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I know that Corvallis has the college, and is smaller, maybe a little prettier, Albany feels more like a small city whereas Covallis feels like a big town? What else would you say are the differences and/or similarities? Thanks.
Corvallis and Albany are so close together that a lot people live in one town and commute to work in another. They are becoming more and more similar as time goes on. Let's see how I can explain the differences:
Albany is a more industrial town, it is right next to the freeway (I5) so many travelers stop in Albany for gas or to spend the night. It has a small mall and many shopping centers. I worked in Albany for a while, it's definitely a big-town feel, where some people know each other, but there isn't that sense of community. There are parts of Albany, especially in the historic district, that maintain that sense, but overall Albany is a big town with big town problems.
Corvallis, on the other hand, is separated from the freeway by a river. I worked at the Chamber of Commerce in Corvallis for a while, and it's a small town with a small town feel and people intend to keep it that way. I was involved in many organizations in Corvallis, and I would always encounter someone I knew on the streets. There's the college part of town, the poorer part of town, and on the opposite side, the rich part. In downtown Corvallis, the community is creating it to have that small hometown Mayberry feel and they're doing quite well. The main problem voiced is the lack of shopping - there are no malls, and just a few big-name stores. The consensus is that one can always drive to Albany if they need anything.
I love Corvallis and I enjoy Albany right next door. I grew up in Portland, so Albany fulfills my city needs with its abundance and variety while Corvallis satisfies my desire for an old fashioned small town.
I agree with a lot that Pharaoh has to say. I moved to Albany 6 years ago to work in Corvallis at the University. We made the decision to purchase a home in Albany because of the cost. At the time we were only planning on being here for 3 or 4 years, but it is now our home and we really love Albany.
Corvallis has a certain charm about it, mosty due to the downtown area and the tone it sets (when you get out 9th St. heading North...it isn't very charming). But there are lots of nice neighborhoods, mature landscaping, and hidden areas.
Where I would personally disagree with Pharaoh is in the sense of community. In my experience, Albany has a really strong sense of community with lots of emphasis on family. For example, in the summers there are free concerts at Monteith River Park most every Monday and Thursday. Two weekends ago the Willamette River Festival was downtown, this past weekend the Northwest Art and Air Festival...the largest Veteran's Day parade west of the Mississippi in November...
As I said, we've been here only 6 years and are already very much involved in the community. I can't go to CostCo on Sunday without seeing at least 10 or 15 people that I know. Less expensive housing, decent schools, and lots of nice people...it was a great choice for us.
Don't get me wrong, Corvallis is a great town too...I just wanted to give you an alternate view of Albany.
Corvallis schools have a better reputation (although we've been very happy with the Albany schools)
Both have neighborhoods that are primarily "rental" in character (primarily around the University in Corvallis...and a few specific neighborhoods in Albany)
I've worked in Corvallis and lived in Albany...for my family that was the best choice we could have made! Best of both worlds.
Corvallis is the big university town for the Mid Valley, and much of the town is oriented around supporting OSU and the Hewlett-Packard plant. This means a lot of one-way streets, a lot of novelty restaurants and shops, and a lot of apartments and duplexes. It's also cleaner and more environmentally minded.
Albany is the big industrial and agricultural hub for the Mid Valley. You can literally smell the difference in this case, though environmental emissions controls have reduced this. Albany has a train station and a municipal airport and is located right on the I-5 corridor, with ORS 20, 99, and 34 running through it all. Its a two-way street kind of town. Also a bit dirtier.
While the shopping generally sucks, Corvallis actually has a better selection of young-adult media, both in terms of live performances and albums. Most of the dedicated CD and DVD shops in the Valley moved down to Eugene years ago, but I still prefer to shop for media in Corvallis. Borders, Fred Meyers, and Happy Trails are the places to go.
Corvallis is also a much more book-oriented town. It has a larger library, and the OSU library, and finally a Book Bin. Also, Corvallis hosts a Borders bookstore. Albany used to have bookstores, but not really anymore.
Corvallis is officially more politically Liberal-Democrat than Albany, though President Bush has a core of vocal supporters there, too.
Albany, in contrast, votes pretty consistently in favor of Republican presidents and anti-gay measures (It supported the recent ban on gay marriage, for example). However, Albany has no problem with hosting porn shops, video arcades, and bars.
Corvallis police is generally more aggressive about vehicle traffic, in my experience, and you are more likely to get ticketed there. Albany is more inclined to warnings.
Shopping
Albany generally has a lot more shopping, particularly for furniture, motor vehicles, clothing, and appliances. It has a Costco, while a Walmart mega store is located a few minutes away in Lebanon. Albany tends to be cheaper, with lower gas prices. Fast food tends to be as much as a dollar cheaper, as well.
Corvallis has more office supplies and computer stores, and it also has the biggest dedicated grocery store in the Mid-Valley, the Win-Co. I also reccommend Trump's Hobbies.
Corvallis has more eateries and coffee shops and they generally have a lot more local charm. Albany hosts a lot of national chain type restaurants.
Albany is also an early-to-bed kind of town. Most businesses close by 9:00 pm and the Albany Police Department tends to be prickly about people wandering the streets after the bars close. Pop's Branding Iron is the only 24-hour restaurant in town; and McDonald's has the only 24-hour drive through.
Corvallis is the place to go for anything remotely approaching a night-life.
