I'm planning to move in the spring to the Pacific Northwest. I'd love to have some friends before I get there & would appreciate any advice as to the best quiet spots with good people. I love the outdoors and OR is so beautiful. I can't wait to be closer!
Depends on what you are looking for. Do you want a big city, with lots of people? Or are you happy wth a small town? How far do you want to travel for shopping? Do you want 260,000 in your cty, like Anchorage? Or would you be happier with 10,000? Rural, or City? Conservative population or liberal? Maybe Libertarian? Farms or cattle ranches? Cold and wet, or dry and cold?
I want it all, of course Really, I prefer a smaller place, like Fairbanks 100,000, or smaller. Prefer cold & dry, farms or cattle ranches, just not concrete. I can shop online or drive an hour or 2. Liberal or libertarian for certain! thanks
Cold and dry pretty much excludes anything west of the cascades. Central Oregon is cold and dry. Bend has a larger population and has all the shopping you need. Redmond has more of a small town feel. Or eastern Oregon might appeal to you. Too much snow for me!
I don't want to be on the coast for sure. Isn't it really conservative in central & eastern OR? in the Bend & Redmond areas? I was thinking Eugene area, but I can't figure out how many sunny days it has. How much sun does the Eugene area get?
http://www.city-data.com/city/Eugene-Oregon.html Eugene is a larger city and not as liberal as people would like to think. The downside to Eugene is the rental/buying costs, it isn't cheap. Eugene is not a town to move into sight unseen because it does have some really crappy neighborhoods, and a lot of petty theft. Tons of bars and restaurants, yet not many really good places to eat. I lived in Eugene and after being away for several years it is entirely too crowded now! Some folks like Veneta, Springfield, Cottage Grove, Corvallis or Albany, It all depends on the "vibe" you want, and they each have a distinct one. If you don't want 6 months of cloudy and wet, do not live anywhere along Interstate 5 in Oregon (or Washington). From what I saw when I lived in Central OR it is pretty conservative and the roads suck in the winter. You really should try to visit during the rainy season before moving here, all this wet weather ain't for everyone and it does take a bit to get used to. If you decide it's for you I suggest a good UV lamp....you'll need it.
Can you tell me where the crappy neighborhoods are in Eugene? I have been there but not for long enough to figure that out. What about Veneta, Springfield, Cottage Grove, Corvallis or Albany? I have been looking at them as well. What "vibes" do they have? Is it really 6 whole months of cloudy and wet? Being in AK, I know about cold & dark & needing a lamp, but I was hoping to go somewhere sunny! thanks for the help!
Annual rainfall in the Valley is 40-45 inches. While rainfall in the Valley is rarely a downpour, or accompanied by thunderstorms, it tends to be steadily wet in the winter (if only as mist). You can count on some amount of rain from September through June. THE WILLAMETTE VALLEY Sunny this place is not. You either love the climate or you hate it, and not much in between. If you are prone to allergies this is also not the place to be with all the grasses, mold, and pollen, it can get pretty bad. What kind of "vibe" are you looking for? I may hate the vibe somewhere that you'd enjoy. I live well out of town for a reason As for neighborhoods, look in the local paper and read the call logs for police/sheriff. Read them for a couple weeks and you can pretty much pinpoint the bad areas. The worst part of living in Eugene is having things stolen out of your car. You learn quickly not to leave ANYTHING in plain sight. Have you checked out No Cal, the Bay area, So Cal, AZ....somewhere the sun is seen in the winter?
As for a "vibe" - I live out of town too. A place with cool music, lots of organic-minded people, no rednecks, I prefer educated, liberal open-minded people who are good to others - I know its a stretch sometimes..... more of the hippie vibe, but not the "dirty" & jobless hippies. I really like Corvallis. I've thought about further south, but don't like CA and AZ is too hot. I looked at CO too. The other major factor, of course, is finding a job. There are so many factors!
