Done with CA (Eugene, Springfield: violent crime, homes, employment)

[texasdiver]

Originally Posted by kirby10

Dear Roman Empire,
So you are done with California....that's what we thought....we moved to Eugene
in November of 2014, and have wanted to go back on day one. I had blinders on
when we moved here. This is the Berkeley of Oregon, and all that it implies. We can't wait
to move back to all that we thought was wrong with California...this is like moving to another
planet. Hope you like hunting.

Eugene has been Berkeley-North since at least the 1960s if not before. You moved there and didn't know that?

[RomanEmpire]

Originally Posted by kirby10

Dear Roman Empire,
So you are done with California....that's what we thought....we moved to Eugene
in November of 2014, and have wanted to go back on day one. I had blinders on
when we moved here. This is the Berkeley of Oregon, and all that it implies. We can't wait
to move back to all that we thought was wrong with California...this is like moving to another
planet. Hope you like hunting.

Kirby10
Could you specify what do you meant by blinders?. Also, you did you researched your destination before going? Was your move to just move? I am trying to get a better perspective on your point of view, being negative and for what reason. Eugene is a University town and so in terms it's easy to know what comes with it such a town. Barkeley is in some form the same way. If you are referring to some other issue, please point it out. There are some negatives that just about every city suffer from. Regardless of where, it will have a form of it. The primary objective is to explore and see how the rest of the city feels about it & how they handle it. If you are pointing out the fact that Eugene is liberal & open minded place then please specify. I am not sure where in CA you were & why you left, but I am assuming there had to be pretty good reason, as most people try to find any possible reason to not relocate. Once you have a family root, it's hard to simply just go. I can't find an article I read in regards to wishing to move back to CA from Oregon, the point to this reference is the Author at the end simply clears the story by pointing out all the reason why she had left CA in the first place. And all the reasons why she had chosen & moved to Oregon. In short, you moved a year ago, and from day 1 you indicate that you wanted to go back. I have to wonder what your original reason for moving was & why Eugene as a destination that clearly disappointed you. Then I can logically compare your experience to my reasons for wanting to move there and see if they relate in anyway.

Thanks for the input.

[LeavinOnAJetPlane]

Originally Posted by Harpaint

Hunters in Berkley? Is it hippies or rednecks that you object to?

No rednecks in Berkeley. Granola and Birkenstocks? yes. Thugs? yes. ENtitled College kids? Yes.

I like Berkeley so I am glad we will live in Springfield/Eugene Or.

[pdxMIKEpdx]

Just so people know, there have been tons of posts here lately by people slamming Oregon and Portland.

To me, it sounds like some people didn't do their research before they moved here, and believed the the over-hype and PR baloney supposed trendiness that Oregon is currently being subjected to by people living outside it's borders.

Just realize that a lot of this negativity is just plain sour grapes from people who were either unprepared when they moved here (like moving here without a job) or didn't realize what they were getting in to, being blinded by all the rosy hype.

Take those posts with a grain of salt, there are plenty of people here who have the exact opposite (good) experiences, but they aren't as vocal about it.

[oregonwoodsmoke]

Originally Posted by pdxMIKEpdx

.......Just realize that a lot of this negativity is just plain sour grapes from people who were either unprepared when they moved here (like moving here without a job) or didn't realize what they were getting in to, being blinded by all the rosy hype.........

It might be a good thing for the additional people who are blinded by the rosy hype and planning to move to such a dreamy perfect rainbow infested place, to hear about the experiences of the other unrealistic dreamers. Although, it doesn't appear to ever sink in.

It's a bit alarming to read all the made-up beliefs of some of the people who are planning on moving to Portland and to see how angry they get about any attempt to give them a hint about reality. They've found Shangri-la, by golly, and nobody had better dare to tell them different.

You know the place has no relationship to the myths and that the dreamers are going to be very disappointed when they arrive. They don't want to hear it, though.

[MotleyCrew]

Sometimes you get what you give. I love Portland myself.

[pdxMIKEpdx]

Originally Posted by oregonwoodsmoke

It might be a good thing for the additional people who are blinded by the rosy hype and planning to move to such a dreamy perfect rainbow infested place, to hear about the experiences of the other unrealistic dreamers. Although, it doesn't appear to ever sink in.

It's a bit alarming to read all the made-up beliefs of some of the people who are planning on moving to Portland and to see how angry they get about any attempt to give them a hint about reality. They've found Shangri-la, by golly, and nobody had better dare to tell them different.

You know the place has no relationship to the myths and that the dreamers are going to be very disappointed when they arrive. They don't want to hear it, though.

