Soft place to land ---- Eugene, OR (Corvallis: rental car, rentals)

[placeseeker]

I've been in the northeast since '93. I like western US much better.

I don't have a lot of money but also don't have a lot of desires and needs.

I'm in my middle 60's. I have a PH.D. in a hard science. So the university library and departmental talks will be a plus. Also the Buddhist centers.

My main concern is safety. I'll be visiting in the Spring/Summer.

Can someone suggest a place to stay that's safe while I'm there.

And who can I get help from while I'm there with respect to housing and any other help.

I read on one of the blogs that Eugene doesn't welcome newcomers. True?

Any info will be appreciated ...... even stuff I overlooked. Thanks.

[Steve Pickering]

Do you own a gun?

[PNW-type-gal]

Crime in Eugene is a relative term and, for all the times I've ever been there, grossly exaggerated.

If you search for a list of dangerous US cities (news outlets LOVE that kind of story) you generally won't find a city in the Northwest on the lists.

[Steve Pickering]

The majority of the crimes in Eugene, other than the murders, are all meth related.

[placeseeker]

I don't own a gun. Should I?

Yes the NE is pretty safe especially where I am. But it has other problems.

I guess I've seen too much Nancy Grace etc. It seems like people are snatched up, disappear and that's that. a pretty insane world.

I don't care if people use meth and other drugs. Unfortunately, they often ruin their lives and those around them. They're trying to ease their pain .... then pain is the drug. All crimes have a reason.

I want to be somewhere where I can see the stars. feel peaceful. Relax for once. Own a larger dog.

Living in a small town now - but have none of the above. lots of prejudice.

Can anyone answer any of my original questions?

Anyone here live in Eugene?

Couldn't follow the posts and then saw Metlakatla's were deleted. What's going on?

[Mr Eugenified]

Could you clarify a bit on your meaning?

What do you mean by "a place to stay that's safe while I'm there"? Do you mean a hotel? Or something else? How long will you stay?

Also, what do you mean by "with respect to housing"? Do you mean you want to find someplace to rent for your eventual relocation to Eugene? Or you just want to look around and get some feeling for the market, but not take any action? Or do you want to buy instead of rent?

Eugene welcome newcomers? It depends on what type of Eugene people and what type of person that you are. The blue collars and the truck-driving white collars are not so friendly in my experience. The more liberal types and more highly educated people are very friendly. Of course, those are just broad generalities. Your results may vary.

[Metlakatla]

Originally Posted by placeseeker

Couldn't follow the posts and then saw Metlakatla's were deleted. What's going on?

I deleted them myself. I found it weird that someone would simply ask if you had a gun, and asked why, got snippy responses and decided that this conversation wasn't worth my time (not because of you; your questions are valid).

Personally I don't think there is any reason for you to bring a gun to Eugene. I live close by and when I go into Eugene I'm not beseiged by meth users. Yes, it exists and it does create petty property crimes but you don't need to walk around armed.

[docwatson]

As a visitor considering relocation, I will comment on my experiences:

I visited Eugene twice and the neighborhoods south of the University up to the south hills was beautiful and safe. Went running and cycling on the river trail, climbed the butte, visited the performing arts center, the rhododendron garden and the University (one of the most beautiful campuses I've seen) - all nice. I've been told south of the River is the part of town that has the "college town" feel, where more open-minded people live?? I toured with a realtor and one of the odd things about Eugene - most of the condos got built in the leafy south hills, not in town! I did get a sense that people viewed north of the river as the more conservative suburbs, south of the River as the more liberal, and farther west as the poor parts of town.

Anyway, people were friendly and genuinely intelligent, I had several good conversations with people I met on the trails, in coffeeshops, etc - probably the more liberal, educated types Mr Eugenified describes (which suits me fine - and I did not find the snooty attitudes you sometimes find in the self-desribed liberals - just nice people!) So I didn't feel unwelcome at all, quite the opposite.

