To people living in N. California and Oregon - I need tips

[Elad]

I am very seriously considering making a permanent move out west next year. I've always loved Portland, Eugene and northern California. The country is beautiful, it's driving distance to the ocean, I have relatives out there, and I think I would meet a lot more like-minded folks.

Portland has been the focal point of my dream to move out west for awhile, but I'm starting to wonder if the rainy weather would get to me, so I'm considering something further south, but hopefully driveable to Portland. On the other hand, something driveable to Sacramento/Chico would be cool as well, and northern Cali has the most beautiful weather (so I hear).

Basically, I'm thinking I want to find a nice, small-ish town, not too far off I-5, perhaps, for travelling purposes (but then, on the other hand, eastern Oregon is largely undeveloped, which would be really cool). I don't want to live in an overly conservative area (obviously), but I would like the cheap cost-of-living associated with small towns.

I'm hoping to be able to rent a small house with a decent yard for less than $700/month, but that's flexible if it's the right location. I'm looking for relatively easy drives to national forests/parks/back-country, and like I said, preferably within a couple hours drive of either Portland, Eugene, Chico, or Sacramento.

Any recommendations from people who live in the area on where to look would be very much appreciated. :)

Thanks-

[Kamika]

1. lol

I cant hide this thread :p

sorry can't help you

[Padraig18]

2. Are you sure you won't consider central IL?

The corn and the Amish are lovely, in a flat sort of way...:P

[Elad]

3. Ha, I live west of Chicago right now

I've been downstate. No thank you. :)

[Padraig18]

4. I didn't know you were so close.

I grew up in Chicago, out near Christ Hospital. Howdy, neighbor. :)

[Guaranteed]

33. LOL I moved from Nor Cal to Bloomington/Normal

Anyway, if you want my advice...well....if you're going for liberal, anywhere in the North Bay, or up the coast is great. However, the immediate North Bay is getting very expensive. Up the coast gets cheaper and cheaper, and if you're going for straight cheap and great culture/small town feel I'd recommend Arcata, but then of course you're not near any big towns (unless you count Eureka).

Most places close to I-5 in Nor Cal are going to be fairly conservative because they're in the Central Valley...

I, personally, would love to live in Arcata. The people there are just great. Very peaceful town, VERY liberal, and cheap. Just an awesome place.

[WindRavenX]

5. Eugene is your best place I think

I live in Eugene when I'm not in school in Boston, and based on what you said, Eugene is the best place for you.
Yes, it rains here all through the winter, but spring and summer are gorgeous!
We're right by I-5 and are 2 hours north from Portland, 6 from Seattle.
You can get apartments for 700$ a month.
The Public schools are GREAT, one of the very best in the nation!
The only downside is that the economy sucks ass here now; we have the highest unemployment % in the country.
Need more info? :hi:

[GregW]

10. Another vote for Eugene!

Absolutely gorgeous place ... and an air of liberalness (liberality?) that can't be beat.

[WindRavenX]

14. Yeah it's wicked awesome how liberal this place is

...we all hate Bush. The only people who like him are the rich farts up on the valley hills..and they suck :P

[absyntheNsugar]

6. Don't rule out Arcata, CA

The city is very much like a cross between San Francisco and Eugene....and it's a nice small college town too. Only catch is it's far from I-5.

$700 might be enough in Eugene or Ashland, but probably not in Portland. That city has almost gotten as expensive as the Bay Area.

[HuckleB]

12. Umm. No. Not even close.

Prices are up, but it's still cheaper here than the other major west coast cities, and by far over the Bay Area.

[mike_c]

16. I'll second this-- the Eureka-Arcata area is wonderful, however...

...bear in mind that there ARE NO PLACES meeting your travel time selection criteria, i.e. within a couple hours driving time of Portland and Sacramento. I live near Arcata, and it's six hours to San Francisco, six hours (at least) to Portland, and 5 hours to Sacramento. It's almost three hours to to I-5 because of the east-west roads through the mountains. Still, it's pretty much right in the middle of the territory you're interested in. let me know if I can provide any more specific info about living here.

on edit: just read the "either" in your post-- Humboldt County would seem to be out of the question if you're serious about being within a couple hrs drive time of any of the cities you mentioned. On the other hand, the national forests are great!

