MA to OR, help me pick a town (Portland, Eugene: how much, houses)

[pod]

Hi, Live in MA right now and don't use Boston, and feels way to crowded for us. Plus the land here is way overpriced... help us find a town to live in. don't have to worry about jobs, and have up to 1 mill to spend on a house.


LOOKING FOR:
-outdoor activities ( rivers, walking, trails, stuff to do with our dogs )
-town with things to do with kids ( eating , entertainment , doctors )
-very friendly people, down to earth, love to relax and take life slow...
-acreage ( green area, no dry areas )
-non religious ( so public schools in the area )
-place with things to do but smaller town feel
-understated wealthy towns

I've seen some towns come up like Ashland, Bend, Medford, Applegate. do these fit the bill? Most important to me is understated, down to earth wealthy. can someone direct me to some info on Bend and the different areas of Bend, as I hear Bend is pretty big?

well thank you guys for any help as I hope to get out and see some towns in a couple months.

[backdrifter]

Understated wealthy? Hmm... Doesn't sound very Oregonian to me. Probably only Ashland, Jacksonville, and possibly Bend. But If you don't like dry areas stay away from Medford, Ashland, Applegate, and especially Bend.

[ElizaM]

Bend is on the eastern side of the Cascades and is high desert country so if you don't want dry, stay away from there--300 days of sunshine a year.

It sounds like you want to be in the northwestern area of Oregon. I honestly do not know what you mean by understated wealthy. You want to live among wealthy people who don't demonstrate it?

With the activities you mention I would suggest Sandy, Oregon. It is a small town with lots of green acreage around it. There are a lot of so called gentleman farmers living in the area with small acreages where they have horses and other animals--not really farming for a living. I know two living on acreages just outside of Sandy who are millionaires. There are also some Hollywood stars with hidden places in the area. (You never see them--they come there to get away from it all.)

Sandy has doctors, dentists, schools, etc. Not much in the way of activities in the town itself. However, nearby Mt. Hood has skiing, hiking, boating, camping, fishing, etc. The Columbia River is not too far away where you can windsurf, fish, swim, and sail.

See my profile for website under "contact" for my Oregon website for information about Bend.

[Silverfall]

If you don't mind a smaller town Silverton would be a possible choice as well. Most wealth in Oregon is not flaunt yourselves kind of wealth. We do have the occasional 17,000 sq foot house, but there are not a lot of them.

I think most of our wealthy folks elected to have a more moderate home and then purchase a home on the coast, or in the Sunriver/Bend area.

You may also want to consider Boring or Damascus outside of Portland as well.

Oregon ranks 50 out of 50 states for church attendance. We do have more conservative areas, but I think Oregonians tend to be more spiritual and not so big on organized religions. We have many religions here, and I think people are generally respectful of others beliefs or non beliefs, as it may be.

[karlsch]

Originally Posted by Silverfall

Oregon ranks 50 out of 50 states for church attendance.

Although Oregonians have been saying this for decades, it should probably be categorized as an urban legend. Although church attendance in Oregon is below the nation average, it isn't the lowest in the nation:
Church Attendance Lowest in New England, Highest in South

[Silverfall]

Thank you Karlsch..I stand corrected.

We are 42 out of 50.

[haggardhouseelf]

"understated wealthy"... the cities that come to mind are: Yachats, OR; Astoria, OR (up and coming, lots going on there...); and Snoqualmie, WA.

Check out Redmond Ridge, WA. It's closer in to a bigger town, but if money isn't a problem and you might absolutely love it there. WONDERFUL public school there - Rosa Parks Elementary. Absolutely lovely little brand new school with a principal who rocks. Check out lots of the little towns east of Redmond and Bellevue, WA... Lots of Microsoft people buy their second or third "country" homes out there. Or if you want more water and nearer to the coast - San Juan Islands? Very laid-back, wealthy enviro there.

Oregon doesn't seem to fit with "understated wealthy"... except perhaps some places along the northern coastal area. But even then... not so much. Oregon is more laid-back, organic, artsy, liberal... There's definitely people with money here, but more of that sort of thing on the outskirts of the Seattle/Eastside area. When somebody gives off a wealthy sort of vibe here in Oregon people tag them as Californians or out of state investors trying to buy up the precious land. The people with money here... hide.

Hmmm.... you wanted...
-outdoor activities ( rivers, walking, trails, stuff to do with our dogs ) - Redmond, WA area and outskirts has this...
-town with things to do with kids ( eating , entertainment , doctors ) - Redmond, WA and surrounding areas...
-very friendly people, down to earth, love to relax and take life slow... - Redmond, WA not so much... but the outer cities like Snoqualmie, WA definitely has this... and Fall City, WA...
-acreage ( green area, no dry areas ) - Duvall, Fall City, Snoqualmie...
-non religious ( so public schools in the area ) - definitely Washington state. It's known for being open to all types of spirituality or even a lack thereof.
-place with things to do but smaller town feel - Redmond Ridge, Fall City, Snoqualmie, Snoqualmie Ridge, etc...
-understated wealthy towns - all the towns I mentioned... yup.

I think that part of Washington State would be a better fit than anyplace in Oregon, really. Good luck with your journey!

[Bendite]

While I'm also interested in what you mean about "understated wealthy", I also want to impose my opinion about Bend and it being dry. Yes, Bend is in the high desert, but that doesn't mean its ugly. Looking out my window this afternoon I can see beautiful yellow shades from aspen and rabbitbrush, reds and other colors from turning bushes and trees. I just don't see much green grass (though plenty of native grasses). It's true of Oregonians, and also of other Westerners, that talking about one's wealth is considered tacky, so if that's what you're concerned about, you probably won't find much chit-chat about how much money people have.

If Bend is in your consideration, look at west side developments like Broken Top and the Awbrey Butte area - no problem finding million $ houses there. Check out Shevlin Commons if you are into green building and natural landscaping, but not much green grass

[rogue576]

LOOKING FOR:
-outdoor activities ( rivers, walking, trails, stuff to do with our dogs )
-town with things to do with kids ( eating , entertainment , doctors )
-very friendly people, down to earth, love to relax and take life slow...
-acreage ( green area, no dry areas )
-non religious ( so public schools in the area )
-place with things to do but smaller town feel
-understated wealthy towns

I would have to say mid Willamette valley - probably Eugene fits the bill pretty good. You could try the coast many of the towns along the coast are at the mouths of rivers but it is more expensive. Hope this helps...

[nephthys]

Bend, Ashland, Eugene, Astoria..... even the Portland area isn't all that crowded compared to Boston.