Traffic
Traffic is relatively bad if you are planning to commute between Albany and Corvallis. The Corvallis Van Buren Street bridge is a one-lane historic steel truss--narrowing down from a three-lane major artery. Also, the bridge undergoes periodic renovations which detours traffic over the three-lane Harrison Street bridge, effectively turning it into two-way transist during renovation hours (6 pm to 6 am). You can also take the Highway 34-20 bridge, or detour down to Camp Adair or Lewisburg; these latter routes will put you on the ORS 20 to North Albany and across the Willamette River.
Pay attention to college football days--when Reeser Stadium is hosting a game, you can guarantee that the roads out of town will be a mess for at least an hour afterwards.
Geography and Parks
Albany and Corvallis both sit at confluences of the Willamette River, with the Calapooia bordering the former and the Mary's River bordering the latter.
Corvallis is located on a verdant strip between the rivers and the Coast Range, so the view is dominated by the mountains. It is surrounded by dense farmland, which opens up to the north as the Willamette veers east to Albany. Smell the mint and strawberries in the summer! Fir trees are relatively common in the area, as are orchards.
Albany is located smack-dab in the middle of the Valley, and is surrounded on most sides by broad expanses of rolling farmland and flood plains, patched with old oak forests. Buttes and hills are the dominate feature to the north, and they extend all the way to Salem before the Valley floor flats out again. A lot of Christmas trees are grown here. Here also be a grass-seed capital of the world, so watch out if you have allergies!
Both towns feature renovated historic riverside districts, complete with tourist-trap shops and restaurants. I prefer Albany's riverside parks to Corvallis, as they are much larger and more accessible. Corvallis has a large but underdeveloped park on the Linn County side of the Willamette, while the developed parks are narrow, but usually above the winter and spring floods. The Corvallis historic downtown also has more, as well as more hip, restaurants.
Albany has a lot of canals and railways running through town.
OSU is predominately an engineering-agricultural college, so a lot of agricultural science industry is located in the Corvallis area.
Weather
Albany is located in a bizarre weather vortex. It rarely snows here, and when it does, it seldom sticks. The temperature is generally somewhat higher here during the winter, probably due to our factories. People tend to wear shorts and short sleeved shirts long after the Corvallis residents have gone to fall wardrobes. We catch plenty of rain, however. Flooding is a small, but periodic problem. The Mid Valley tends to get a lot of heavy fog in the winter.
2 families moving from NE--VERY soon---can't decide where to land...really like the Albany, Lebanon, Sweet Home, Salem, Corvalis areas, but after reading several forums..am starting to get confused....maybe some one can help...1st family (couple) desire agriculture based area (will need at least 25acres or more) that still has trees not just fields and that has that small town charm while not taking 3 hours to get to some decent shopping...also would like stuff to do in the community, 2nd couple is offspring of 1st with 3 kids (6mo, 3yrs, 6yrs-getting out of kdg) so schools are of some concern, not interested in anything too large or too small...will be living in town/outskirts, as not as much $ as the 1st couple, but don't want to be too far away...husband would like to work with lumber (has experience) or maybe become an electrician....desire a family based community while still having something to offer a couple in their 30s......weather is a major concern for both goups...NE is WAY TOO WINDY!!!!!!!! not interested in any towns that blow so much you can't even work outside...would like to have all 4 seasons, and honestly...how bad does Albany smell..have heard several good things about it and Sweet Home, but have heard several people comment on the smell
any advice, links, tips etc would be GREATLY appreciated!!!!!!!
2 families moving from NE--VERY soon---can't decide where to land...really like the Albany, Lebanon, Sweet Home, Salem, Corvalis areas, but after reading several forums..am starting to get confused....maybe some one can help...1st family (couple) desire agriculture based area (will need at least 25acres or more) that still has trees not just fields and that has that small town charm while not taking 3 hours to get to some decent shopping...also would like stuff to do in the community, 2nd couple is offspring of 1st with 3 kids (6mo, 3yrs, 6yrs-getting out of kdg) so schools are of some concern, not interested in anything too large or too small...will be living in town/outskirts, as not as much $ as the 1st couple, but don't want to be too far away...husband would like to work with lumber (has experience) or maybe become an electrician....desire a family based community while still having something to offer a couple in their 30s......weather is a major concern for both goups...NE is WAY TOO WINDY!!!!!!!! not interested in any towns that blow so much you can't even work outside...would like to have all 4 seasons, and honestly...how bad does Albany smell..have heard several good things about it and Sweet Home, but have heard several people comment on the smell
any advice, links, tips etc would be GREATLY appreciated!!!!!!!
I think you would really enjoy the mid-valley area. Albany, Scio, Jefferson, Lebanon...all would offer most if not all that you are looking for.
As to the "smell" in Albany...I've lived here for over 6 1/2 years and it amazes me that some people make such a big deal out of it. Yes, there are days when you get that "aroma" but it's not an every day thing...and I hardly notice it anymore other than as a passing thought.
Mostly, if there is an inversion layer it will kind of settle in...and its a little bit acrid but as I said, its not that often (I asked my wife...she said MAYBE once a month she'll smell it).
I think of it this way...EVERYPLACE has something about it that is "less than desireable." In Albany, lilke every where else, there are so many things that can serve to outweigh the negatives that lots of people love living here!
I would suggest that one of your best bets for the agricultural land you seek is between Albany, Salem, and Lebanon...Scio/Crabtree area. The Scio schools are well regarded, lots of land...easy commute to Salem OR Albany...good access to I-5...and relatively affordable. (Scio - Sigh O) is worth a look I think.
Good luck. If you have any other questions, please feel free to send me a PM.
Dave
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