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NOTE: If you don't have anything nice or positive to say, please don't say anything at all. I've had a few rude people comment on some things and it was completely un-necessary and irrelevant to the questions i asked. I don't see why some people have to be so obnoxious about grammar and spacing. Thank you.
My husband and i weren't sure about moving to Oregon, due to how much negative things we have heard about the way Californian's are treated that move there. However, we decided we'll go ahead and give it go.
We have pretty much decided that Baker City or Baker(?) is going to be the place. My husband is a Charter Spectrum Cable technician so he will be working outside. We are curious about the snow and i read that the past year or two Baker has gotten a little more snow than usual. I would prefer to now from someone who actually lives there, how heavy the snow really is and how long it lasts? How many months and how deep does it get? Does any of the area do under ground cable or is mostly ran from poles? Do you know any Cable guys/gals in the area? My husband would like to make a contact in that area if possible. Also, what exactly would you recommend for living through the winter there. Things like: a snow shovel, tire chains, wool clothing, snow boots, etc.
My husband is also a metal detector and he is super excited about the rich history Baker and surrounding areas offer. He has a his own youtube channel although he hasn't made a video in a while being so busy with work and all. 805DigDug is his user name and i know he'd like to make a metal detecting buddy in the area.
I'm also curious about housing I've done some research and what i'm seeing is a lot of 2bdrm houses run for about $850 a month on average. Here average 700 sqft apt's go for $1500 a month. Is there a specific time where there seems to be more rentals? Are there any areas of Baker that may be a bit more unsafe? I have kids so I'd like to look in areas that be safe for them to walk outside or go play at park. It's not really that safe where i live now and we have a huge homeless population so i'd really like to feel comfortable with my teenager walking around. I'm also not sure how we should go about renting a place. I've found Sunfirerealestate to have a decent selection of housing but can't seem to find any other sites that really have rentals. Craigslist has so many scammers it's so hard to tell what's real and what's not. Any suggestions on where to look online for rentals?
Maybe you have a rental coming up? We are an average mom and dad, with a teenager and toddler. My husband works long hard hours and we have credit scores in the 620-640 range not great but not terrible either. We have an average income of $45-$50,000 a year. I am a former manager for a local bakery but since we can't afford daycare here average cost's around $350 a week I had to let my job go about a year ago. Now i just fill in on holidays or busy weekends. We are hoping to move sometime between April and June 2019.
We know Baker is small and that is exactly what we are looking for in our new home. Less traffic, less noise, less ambulance sirens every hour, less crime and human trafficking, just a slower pace of life in general. I want to go to the local farmers market and actually see people and talk to them. I want a community, fellowship, kindness, people who say hi to their neighbors. Thank you so much for all your positive input.
NOTE: If you don't have anything nice or positive to say, please don't say anything at all. I've had a few rude people comment on some things and it was completely un-necessary and irrelevant to the questions i asked. I don't see why some people have to be so obnoxious about grammar and spacing. Thank you.
My husband and i weren't sure about moving to Oregon, due to how much negative things we have heard about the way Californian's are treated that move there. However, we decided we'll go ahead and give it go.
We have pretty much decided that Baker City or Baker(?) is going to be the place. My husband is a Charter Spectrum Cable technician so he will be working outside. We are curious about the snow and i read that the past year or two Baker has gotten a little more snow than usual. I would prefer to now from someone who actually lives there, how heavy the snow really is and how long it lasts? How many months and how deep does it get? Does any of the area do under ground cable or is mostly ran from poles? Do you know any Cable guys/gals in the area? My husband would like to make a contact in that area if possible. Also, what exactly would you recommend for living through the winter there. Things like: a snow shovel, tire chains, wool clothing, snow boots, etc.
My husband is also a metal detector and he is super excited about the rich history Baker and surrounding areas offer. He has a his own youtube channel although he hasn't made a video in a while being so busy with work and all. 805DigDug is his user name and i know he'd like to make a metal detecting buddy in the area.
I'm also curious about housing I've done some research and what i'm seeing is a lot of 2bdrm houses run for about $850 a month on average. Here average 700 sqft apt's go for $1500 a month. Is there a specific time where there seems to be more rentals? Are there any areas of Baker that may be a bit more unsafe? I have kids so I'd like to look in areas that be safe for them to walk outside or go play at park. It's not really that safe where i live now and we have a huge homeless population so i'd really like to feel comfortable with my teenager walking around. I'm also not sure how we should go about renting a place. I've found Sunfirerealestate to have a decent selection of housing but can't seem to find any other sites that really have rentals. Craigslist has so many scammers it's so hard to tell what's real and what's not. Any suggestions on where to look online for rentals?
Maybe you have a rental coming up? We are an average mom and dad, with a teenager and toddler. My husband works long hard hours and we have credit scores in the 620-640 range not great but not terrible either. We have an average income of $45-$50,000 a year. I am a former manager for a local bakery but since we can't afford daycare here average cost's around $350 a week I had to let my job go about a year ago. Now i just fill in on holidays or busy weekends. We are hoping to move sometime between April and June 2019.