[proud patriot]

7. I highly suggest looking into Medford Oregon

:hi: p.s. they tell people it rains a lot in Portland
to keep them away ..Shhhhhhhhhh ...It's a secret ..

Good luck with the move ..I have friends right across
the river from Portland in Vancuver Wa..

[roguevalley]

11. Ashland, Oregon is a college town-one of the first to go against the

Patriot Act. They also have a lot of little towns
around there that are nice: Jacksonville is a gold
mining historical town, Sams Valley and Gold Hill
are nice.

Central Point is where I grew up. I love the whole
Rogue Valley. It truly is God's country.

[flamingyouth]

17. Not too much rain, but PDX gets ice storms!

Witness this past week there - ugh.

Still, I love Portland, and if you've been living in Chicago, I'm sure you can take whatever the Oregon climate can dish out and more. It will be great to have you out here, elad! :hi:

[HuckleB]

18. Luckily it doesn't happen very often.

[cliss]

8. Elad, I live in Portland

and I love it. Rumour has it that we Portlanders have gills behind our ears, or rust on us (somewhere). I do know that some people move to Portland because they've heard so many good things about it; the Oregon coast is spectacular (about 1 hour's drive), the mountains are close by (Mt. Hood is about 1 hour's drive). Then you have the High Desert (city of Bend) which is an ecosystem all its own. You also have the fabled Willamette Valley which is a grower's paradise (it was the destination of the Oregon Trail).

So they move here and after one year of rain, they get disenchanted. It CAN be unnerving to endure month after month of non-stop rain (November thru April are the worst). But the summer & fall are worth it. Besides, that's why we have only 3 million people and California has 30 million people. We're one of the least populated states, and for a good reason.

As far as escaping the rain: Bend is a very dry choice. Even Eugene is drier. Southern Oregon is very similar to Northern California - dry, hot in summer, cold in winter. Don't go north because Seattle has even more rain: 260 days on average of rain!!!

Rent is fairly cheap now because we've just endured the highest unemployment in the country, and we're just starting to recoup.

I have to say it's the most beautiful place in the US, though. We're spoiled with spectacular scenery. I almost forgot the Columbia Gorge; 1/2 hour's drive from town, with scenery to die for. People come from all over the world to look at it.

Good luck!! Try to come & stay for a few weeks so that you can really get familiar with the area. And you're right: we're the LEFT COAST.

[Tripper11]

9. Although I am in Seattle, formerly Vancouver BC,

My first winter out here I hated it...it just really got to me. I ended up moving back east but only last there about 3 months realizing that the West was where I should be.
Once I landed back here I knkew I was home.
I have accepted the rain as a way of life, it doesn't rain quite as much as people assume, but close. :7

The past few summers have been pretty close to perfect. Warm to hot (80-90's for highs, but not for too long), low humidity, lot's of sunshine.

Lots of mountains for snow, mountain biking etc., Pacific ocean for water sports, lakes and rivers for fishing. Awesome scenery.

The west is not for everyone but if it's for you, you'll know pretty quick.

[Snow]

13. It ain't really the rain,

it's that the weather doesn't change very quickly like the midwest. I remember once while I lived in Seattle, one Feb-March it was 53degrees and drizzly every day for 6 weeks straight! No change, the whole 6 weeks! That's what drives people nuts. There are also stretches, just as long, of perfectly lovely weather. And, not sure about Portland, but in Seattle it's easy to drive out of the rain because there's all these little micro-climates around. Olympia is different from Tacoma is different from Vashon Island, and Whidby Island and the Olympic Peninsula are really different. And for thrills, you could drive to Paradise on Mt. Rainier, which holds snowfall records.

