Intellectuals in Eugene (Corvallis: 2015, buy, university)

[NC_Paddler]

Hi folks,

Is Eugene a fairly intellectual city? By "intellectual", I not only mean formally educated, although that is part of the equation, but I'm referring more generally to rational, scientifically-minded people who tend to be independent, forward-thinking critical thinkers, rather than followers and TV junkies and super-religious. I suspect Eugene is like many cities with a large university in that regard, but would appreciate any input on that matter.

Thanks in advance.

[boulder2015]

Yes, I think you will find a lot of intellectual people in Eugene. However, you will also find a lot of unscientific New Age/hippie thinking as well to replace the lack of religious conservatives. Overall, it's a cool college town, with a lot of people who "think outside the box"... but some go a little too far outside the box. You'll find your circle, though, and you can make fun of them together!

Read the Eugene Weekly, especially the letters, if you want a preview of what you're in for... the Weekly always cracked me up.

[NC_Paddler]

Originally Posted by boulder2015

Yes, I think you will find a lot of intellectual people in Eugene. However, you will also find a lot of unscientific New Age/hippie thinking as well to replace the lack of religious conservatives.

Thanks for the feedback. It's interesting you make that comparison between the new agers and the fundamentalists. You're right, it's two sides of the same coin. I live in Asheville, NC, the land of woo-woo, magic crystals, drum circles, astrology, and of course the "vortex". Although I find them far more tolerable than the fundies, it's pretty much an intellectual desert. I'm looking for a place where critical thinking and scientific/philosophical inquiry is celebrated, and where most people have both feet planted firmly on the ground. A tall order here in 'Murica, to be certain, but I'm ever the optimist.

[oregonwoodsmoke]

Eugene is a university town with college type activities going on, lectures and interesting guest speakers and that sort of thing.

My experience with college students and a large percentage of collage professors is that they are the worst sheep out there. While patting themselves on the back for being both intellectual and superior, they toe the party line exactly. Whatever they are supposed to think, they think. Whatever everyone else is wearing, they wear. They read what they are told to read and draw the conclusions they are expected to draw. Professors and students seem to be well sheltered from reality.

But yes, Eugene is a university town. There is also a large population of new age types. You can have your cards read and buy healing crystals and feathered wands and you wouldn't be the only one walking the streets in a sorcerer's robe.

[oregonwoodsmoke]

I forgot to mention that the city of Eugene has adopted the homeless like pets that they care for. It's like feeding stray cats. The word goes out and stray cats flock into the area for the free food.

The homeless grapevine has gone out that Eugene is a great place to be homeless and thus Eugene is jammed full of homeless. The city makes sure they aren't moved on from where they settle and there is free food and services for them.

[NC_Paddler]

Thanks for the feedback. Eugene sounds a bit like a larger Asheville (sorcerer's robe, lol).

I don't have any problem with trying to help out the homeless; people complain about that here too, but I wonder if it's just that they resent being made to feel uncomfortable by having it right up in there faces, instead of tucked away somewhere remote where they don't have to think about it or deal with it. And on the bright side, it sounds like a compassionate place, which is not a bad thing.

[boulder2015]

Originally Posted by NC_Paddler

Thanks for the feedback. Eugene sounds a bit like a larger Asheville (sorcerer's robe, lol).

I don't have any problem with trying to help out the homeless; people complain about that here too, but I wonder if it's just that they resent being made to feel uncomfortable by having it right up in there faces, instead of tucked away somewhere remote where they don't have to think about it or deal with it. And on the bright side, it sounds like a compassionate place, which is not a bad thing.

Yeah, try it for a few years, see how compassionate you still are... I'm basically a "wacko liberal" type, but Eugene would try even my patience. People have confused "helping the homeless" with allowing mobs of sketchy methheads to roam the streets, intimidating people, breaking into cars, SETTING UP CAMPS IN ****ING TRAFFIC MEDIANS, leaving heroin needles lying around, polluting the river, acting like spoiled babies if a shelter or managed homeless camp has ANY rules about drugs, dogs, smoking, open containers, or anything else, etc. You can have programs to help people get off the street AND still enforce the law. Eugene does not appear to have followed that path. The political emphasis seems more on "making it easier to live on the streets" than "making it easier to get OFF the streets". Not the first town I've seen that in, unfortunately.

It's not that people mind "helping the homeless", it's that they mind that the sketchiest elements of that crowd seem to have a disproportionate influence on local politics.

Also, if you're looking for a basically liberal town, where science and rationalism are king, rather than New Age or Christian woo... then you should check out Corvallis. A completely different mental vibe than Eugene, and it doesn't resemble the set of the Walking Dead like that town does.

[NC_Paddler]

Originally Posted by boulder2015

Yeah, try it for a few years, see how compassionate you still are... I'm basically a "wacko liberal" type, but Eugene would try even my patience. People have confused "helping the homeless" with allowing mobs of sketchy methheads to roam the streets, intimidating people, breaking into cars, SETTING UP CAMPS IN ****ING TRAFFIC MEDIANS, leaving heroin needles lying around, polluting the river, acting like spoiled babies if a shelter or managed homeless camp has ANY rules about drugs, dogs, smoking, open containers, or anything else, etc. You can have programs to help people get off the street AND still enforce the law. Eugene does not appear to have followed that path. The political emphasis seems more on "making it easier to live on the streets" than "making it easier to get OFF the streets". Not the first town I've seen that in, unfortunately.

It's not that people mind "helping the homeless", it's that they mind that the sketchiest elements of that crowd seem to have a disproportionate influence on local politics.

Also, if you're looking for a basically liberal town, where science and rationalism are king, rather than New Age or Christian woo... then you should check out Corvallis. A completely different mental vibe than Eugene, and it doesn't resemble the set of the Walking Dead like that town does.

Interesting, thanks again -- I do appreciate the feedback on all counts. I'll look into Corvallis as well.

Are you from Boulder, by the way? That's another place I'm considering.

[boulder2015]

No, but I'm moving there later this year. Live in Montana currently, but lived in both Corvallis and Eugene previously. Would love to live in Corvallis again, but Boulder has the work my partner and I need right now. Corvallis is the best... but shhh don't tell anyone. Watching Eugene decline over the years has been brutal.... used to be so nice. Was very nice when I lived there in late 80s, but really fell apart in the past decade or so.