We know Baker is small and that is exactly what we are looking for in our new home. Less traffic, less noise, less ambulance sirens every hour, less crime and human trafficking, just a slower pace of life in general. I want to go to the local farmers market and actually see people and talk to them. I want a community, fellowship, kindness, people who say hi to their neighbors. Thank you so much for all your positive input.
I'm not sure what the point of this thread is since you have already decided, but Baker City gets 26 inches of snow and freezing temperatures from October to May. Temperatures can go as low as 39 degrees below zero. Only June to September is snow free. Unless your husband likes working in that kind of extreme weather, I think that would be a terrible place for you to move to.
Have you considered the other side of the state? Charter serves the entire Oregon Coast and it rarely snows or freezes here. I have extremely low tolerance to cold weather, but as long as I wear enough layers, I can take any weather on the coast. I'm retired so I don't have to work outdoors, but sometimes the weather here almost makes me wish I was still was working, almost.
Also I believe the beaches could be a pretty good place for metal detecting.
I've lived in Baker City and am toying with the idea of moving back.
Sure, it can get cold there, but it's not in the subzeros from Oct. through May. It's more like cold snaps interspersed with milder weather. It seems like the winter of 2016 started out with some snow and ice but was pretty mild from then on. Dec. 2014 (?) had some -20 weather, snowed off and on for the rest of the winter and had one last snow storm in April. Every year seems different. If you're from coastal California, though, the weather might be a challenge if freezing temps aren't your preference.
ETA winter boots are fine but I usually keep a couple of these on hand:
Personally I think Baker City is the nicest town in eastern Oregon, at least from the point of view of a outsider driving through and visiting on occasion. It is where I'd probably pick if I were moving to eastern Oregon.
The biggest issue by far will be employment. If your husband has that nailed down then you'll be absolutely fine. Don't worry about being from CA. Nobody will care, especially in eastern Oregon. Just get OR plates on your car before too long. What annoys people are the Californians with $$$ moving into overcrowded parts of western OR. So don't be the arrogant jerk with CA plates in a $75,000 Range Rover cutting people off on the freeway. That sort of thing.
Does it get cold in the winter? Yes. How bad the cold is depends on the person. I don't consider the winter weather in Baker City to be that bad, but then I'm not moving here from warm coastal California. On most winter days I take a 4 or 5 mile bicycle ride for exercise. On the days when it is too slippery, I take a walk.
You can see information about average snowfall, temperatures and so on here:
Of course, those are averages of many years – some years are above average, and some are below. The average Yearly snow is a little over 2 feet, but that doesn't mean that there are 2 feet of snow on the ground all of the time. Usually the snow that falls early in the winter season – November and early December - pretty much melts within a few days. There are partial thaws in late December and January. The little snow that falls in March and (rarely) April is of little concern.
This winter the snow has been below average. There is no snow on the ground right now. Last winter also had below average snow. The winter of 2016-2017 had a lot of snow in December, a lot more than average.
The city does a pretty good job of removing snow from the streets, so driving around town is no big problem. If there is unusually heavy snow, such as in 2016, it might take several days to get all of the streets cleared.
As you can see from the charts, the average winter nighttime temperatures are in the teens. It usually doesn't warm up until around noon. This would probably be more of a concern for your husband, who works outside.
Every few years there is a winter weather anomaly (maybe 3 or 4 times in the last 12 years) – a mass of unusually air will move in from the north and there will be below zero temperatures, usually for a few days.
Although I don't know for sure and I sometimes see Spectrum technicians working in what looks like underground vaults, I think most of the cables are installed on poles.
Most people carry traction devices – snow chains or cables – not so much for driving in town, but for driving on the Interstate, where they are sometimes required on the mountain passes, and on the other rural highways. People who often need to drive in rural areas, such as ranchers, install studded snow tires.
For everyday life, you don't need arctic clothing, just warm coats. Your husband would need different clothing which he could find at the farm/ranch store.
$850 rent sounds doable for a 2 bedroom house. There are no areas of Baker City where it is dangerous for people to walk around or for kids to play. I see kids playing outside by themselves at their houses all of the time (just like I did back in the olden days) and the parents don't even get arrested for child neglect. Parents also take their kids to the park where there is a nice playground. It's a good place for parents to socialize. The library and art center have a lot of programs for kids.
I'm not sure about the best way to find rentals. In addition to Sunfire, try The Grove Team Realtors or the newspaper: https://www.bakercityherald.com/classifieds . If I see for rent signs I can let you know.
I don't know much about metal detecting. The old gold mining areas might be good places or the Oregon Trail (don't disturb the old wagon tracks, though). Or maybe the remote filming site for the movie “Paint Your Wagon.”
I don't live in Baker but have spent some time in the area. If you don't mind the winters the rest of the year isn't too bad. If your husband has a 50K job I think you'll do pretty good. Most the people I've met were pretty nice, not a bunch of anti-Calif haters. Remember it's a kind of small town and sort of along way from anywhere.