I guess Oregon is the perfect example of "Your Mileage May Vary".

[kirby10]

Dear RE

Though my opinion is clearly MY opinion, and as Terry Cole Whittaker rightly observed, "what you
think of me is none of my business", I come from place of frustration with Eugene and Oregon.
It is from being a dyed in the wool Californian, but not knowing it until I left. I believe that Oregon's
state motto should be "Oregon, Lower Your Standards". Clearly, that is a point that deserves an
explanation. There is not enough room to define where that completely comes from. Anyone reading
this that is a "dyed in the wool Oregonian" would clearly be offended by that remark, and rightly so.

I have found that people that have recently moved here from California either love it or hate it. Who
am I to define your experience? It is certainly one thing to know that it rains alot here, and I actually
love the rain. I would suggest coming here and staying for a month in the winter, it can be smokey,
foggy, cold, and can be a completely different experience than the summer. Okay that sounds like
a stupid remark, but as an already "depressed area", it gets even more so. Look up the "Population
and Demographics" profile. There is some valuable information there.
Make sure you drive into as many areas of Eugene/Springfield as possible. As a newcomer you will
find the people here open for conversation. There is a "good ol' boys' club" here, alive and well. It
may be years before that mentality clears out, if at all.
I also suggest subscribing to the Register Guard and pay careful attention to the "letters" to the
Editor. It is a window into the minds of the residents. There are many local issues that extract
plenty of politcal/social banter.
I have completely hesitated to attempt to explain my angst with Oregon. It is another State with
a unique vibe. Your choice; love it or hate it.

[MotleyCrew]

Originally Posted by kirby10

Dear RE

Though my opinion is clearly MY opinion, and as Terry Cole Whittaker rightly observed, "what you
think of me is none of my business", I come from place of frustration with Eugene and Oregon.
It is from being a dyed in the wool Californian, but not knowing it until I left. I believe that Oregon's
state motto should be "Oregon, Lower Your Standards". Clearly, that is a point that deserves an
explanation. There is not enough room to define where that completely comes from. Anyone reading
this that is a "dyed in the wool Oregonian" would clearly be offended by that remark, and rightly so.

I have found that people that have recently moved here from California either love it or hate it. Who
am I to define your experience? It is certainly one thing to know that it rains alot here, and I actually
love the rain. I would suggest coming here and staying for a month in the winter, it can be smokey,
foggy, cold, and can be a completely different experience than the summer. Okay that sounds like
a stupid remark, but as an already "depressed area", it gets even more so. Look up the "Population
and Demographics" profile. There is some valuable information there.
Make sure you drive into as many areas of Eugene/Springfield as possible. As a newcomer you will
find the people here open for conversation. There is a "good ol' boys' club" here, alive and well. It
may be years before that mentality clears out, if at all.
I also suggest subscribing to the Register Guard and pay careful attention to the "letters" to the
Editor. It is a window into the minds of the residents. There are many local issues that extract
plenty of politcal/social banter.
I have completely hesitated to attempt to explain my angst with Oregon. It is another State with
a unique vibe. Your choice; love it or hate it.

Coming from a nepotistic little Good old Boy village in Paradise CA...I can tell you Good Old Boy Clubs are everywhere, not just in Oregon. It is a human condition that allows for insiders to control business and other things and want to protect and preserve their perceived power over others. California north had/have the worst of them and town clowns tried for 12 years to ruin our business and our personal lives. We won in the end. But sadly CA is no better or worse than Oregon. Sometimes you have to push back a little to make your nest.

[fluffythewondercat]

Originally Posted by RomanEmpire

3) Simply looking for jobs that will place us in the median income bracket, are none of those around?

The last time I looked at a list of the top ten biggest employers in Lane County, they were all governmental or quasi-governmental agencies. To me, that says it is a place where I would never want to live, even if I didn't already know that from having attended the University of Oregon and having made frequent business trips to Eugene over the last ten years. To you, it may mean you can get a govt job.

BTW, I refer to Eugene as "Santa Cruz North."

Look, as long as you stay out of downtown Eugene, it's probably OK. I could tell you stories about the local loonies. Keep in mind, though, that once you get outside of city limits, people are quite conservative. It's the townies who are ultra-progressive. There is a huge sense of entitlement. It seems like every time I visit Eugene, someone wants to tell me their bitter, angry story about how their income is insufficient for their wants.

Here's something else to keep in mind, an actual statistic: Compared to other cities its size, Eugene has the highest number of car break-ins in the U.S. You should definitely look at other local crime stats as well.

I won't try to talk you out of moving there, but I was born and raised in Oregon and I would never, ever go back to live there again.