Wanting to move to Oregon Coast (Newport, Seaside: apartments, homes, school)

[manzanite]

Manzanita is my own personal slice of heaven, but the cost of real estate/rent in town is very high relative to the surrounding area. If you like Manzanita but want something affordable, there are communities like Bayside Gardens, Nehalem, Wheeler, Nehalem Valley that are close by but not so expensive. It's going to be tough to find a place close enough to walk to the beach, with acreage, for a low price. As an aside, I've met parents who moved their families here from more populated places and their kids hate it here. On the other hand, I've met locals who grew up here and loved it. Good Luck!

[terasean]

I know Coos Bay area has The South Coast Shopper. Does any of the other communities have a free classified ad paper? We have one here called The Nickelsworth. In southern Idaho, where I used to live it was called The Thrifty Nickel. I am wondering if there is one for the central and northern coast regions.

[manzanite]

Tillamook County (North Coast) has the Headlight Herald newspaper classifieds online at http://tilla-www2.tillamookheadlightherald.com/classifieds/ (broken link).

There is also "The Shopper" full of classified ads that goes out free to everyone in the county as is available at kiosks all over the county. I can't find a web presence for them. Their address is:

Tillamook County Shopper
403 Main Ave.
Tillamook, OR
+1-503-842-7116

[Jobes_Wife]

Well Terasean I wish you luck in your move. There are right and wrongs to what everyone has said. We are moving to Lincoln in September. And we are looking forward to it. We have 2 girls 6 & 13. We know the hardships of relocating and know what this is bringing to our family. But that is a risk we are willing to take. We have lost our house in our current town and need a WHOLE new change for our girls. Somewhere they aren't constantly reminded of losing their home. So both feet forward and off we go. Good luck to you.

[plainbrowntabby]

I have to put in a good word for Florence/Mapleton. Mapleton is inland from Florence by 14 long straight miles, parallelling the Siuslaw River as it winds its way to the ocean. Mapleton avoids the coastal fog, but doesn't get hot like the valley in the summer. We have a store, a bank a gas station, a library, a school, a hardware store, several cafes and tiny businesses. Mapleton is right at the foot of the west face of the coast Range at the intersection of hwy 126 and hwy 36. The river is more friendly for playing and exploring than the raw ocean. There are many simple-living and backwoods-home types out here, both hippies and rednecks, and a very live-&-let live attitude. Employment is mostly single-proprietor micro-businesses and of course service sector stuff catering to the tourists between June-September and retirees year-round. Half the tourists are local, they come an hour+ from Eugene to ride various noisy machines on the massive sand dunes south of florence. If it weren't for that infernal noise i might personally move to Florence.

[cheaptrick]

Coos Bay area will be your best bet to get established. Not the scenic ocean side that makes up the area from Yachats to Seaside, but the more affordable region along the coast. Probably higher in crime than something like Newport or Lincoln City, but crime is relative. And likely an easier transition to the coast than other places would be.

With three young boys that will be playing outside on the coasts rocks, woodlands, sneaker waves and such....you're going to want to be somewhat close to medical/emergency services.

Maybe even Rockaway Beach.

[Steve Pickering]

You are suffering from a dream that is not doable. There are no jobs here and $1,200 a month won't provide shelter. I have a feeling you are planning on making use of the public dole. We have hundreds of families who do and their lifestyle is not pleasant. Mostly living in old motor homes and dragging the kids from town to town and school to school with a new parking lot every week or so. Stay where you are.

I know you are going to ignore this warning because you know it all and it is not going to happen to you, but you are setting yourself and these kids up for a big disappointment and failure. Also subjecting foster care kids to the lifestyle you are heading for is a sure way to lose the foster kids.

[seashelly]

Originally Posted by Steve Pickering

You are suffering from a dream that is not doable. There are no jobs here and $1,200 a month won't provide shelter. I have a feeling you are planning on making use of the public dole. We have hundreds of families who do and their lifestyle is not pleasant. Mostly living in old motor homes and dragging the kids from town to town and school to school with a new parking lot every week or so. Stay where you are.

I know you are going to ignore this warning because you know it all and it is not going to happen to you, but you are setting yourself and these kids up for a big disappointment and failure. Also subjecting foster care kids to the lifestyle you are heading for is a sure way to lose the foster kids.

About time someone gets real and tells it like it is with no sugar coating.

[Minervah]

Originally Posted by Steve Pickering

You are suffering from a dream that is not doable. There are no jobs here and $1,200 a month won't provide shelter. I have a feeling you are planning on making use of the public dole. We have hundreds of families who do and their lifestyle is not pleasant. Mostly living in old motor homes and dragging the kids from town to town and school to school with a new parking lot every week or so. Stay where you are.

I know you are going to ignore this warning because you know it all and it is not going to happen to you, but you are setting yourself and these kids up for a big disappointment and failure. Also subjecting foster care kids to the lifestyle you are heading for is a sure way to lose the foster kids.

I have to go along with this. I think your best option would be to come here and see for yourself. Look at the proximity of towns to the beach. Check activities are available for kids. Look at the price of necessities and housing.

You do not want your kids wandering unsupervised on the beach. It can be dangerous. I think you can achieve your dream but not on the Oregon coast. It's a great place to live for some, but it just doesn't seem to be what you need.

[boomerpride]

I just moved to the Oregon Coast a year ago from Central Oregon. I love living on the coast! My husband was born and raised here. We live in a little town called Toledo. Its about 7 miles east of Newport. Its a mill town, and a lot of people work at the GP paper mill located in Toledo. Finding work is the tough part. I am fortunate that I get to stay home with my son who is almost 2, but we make a lot of sacrifices for me to stay home. I also have two daughters who are in middle/high school. The schools are small. I prefer it that way. More one on one attention. We are about a 45 to 60 min. drive to Corvallis. The downsides of living here? Shopping is a big issue. If you are a shopper, you will quickly tire of your choices of where to shop. Mainly Walmart and Fred Meyer. Most people travel into Corvallis to do clothes shopping or to hit Costco. Doesn't bother me, because I am not a shopper. The winters can get a bit boring. When it is raining there isn't much to go do thats indoors. And the tourists....the tourists in the summer are awful! In the off season life in Newport is very nice and you feel you have the town to yourself. But in the summer, we tend to avoid the beach and Newport, especially on the weekends. Finding a good rental to live in was another tough issue. In Central Oregon there were rentals on every street! You had your choice and could be picky and choose where you wanted to live. Not here in Toledo. There were like 3 places for us to choose from. Most rentals don't want you to have pets. And the prices are steep. We did find a place that allowed our two dogs, but it was very difficult. A lot of homes here are old and are on the small side. But to me those are all such small changes we have had to make. The people here are down to earth and genuine. Very friendly. I am so happy we moved to the coast, and wouldn't want to go back to crazy Central Oregon for anything! I lived there for 15 years, and I don't miss it at all. Hopefully I was able to help. Good luck!