno if KFalls has one that's open Sundays or not, a lot of smaller towns don't.

[phywackette]

Thanks for your in-put...western does not disturb me, but religious right-wingers do...very much! I am currently living in a community that is very right winged and way too religious...wanting a break from such things. Thanks again!

[Imperial1904]

Originally Posted by phywackette

We are trying to find out about Klamath Falls...the real insides of it, so to speak. We currently live in what we call "The Arm Pit of the Universe or Hell)...aka, Lufkin Texas...okay Texans don't get your panties in a bunch! We want to know what K-Falls is "really" like. Is it uptight and religious right-winged ran...or is it laid back easy going? I realize that there is probably no nightlife, fine, I realize that there is probably little shopping, but I am not a shopper and as long as I can get good groceries...I am fine.

But it is important to know what the town is really like. If someone there sees you have tattoos on your legs, are they going to raise their eyebrows and go to the other side of the street? Can you buy booze there or do you have to drive an hour to get some vodka...and forget to even get beer on Sundays???? We are not over the top with our tattoos, just on our legs...we enjoy a good beer or drink and going out to eat dinner once and awhile.

So...any insights would be helpful, because if this place is as scary as it seems to look on here, unless your over 50 or ready to retire...let me know. I have lived in Hell for almost 3 years now and would welcome a rest from other peoples intolorences...and if this place is like that, I don't want to go there...Thanks

If you look through my previous posts about Klamath Falls, you won't find anything positive about it.

There's plenty of people who have tattoos but there's no tattoo shop in the area. Tattoos are hardly noticeable anymore these days.

There is no nightlife. Only a couple places are open after 10 pm, other than that the town is pretty much a ghost town after 5-6 pm. It's also perfectly safe to walk around at night anywhere in Klamath Falls if you like to explore the 'nightlife'. I've done it once only because the bugs were annoying to walk through. I started walking from downtown at around 11 pm and walked to the end of Klamath Falls to the east.

No stores are allowed to sell alcohol on Sundays.

The only upside to Klamath Falls is the low crime. There really isn't any other than petty stuff.

[phywackette]

Thanks for the data...tattoos get really noticed where I live and you can get rather sick of the looks nonetheless. I think I am of a mind that this would not be a place I would want to live. Was told that the road heading west sometimes closes down during the winter...this may be just too "Western" for us. Thanks for your time.

[Imperial1904]

Originally Posted by phywackette

Thanks for the data...tattoos get really noticed where I live and you can get rather sick of the looks nonetheless. I think I am of a mind that this would not be a place I would want to live. Was told that the road heading west sometimes closes down during the winter...this may be just too "Western" for us. Thanks for your time.

I haven't seen it closed. There may be some winters where it snows alot in the mountains and the roads haven't been plowed yet but for the most part they seem to clear things up as best they can. There are chain up areas where chains are required if you want to keep going.

[mefeelinfroggy]

I spent close to 33 years in Klamath Falls. I don't think its ugly. There are many sights to see. There are many excellent places to eat. I thought you could buy hard alchohol on Sundays at the liquor store on Klamath Ave.
NOPE just looked. Not open on Sunday.

http://http://www.olcc.state.or.us/pdfs/LiquorStoreList.pdf (broken link)
The night life changes all the time. For a while there is one bar that will be the hot spot. You go back there a month later and you could see across the whole bar and there is 1 or 2 people in there.

Tattoos. There used to be a tattoo guy in Klamath Falls. He lives in Medford now. So many people got hooked on Tattoos and now travel to Medford to get the tattoos.
Good Guy His name is Steve. He gave me my 3 tattoos.

Klamath is growing and for the size of the town shopping is pretty good. There is no big mall, or even a mall that is worth taking the trip to, but there are still many stores around to check out. Medford is 70 miles away and there is good shopping there too.

I was very happy living there and would have had no problem raising my kid there, but I now live in Canada and still have family in Klamath and always know the happenings and what is coming and going.

You can alway read the newspaper online and check it out.
http://http://www.heraldandnews.com/ (broken link)

But you are from Texas... Are you aware of the snow and the colder temps?
I have a friend in Austin and they got snow this year and the city was paralized for the morning. Till the sun melted it.

Good luck!

[phywackette]

Thanks Mefeelinfroggy! We are not actually from Texas...nooo, I am from California and my husband from Ohio, both of us have lived in snowy places before. I lived many years in the deserts of CA and AZ...and can't wait to see a desert type setting again. Your info was very helpful...we have been back and forth on the topic of "would we like it there" and decided that if he get's the job...we will make a trip to K-Falls and check it out. As to no actual mall...that is a good thing!!! Thanks again...

[blyguy]

I have no idea what the others who have posted are talking about.
I will give you that the politics in Klamath fall towards the conservative side but all that other stuff is crap. You can buy liquor in Oregon on Sundays. I have been to Texas and can tell you we are far more liberal than most Texas counties. Lots of outdoor stuff to do, if you aren't into that get used to staying in. There are lots of good places to eat and the nightlife doesn't totally suck there are several bars and taverns that are a lot of fun. The aftershock at the bowling alley is the hot spot currently. I reccomend Waldo's or the Creamery for awesome micro brews. The food isn't too shabby at the creamery either. The tattoo thing is just silly maybe in Texas its strange but here its no big deal. I am here now so if you have any other questions ask away.

[Imperial1904]

Originally Posted by blyguy

You can buy liquor in Oregon on Sundays.

Did they change the law recently?