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Crime: Don't believe the nonsense you read in this forum about crime (from the same one or two people who don't live here or from a few trolls who enter the forum to make one post trashing a city because they got fired from their minimum wage job for smoking pot in the parking lot...). In Eugene, petty crime is an issue in the university area (immediately west of campus) where lots of students live. There are also some grungy homeless people hanging around downtown and along 7th street near Washington (soup kitchens and homeless shelters are located around there). Once on a while they will ask for spare change. Some of them have the bright idea to stand at a couple of intersections with signs asking for spare change. A little disturbing to look at if you are the sensitive type. But no big deal really.
"Meth": You will not have any contact whatsoever with "meth" if you do not deal with or hang around with lowlifes (They're easy to recognize and thus to avoid). You should also avoid living downtown or in the older housing section just north of downtown. Some small lower income areas around the northwest and north end of Eugene are a little "rough" (mainly pickup truck idiots and their drunken adventures). But there are some nice neighborhoods there also. Anywhere in the central area of Eugene and the entire south (southwest to southeast) are all wonderful and nearly zero crime. Don't believe me and don't believe the troll posters...Check out the police crime map on the Register-Guard website. (Eugene police call log (beta) | The Register-Guard ...left click on the little red dots to understand the seriousness of each. Many of them are just things like "patrol check" or "traffic stop")
In Corvallis, I think it is basically the same, especially with the petty crimes issue, but the homeless issue is less serious there because it is not a major train/bus stop, and there are not as many facilities setup to support the homeless (so they leave Corvallis).
More importantly, the big difference for me between Corvallis and Eugene is the width and depth of offerings. In terms of retail stores, Eugene is way ahead of Corvalis. We have big stores, medium stores, and small stores. We also have lots of different restaurants including big chains but also a large number of small locally-owned places (check out my website for reviews). We also have more biking, hiking, greenery, etc. locations. Because we are a bigger city, we also have many more events (music, art, plays, etc) and various clubs/groups to get involved with.
Jobs: There are very few jobs available in EITHER city, unless you are working in healthcare (Peace Health) or for the university (OSU or UO).
A few points to address what Mr. Eugenified states above:
1.METH - Meth is widespread in all of Western Oregon; I've seen tweakers in every town I've visited, including Eugene. They will steal your stuff, even your car, if it's not protected with multiple anti-theft devices and alarms. Oregon has a disproportionate amount of meth compared to much of the rest of the US, in part due to the high unemployment. Oregon also has the strictest laws for cleaning up meth labs.
2.There's a misperception on the forums that Eugene is a small town. Eugene is NOT a small town, w/ a metro of 250K shared with Springfield and outlining communities. Because it's a medium-sized market, therefore the Crime Score on the City-Data.Com index is well over 200. If you would like lower crime, try a smaller town such as Corvallis, Ashland, etc. It is unrealistic to expect the crime index to fall below 200 for a city of Eugene/Springfield's size, although anything is possible.
However, it does seem that the area from UO south, southwest, and southeast is its own separate town, completely seperate from areas west and north. These areas are very similar to older neighborhoods in Berkeley, Boulder, Seattle, and Flagstaff. And, I think those are the most attractive areas to live.
3.Eugene is a low density city w/ a chaotic freeway layout system, w/ confusing on- and off-ramps, that is probably harder than many towns to navigate and patrol for crime.
4.The "downtown area" in Eugene will get revitalized someday, and when it does, that will lower crime and improve traffic flow.
5.Corvallis has 7.5% unemployment as of Dec. 2009. Compare that to ~12% in Eugene. Perhaps that's at least one reason for less homelessness and less crime in Corvallis.
In Eugene, petty crime is an issue in the university area (immediately west of campus) where lots of students live. There are also some grungy homeless people hanging around downtown and along 7th street near Washington (soup kitchens and homeless shelters are located around there).
Partially agree. I have lived in Eugene a long time, and I know people who have been burglarized in all areas of town, including South Hills and the area south of UO where the professors live. You can be a victim of petty theft or burglary in any part of town. Just take precautions, it isn't an unsafe town but it's foolish to assume you are immune b/c you live in a more upscale neighborhood.
Downtown, Whiteaker, Bethel/Trainsong, West Campus, West Eugene, and areas just north and west of Downtown have the most crime.
