Moving to Florence or Eugene.. (Corvallis: rental car, apartments, rental) - Oregon (OR) - City-Data Forum

Touched · 09-18-2010, 07:07 PM

I am planning to move out at the end of the month and deciding between Eugene and Florence. I lived in Denver, Boulder, and Fort Collins Colorado over the last 15 years and looking for something similar to the look and feel of Fort Collins. From everything I have gathered, it sounds like Eugene or Florence might be my best best. I don't think I will be able to decide until I drive out and get a look at both with my own eyes. Usually I can just get that feeling inside by looking that "yes...this will be home."

I can't plan this a whole lot better than just going and doing it because I am not financially well off to take a trip out, figure it out, then go back for my stuff, then back out. So sadly, I have to do it on the fly, meaning pack a UHual, drive out, figure out what to do once there, and then get settled in once I see both places. I have a fixed income (but limited), so finding work isn't an issue for me once there. I am 42 single and no kids. I am more hoping to find a place to settle into for long term, settled in to the community, and enjoy the second half of my life.

I like that Florence seems much smaller community and located close to the coast and what I am leaning towards, but I suspect Eugene would be a lot more like Ft. Collins Colorado, being a big college town and all. My main concern right now is getting there and finding housing immediately. I mean literally, something I could get my stuff and I into in just a few days. I can put my stuff in storage for a short time if need be, and then get a U-Haul truck again to move back into something. I don't have my own car, so the first couple of days I get there, I can get a rental car to find accommodations, but after that, I won't have access to an automobile anymore. So I am going to be in a massive rush to find a place to get my stuff and I unloaded into.

I guess my main question is it realistic in what I am thinking to get into a place so quickly? I am going to be looking for a studio or 1 bedroom between $450-$600 a month. I am not worried about transportation once I get settled in Eugene, because I am sure between public transportation and biking, I can get around. I have done it for years in Colorado (even during the snowy times), but I don't know if that is possible in Florence and what is really available there.

I have one shot to make this work and do it right, so I have very little room for error. Based off of what I mentioned, do you think it's possible in either or? More so for Florence since that is what my gut is telling me where I will end up?

Anything you can think of to throw into the mix that I might not have mentioned feel free. I can stay in a motel or hostel for a short time while trying to put everything together, but if it runs more than a week or so, I am going to start running into problems.

Thanks in advance!

Silverfall · 09-18-2010, 07:15 PM

Go to Eugene. If you need public transportation being on the coast is not the right place to be.

Minervah · 09-18-2010, 09:01 PM

Eugene sounds as if it would be good for you. The coast would pose a problem with the transportation issue. I don't believe Florence has public transportation but I could be wrong. I think your starting out in Eugene is the best way to go. If you can stay there for awhile, you can make trips to Florence and see if it has what you need.

Touched · 09-18-2010, 09:12 PM

Thanks folks...yea I seem to be having a problem finding anything out about public transportation in Florence online. I have been to pretty small towns before and usually they have at least a "loop" bus that does some kind of a circle around the city. I was thinking if I did go to Florence, I would stay centrally located that nothing a bike couldn't get me to if I needed and just stay somewhere close to shopping, but I really don't know since I haven't been there before.

The problem I notice with Eugene which I haven't seen before is they want so much in security. First month, last month, "plus" a security deposit. Seems a little extreme from what I am use to, and may create more of a problem for me financially for something to move into right away. I am sure it's that way because they are so use to dealing with students and getting screwed over by them and hence why they do it....but that is only going off the information I can gather from craigs list.

Touched · 09-18-2010, 09:46 PM

Actually I just did find a bus in Florence...it's kind of what I thought it would be does a loop around the heart of it, but only runs mon.-fri. 10am-6pm.

delta07 · 09-19-2010, 11:53 AM

You say you're interested in finding something like Fort Collins. I hope you're not also meaning the weather when you say this, as Eugene is going to be a stark contrast to the weather in Fort Collins. As someone who lived the first 32 years of my life in Colorado, Oregon weather has been a big change for me (and I'm in the sunny part of Oregon)! If you can handle clouds and rain for almost 8 months of the year, Eugene will be okay. If you need the sun, you will hate it!