Be prepared, parts of town are grungy-looking, including parts of downtown, and you will see some strange people and aimless youth - reminds one that Oregon is a pretty poor state outside of the cities, and that this is also an area where old hippies settled. I didn't feel unsafe and the crime stats pretty much bear that out. I only say this b/c my impressions on two trips out there is that it could be a pretty neat place to live, but there are some contrasts and grunginess and I did let this color my impression. Many posters here comment that Eugene can present a grungy surface and its good to look beyond that. Apparently after years of college town politics the downtown is/will be undergoing a lot of revitalization in the next few years.

I've heard Corvallis gives a cleaner, smaller town, and perhaps more affluent feel if you are looking for a college town in the NW - might check it out while out there as its down the road - I did not have time.

[placeseeker]

Thank you, Mr. E and Doc -

I'll check out Corvallis when I visit the area. But it's probably a lot more expensive, correct?

Eugene caught my eye when I saw Melanie Rios on Peak Moment.

Grungy is OK if all else is civil. I'm liberal, have a lot of education ....... but unfortunately that didn't translate into money. Mostly I've worked under grants, fellowships etc. They pay less and don't contribute to Social Security.

With respect to my questions:
1) need safe motel/hotel (or other?) to stay while I'm there. Staying 1-2 weeks.

2) housing: if I decide to move there - I want to rent a 1 BR or efficiency for the first year. But again, I want to be safe as I'll be alone.

Does anyone follow Eckhart Tolle?

Metlakatla - thanks for clearing that up. Please post again. Since you live in the area, I'm interested in your comments.

[Mr Eugenified]

OK, got a better idea now what you are looking for. Here we go:

Corvallis: First of all, it is definitely not more "upscale" than Eugene. Rather, it is smaller and sleepier than Eugene. Prices for houses are about the same as Eugene. Biggest problem for me is that it lacks some key retail that I need every once in a while. Plus, Eugene has a lot more restaurants; I am a big fan of trying all sorts of restaurants (see my website).

Hotel in the area: When I visited on a "scouting" trip before moving here, I stayed at the Holiday Inn Express on Franklin. It's near the University, although it is on the other side of a very loud/busy street. Nice and clean plus free breakfast. Rate around $100 per night. I would suggest you avoid any of the motels along seventh or closer to downtown. Of course, the Hilton downtown is probably nice, but I would assume the room rate is a lot higher.

Things to do/see while visiting: I did a post a while back with a two day itinerary of things to do/see. It might be a good idea for you to follow this for a couple of days just as an excuse to move around town and get a feeling for the place. Here's the link:
//www.city-data.com/forum/eugen...l#post13426525

Rentals: They run around $400 per bedroom in this area. Closer to the university, quality goes down for this same price. Further away, quality goes up. But there are not many one bedroom units, so you may have to look for a while or consider a two bedroom.

Area: Focus on the area south, southwest, and southeast of the university for the best quality of life (anything south of 20th street) and the type of people you would most likely get along with. Just west of the university as well as in the downtown area, you get a mix of characters, and it gets a little "dicey" at times, but it also has a certain attraction (walking everywhere, very compact, all small retailers, etc.). I am clearly a "south of the river" person, but I do know there are some nice areas north of the river, especially around Oakway shopping center and also west of Costco. But I don't think those areas would be good for someone like you. Just too suburban and a little boring. Truck-driving accountants with big "O" stickers on the back window tend to like those areas the most. ;-)

How to find rentals: Everything is on craigslist. Even the big rental agents put all their listings on craigslist, although they also usually have listings on their own websites. Go through craigslist each day, write down a bunch of addresses, then drive around and check out the locations. No need to call or set appointments to see inside any of the units at first. Just spend a couple of days checking out the exteriors and neighborhoods versus the rental prices listed in the ads. After you get a better idea, you can focus in on the type of place you want, your budget, and your preferred area. Then start making appointments with the agents for them to open up the units for you to see inside.

How to get around: You will need a rental car to get around and see the various areas around town. Ultimately, you may decide that you don't need a car once you live here (you can bike and take public transport), but you should definitely use a car when visiting.

Good luck!