Looking to Relocate from Colorado (Eugene, Medford: rentals, living in, dangerous)

[RockyMountainLiving]

I am looking into relocating to Oregon from Colorado. I've done some preliminary research, but need some help! I am looking at the Eugene area because my boyfriend needs access to the water and I need access to a good paying, professional job. I love to hike and ski and need to be able to do one or the other. We DO NOT want to live in a city, but would like reasonable commuting access to it for work. I've gone on Craigslist and the housing in the rural areas looks like it's non-existing. We also need housing that allows pets. I have a cattle dog/husky mix and my boyfriend has an american bulldog. We also both have a cat. I don't want to be some place where it is cold and/or rains all the time. Being outdoors and enjoying nature is VERY important to me. Any thoughts or ideas out there?? It would be much appreciated!!!

[bler144]

Eugene is a city, though depending on where in Lane County you wanted to be density (and relatedly, access to services) can vary greatly.

In the rural areas there are rentals, just fewer of them, precisely for the reason there's less housing/fewer people there to start with.

You say you don't want to be somewhere where it rains all the time, but fairly constant cloud cover/precipitation is the norm between say Xmas and Easter. Add or subtract a month on either end depending on the weather that year. Summers tend to be very dry, and winters tend to be wet.

[delta07]

My husband and I moved to Bend, OR from Colorado 7 years ago. It was a pretty difficult transition for me, as I grew up in CO and was used to the sunshine, especially in the winter. There is absolutely no way I would be able to survive in Eugene. If you love the CO sun, you will most likely be miserable in Eugene. You also mention you do not want to live in a city, so are you wanting to live rural? I believe it rains even more the further out from the valley you get into the Cascades or the coast range. While Bend may be tough in terms of jobs, you might want to consider it, as it might fit both your needs a little better.

[Arushan]

My advice would be to flood both the Bend area and the Medford area with job applications, then move to which ever place you get hired in. With your pet situation, take pretty much what ever rental you can get. And then later on, pounce on the ideal rural rental whenever it becomes available.

[Dangerous Dave]

The spring/summer/fall are very similar. You'd be trading the cold, windy winter for mild and rainy. The rain isn't harsh, cold downpours as you're conditioned to in Denver. It's more of a constant drizzle. I've actually been out hiking and biking during the winter, even in the rain. Skiing would have to happen somewhere else... maybe Bend or Mt. Hood. But then you're probably used to driving to Summit Co. to ski anyhow...

Another plus is the wind isn't bad as you see in Denver, FoCo etc. In fact, after living in Wyoming the wind in western Oregon is pretty much non existent. Plus you have the ocean close by.

Eugene has plenty of rural area close by, and commuting in the winter isn't an issue because you won't be dealing with snow and bad road conditions. Check out Veneta, Junction City, etc. I actually lived in Albany and had neighbors that drove to Eugene every day... and my boss at the time drove up from Springfield every day.

All in all I like Oregon way better... but I'm more of an ocean, seafood, etc. person.

[KaaBoom]

Originally Posted by Dangerous Dave

The spring/summer/fall are very similar. You'd be trading the cold, windy winter for mild and rainy. The rain isn't harsh, cold downpours as you're conditioned to in Denver. It's more of a constant drizzle. I've actually been out hiking and biking during the winter, even in the rain. Skiing would have to happen somewhere else... maybe Bend or Mt. Hood. But then you're probably used to driving to Summit Co. to ski anyhow...

Another plus is the wind isn't bad as you see in Denver, FoCo etc. In fact, after living in Wyoming the wind in western Oregon is pretty much non existent. Plus you have the ocean close by.

Eugene has plenty of rural area close by, and commuting in the winter isn't an issue because you won't be dealing with snow and bad road conditions. Check out Veneta, Junction City, etc. I actually lived in Albany and had neighbors that drove to Eugene every day... and my boss at the time drove up from Springfield every day.

All in all I like Oregon way better... but I'm more of an ocean, seafood, etc. person.

I'd agree with this. Colorado is OK for mountains, but is seriously lacking for water options. The Colorado landscape tends to be brown and barren compared to the greenness of Oregon. Oregon weather totally beats Colorado in every way except for total sunshine. Oregon just offers so many more options for outdoor activities then Colorado IMHO.