Does it get cold in the winter? Yes. How bad the cold is depends on the person. I don't consider the winter weather in Baker City to be that bad, but then I'm not moving here from warm coastal California. On most winter days I take a 4 or 5 mile bicycle ride for exercise. On the days when it is too slippery, I take a walk.
You can see information about average snowfall, temperatures and so on here:
Of course, those are averages of many years – some years are above average, and some are below. The average Yearly snow is a little over 2 feet, but that doesn't mean that there are 2 feet of snow on the ground all of the time. Usually the snow that falls early in the winter season – November and early December - pretty much melts within a few days. There are partial thaws in late December and January. The little snow that falls in March and (rarely) April is of little concern.
This winter the snow has been below average. There is no snow on the ground right now. Last winter also had below average snow. The winter of 2016-2017 had a lot of snow in December, a lot more than average.
The city does a pretty good job of removing snow from the streets, so driving around town is no big problem. If there is unusually heavy snow, such as in 2016, it might take several days to get all of the streets cleared.
As you can see from the charts, the average winter nighttime temperatures are in the teens. It usually doesn't warm up until around noon. This would probably be more of a concern for your husband, who works outside.
Every few years there is a winter weather anomaly (maybe 3 or 4 times in the last 12 years) – a mass of unusually air will move in from the north and there will be below zero temperatures, usually for a few days.
Although I don't know for sure and I sometimes see Spectrum technicians working in what looks like underground vaults, I think most of the cables are installed on poles.
Most people carry traction devices – snow chains or cables – not so much for driving in town, but for driving on the Interstate, where they are sometimes required on the mountain passes, and on the other rural highways. People who often need to drive in rural areas, such as ranchers, install studded snow tires.
For everyday life, you don't need arctic clothing, just warm coats. Your husband would need different clothing which he could find at the farm/ranch store.
$850 rent sounds doable for a 2 bedroom house. There are no areas of Baker City where it is dangerous for people to walk around or for kids to play. I see kids playing outside by themselves at their houses all of the time (just like I did back in the olden days) and the parents don't even get arrested for child neglect. Parents also take their kids to the park where there is a nice playground. It's a good place for parents to socialize. The library and art center have a lot of programs for kids.
I'm not sure about the best way to find rentals. In addition to Sunfire, try The Grove Team Realtors or the newspaper: https://www.bakercityherald.com/classifieds . If I see for rent signs I can let you know.
I don't know much about metal detecting. The old gold mining areas might be good places or the Oregon Trail (don't disturb the old wagon tracks, though). Or maybe the remote filming site for the movie “Paint Your Wagon.”
Thank you so much, that was very informative and i really do appreciate it. I'm sure we'll figure it out as we go, although it's just nice having perspective from someone who actually lives or has lived in the area. My husbands biggest concern was working in the snow because we weren't exactly sure how the feet of snow work and how long it lasts. You definitely put that into perspective and so now i'm thinking our biggest struggle in going to be finding a rental to start. We are planning on him putting in his transfer at the beginning of April and it can take up to two months for it to go through. If we have to we will just motel it up until we find a place. I just can't wait to be there. :-) Thank you again.
I don't live in Baker but have spent some time in the area. If you don't mind the winters the rest of the year isn't too bad. If your husband has a 50K job I think you'll do pretty good. Most the people I've met were pretty nice, not a bunch of anti-Calif haters. Remember it's a kind of small town and sort of along way from anywhere.
Thanks we are ready to give it a shot and we are totally aware it's small, up until 20 years ago we only had a kmart and two grocery stores. If you wanted anything more than that you'd have to drive 30-45 minutes South to an actual city. Baker is about 45mins south of La Grande and 2 hours away from Boise so i think it'll be great. I'm super excited for that carriage ride.
Personally I think Baker City is the nicest town in eastern Oregon, at least from the point of view of a outsider driving through and visiting on occasion. It is where I'd probably pick if I were moving to eastern Oregon.
The biggest issue by far will be employment. If your husband has that nailed down then you'll be absolutely fine. Don't worry about being from CA. Nobody will care, especially in eastern Oregon. Just get OR plates on your car before too long. What annoys people are the Californians with $$$ moving into overcrowded parts of western OR. So don't be the arrogant jerk with CA plates in a $75,000 Range Rover cutting people off on the freeway. That sort of thing.
LOL Thank you. haha. I think we'll stick with our 2012 Dodge grand caravan. We did consider Coos County but 60 inches of rain on average is a little to much when we only average 16 inches here at home. Dmv is gonna be our first stop once i get residence.
LOL Thank you. haha. I think we'll stick with our 2012 Dodge grand caravan. We did consider Coos County but 60 inches of rain on average is a little to much when we only average 16 inches here at home. Dmv is gonna be our first stop once i get residence.
Good luck. Please keep us updated.
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Only June to September is snow free. Unless your husband likes working in that kind of extreme weather, I think that would be a terrible place for you to move to.
