Is it true that Oregon is like the redneck/hillybilly version of the West without city vibe of Seattle? (Portland: transplants, mortgage)

[1208]

Originally Posted by plainbrowntabby

LMAO! Actually, I was in Eugene last week. I go there about three times a month. I've lived in Lane county since 1966. When I am in "town", I'm in downtown, East and South Eugene. granted Eugene is a big place, ten small towns stuck together really, If you're in Bethel- Danebo, Four Corners or Santa Clara your cultural mileage may definitely vary. STEREOTYPE Generalization MAP ALERT: Northeast Eugene is Promise Keepers in McMansions with Malls. Northwest Eugene is Latinos and white working class with Winco and Big Lots.
Southwest Eugene is rich white conservative, churches everywhere. Hilly streets. Southeast is rich white liberal. Coffee and microwbrews and old houses. Hilly streets
Downtown is students, artists, homeless, hippies, Hispanics, progressive recycling non-drivers drinking organic shade-grown lattes. Downtown went bust in 1968 and hasn't made it back. It's therefore, quite interesting and ripe for gentrification in another decade.

And yes, Springfield is certainly a lumber and mill town gone bust with the demographic that entails. Except for Thurston, which is the same people with more money and bigger churches.
Eugene has a major University, a community college, private schools and many layers of Government. That spells liberals on bikes eating health food and shopping at REI. How can you miss them? And their dogs? When was the last time you went downtown or read either of the newspapers? Not sure what part of You-Jeen you're stuck in, but sounds like you need a trip down to Sam Bond's Garage in Whiteaker for some organic beer and pizza.

LOL you nailed it. Trust me I know all parts of Eugene like the back of my hand, lived there a long time and my work took me to all corners of it interacting with all sorts of people. One thing though, you can find every type you mentioned above in any part of town, usually without having to look too hard. big old melting pot is what it is.

[plainbrowntabby]

Originally Posted by 1208

LOL you nailed it. Trust me I know all parts of Eugene like the back of my hand, lived there a long time and my work took me to all corners of it interacting with all sorts of people. One thing though, you can find every type you mentioned above in any part of town, usually without having to look too hard. big old melting pot is what it is.

Very much so. Those dividing lines are extreme generalizations: averages only, based on driving around and looking at houses cars and people. And their dogs.

[The Cactus Leaguer]

Originally Posted by plainbrowntabby

The "panhandling, drug-dealing, self-righteous, trust fund creeps" are not real hippies, but just another variety of costumes consumerist poser. Real hippies call these kids "Drainbows", a play on the actual hippie Rainbow Family Gathering of Tribes that happens every year. Drainbows dress up, buy a VW, get some Jerry stickers and Dead tapes and read Castenada from the free box and smoke everyone else's weed, contribute and produce nothing and seek only to get by for free on someone else's money and work (donations, grants, student loans, trusts) while lecturing you on white guilt and privilege.

Oh, you mean the crowd that gathers and poses at the Country Fair in Veneta each year?

[indiestyle]

THe answer is: no

sure there are some small towns, but nothing like you're thinking

[portraitartists]

I'd say that Portland is not Hillbilly or Southern socially. I recently relocated to Washington DC. Miss the openness and beauty of Portland. Very tolerant people. Great music scene, arts and food. Overall a great place with excellent quality of life.

[plainbrowntabby]

The Oregon Country Fair is about half & half for real hippies/posers. The posers are winning. After 20+ years, I don't go anymore.

[Roseandkeith]

1st id like to say I do not live in Oregon. I live in Kentucky and proud to be a redneck not "trash" but country. Yes I own and carry weapons a Wilson Combat .45 actually and proud of it. I am also a former Marine 10 years and fought in 2 differant wars . As an outsider I would assume that the residents of Oregon do not love the idea of Californians moving to Oregon for the following reason. An average 3 bed 2 bath home in CA. will run you about 400,000 to 600,000 depending on the area the same home in Oregon would run about half that. Which is great for the residents of Oregon. However with the influx of CA residents flooding the area with tons of cash drives up prices on everything. Especially for the long term residents whom were born and raised there. Women and men who were born and raised in Oregon and in thier late 20's early 30's looking to purchase thier first home now have to pay double what they would have. Before the influx.

