Do You Feel Safe In Ashland, Eugene, Bend, Corvallis, Salem, Medford, Portland? (Phoenix: transplants, violent crime)

[Bendite]

I can walk in my community in Bend and look at the stars and not have to worry about someone attacking me, but I do have to watch out for the cougar that comes through every so often from nearby Shevlin Park.. Nowhere in the world is "safe".

[Chad_Schultz]

Originally Posted by CCCVDUR

My dream community is a town of 100,000 persons or less, with a highly educated community engaged in public service. However, I don't know if I will live in Oregon, because of the recession and crime. I don't want any crime, period. If that means I live as a hermit, then I will. Absolutely no meth, and no assaults. No hypodermic needles, etc. in the parks. A place where you can walk outside, and look at the stars at night. A place where women can walk after dinner in the dark, and not get assaulted. I grew up in a metro that's now 5 million, and am tired of that. In my former hometown of Seattle, the recession has made all the University of Washington area unsafe, as students get knocked off their bikes at night and robbed. I've lived in Flagstaff, Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Vegas, and all places were full of meth, and not safe to bike around at night. I'm tired of all this and am an outdoors person in search of solitude.

Now I read that there's been a stabbing at the Suncrest rest area in Talent. And, I drove through every town in western Oregon witnessing meth and tweakers just about everywhere, although it was not as bad in Ashland and Corvallis. I don't care about marijuana, however, it can be associated with meth.

Do you feel safe in your city? What's the safest place in Oregon? Ashland? Bend? Corvallis? The problem is, the higher the education level, the more liberal, and the less safe. Any suggestions? I hope this poll will help people writing City-Data Oregon, and asking about crime in this recession.

If this is what you are looking for then Eugene is not where you want to be. There is a big meth problem that is slowly diminishing, though it may only be traveling to Springfield. The parks are "somewhat" safe but there has been a problem in certain parks where they have founds needles etc... Anyways you get the drift Eugene is not at all crime ridden but it has a problem. It is easily avoidable except for the whole car theft which is nearly impossible to avoid, it is an epidemic almost. I feel extremely safe but then again I live in the nicer area. If I were down by Whitaker or Springfield I probably would feel different. I think your best bet would be Bend by far. Medford is similiar to Eugene which it has "Drug Problems" as well even though they probably aren't comparable due to population. Salem is pretty much the same has a lot of crime and drugs as well. You should check out Bend if you want safety and to avoid these worries you have. Also their are some very gorgeous suburbs outside of Portland you should check out. A few that stick out are Lake Oswego and Beaverton which of course might not be your "depiction" of a perfect city but something you may be enlightened by. Anyways BEND is probably your best bet nice parks, and the city is pretty straight. It has a high cost of living compared to these other cities but has great schooling and plenty to do. And it is growing which will mean plenty of job opportunity, which is good especially in a time like now.

[Chad_Schultz]

Bend is by far the place you would enjoy!!!

[backdrifter]

I feel safe in ALL of these cities.

[1208]

I read about a test conducted in (I think) 100 different cities in Oregon -- from Portland to very small towns -- where they tested the city sewage water for the presence of marijuana, ecstacy, and methamphetamine. If I remember correctly, all, or very close to all, of the cities tested positive for meth. So, CCDVUR, you may want to rethink your stance on meth if you plan on moving to Oregon.

Edit: I figure I will answer the question at hand: Do You Feel Safe In Ashland, Eugene, Bend, Corvallis, Salem, Medford, Portland?

In a word: Yes.

[Hawk J]

My friend Bigfeets watch's over me.

[Silverfall]

Originally Posted by 1208

I read about a test conducted in (I think) 100 different cities in Oregon -- from Portland to very small towns -- where they tested the city sewage water for the presence of marijuana, ecstacy, and methamphetamine. If I remember correctly, all, or very close to all, of the cities tested positive for meth. So, CCDVUR, you may want to rethink your stance on meth if you plan on moving to Oregon.

Edit: I figure I will answer the question at hand: Do You Feel Safe In Ashland, Eugene, Bend, Corvallis, Salem, Medford, Portland?

In a word: Yes.

I remember reading about that test. I think there were only a couple very small towns, that didn't test positive for any drugs.

[Hawk J]

They tried to catch him before.

