Moving to Eugene or Portland (Salem, Gresham: vacation home, transfer, neighborhoods)

[oachiever]

I am from West Coast originially, then high school and college in Mid-West. I moved to Charlotte, NC 4 years ago. Let me just say, it is way too hot and humid! Also I have found that the mind-set here is just too different for me. Upon lots of research on annual temperatures, I believe Oregon is my state. I really do not like temps above low 80's, nor temps below 20. I don't care about rain, I'm fine with it, just hate heat. Can anyone recommend Eugene over Portland? or Salem? I don't mind larger cities, yet don't really care for small towns at all. Any input at all will help.

[jjpop]

Originally Posted by oachiever

I am from West Coast originially, then high school and college in Mid-West. I moved to Charlotte, NC 4 years ago. Let me just say, it is way too hot and humid! Also I have found that the mind-set here is just too different for me. Upon lots of research on annual temperatures, I believe Oregon is my state. I really do not like temps above low 80's, nor temps below 20. I don't care about rain, I'm fine with it, just hate heat. Can anyone recommend Eugene over Portland? or Salem? I don't mind larger cities, yet don't really care for small towns at all. Any input at all will help.

Here's what I see you're looking for:
1) not too hot
2) not too cold
3) don't mind rain
4) larger city OK
5) not a small town

The answer: yes to Portland, yes to Eugene, yes to Salem.

You'll have to provide more details about what you want to narrow it down further. Do you need a job? If you do, you should focus on the job first rather than the geography because jobs are hard to come by.

[Haley James]

Originally Posted by oachiever

I don't mind larger cities, yet don't really care for small towns at all. Any input at all will help.

Coming from Charlotte NC I believe Eugene to you will feel quite small.

Charlotte, NC metropolitan area pop. 1,745,524.

Eugene-Springfield, OR metropolitan area 351,715.

Portland, Or, metropolitan area 2,260,000 fits your criteria.

As jjpop mentioned it would be helpful to know more details as well

[Bozman]

My wie and i are mixed, we would like to ,move to Oregon. Can anyone tell me what the state is like for mixed couples or which cities are best for diversity. We went though here 4 years ago and really liked Salem, Eugene, Carvalis, Bend, Lookg for help???

[oachiever]

Thanks for the replies that I did get back. A few more details. I work in retail management, have for years. I can transfer with my employer, but once I'm there, I can switch if possible. I am looking for a 1 or 2 bedroom apt. or house for around $650 per month. I guess I will need to be around retail opportunities given my experience. Is Tigard or Washington Square area a nice place in Portland? Any places in Salem or Eugene you would recommend? Thanks.

[Rob Allen]

Yes, the Tigard/Washington Square area is a pleasant suburb.

[mkl654321]

I've lived in all three places--currently, I'm in Eugene, attending grad school at the UO. There are distinct differences between Portland/Salem/Eugene:

1. Size, obviously. Salem is suburbia-sized. Eugene is a small city; Portland is a large one. Only Portland has anything resembling big-city traffic.

2. Weather. Portland is colder/rainier than Salem or Eugene and gets hit by windstorms that come through the Columbia Gorge. Salem is, in turn, colder and rainier than Eugene. The differences are small but significant--as in the difference between Portland and Seattle, a few degrees of longitude make a big difference in the potential nastiness of the winter weather.

3. Political/social climate. Portland is a large urban landscape, and surprisingly "white" to those used to a more "diverse" demographic. (I personally don't think "diversity" is all that wonderful in and of itself.) Salem is small-town state-goverment (like other small state capitals like Olympia, Pierre, etc.), and has a surprisingly large Hispanic population (and has, as a consequence, some of the worst drivers on the planet). Eugene is a very liberal college town, and everything begins and ends with the university. People are very nice to each other (if a bit goofy), and there's lots of great food, culture, etc. as you would expect in a college town. Eugene is also within a hour's drive of the mountains OR the beach. (Portland is more than two hours from the coast, or eleven days on summer weekends.)

[mkl654321]

Originally Posted by Bozman

My wie and i are mixed, we would like to ,move to Oregon. Can anyone tell me what the state is like for mixed couples or which cities are best for diversity. We went though here 4 years ago and really liked Salem, Eugene, Carvalis, Bend, Lookg for help???

Eugene was voted (three years running) the most "tolerant" city for LBGT individuals, and we're pretty mellowed out here (almost to the point of catatonia), plus, we're all so damn nice it seems downright pathological at times. So I think being a mixed-race couple would elicit nothing more than mild curioslty--not even that, probably.

Stay the hell out of Salem. It's a ****hole.

Bend is where the Glenn Beck disciples have all moved to. Beautiful setting and nice climate, but you need to carry two loaded guns at all times.

Corvallis is a university town not unlike Eugene, except with less amenities, drunker students (which is really saying something once you've been in Eugene on a Saturday night), and more cows.

All in all, if you want to find a tolerant environment, Oregon is probably your best choice--even more so than California (and here, we'll pump your gas for you!).

[mkl654321]

Originally Posted by oachiever

Thanks for the replies that I did get back. A few more details. I work in retail management, have for years. I can transfer with my employer, but once I'm there, I can switch if possible. I am looking for a 1 or 2 bedroom apt. or house for around $650 per month. I guess I will need to be around retail opportunities given my experience. Is Tigard or Washington Square area a nice place in Portland? Any places in Salem or Eugene you would recommend? Thanks.

In Portland, the two retail "hubs" are Beaverton (west side) and Gresham (east side). Tigard is a nice area but in the extreme SW corner, which means a long commute to downtown.

The only place I would recommend in Salem is "elsewhere", but if it comes to that, make SURE you are on the west side. The farther, the better.

Eugene has some nice neighborhoods and some, uh, "eclectic" ones. In general, stay away from the downtown core. The north side has some nice areas (big, lovely parks), but my favorite area is the South Hills. There isn't much in the way of multi-unit housing in the south, though--that's more in the north.

$650 a month would do you well in Eugene or Salem, but your choices in Portland would be pretty limited for that---if you wanted a decent place in a good neighborhood, figure on more like $800.

[mkl654321]

Originally Posted by CDSA

Easy now, there's some sanity in Bend. With a lot of the mountain-goat types who worship golden retrievers and snowshoeing, you see more liberal politics, quite often. The Glenn Beck disciples are usually the retirees with vacation homes in Bend. They're so damned old they couldn't gay-bash or oppress even if they used every ounce of their strength. It's really not that bad here.

May wanna stay out of Prineville or La Pine, tho.

I suppose Bend would probably be seen as middle-of-the-road to somebody from, say, God's Wrath, Texas. I'm viewing it in the context of being in Oregon. The place really belongs in Idaho or Wyoming

It was interesting to see that the entire state west of the Cascades went blue in 2008, while east of the Cascades was all red. This is both caused by, and reinforces, the impression that in Oregon, the Red Zone is politically ruled by the Blue Zone.

The beauty of the place, and the outdoor recreation opportunities, would offset, at least for me, any political wackjobness. For that matter, Eugene is not devoid of silliness in that regard, either.