Brenda-by-the-sea · 09-19-2010, 11:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by delta07

You say you're interested in finding something like Fort Collins. I hope you're not also meaning the weather when you say this, as Eugene is going to be a stark contrast to the weather in Fort Collins. As someone who lived the first 32 years of my life in Colorado, Oregon weather has been a big change for me (and I'm in the sunny part of Oregon)! If you can handle clouds and rain for almost 8 months of the year, Eugene will be okay. If you need the sun, you will hate it!

Eugene does, though, have a reliable four months of summer. The coast has no real summer at all and some of the worst weather comes in July and August. You shouldn't live at the coast unless you positively without question HATE SUMMER as it traditionally exists in a continental climate.

There's also a huge difference in the generational feel between the two. Florence has a marked geriatric vibe as all of the Oregon coast is a retirement belt. Being a college town, Eugene has a hip and youthful vibe.

Corvallis is probably closest to being the Fort Collins of Oregon, even though it is much smaller.

Touched · 09-19-2010, 01:19 PM

Yes I have done quite a bit of homework on the weather and familiar with the rain fall totals. What is worse is that I am coming from being in Vegas for the last 3 years, so I am not sure how much of a total shock it will be to me in the long run. However, I did grow up in New York where although it's not comparable to out there by no stretch of the imagination, I know how it can be living in rain for quite a while (at times). I have been in sun though between Vegas and Colorado for 15 years now. I am mentally preparing myself for it to be a major shocker.

I am not sure really what to think of it all, and I am leaning towards Eugene for sure though now.

I can't seem to find a place that seems like it will be comparable to the lifestyle, folks, and community like Ft. Collins and Eugene seems to be to one another, minus the drastic weather difference. Outside of weather, they sound very similar and why I have been wanting to come there.

Thank you so much for taking the time out to respond to my post BTW...this is helping me so much!

OregonYeti · 09-19-2010, 06:51 PM

I'd vote Eugene, for sure. That's because I consider Eugene a very alive, vibrant city, with a great variety of people and places. It's also because wet and overcast as Eugene can be part of the year, it's not so much so as the coast is. You've also got plenty of room to find your own favorite spots away from the crowds when you want to do that.

Touched · 09-20-2010, 08:37 AM

Thank you guys so much for helping me with this decision. Florence is definitely out!

One last question...as I mentioned I don't have a car, but will get a rental for the first week while trying to get situated. I have lived all over Colorado and managed to get around just fine even in the winter when it snowed on a mountain bike. It will be the same in Eugene for me as far as living on a bike for a while. Does the buses out there have bike racks on the front of them like in CO? Is the rain bad enough that you will just be miserable getting around on a bike or is it tolerable once you get seasoned to it?

I really can't thank you folks enough for taking the time out to help me make such a vital decision in my life. This really is a big deal to me, and hopefully a move that I will love for long term. After living in CO for so long, and then moving to Vegas, I have just absolutely hated it here because the people are just absolutely awful everywhere and that is the number one thing I want to get back to and away from here! I got mugged my first 3 months living in Vegas, and never once in 15 years in CO have I had a problem! I have really wanted to go back to CO just to be back around my type of folks, but I am just not thrilled about living in the snow anymore. I think I can handle the trade off of the weather just to be around REAL people again in Eugene

Just by the responses I am getting I can tell I am making the right decision.

My only last fear is availability on apartments in a college town after school has already started. In Fort Collins once school starts it's always much harder to find a place, but I have a lot of faith it will work out to be what it is suppose to be! Once I get the final answers on the biking situation, I will start making plans and reservations to get there by the end of next week!

I am really excited now!