MR. Eugenified, Thank you so much for your intelligent, balanced and very insightful look at both of these places. I am excited to explore this part of the country. With respect to my first post; There is a good chance that my husband would go to U of O and me to OSU. In your opinion would it make sense for us to live in Eugene and I commute to OSU? He will be in undergrad and me in grad which means most likely more of my classes willl be three hour one night a week deals. We would be NY transplants so the idea of more stuff available appeals to us. Your thought on this or anything else you would care to share would be immensely appreciated as we know nobody out there and will be moving essentially blind.
MR. Eugenified, Thank you so much for your intelligent, balanced and very insightful look at both of these places. I am excited to explore this part of the country. With respect to my first post; There is a good chance that my husband would go to U of O and me to OSU. In your opinion would it make sense for us to live in Eugene and I commute to OSU? He will be in undergrad and me in grad which means most likely more of my classes willl be three hour one night a week deals. We would be NY transplants so the idea of more stuff available appeals to us. Your thought on this or anything else you would care to share would be immensely appreciated as we know nobody out there and will be moving essentially blind.
Hi PA.NY.: There was another thread recently where somebody asked the same question about commuting between Eugene and Salem (or maybe it was Corvallis). I think the public transportation options are limited but honestly I don't know much about it. Driving is not too bad and takes about 45 mins. You could even consider living on the northern edge of Eugene or southern edge of Corvallis to reduce that a bit. There are some really small towns in between also, but I don't know much about them. Too small for me!
Pomona:
There are a number of small communities around Corvallis; Albany and Lebanon come to mind. Corvallis is about 30-40mi. north of Eugene and 65 mi south of Portland. Below is a link to GSRMC. It info about the facility and services offered.
Jim
Mr. Eugenified ~ thanks for the great details! Where are you from originally? I find that east coast people such as myself seem to glorify the NW (for good reason) but also have a practical bent to find the perfect place to live. I would think that Eugene really is more big-city, but again wonder if even the jobs in healthcare and at the university aren't fought over by all the recent grads? Also what is the rental situation there? I'd prefer renting a small older house or apartment, are there such funky places in the safer southern areas of town?
Mr. Eugenified ~ thanks for the great details! Where are you from originally? I find that east coast people such as myself seem to glorify the NW (for good reason) but also have a practical bent to find the perfect place to live. I would think that Eugene really is more big-city, but again wonder if even the jobs in healthcare and at the university aren't fought over by all the recent grads? Also what is the rental situation there? I'd prefer renting a small older house or apartment, are there such funky places in the safer southern areas of town?
Hi Pomona:
In answer to your post:
I am originally from Los Angeles but lived overseas for about 20 years before returning to the USA in 2008. I had no restrictions on where to live, so I took a few months to search various locations up and down the west coast. Finally decided on Eugene, OR from among "final candidates" Eureka CA, Rohnert Park CA, Santa Rosa CA, Davis CA, Chico CA, Corvallis OR, and Portland OR. Mrs. E and I visited each location and stayed for a couple of days in each. We also rented in Eugene for 7 months and went through one winter season before making final decision to stay.
Fighting over university/healthcare jobs? I think there is probably competition, but my impression is that it is not as bad as expected. There are few jobs but also few people qualified for those jobs. I would not consider fresh university grads as competition for a job that requires experience. But that is just my impression from reading the newspaper and hearing people make comments. I have no first-hand knowledge on this.
Jobs general: Most (but not all) of the vocal complaints about the job situation in Oregon are related to lower-level jobs that require few qualifications. There are not many of these jobs available; Oregon is still a fairly empty, spread-out state with low density of businesses and high density of trees. But there are enough people who fight for these jobs to make them hard to get and hard to hold (for seasonal businesses).
Rentals: Here's my brief summary of the rental opportunities in each area that I am familiar with...
West of UO: Plenty of funky, grungy, rundown rentals for students. Many older houses but they are starting to build more low-rise apartments also. If you look hard enough, you could also find some renovated older houses and newer apartments for non-students. But there is always a risk that you will be living next door to a group of freshman students away from Mom & Dad for the first time...[Mrs. E and I looked at one building near downtown and the resident manager of the building was really hoping to get us to move in. She said, "I hope you move in to this building so that we can join forces and call the police when the sorority next door has huge loud parties all night long." Needless to say, we told her we would get back to her if interested.] Rent range is very roughly around $500 per bedroom. It gets cheaper if you go further west. Plenty of small crime in this area. Worse a couple of blocks north in the downtown and Whiteaker areas. Great for biking/walking.
East of UO: Mix of funky, grungy student rentals and nicer renovated house rentals. They say that many UO professors and professional staff members live there. Higher rent than west of UO. Much quieter and little crime. Great for biking/walking.
