Moving to Oregon (Portland, Eugene, Salem: crimes, job market, neighborhoods)

[megan824]

We are looking to move from NJ to OR in the next year. The only problem is that we don't know much about Oregon. With everything we have to do in the next yr we don't have time or money to plan a trip out there until much closer to the move.

My daughter is 2 and a half. My family loves nature music and culture so I am looking for a place that has plenty of that. We also want to move somewhere small with good schools and a 45 min or less drive to work (any town with good job market).

We know it rains a lot but we are looking for a town with th least rain/snow with nice summer temperatures.

We are looking at Ashland, Talent, Phoenix, Medford, Wolf Creek, Bend, Eugene and maybe Salem.

(What we are looking for in a place, not too far (a few hrs) from a beach/ocean, Not horrible winters, Not too much rain, Safe with decent schools and job market, We'd like a place with culture, native american reserves, zoos, or museums near by, Maybe a wooded area, A small close town)


Can any one tell me about any of these towns and and if they are good safe towns.

Any town recommendations welcome. Thanks.

[Nell Plotts]

First nail down a job.

[doggiemama]

Megan824, you might want to post on the Oregon forum instead of here, since you're not looking at Portland specifically. Just click on Oregon at the top of the page.

[hamellr]

You're going to have to give a bit on some of your requirements.

The unemployment rate in Oregon is stuck at 9.5%. What that number fails to tell you is that pretty much everything not in the Portland area is at 12%+ and based on historical numbers, will not start dropping until 12-18 months after Portland does. Bend, Eugene, will be about six months behind Portland. Salem doesn't tend to get hit as hard by the economy due to the number of Public Employees in town.

Of your list, from a Culture standpoint you're going to be limited to Ashland and Eugene. Unless you consider stopping in at the local bar before going home, Culture. I'm sure there are some theater groups in Medford and Bend, but nothing that I've heard of. Salem has a few things culture wise, but not enough that I'd move there for it specifically.

It'd also help if you'd define culture for us. Oregon in general isn't considered very cultured, despite Portland having a world known Symphony and Ballet, a decent Art Museum, fine dining galore, and some of the best libraries in the country.

There are three "Zoos" in Oregon. In order of size, The Oregon Zoo in Portland, Wildlife Safari just outside of Roseburg and the West Coast Game Park in Bandon. All three are heavy into Wild Life Conservation and have won awards for their work over the years.

The only Native American Reserve that (other then gambling,) has anything for non-Natives to do is the Kahneeta Resort in Warm Springs, about an hour north of Bend.

Comparatively, Bend is going to have your worse winters as it's on the East Side of the Cascade Mountains. The Rouge valley tends to get a bit more snow due to the way it captures weather patterns.

Wolf Creek BTW is a bump in the road and is technically a Ghost Town. Last time I went through there, the Quick Mart on the main highway was closed permanently.

Phoenix and Talent are suburbs of Medford, and like most small towns in Oregon (especially Southern Oregon) are going to have higher then average domestic crimes and drug use.

Bend has the High Desert Museum which is cool to learn about lava, plate tectonics, volcanoes, lave tubes, some local history, and native wild life.

Ashland has a science museum, a railroad museum, and an Art Museum.

Medford has two history museums, an Children's Museum, a historic house, and a working farm museum.

Eugene has about a half dozen various museums.

None of these museums, other then the High Desert Museum are destinations in themselves.

I know nothing about the schools in any of those areas, other then like everywhere else their budgets have been stripped and education over all has suffered.

Of your list, Ashland is probably your best bet combination of what you're looking for.

My best suggestion though is that you look in the Portland area for jobs, and explore the rest of the state on weekends. Once the job market picks up you can start looking in other areas. There are several neighborhoods that will still give you that small town feel, but put you close to the rest of your wish list.

[megan824]

Thanks. And believe it or not Jerseys unemployment is higher so thats why we are looking in Oregon. And great I am new to this so I didnt realise there was an oregon forum.

[EnricoV]

To correct just a bit of misinformation in various posts:

There are seven Indian Reservations in Oregon, which pretty much all have cultural events. For permanent exhibits, etc.: the Umatilla Reservation has the Tamástslikt Cultural Institute; and The Museum at Warm Springs, on the Warm Springs Reservation is fantastic.

The Oregon Shakespeare Festival (in Ashland) season runs from Spring to Fall, not just in the Spring. Summers are best, when the Outdoor Theater is in operation.

[Minervah]

Originally Posted by megan824

Thanks. And believe it or not Jerseys unemployment is higher so thats why we are looking in Oregon. And great I am new to this so I didnt realise there was an oregon forum.

Not according to this article in today's Oregonian. Oregon is 4th behind Nevada, California and Michigan. And I doubt that NJ has people flocking to move there creating the fierce competition that Oregon has for jobs.

Think Oregon's 9.5 percent unemployment is bad? Try 19.6 percent, once everyone's counted | OregonLive.com

[Smiled]

Oh, a side note about Salem - government has dropped 4000 jobs in the last six months.

[megan824]

State Unemployment Update unemployment link. And Employment isnt the only reasons for leaving NJ. Jersey is doing bad with everything latley. I was born and raised here and I dont want to raise my daughter here. Everyone has their reasons for moving.

[Minervah]

Originally Posted by megan824

State Unemployment Update unemployment link. And Employment isnt the only reasons for leaving NJ. Jersey is doing bad with everything latley. I was born and raised here and I dont want to raise my daughter here. Everyone has their reasons for moving.

Yes of course they do but you want to be careful not to move from the frying pan into the fire if you are looking to make a better life for yourself and your child.

What is your job skill? There are one or two occupations where jobs may not be so difficult to come by. You mentioned "any town with a good job market." You won't find a good job market in any Oregon town but it may be possible to find a job with some luck.

Just out of curiousity, why are you considering Oregon? Are there other states you have in mind? Perhaps if you could elaborate on what you are looking for in Oregon people would be able to address the situations in the towns you have listed.