What Makes Ashland More Expensive than Medford and Grant's Pass? (Bend: rent, violent crime)

[Nightdiver13]

Originally Posted by Searching-01

What's "trippy life style"?

Does that mean it's a neo-60's (perhaps "hippie") kind of place?

Saw some of that when I was working and living in Boulder, Co. But not much.

Boulder is monied enough on average that folks will wear clothes like the 60's (blue jeans and such, causal) but are actually IBM'ers and such.

Used to joke that "The People's Republic of Boulder" was populated with "rich hippies". But I guess given the income it takes to have a home there... they really aren't truly "hippies" but rather "60's styled techies" or what not.

That's pretty similar to Ashland. They're yuppies who shop at food co-ops, recycle religiously, attend group talks on power vortices and own a collection of expensive ukuleles. Most true hippies can't afford to live in Ashland except older ones who owned before things got so pricey.



Just joking (sort of). Ashland can be quite charming for the most part. I'm a fan of Talent personally. I think it's a nice middle ground between Medford and Ashland.

[PNW to NEPA]

I think it's interesting to read people's impressions of Ashland in this thread. Having lived here for 20 years I've heard a lot of different takes. One is about New Age seekers dominating the town. One is about panhandling hippies staggering stoned around town. One is about rich old people from California moving here to retire and driving up the real estate values and all driving Prius's. One is about it being completely dominated by tourists.

Truth = all those things are elements here, none of them dominate the town. There are also families, college students, young professionals, people in tech, people in the building trades, people like everywhere else. There is an organic food coop, but there's also an Albertsons and a 7-11. There's a big professional theater and there's dingy diners and a BiMart. There are big expensive houses above Siskiyou Blvd and there are unimpressive 1970s ranch style tract homes and crummy apartments.

It's a very nice town. It's pretty. There's a lot of fun things to do here. People who move here now are willing to pay the higher housing costs. A lot of people have been here for a long time (like us) and moved here when it was more affordable. We don't make enough to buy a house here now, but in reality it's just our same old little house even if it would sell for a lot more than we paid for it 20 years ago. For us Ashland isn't more expensive because we're already housed in what was an affordable house for us back then. We chose to live here because my husband got a job here ... and here we are. There are a lot of people like us. People who've lived here a long, long time. We're not rich or New Age seekers or hippies, but we enjoy the community here.

As I said, if I was moving here now, Ashland would be too expensive. I would look in Talent. It's a town that is developing in a similar way, has some of the fun vibe of Ashland and some of the old southern Oregon character too.

[dtuba]

Originally Posted by Johnny Z

I used to think I wanted to live in Ashland, now I'm glad I don't. Some people like the culture and trippy life style, which adds to the cost of living.

I'm sure they will all be brokenhearted to hear this.

[dtuba]

Ashland has always been expensive. Its housing stock is older and lovelier, there isn't much land left to build in in city limits. It has the OSF, SOU, some very fine restaurants, and it's generally been considered the cultural center of Southern Ore. (Along with Jacksonville and the Britt Festival). It is also a touristy place that carries the dreaded label of being "quaint". (My friends and I used to jokingly call it "Disneyland for English majors". )


If I were to move back to the region, I would echo the recommendation by PNW to NEPA above and live in Talent. It is a nice little town that is close to both Ashland and Medford (where Ashlanders go to shop). I do own a bit of land in the hills behind Talent so that may be a reality for me one day.

[PNW to NEPA]

^ Disneyland for English majors is really funny! (And how true.)

[Yankeemama]

Originally Posted by PNW to NEPA

^ Disneyland for English majors is really funny! (And how true.)

One of the best quotes I have read in a long time.

[Johnny Z]

Originally Posted by dtuba

I'm sure they will all be brokenhearted to hear this.

Yep, my fan club got a little smaller when I last checked.

[NorthernFog]

Originally Posted by Nightdiver13

That's pretty similar to Ashland. They're yuppies who shop at food co-ops, recycle religiously, attend group talks on power vortices and own a collection of expensive ukuleles. Most true hippies can't afford to live in Ashland except older ones who owned before things got so pricey.



Just joking (sort of). Ashland can be quite charming for the most part. I'm a fan of Talent personally. I think it's a nice middle ground between Medford and Ashland.

I think it's not accurate or fair to throw in an interest in "power vortices" as somehow typical or something of old hippies. There were and are hippies amd then then were and are hippie-dippies, ones more spaced out and gullible when it comes to claims about invisible forces in our lives and in nature. Some people accuse many in Sedona, AZ. I don't know.



Here in Humboldt Co., California I suppose one cold find some but most of the hippies I knew in the 60s are now well-educated progressives who have grown businesses over the years and managed to stay in or move back to Humboldt. Among them are musicians or other liberal arts, scientists, in retail businesses some of which have a national or international client base. They are intelligent and thoughtful and only sometimes spiritual.


Just a thought....

[Johnny Z]

Ashland is more expensive and Medford is cheaper but Klamath Falls is so cheap it couldn't afford it's own falls.

[Mac58]

PNW to NEPA hit the nail on the head in describing Ashland and its attraction. Talent is increasingly peopled with folks who grew up in Ashland, but cannot afford the housing, so yes, it does have a bit of the Ashland "vibe", including a theater of its own--The Camelot.