Southeast: More suburbia-ish feeling with a heavy dose of grown-up hippie...earth this, natural that, organic the other, etc. Some apartment buildings but mostly older houses from the 60's and 70's, some renovated, some not. Rent is around $300-400 per bedroom. Good for biking/walking, but some areas get too hilly.
South: Neighborhood is called Friendly. Same suburb/hippie feeling as Southeast but less retail and the houses are older (40's and 50's era). About the same rent level as Southeast but sometimes higher as you get closer to UO. Good for biking/walking, but some areas get too hilly.
Southwest: Suburbs without the hippie. No neighborhood retail in this area anywhere south of 18th street. Houses built from the 70's to the 00's. Rents around $450 per bedroom, but there is a wide range depending on the house and location. Area is very hilly and tree-covered. Biking is not really an option.
Oakway Center/Country Club Road section: I am not very familiar with this area, but there seem to be quite a few low-rise apartments around there. It's on the other side of the river, so it is a bit more difficult to get to UO. Very flat area. Great for biking/walking.
Coburg Road area: Also not familiar with this area, but driving through, it seems ok-ish. "Mullet ratio" climbs as you get closer to Gateway mall. Rents?
Northwest: Stay away from Barger area. Would consider Santa Clara area, but it definitely is not really part of the Eugene vibe. Rents?
Of course, there are exceptions to everything I just wrote above. Plus there are plenty of "in between" areas where you might find the perfect place for your lifestyle.
As always, here's my previous post with some pictures of some of these areas. I still have not done an improved version, but I definitely will do it this spring...I swear... //www.city-data.com/forum/eugen...ml#post9779097
Oakway Center/Country Club Road section: I am not very familiar with this area, but there seem to be quite a few low-rise apartments around there. It's on the other side of the river, so it is a bit more difficult to get to UO. Very flat area. Great for biking/walking.
Coburg Road area: Also not familiar with this area, but driving through, it seems ok-ish. "Mullet ratio" climbs as you get closer to Gateway mall. Rents?
I'll chime in - we're in the Cal Young neighborhood... also called the Ferry Street Bridge Neighborhood... also called the North Gilham Neighborhood... which I also recently heard called the "trendy Northeast neighborhood of Eugene"... OK I'll stop, really. Trendy? Hmmm... maybe by Oregon standards?
Anyway, yes we're on the north side of the river. It's a safe area, crime is much lower than other parts of Eugene. It's easy to bike, walk, run, bus around. It feels cleaner than a lot of other areas in Eugene. Schools are good (I have experience with GIlham and Cal Young). As Mr. E said, it's mostly a flat area with a few exceptions: Gillespie Butte, being one, is a neat place to walk and offers sweet views on clear days.
We have bike lanes/trails. We're really close to Armitage park, which is also a cool place to walk or even play in the water on a hot summer day. We don't have any hippie natural foodie type markets, so we make-do with our two Market of Choice grocery stores unless we want to head to the cool part of town and hit-up the Kiva, Red Barn, or Sundance or the like.
It's actually very easy to get downtown to the University area from here. Just a straight shot down Coburg or down Delta hwy taking the 105 to Club rd and then down Coburg that way. One of our kids worked at Amazon over the summer and I was dreading having to drive and pick him up every day all summer long - but it actually wasn't so bad. It only took about ten minutes to get from here ("trendy" NE Eugene) to Amazon pool. The hardest part really is learning your way around once you get here. There's no real logic to the way things are laid-out.
We pay $730/mo for a nice two bedroom/two bath that is around 1100 sq ft and within a mile of our kids good public schools. We're currently renting until our kids finish their schools, then we plan to buy in a more colorful area. We like this area of Eugene OK... it's clean, quiet, safe, walkable, etc... but it does feel a bit bland and boring at times. Not enough prayer flags or purple houses or artsy people riding by on their funky bikes or something... maybe it's just too, well... mainstream... or trendy? We'd like to live within walking distance of a good indie bookstore - like Tsunami Books or our favorite Smith's location. But this will do for now.
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). In Eugene, petty crime is an issue in the university area (immediately west of campus) where lots of students live. There are also some grungy homeless people hanging around downtown and along 7th street near Washington (soup kitchens and homeless shelters are located around there). Once on a while they will ask for spare change. Some of them have the bright idea to stand at a couple of intersections with signs asking for spare change. A little disturbing to look at if you are the sensitive type. But no big deal really.
