Lakeview pros and cons (Bend, Klamath Falls: cliquey, 2013, employment)

[bailiwick]

Can anyone fill me in on the pros and cons of living in Lakeview? I already know it's remote and beautiful, so I don't mean that. I mean the kinds of things you only know from living there. Are the schools cliquey? How do they welcome new students? Do they do enrichment in the classroom? How about community members that are liberal? Is there a place for us? What are attitudes toward things like parks, community projects? Do people work together across the political spectrum? How hot is it in the summer? Any good doctors? Any insight would be appreciated.

[hamellr]

If you have children, do not own a farm, and have higher-level skills such as IT, accounting, law degrees, etc, do not move to Lakeview.

Lakeview is a small town that mostly relies on being a shopping place for local farmers and truck drivers passing through. You have to fill up on gas in Lakeview coming (or going) from Bend or Winnemucca Nevada.

There is some tourism in the Winter to Warner Ski area just outside of town, and in the summers in the form of hang gliders (voted multiple times as best place in the US to hang glide.) Hunting and bass fishing are popular sports, along with Rodeo, the County Fair and doing nothing.

The population has hovered about 3000 for 30 years. You go to Klamath Falls to get supplies about once a month. Food prices at the grocery store are higher. Dining is pretty basic, and leans towards breakfast type meals in locally owned Denny's-type establishments.

I can not speak about schools specifically, but the town does tend to be pretty closed on itself to outsiders but that can describe most of Oregon. There is a live and let live attitude, they see enough weird tourists that it's hard to phase a native.

The town (and by extension the entire County) tends to be Conservative, but is practical. Major projects and funding for such can get approved quickly by voters.

There is a lot of community spirit - the Elks used to be quite active when I lived there. Parks are fairly well taken care of, but expect to see a lot of brown. Summers can be in the 80's to 100's, and are dry and dusty. If you have asthma, don't even try to move here. Droughts are common, and kids tend to get bored really quickly which leads to the typical small town drug problem. The city has a public swimming pool, which tends to get pretty full on hot days, but very little else for kids to do.

The Southern turnoff of the Oregon Trail passes about twenty miles south of Lakeview. Up until the mid-70's you could easily find antiques that were tossed off wagons to lighten the load, people made good money refurbishing them.

The town's population remains steady because of retirees. Getting a job is near impossible, even as a farm hand. Most people are scraping by. Doctors are OK, but expect them to double as Veterinarians or own a farm on the side. The US Forest Service is a major employer, and there is still some work at the lumber mill.

Expect to see pick up trucks, cowboy hats, boots, and pistols in holsters.

In Short; Pros: Small Town, Remote, friendly but reserved towards outsiders.

Cons: Site of one of Oregon's only public lynchings in in 1894. Small town. Prices are higher for staple goods. Nearest "big" town is a 90 mile drive. Nearest town bigger then population 100, is 90 miles away. 3000 feet above sea level, gets lots of snow in the Winter. Summers tend to be hot and much worse, dry and dusty (this is what kills me more then anything, the amount of dust in the air). Droughts are typical. Jobs are hard to find. Nightlife is of the "drinking at a bar," and even then the town is closed by 7.

I love Lakeview. I have family there. I love visiting it, but there is no way I can live there for long. The cons out weigh the few pros by far.

[bailiwick]

Hamellr, you're scaring me. My husband works for the forest service and would love to apply for a better job there. We live in the John Day area now and, except for him, we're happy here. We've found a pocket of great friends. Is Lakeview more isolated/conservative than here? Yikes. Are there any swimming holes beyond the pool?

[hamellr]

Lakeview feels more isolated then John Day to me. I can't speak about the conservative side of things as I've never spent more then a couple of hours at a time in John Day.

There are no swimming holes outside the pool. You can swim in some of the irrigation canals if you know the land owners, but you need to deal with leeches. Lakes tend to dry up in the summer. If they don't, they tend to be heavy contaminated with various alkaloids and/or only a foot or so deep except in the very middle.

There is a reason why Lakeview's Fremont Forest Service Office frequently has openings. The office in general has a pretty high turnover rate.

Since you already live in John Day though, I don't think moving to Lakeview would be as big of a shock as coming from just about anywhere else.

[bluebird39]

Just my 2 cents, as one who's been to both places, and who spent a summer near Bly, OR. Almost all of my co-workers were from Lakeview. They were all wonderful people, almost all ranchers sons and daughters. Lakeview is definitely more remote. Drive East and that is one of the loneliest stretches of road you'll find in Oregon. There is beautiful places, including Hart Mountain, and some hot springs.

From what I've heard, Lakeview will be more conservative than John Day. I loved the people and places around Lakeview, but it's too remote for me!

But I have heard that kids in school there get a college scholarship. Don't know if that's true or not, but I found this: Bernard Daly Educational Fund - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Good luck from another FS wife!

[Sylvia Everett]

I lived most of my youth in Lakeview and graduated in 1958. I have great memories of growing up in Lakeview. In the summer, I lived at the pool and we all went to News and Sweets after, a real "Happy Days" experience. The scholarship, The Bernard Daly Fund is a Godsend, but you must attend all four years of high school in Lakeview to qualify. I feel I got an excellent education with good teachers from all over. I attended the University of Oregon and am married to a Harvard Phd, so I have some comparison, and I think it doesn't come out too badly. In 2008, we both attended out 50th high school reunions, his at St. Albans, Washington DC and mine, Lakeview. They were about as different as you can possibly imagine, but both loads of funs and we plan to repeat it for 55 years in 2013.

It did sadden me to see Lakeview looking rather run-down, but understandable given the employment and income statistics.
Sylvia

[rvinglady]

Thank you all very much. I am a full time RVer looking for a small town near a hot springs, or to work in a resort with or near a hot springs in Oregon. Lakeview looked great, but seems dusty and full of unemployed. I do love small towns though.

[Hawk J]

Originally Posted by rvinglady

Thank you all very much. I am a full time RVer looking for a small town near a hot springs, or to work in a resort with or near a hot springs in Oregon. Lakeview looked great, but seems dusty and full of unemployed. I do love small towns though.

Perhaps you will like it here...


Breitenbush Hot Springs - A Place to Bring Life Into Balance