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I was hoping to get some insight from anyone or everyone about the differences between Albany and Lebanon.
As I have mentioned in prior posts, my husband and I will be locating to Oregon this year and our goal is to gain employment in the Willamete Valley so we can live in Corvallis. We visted there and enjoy the town;not to mention all we have read about the school district there.
However, as many of you have pointed out before, I do notice while searching the MLS that the housing prices are a little higher there. Though I am sure we could manage it, I want to stay open minded about other areas, especially since I see that there are some nice properties on a couple acres of land availabel on the outskirts of Albany and Lebanon.
I notice according to City-Data that Albany has the higher crime rate and whole the schools don't rate as high. Lebanon has a slightly lower crime rate and some of the schools are considered "strong". I know that it is a smaller town.
Can any residents or others familiar with both areas give me the pros and cons of each. Thank you thank you thank you!
You could do worse than Albany or Lebanon. But don't think that there will be any "Corvallis Effect" from the relative proximity. That's a bit like thinking you might like to move to Santa Maria based on the fact that you were impressed with San Luis Obispo. The same thing holds true for southern Oregon. Folks figure that they can't afford Ashland, so they move to Talent which is just 7 or 8 miles away. But Talent is nothing like Ashland, and you end up getting what you pay for.
Like Ashland, Corvallis has always been a university town, with all that that implies about valuing art and culture. Albany and Lebanon have historically been timbering and agricultural areas. That has very much shaped the prevailing culture in both areas. The general character of Corvallis and Albany is suburban. That of Lebanon more rural. Just north of Albany is a town called Millersburg where there is a Wah Chang zirconium facility and a Weyerhauser papermill. When the prevailing wind is from the north (as it usually is during good weather), there is...how shall we say...a certain "air" about the town of Albany. It's not quite as foetid as the feedlots along I5 near Stockton, but it's generally regarded as the stinkiest town in Oregon.
There's no free lunch...or even reduced-price lunch in the WV real estate market. If you are able to buy in at a lower price, it's because that area is less in demand. You should ask yourself why. If an area is less in demand, the good news is you can buy in less expensively. The bad news is that it will appreciate less in value, and you will ultimately sell it for less as well. Taxes are also lower in Albany and Lebanon, and again -- you get what you pay for.
I've lived in Albany for 5 1/2 years, worked in Corvallis for 4 of those. I have to say that I actually prefer Albany to Corvallis. This is an incredibly friendly town with a nice mix between "big enough" and "not too big." We have a CostCo, Old Navy, Sears, Gottshalks, multiple choices for grocery, great access to I-5, an a growing economy. It looks like PepsiCo is going to be putting in a plant here (Gatorade I think).
I have been overall very happy with the schools. My oldest daughter has gone from 4th grade to HS and my youngest has gone from K to 5th here. Actively involved parents, responsive administration, and a focus on character education all show. Corvallis schools may benefit from a slightly larger tax base and overall income level, but that (IMHO) does NOT take away from the decent education system in Albany.
As far as Lebanon, it is a nice town and growing quickly. Real estate prices are going to continue to appreciate there with the new Lowe's Distribution Center going in (construction ongoing now).
It overall has a more rural feel to it than Albany, and today you can buy a little more house for the dollar there...but don't bank on it for long!
I take a bit of an exception to Steve's comments regarding the SMELL in Albany...Yes, on some days it is detectable but it is NOT all it is hyped to be and most people who hold on to that perception haven't been here in a while. The mill (not Wah Chang) previously was the cause of most of the smell...they have spent millions of dollars over the past 10 years installing scrubbers and reducing their emissions. If there is an inversion layer, you notice it, but I find it more of a "yeah...kind of a stinky day..." and get on with what I need to do.
In fact, Millersburg is a place to consider as well. It is developing quickly into a fairly nice area. With the lowest tax rate in Linn County, and a 10,000 sq ft lot size minimum, it has something to offer. Close to Albany AND Salem.
Feel free to e-mail or private message me and I can get you more info about the local area and answer any questions about housing.