[Fiddlehead]

Originally Posted by Roseandkeith

1st id like to say I do not live in Oregon. I live in Kentucky and proud to be a redneck not "trash" but country. Yes I own and carry weapons a Wilson Combat .45 actually and proud of it. I am also a former Marine 10 years and fought in 2 differant wars . As an outsider I would assume that the residents of Oregon do not love the idea of Californians moving to Oregon for the following reason. An average 3 bed 2 bath home in CA. will run you about 400,000 to 600,000 depending on the area the same home in Oregon would run about half that. Which is great for the residents of Oregon. However with the influx of CA residents flooding the area with tons of cash drives up prices on everything. Especially for the long term residents whom were born and raised there. Women and men who were born and raised in Oregon and in thier late 20's early 30's looking to purchase thier first home now have to pay double what they would have. Before the influx.

You nailed it. That is where I would suspect well over half the anti-Californian resentment comes from. I would expect a $250k home is a lot for someone on a rural Kentucky wages, and it is in Oregon. However, during the recent bubble, people coming up from California could often pay $300k CASH for a house, and the often had much more to put down on investment properties. So locals felt marginalized on their own turf. I know that none of my employees can afford a home in the town where our office is, yet most of the town is full of people working part-time and driving Beemers. I would guess 80-90% came from urban California.

Actually, it is kind of funny. In Oregon, the recent immigrants are wealthy and educated. In California, the majority of recent immigrants are poor and uneducated. Both groups are equally loathed (not on a personal level, mind you, but in principle).

[lymelyte]

Don't know about "rednecks" - a lot if not most of America is "redneck" I guess - but I recently had a conversation with some friends who were visiting over the holidays from the East Coast about how the further west you go in the US the more ... hmm, how to say this without sounding harsh ... the more of a party mentality there is, which I guess is a way of saying more shallow and less substantial. Had I not lived all over the country I probably wouldn't notice it. And I'm sure others may disagree, but that's been my experience. Just don't seem to connect intellectually as much out here as in other places.

[Fiddlehead]

Originally Posted by lymelyte

Don't know about "rednecks" - a lot of America is "redneck" I guess - but I recently had a conversation with some friends who were visiting over the holidays from the East Coast about how the further west you go in the US the more ... hmm, how to say this without sounding harsh ... the more of a party mentality there is, which I guess is a way of saying more shallow and less substantial. Had I not lived all over the country I probably wouldn't notice it. And I'm sure others may disagree, but that's been my experience. Just don't seem to connect intellectually as much out here as in other places.

Interesting. I would suppose the East has colder winters conducive to indoor cultural activities, a number of cities with excellent cultural offerings, a stronger connection to Europe,etc. All the trappings of intellectualism. I do know that I notice somewhat more of a party attitude in California than in the PNW, and I assume part of it is the weather. Who the hell wants to stay indoors drinking coffee and reading or writing poetry when you can be surfing or hiking all winter? Of course, that is a very superficial view, because California leads the West in just about every intellectual pursuit, as they should with such a large population. And with size comes diversity. Berkeley and Orange County are pretty different, to say the least, as are Portland and Baker City Oregon.

I am not going to support or refute your statement. I can see what you are saying, but I think saying westerners are more shallow than others is probably a misconception. Given the choice between a silicon enhanced Malibu barbie or a Manhattan Investment Banker, I'll take the former please. However, it is conceivable that certain parts of the country value displays of wealth and status more than others. We seem to be getting Hummers in town lately, and I have to wonder what kind of person would buy such a rig, except for pure posing. And I will concede, I don't think pasty Simon & Garfunkel type intellectuals get the chicks out here. Except at Reed College, of course. So, having waffled through this whole post, I'll sign off....