Relocating to Oregon with kids (Portland, Eugene: buying a home, neighborhood, buying)

[relocatesoon]

Thanks, Silverfall! Newport was a day visit, mostly to revel in the prospect of being able to visit the coast for the day (something this landlocked lady has never been able to enjoy!). Definitely appealing. I do wonder about the weather in Eugene (seems like Corvallis has a little more sunshine?) and the remoteness of Bend. Every place will have some checks in both the pro and con columns...

[Silverfall]

Originally Posted by relocatesoon

Thanks, Silverfall! Newport was a day visit, mostly to revel in the prospect of being able to visit the coast for the day (something this landlocked lady has never been able to enjoy!). Definitely appealing. I do wonder about the weather in Eugene (seems like Corvallis has a little more sunshine?) and the remoteness of Bend. Every place will have some checks in both the pro and con columns...

Ah. Newport is nice for a day visit or weekend jaunt. Lots of great spots on the coast for a day visit.

Bend is remote, but it has the best outdoor access as a result. I think it depends on what your top priorities are. If outdoor access from the valley is good enough (there is ample to do in the area), then the remoteness might push Bend off your list.

[dogflower]

The schools in Bend consistently rank above the state's scores in standardized tests, though that's true in most of the communities that you are looking at, and that's only one measure of effectiveness. That's a function of more involved parents and a very competitive hiring process for teaching staff. Class sizes are big throughout Oregon and there hasn't been funding allocated to correct this problem. IMHO, parents who participate in their child's development and education will reap more results than any teacher or school can accomplish in 6 hours a day.

Bend has a range of schools, including a Spanish immersion program, experiential outdoor MS, and an international baccalaureate MS/HS. Some of these schools are on a lottery system so entry is not guaranteed. Parents generally express high satisfaction with Bend schools and their children's teachers. As a teacher, I see very committed, highly professional and effective teachers--but I may be biased. (Seriously, I don't see the "deadwood" that politicians and naysayers say weigh down teacher effectiveness. The teachers here are high energy and always looking to improve their instruction.) Larger communities have more options in schooling from charter schools to language immersion programs.

All the communities that you are looking at will have helpful websites. Greatschools GreatSchools - Public and Private School Ratings, Reviews and Parent Community also has feedback on schools throughout the US.

[relocatesoon]

Our family has narrowed down our search to Corvallis, Eugene and Beaverton. Thank you all for the great resources and comments! We have a round of interviews coming in the next month. I'm open to comments - good and bad - on schools, non-profit community, cost of living, life in general - on these communities.

[skiffrace]

Here is my ranking based on OP original criteria:

-very good educational opportunities for our kids through high school

1. Beaverton and Corvallis (tie). Within each city the quality of schools vary though, so you need to do your homework.
2. Eugene. Eugene is a city in decline, and schools, along with lots of other things, reflect that.

-outdoor friendly

1. Corvallis
2. Eugene
3. Beaverton.
Keep in mind that all are nearby some fantastic outdoor opportunities, Corvallis and Eugene are slightly closer than Beaverton, but in practice the difference is negligible, and also depends on type of outdoor activities you desire.

-liberal politics

1. Corvallis and Euguene (a tie)
2. Beaverton.
Beaverton could be described as "middle of the road" politically, as opposed to very liberal politics of the other 2 cities.
Keep in mind that compared to most of US, all 3 would be considered "liberal" though.

-job potential for me in the nonprofit world

1. Beaverton
2. Eugene
3. Corvallis
Beaverton is located in Washington County, the economic powerhouse of Oregon, and within commuting distance to Portland, with lots of for-profit and non-profit organizations.
The other 2 cities can't compare in this respect.

-access to sports and arts opportunities

1. Beaverton
2. Eugene
3. Corvallis
Again, Beaverton is in the middle of Portland metro area - the "place to be" for almost anything happening.

-decent weather

A tie.
Locals may claim their hometown "has better weather" than some other place, but in reality there is not a dime's worth of a difference between those 3 locations. If you come from outside of the Willamette Valley, the difference diminishes to 0.0001 of a dime.

-affordable lifestyle (not interested in going back to work full time while my kids are still little)

1. Eugene
2. Beaverton and Corvallis (a tie)
Eugene may be somewhat cheaper, but it's the consequence of bad economy, crime and drug infestation.
Beaverton is a large area, and there is a wide range in pricing between specific neighborhoods, primarily related to the quality of schools.
Corvallis is actually quite expensive for a small town like this, due to stable and recession-proof base of Oregon State University.