Dave,
I'd like to send my kids ages 3 and 4 to Ashbrook Independent School (In case you hadn't gathered by my user name I'm one of the many leaving California for Oregon) and wondered if you had any info on that school and whether or not it's worth the price of admission? Also, hows the traffic situation there? I mean the commute from Albany to Corvallis or within those towns for taking the kids to school?...Thanks for your time.
bye bye cali,
Unfortunately, I don't have any personal information on Ashbrook Independent. I don't have any friends that send their kids there...but I'd be happy to see what I can find out for you and ask around.
As far as the traffic goes...I have to tell you that, having lived for many years in San Diego (and using that as a comparison) there is NO traffic here! although the locals may tell you differently. My memory of so cal...everything was a 30 minute drive. Not so here.
There are 2 routes from Albany to Corvallis, you'd regularly choose one or the other depending on which side of Albany you lived on and which part of Corvallis you were heading too. HWY 20 is single lane in both directions and you can get behind someone who drives just under the speed limit...and never get a chance to pass. On HWY 34, its 2 lanes in each direction and usually flows very well.
I went from SW Albany to Corvallis (to OSU campus) every work day for 4 years...average of 15 minute commute. Game days are a big exception!
Corvallis gets pretty jammed up during the school day the closer to campus you get, mostly due to the high pedestrian traffic and the students with their ipods obliviously crossing the streets (kidding!)
I've also found drivers to be generally friendlier here (although there are always exceptions) in the mid-valley and that helps a lot with the commute.
Best of luck with your move. Please let me know if you have any other questions about our area...I'm always interested in helping folks relocate to our area.
Yes, as Steve mentioned, I figured that just being close to a town does not make the next one necessaringly similar to it. But since I did not spend as much time in Albany, or any time in Lebanon while I was up there last, I wanted to get an idea from others about those two places before I invested too much time looking at homes on the internet.
I see what you mean Dave about homes getting higher in Lebanon, some of the new ones they are building that have the same suare footage are as high as some that are listed in Corvallis.Oh, and I thought that Lowe's distribution center was already up and running. I wonder if they are currently hiring for positions there. It might be something my husband should look into. Or me
Thanks for sharing your thoughts about the schools in Albany Dave. That is one of the more important aspects of choosing what town to buy in for me since I have a middle schooler. What it really comes down to is, given the choice ,do we buy a little bigger house with maybe a bigger yard for our daughter to enjoy in a district that has lower scores (according to Oregon's AYP site), or a smaller house in a town that has "excellent" and "strong" ratings. I know ultimatly it's my job to ensure my child gets a good education and that no school ,no matter how high it's marks, can serve as a guarantee that my daughter will get one.
Honestly though , what I have found to be even more important lately is not what my child WILL GET from a school, but what I hope she WON"T GET from one. Will moving to a town with a lower crime rate and higher priced homes lower my child's chances of not being exposed to certain vices at school? That remains to be seen I guess.
Do I dare mention that I am begining to see why (as other posters have mentioned on other threads) race is an issue in the demographics of a town? Or do I just hold on to my idealogy that those who point out that "there are a lot of mexicans" in whatever town they are speaking of and that is why it is "no longer a nice place to live" are borderline if not totally racist? I hate that I have become the type of person to even consider such things but as current resident of southern California I can't ignore it anymore. the interesting thing is I myself am an immigrant from Mexico. But as a mom I am getting sick of parents who refuse to learn English so all the PTA meetings must be interpreted and this "wanna be" gang mentality that my child is getting from certain groups of kids at her school.
Nevertheless, I WON'T fall into the kind of thinking that if I raise my daughter in Corvallis versus downtown anywhere I will have made the better investment. I don't EVER want to believe that the less black or brown skinned people in a neighborhood the better. So why does that percentage of "white" verses "others" mean anything to me as I scan these City-Data pages? What have I become?
