Medford move possible... (Ashland, Green, Jefferson: appointed, houses, university)

[phmackenzie]

So, considering a move to Medford from PA (wife has a great job offer). Trying to get a sense for what direction this town is headed in. It seems like an area that has tons of potential but I'm not crazy about the town. We are looking for a fun place for 30 somethings. Outdoor activities, culture, and a great downtown. I know about Ashland but we would have to live in Medford for this job... Is Medford a community that is re-inventing itself? We want a place that we can hang out downtown, coffee shops, restaurants, trails...etc. I realize it may not be there now but is this town going to 'revive'?

[Cornerguy1]

So your wife has job offers in both Medford, OR and in Lewiston, ME and you can't decide whether to go east or west from PA?

Of the 2, Medford has a lot more going for it culturally and economically ---- and the weather is considerably nicer.

[Fiddlehead]

Well, it depends upon what you like. I am not sure where you live in PA, but Medford probably does not compare socially. It is basically a big small town transitioning from a timber town to a regional city, but still pretty mellow and somewhat rural conservative in flavor. However, the outdoors around Medford are world class. Ashland is nice, but small, and the 25-40 age bracket is a demographic hole. It is largely college 18-25 year old kids or 40-90 somethings (big retirement town). Several of my employees are in that age range, but not a lot of young families. Much better in Medford for young families. Not a bad place to live at all, but it has to be your cup o' tea. Jobs for you could be hard to find, as the economy is still in the tank, but you might really love it.

[phmackenzie]

Cornerguy... yep, you got it right... East Coast or west coast. We love both states (Oregon & Maine) but not sure the towns are right.

[Ryant]

Try the west coast. You'd like it, especially at that age. If you visit go to crater lake and Mount Shasta.

[Brenda-by-the-sea]

Originally Posted by phmackenzie

Is Medford a community that is re-inventing itself?

In a word, "no." Medford is not reinventing itself. In fact, it would have to invent itself in the first place before it could become a candidate for "reinvention." Medford is one of those cities that sort of "just happened" when the railroad was rerouted. Unlike Ashland with its university or Jacksonville with its gold-rush heritage, Medford is a place of no particular distinction and a city with no one particular type of people: blue collar workers, professionals with PhDs, mid-level managers, college kids, illegal aliens, Republicans, Democrats, Greens, Libertarians...they all live there, but no one group really predominates (I wouldn't call it "diverse," though).

There is some occasional "big-picture" planning, but not much in the way of sustainable development. Most citizens are content to follow the lemmings in front of them into maintaining a car-dependent sprawling micropolis of big-box stores and chain restaurants...a place where a man's home is his castle, and taxes should be as low as possible so as to maximize the furnishings of his private castle.
The State of Jefferson is beset with somewhat of a frontier mentality: people go there to get away from other people more so than they do to build community. You will see houses with conspicuously posted NO TRESPASSING signs all over in the middle of residential subdivisions. Ashland is an exception to that, and Medford is not as bad as some other places in the SOJ, but many would harken to the cry "leave me alone!" more than "let's all band together and see what we can make of this place!"

As long as you like the climate, and can busy yourself with your own hobbies and interests (hopefully including outdoor pursuits), Medford can work out fine. There are parts of town that suit almost everyone. The more you expect the city you live in to entertain you while you sit passively by, the more you'll be disappointed with some place like Medford. You have to bring your own fun with you.

Originally Posted by phmackenzie

We want a place that we can hang out downtown, coffee shops, restaurants, trails...etc. I realize it may not be there now but is this town going to 'revive'?

What if I told you there was such a place within 5 miles of downtown Medford? Jacksonville has many of the characteristics you're looking for. It is very small and somewhat touristy, but since it is so close, you wouldn't feel isolated there. It's an easy bike ride to Medford. Overall, though, what you've spelled out is far more common in the Willamette Valley at the northern end of the state. Ashland is the only real community with a good appetite for civic aesthetics in southern Oregon.

[bluebird39]

I'm not sure exactly where you're coming from, both figuratively and literally, but Medford has all the things you mentioned... trails, coffee shops, restaurants... Plus, I'm sure the weather is better than PA.

Plus there's so much to do and see from there... Crater Lake, the coast, rivers and mountains.

It's growing fast, and I suspect will continue to. Most people complain not that it needs reviving, but that it's growing and changing too fast. Not really sure where you got your information from...

If you got a good job, it should be fine! Plus, there will be far fewer people out on trails and such there vs anywhere in the East, I'd think...

On a total aside... not just you, but 99% of people who post on these Oregon forums, people want "to be close to the outdoors" AND "near shops and restaurants". In general, it's hard to find both city stuff and rural stuff existing in one place. Medford gets as close to that than any place I've ever lived, before or after. But keep in mind that there's not going to be any place that's really both urban and rural at the same time.

And congrats on the job offer. That's a biggie in this economy!