Mail Tribune - BIGFOOT BEWARE - August 24, 2006

[CCCVDUR]

Originally Posted by Chad_Schultz

If this is what you are looking for then Eugene is not where you want to be. There is a big meth problem that is slowly diminishing, though it may only be traveling to Springfield. The parks are "somewhat" safe but there has been a problem in certain parks where they have founds needles etc... Anyways you get the drift Eugene is not at all crime ridden but it has a problem. It is easily avoidable except for the whole car theft which is nearly impossible to avoid, it is an epidemic almost. I feel extremely safe but then again I live in the nicer area. If I were down by Whitaker or Springfield I probably would feel different. I think your best bet would be Bend by far. Medford is similiar to Eugene which it has "Drug Problems" as well even though they probably aren't comparable due to population. Salem is pretty much the same has a lot of crime and drugs as well. You should check out Bend if you want safety and to avoid these worries you have. Also their are some very gorgeous suburbs outside of Portland you should check out. A few that stick out are Lake Oswego and Beaverton which of course might not be your "depiction" of a perfect city but something you may be enlightened by. Anyways BEND is probably your best bet nice parks, and the city is pretty straight. It has a high cost of living compared to these other cities but has great schooling and plenty to do. And it is growing which will mean plenty of job opportunity, which is good especially in a time like now.

Eugene's meth, crime, and car thefts, along with the high unemployment rate in Lane County, just about rules out that market for those looking for safety 24/7 ... unless one has a job offer or college scholarship lined up in advance.

As for Bend, it is safer, as is Ashland. However, Bend unemployment is even higher than in Lane Co. (15% vs. 12%), and rising. So I'm not sure about that area either. Corvallis, safer, with about 8% unemployment (these are all Dec 2009 stats).

As for Ashland, Jackson county unemployment as I recall is about 13%. However, perhaps the City of Ashland itself is lower than this, due to money from retired and visiting Californians paying for the tourist industry? Any idea on this potential theory? Perhaps Ashland is similar to Durango, a tourism based college town where unemployment is 4%???

[Fiddlehead]

Originally Posted by CCCVDUR

Eugene's meth, crime, and car thefts, along with the high unemployment rate in Lane County, just about rules out that market for those looking for safety 24/7 ... unless one has a job offer or college scholarship lined up in advance.

As for Bend, it is safer, as is Ashland. However, Bend unemployment is even higher than in Lane Co. (15% vs. 12%), and rising. So I'm not sure about that area either. Corvallis, safer, with about 8% unemployment (these are all Dec 2009 stats).

As for Ashland, Jackson county unemployment as I recall is about 13%. However, perhaps the City of Ashland itself is lower than this, due to money from retired and visiting Californians paying for the tourist industry? Any idea on this potential theory? Perhaps Ashland is similar to Durango, a tourism based college town where unemployment is 4%???

Ashland is very much like Durango, Colorado. Durango has perhaps more jaw dropping mountain scenery (both are equally stunning in the larger geographic picture though), and Ashland is perhaps a bit more progressive and innovative. They are both overpriced compared to local wages because both draw left-leaning wealthy, amenity-seeking urbanites from California and elsewhere. However, the Ashland unemployment is closer to 14% than 4%. As they said of Durango, when I lived there 20 years ago, the best way to earn a million in Ashland is to arrive with 2 million and not stay too long! Funny, that has been surprisingly true in recent years. Many Californians arrived with a few hundred k in equity spoils from the bubble, bought an overpriced home for $4-500k, then headed south a couple years later with a $150k haircut! After what they did to the market in the first place, not a little poetic justice....

Given all your posts on this topic, I would suggest Corvallis. It is progressive, but also much more straightlaced than Eugene or Ashland, and does not attract the hippy, transient freeloaders, who can sometimes be criminals as well as just annoying. Corvallis feels like a hybrid between a west coast, midwestern, and college town. The size is right (50k or so), and its' lower employment rate reflects the fact that the local enonomy is not so tied in to the real estate hype as Ashland/Medford or Bend. In Corvallis, they actually create things and have the competency to build companies. There are more smart, educated people per capita in Corvallis than anywhere in the state. Socially, with all the science/engineering nerds around, it is not near as happening nor as militantly ecovegan warrior as Eugene, but you can visit Eugene or Portland easily, and return home to a safe, very pleasant town. And they have a great vegetarian restaurant, if I recall correctly. I love Ashland, but I am one of the lucky few who has a solid job here. I imported it from Corvallis.