Moving to Tillamook from San Diego... racism? (Portland, Boardman: to rent, house)

[msgeni]

My brother in law's grandfather owns a house in Tillamook that was used as a bed and breakfast. He's going to rent out to my family and I for super cheap, and both my brother in law and myself will be working remotely from home. Our plan is to save up until we eventually move to Washington and go our different ways.

Tillamook seems like such a great change from San Diego, and it's always been our dream to move somewhere rainy and overcast... even though I love it here I just want to start over fresh somewhere far, save up and get away from it all. I'm tired of dry weather and expensive everything. Oregon is so beautiful and we're stoked...

Only thing... I've been reading it can be quite racist. My family is hispanic, my mom has an accent and I'm the only one that looks hispanic. Is this going to be a problem? We're generally very quiet and respectful people.

Also, there's apparently not a lot of jobs... the work I'm going to be doing from home is going to pay for my share but I do hope to get a job locally. I sometimes do web design projects here and I've worked office jobs forever. Is there any hope to get any type of employment here or should I just enroll in school? I won't get looked at funny will I?

I dunno. I'm trying to google like crazy but I'm wondering if anyone has any knowledge or experiences to share.

[Hemlock140]

You will definitely get wet and overcast, with double the rain that Seattle gets.
We go to Tillamook frequently and just based on my own observations, hispanics are the largest minority there, but it's probably 90% caucasian.
There are not many jobs, it's very small with only about 5,000 people, and most of them work at the cheese factory. It's also isolated, with no other cities
having jobs or colleges anywhere near other than Portland which would be a long commute at about 75 miles.

[Silverfall]

I'm generally not a fan of encouraging people who are in large metros to go right from a large metro (1.3 M) directly to a small town (5,000 people). People often have a romantic notion of small town life and end up having serious culture shock. I love the Oregon Coast, but it isn't this perfect, idyllic place. Since this would only be a temporary thing, it would be an adventure, but you need to really think about what life is like when you have a town that is 5,000 people.

[pdxMIKEpdx]

On one hand, Tillamook is a small town, with everything that goes with it.

On the other hand, it is on US101, and gets a huge surge of tourists in the summer time.

I don't think you being hispanic is going to raise any eyebrows.
Tillamookers are probably used to seeing every kind of person there is.

[Sizzle-Chest]

A quick look at Tillamook School District demographic info indicates that there is a significant hispanic population, averaging 27.3% of the student population, so it's pretty safe to say you'll be alright! DBI Reports

[msgeni]

I know it's a really big change! I've never lived in a small town before but we do venture out to Julian where it's only mountains and quietness... and we always love it. It is going to be temporary for a year or two so even though there may be some culture shock it won't be for too long. It sucks that we're going to be so far from the city though, I'm used to long commutes but 1 to 1 1/2 hours is going to be a challenge There's absolutely no jobs anywhere else other than Portland?

That's really good to hear about hispanics. I'm used to half of the people here being latinos and even in San Diego I've encountered racism so I was really nervous about being the only odd one out in a town with like 5k people. o.o

Speaking of schools and colleges... the tillamook community college is literally 2 minutes away walking from the house we're going to move at and that's pretty much all I need for now, and I do see an elementrary school not too far. My little brother is 11 and he'll be moving with us too. How is the education system in tillamook?

Thank you guys!!

[Steve Pickering]

I think you are in for a bit of a surprise. Did you say if you have ever been there before?


And half of San Diago is not hispanic. My half brother has property there that has been in the family for two hundred years (In the Parado), and although his Dearly Departed Mother and her people are hispanic, they don't make up half of San Diago, or the area around there.

[msgeni]

Nope, never My brother and law has visited the house and he says it's nice (plus I've seen tons of pictures) but I really don't know what to really expect other than it being a really small secluded town with cheese abundance!

Haha, yes I was greatly exagerating... we're still a minority! though the areas I've lived on (Escondido, Chula Vista, Imperial Beach, etc etc..) are pretty latino heavy hence the dramatization, everywhere else is super diverse.

[pdxMIKEpdx]

Well one things for sure.
Life in Tillamook is as different as you can get to life in San Diego.
Even though Tillamook is a small town, it does not sit right on the beach but is inland a bit.
It's a genuine working town, not a coastal tourist trap town or resort town.
If you are thinking its a tiny little town in the middle of nowhere with cows grazing in the mud streets and such, you will be surprised.
Streetview it on GoogleMaps and look around!

PS: That 90 minute drive to Portland winds up and down through the coast range. Average speed will be about 50-55mph on winding mountain roads. It's wet, it snows. Several fatal accidents yearly. It's not a flat dry four lane highway where you can just set your cruise control and kick back. You will have to concentrate and pay attention and it will tire you out.

Oh yeah, I don't know what your recreational proclivities are, but boating and fishing are huge there.
Tillamook bay has one of the best Salmon fisheries in the world. Plus you got about five rivers and the ocean to fish in!
(Tillamook, Kilchis, Miami, Wilson and the Trask.)

Also, south a little bit of Tillamook is Sand Lake.
Sand Lake is sand dunes where you can ride dune buggies and quads and stuff.

Tillamook is also right next to thousands of acres of forests and plenty of camping spots in the forest and along the coast.

If you got an active personality and don't just sit around, you will find plenty to do there.

I wouldn't mind living in Tillamook, but coastal weather and I don't agree, Tillamook can get WET, and the town can get a distinct "bovine aroma" when the winds right.

Tillamook---The land of cheese, trees, and ocean breeze, and cowpoopie up to your knees!

[Steve Pickering]

And the chese factory is the only tourist trap in town as they make their chese in Boardman up the columbia and package and store/distribute it in Idaho and Utah. The plant in Tillamook is a demonstration plant these days.