I need information on the Oregon Coast, please. (Bend, Grants Pass: rent, sex offenders)

[cloudstomper01]

I'm planning on moving in 10 months and I am seriously considering the Oregon Coast. I started out looking at Coos Bay, but now I'm leery after reading the threads here. I am a single mom and I have two kids, one in high school and one in junior high. we also have 2 border collies. I am self employed and work from home so I won't need to find a job. I would like a place that is the safest possible and has the most affordable rent and good, safe schools. Please help me, I am having a hard time. I am trying to stay a bit south so I can still be relatively near family in Siskiyou County, Ca. I appreciate the help! Oh, I understand there is little to no snow on the coast, but if I had my way I would go with somewhere that has at least a hope of getting small amounts every now and again!

I do realize this is a topic that has been covered a lot on here, but I'm hoping to get current opinions and many of the threads go off into different directions, so I thought I would just post my own.

[Copsgirl73]

I would never live with kids on a coastal Oregon town. Just me personally but there isnt much going on and lots of kids get involved in drugs and alcohol. What you are reading on those threads is most likely accurate. Very small town mentality, very blue collar

[Larry Caldwell]

The highest rates of alcoholism, drug abuse, domestic violence and child sexual abuse in the state. The coast is no place to raise a child. When they go to school, they have no choice of classmates, and small schools mean they can't get away from the undesirables.

[Hawk J]

Howdy cloudstomper01,

Take a looksee at the Grants Pass area. We have loved the area for over five lustrum. We live in the mountains, not far away. Grants Pass Daily Courier -- Rogue River Web Cam

Rogue Valley usually gets a little snow in the winter...

[rtg143]

Also, the downtown cam, Grants Pass Daily Courier -- Downtown Web Cam

and the bridge cam, Grants Pass Daily Courier -- Caveman Bridge Cam at Taprock

[cloudstomper01]

Thank you for all the info.

[Steve Pickering]

Originally Posted by Larry Caldwell

The highest rates of alcoholism, drug abuse, domestic violence and child sexual abuse in the state. The coast is no place to raise a child. When they go to school, they have no choice of classmates, and small schools mean they can't get away from the undesirables.

Sadly this is true. In one year we had five high school boys register as sex offenders and one who murdered a 13 year old girl. And that is in just one year.

My kids have kids who have kids, so I love it in Coos Bay.

[nardoman]

Why of all the places on the Oregon Coast would you possibly choose Coos Bay first? Have you been there? Coos Bay and North Bend have some beautiful spots, but quite a bit of that area is ugly, run down and trashed.

You really should make a trip up along the coast with your kids. See if they even like it. Oh, of course maybe at first, but they are going to get bored fast. That leads to doing things out of boredom. You know where that goes.

I like the Grants Pass area suggestion, but maybe that's because I started to go stir crazy on the coast. Not a whole lot to do out there.

[kadylady]

I agree. Look into the Grants Pass area. I wouldn't move to the coast with kids.

[nardoman]

I lived in Bandon for years. Some of the locals really liked it, and said it was a great town to raise their kids. It may be true, but I'm not sure how all the kids felt about that statement. One friends teenage boy hated Bandon. In fact they both hated it there, and wanted to leave very badly for years, yet were stuck there, unable to sell their house, even at a very reduced price.

People tend to idealize the OR coast, because it is truly beautiful during certain times of the year, and much cooler than the valley in the summer.