Please help compare coastal towns

[alpine]

Brookings! We lived there for a year, beautiful area when the Sun shines which isn't much. Cloudy days are depressing for some people. Seafood is probably the best on the OR coast if you like fresh caught salmon, steelhead, tuna, crab & shrimp right off the boats. We left because on the constant rain but we had to try it. We looked at all the small towns on the OR coast. Crime rates are available for all towns on the internet.
We looked inland but didn't like it as well. Went as far in as Joseph.
We looked at a lot of places before I retired from SoCa in 98, Used the internet to "see" different towns then drove there to actually see it. Was disappointed more than not. We checked out various western states and have lived in WY, NM, OR, MT and are back to WY (Cody) where we will stay. Except some Winters we go to Lake Havasu AZ and live in son's home for a couple of months. WY has low sales tax (4%) no state income tax, great water, no smog, low crime rates, lots of Sun, little snow and low COL.

[icreate]

My experience with the coast is that it caters to tourists as its' lifeblood, but snickers behind their backs. The people I have encountered who live on the coast have generally been rude and very set in their ways. Brookings probably has the most liberal frame of mind (actually Harbor). When I was selling lingerie, there was a crowd there that was very open-minded.
You might want to check out the Ashland area and vacation to the coast.
Just a thought,
icreate

[randav]

I lived in Coos Bay for 11 years. IMO it continues to suffer economically. Once the world's largest lumber shipping port, since the demise of the lumber industry, it cannot seem to recover. Most prominent businesses now are the health care system and the casino. Bandon was just a little fishing town until it was "discovered" by big money recreationists. The coastal towns of the north are more supported by (or invaded by) weekenders and vacationers from Portland-Salem. Brookings seems to be more attached economically to northern California than to Oregon. All the coastal towns, as well as slightly inland towns like Coquille, have suffered from the politics of the valley. The availablilty of goods and services is limited in all of them. State land use laws have restricted development in areas outside the Willamette Valley. It is as if Portland and Salem want to keep the whole rest of the state for their playground. As for the whole of Oregon, some find its liberal politics welcome; others find it disgusting. Personally, I like the "I-5 corridor" from Corvallis to Grants Pass. There are trade-offs, however, everywhere. You can't expect green grass and trees if you're unwilling to accept some gray skies.

[Steve97415]

Originally Posted by randav

All the coastal towns, as well as slightly inland towns like Coquille, have suffered from the politics of the valley. The availablilty of goods and services is limited in all of them. State land use laws have restricted development in areas outside the Willamette Valley. It is as if Portland and Salem want to keep the whole rest of the state for their playground.

Oregon's 19 Land Use Goals apply equally inside of the Willamette Valley or out. It isn't what Portland and Salem want, it's what WE want. We in the coastal towns are among the biggest supporters of Oregon's centralized land use policy -- keeps us from being victimized by corporate developers. All across the West, people are fleeing southern California, northern California, Arizona sprawl, urban Texas, Puget Sound and other livability-compomised areas that have embraced hell-bent-for-overdevelopment construction. The fact that Oregon is the only state that holds citizen livability above the almighty dollar of the corporate developer is what keeps people flocking to Oregon whether they know it or not.

[BeccaMe]

Originally Posted by van ness

Hi, we moved from santa cruz, Ca and bought here in Coquille 2 years ago and we are very happy. Coquille is
14 miles in land from Bandon, and 17 miles from Coos bay. The weather here is much warmer and a little bit dryer then coos, and Bandon. We first looked at Bandon and it is really windy and cold there all year long. Coos bay is always colder and gray (I think it has a bit of crime too) where as we are tucked back just a bit and stay sunny and warmer. This is a very charming cute town with a old town type feel and a awesome historical area with very pretty homes to die for!! This would be a great town to open a antique shop in the rents are cheap. The home prices are are affordable comparred to ca.

$170-$300k will get you a nice home and if you want acreage that will run you $300k on up. Not much crime, you can drive your car anywhere with out sitting traffic. The quality of life here is very good!! We are just finishing landscaping on our 1/2 acre parcel you can grow tons of awesome plants here, you just have to keep Bambi out of your yard!!To check out real estate prices here in coos county look at this site removed ... you will see that coos county is the last of affordable coastal areas here in oregon.. good luck.

Have you moved there yet? I too have questions, based on weather, hospitals and special Ed programs, but want to remain as rural as possible! Lol

[Hawk J]

Originally Posted by BeccaMe

Have you moved there yet? I too have questions, based on weather, hospitals and special Ed programs, but want to remain as rural as possible! Lol

van ness post was from May 11, 2006.