I don't know how I got on to all of this- I am tempted to delete it but maybe I should just put it out there. I know alot of you are older and wiser then I am. And you could be my new neighbors in the year to come. Thanks for listening.
cantwait,
I too despair at the anti-immigrant mentallity. Whenever you get a large group of marginalized, undereducated and impoverished people, crime and social problems will proliferate. My mother and I are from Korea and are also immigrants but Asians are not as negatively stereotyped. I live in the Salinas Valley, very dependent on Agrigulture and Mexican labor for its economy and I too will be leaving for Oregon despite my love of the Monterey Penninsula. The schools and social problems in this town do not give me peace of mind for my two small children and I cannot afford the Peninsula. I've read many of the threads on this site and I don't find the anti-Mexican sentiments to be motivated so much by racism but by despair at seeing community erosion. In particular, I worry about the youth population in our town being raised on Hot Cheetos and TV.
I've read alot of thoughtful commentary from some insightful people and look forward to being a part of the Oregon vibe.
Can'tWait,
A couple of thoughts for your consideration:
While there may be a difference in "Scores" for the schools I would challenge anyone to really show a difference in the quality of education between Corvallis and Albany. Most of the differences are more likely tied to the demographics of the population than the schools themselves (more educators in Corvallis, more emphasis on their child's education and perhaps even a slightly higher academic ability - genetics do have an impact)...but an individual child with involved parents will thrive in either district. I say this having nothing but love for Corvallis. I frankly would have probably lived in Corvallis when my family and I moved here 5 years ago...but it was a matter of economics for us. That said, we have NEVER regretted the decision.
All I am trying to get across is that if you hinge your entire decision making process on this one element you may be limiting your options.
On the issue of race and racism...I only have one theme that I live by. Everyone has stereotypes ingrained in their own minds based on their experiences, there is no way around our PROCESSING the world through that lens...but the way that you treat another individual ONE on ONE is how you measure your humanity and how others will measure you. Don't worry too much that you bring those factors into consideration...we all do!
All the best,
Dave
Last edited by DavePautsch; 01-28-2007 at 10:31 AM..
I move to Albany in 1999. My husband and I bought a house in Sweet Home 2 years ago. We are about 25 miles from Albany, but I would not change anything. I have a daughter who started to refuse to go to school at Callapooia Middle School in albany and I had no support from the school. the first time I took her rufusing to go the counselor said right in front of her that if she does not want to go to school, he can't force after 5 more times of this he told her he was tired of her and told her to leave. My daugfhter started 7th grade at Sweet Home Junoir high school and the first day of school my daughter tried to pull the same thing here. The vice principle came to my house with a teacher and they talked with her then she still would not go, so he called a friend that is an officer here and he came and talked with needless to say she went to school the officer even followed us to her school and supported her through the angziety she was having. I never got that support in Albany. I think it is because Sweet Home is a much smaller town. The other benefit of sweet home is we are 5 minutes from Lake foster. Sweet Home is a town of about 8000. Here is a link to the sweet home web page and info about the town. http://www.sweethomechamber.org/
Well, after spending way too much time than I should looking at real estate online I am really falling in love with some of the historical homes in Albany. I see that there are some available in Corvallis too but they seem to be in more need of renovation/restoration and for the money those in Albany are move in ready. When my husband was on recruiting duty in Ontario ,California we rented a 1920's Spanish revival and I loved it's character. We were warned by others not to move there because it was the "bad" part of town, as I am sure it is said of other cities downtowns where the historical houses are. But we never had any problems.
So after considering all of what other's have posted I more open to living elsewhere other than Corvallis. The main thing that sold me on Corvallis in the first place was the low crime rate, schools, and the abundance of bike lanes.
So after having said all that I have to ask since looking at pictures can only tell me so much- what is the historical area of Albany like? From what I see it looks like nice tree lined streets and sidewalks with older homes and cozy porches. It looks like an area where I can walk down to local businesses and walk with my child to school. So I already envision this ideal neighborhood in my head so please anyone speak up if I need a reality check.
Thanks in advance.
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Sweet home is not bad but a longer commute.