All-in-all, I'd say Beaverton if you desire opportunities and education. Corvallis if you want small town peace and quiet (minus raucous college students)
I'd suggest you drop Eugene from the list- it's a place to move away from, not to. I'd replace it with Salem.
In addition, I'd look into smaller communities on the peripheries of Portland: Tigard, Tualatin, Sherwood etc.
They provide the best of both worlds: access to big-city opportunities, small town tranquility. They all have excellent schools and are the "picture-perfect" places to raise children.

[relocatesoon]

That is so much information, Skiffrace - thank you! I would love to hear more about Eugene from people. It was actually our top choice after our initial visit and interviews. I have always heard such great things about it. Please fill me in!

[cutelybluesky2014]

good luck on your family

[leftcoast49]

My top pics would be Eugene or Bend.

Bend is liberal enough - not on a par with Eugene but then again few towns are. Actually, what really characterizes the people moving to Bend is their attraction to the outdoors, not so much the politics, so you get both left leaning and right leaning immigrants, but all educated so the mix trends moderate and tolerant..

schools, services and job opportunities in both towns would be more than adequate.

But consider how do you generally prefer to spend your winters? I mean, this is something that is no small matter, because dependably warm, sunny weather only lasts 4-5 months.

And so, if you are more intellectually minded, coccoon, read books and enjoy the arts - Eugene would be for you. On the other hand, if you ski, hike, snowmobile and know how to enjoy the cooler, crisper, sunnier January days, try Bend. The weather is a psychological factor. Myself, a drop in temp 10-15 degrees on average in winter is more than offset by drier weather. I like it, but not everyone would agree. A kind of madness takes hold in me every year about March, living here in Portland, when it seems summer is just around the corner, but then it takes forever to get here...

Myself, I've been somewhat depressed about Beaverton lately. It used to get a lot of positive attention, but the whole inner Washington Co area west of portland is beginning to show signs of urban decay not unlike that which has plagued the LA area for 40 years. So, but thats just a casual observation...IMHO....to me it is the town most likely to undergo significant change in the next 10-25 years. You can escape this by locating just west of there where the high tech industry has settled. So, it all depends on how far west you are. Also, locating to the north (Hwy 26) or south (Hwy 99) will be better. In general, I like Washington Co as a place to live - its just that the core areas are noticably decaying while the edges expand, so I'd live more on the edges and unfortunately Beaverton is closer to the core.

leftcoast49

[relocatesoon]

We are throwing another community - Hillsboro - in the mix. Is it a city in its own right? I'm not much of a suburb person, so we would be living and working there, as opposed to the concept of a sleeper community.

[leftcoast49]

Originally Posted by relocatesoon

We are throwing another community - Hillsboro - in the mix. Is it a city in its own right? I'm not much of a suburb person, so we would be living and working there, as opposed to the concept of a sleeper community.

Hillsboro is a good sized town, population 90,000 which was formerly a distinct farming community that has in recent years been invaded by suburban sprawl from Portland. It is one of the most diverse towns I know of in Oregon, home to farmers and farm laborers from the south as well as high tech geniuses who live and work in the semi conductor industry. I used to work next to the main intel facility near Hwy 26. Its like silicon valley there, but a few miles to the west, farm country prevails. Farmland is continually being sold to commercial developers. That trend is not likely to change. Also, crime has risen in recent years due to an influx of farm laborors from California. Again, this is not likely to change. So, what was once a quiet town full mainly of native Oregonians is now also home to latinos, asians with PhD's, many others from California and around the world, etc etc.

The intel semi conductor facilities are so important that housing, services etc are now being built around them. Also a light rail line. The housing is good but on the expensive side unless you are located more in the downtown core, where some decay has occured.

Its a nice area to work. I also think it would be a nice place to live but its changing so much - that would be my main concern. I have gotten the sense that the services, government and school systems have at times had problems grappling with the influx of outsiders and there are frequent complaints about "growing pains" and crime that didn't exist 40 years ago.

Hillsboro hosts an airshow every Aug, has a decent airport, a really first rate sports complex, and a light rail line. The downtown area though is unimpressive

yes, its now the suburbs, but that also means its home to lots of highly skilled and educated people. IF you want to live in a sleeper community, there are some smaller towns to the south and west that have yet to feel the impact of suburbanization.

The main corridor, really the ONLY route through Washington Co is Hwy 26. If they don't upgrade this road in 10 years it will be bumper to bumper every day from Portland to Forest Grove.





leftcoast49