I'd stick to the western part of the states, and stay away from the Rogue RIver area especially (any Rogue River residing DUers, sorry, but you know your rep) because the inland areas are conservative - in some cases extremely so. Some of the Seattle and Oregon coast towns are lovely; they tend towards conservative and logging, especially in California. Speaking of California, if you want a cheap lifestyle with a bunch of real weirdos, there's nothing like small towns in the southern Mojave......

[SOteric]

15. It doesn't rain in the Pacific Northwest nearly as much as we let on.

And the rain in this area (I live in Seattle, but I'm a Northern California native) isn't the same driving, pounding downpour that rain is in much of the rest of the country more than a few times a year. Mostly, it's a warmish, wet mist, or a drip, or a trickle.

If you're looking for progressive communities, stick to small college towns, or go for suburbs of larger cities. And stick to the west side of the Cascades. The further east you go in Oregon and Washington, the more likely you are to encounter whole communities of fundies, conservatives and right-wingers of every ilk.

The amount you're looking to pay in rent is a reasonable expectation in small town western Oregon. Oregon doesn't have sales tax, but they do have a state income tax. So cost of living should be good, but remember to hold a bit back for the governor.

I love Eugene. It's a lot like Berkley 30 years ago, but warmer and friendlier. And it's certainly within an easy distance of some lovely hiking, skiing, backpacking and rock-climbing.

Doh! Another thought, I used to love to go camping in the Trinities in NoCal. Most of the small towns around there were fairly progressive, and the cost of living is amazingly good for California.

[HuckleB]

21. You've been reported to the authorities.

Some things must be left unsaid!

[greatauntoftriplets]

19. What's wrong with Chicago????

Except for the weather and the cost of living?

:hi:

[Elad]

20. I've actually grown quite fond of Chicago

But the pacific northwest is my dream. :)

[greatauntoftriplets]

22. You should come to a Chicago DU get-together sometime.

I bet we could be persuaded to ply you with drinks at our expense, LOL.

[HuckleB]

23. You might also look into the Bend area.

Yes, it's more conservative than Eugene, Ashland and Portland, but there is a fair-sized "progressive" community out there. The sun shines far more often, and you're still with a few hours of Eugene, Portland, the coast, etc... Port Townsend is another idea. It's in the rain shadow, I believe, but you'd still get a lot of cloudy days.

[PsN2Wind]

24. Hi

I've lived in Medford, Klamath Falls and Eugene area (Junction City and Harrisburg). They all have different climates and to some extent attitudes. After six years in the Willamette Valley the rain was getting hard to deal with but it is still a great area with maybe the best rep. in congress, Pete DeFazio. The Country Fair is wild and the Hemp Festival at Condes speaks for itself. Medford is a bit more conservative but a better climate except in the winter when sometimes the fog can get a bit depressing. Handy to Ashland with its liberal people and The Shakespearean Theater. Then there is Klamath Falls or Klamity Flats as the locals call it. Pretty damn conservative, blame those "damn tree huggers" for most of the ills of modern America. Lots of farmers, millhands, cowboys and more than a few Indians. This year getting lots of snow. Friend just got back up there to 30" snow in his drive. All of these areas are handy to outdoor activities. Hunting or fishing if you're in to that. Cross country or downhill skiing. River rafting. All are on or, in the case of K Falls, have easy access to I5. North or south from K Falls is better taking Hwy 97 to the Willamette Pass for Eugene, Salem, Portland. South to catch I5 at Weed for Redding or the Bay area. Reno is 5 or 6 hours from K.F. or Medford.
Good Luck

[Dookus]

25. Santa Cruz, CA here...

very close to mountains, beaches, Big Sur, Monterey... little over an hour drive to San Francisco.

But you won't find much for $700 here. It's pretty expensive.

[BigDaddyLove]

26. Santa Rosa CA............

is nice, but Portland OR is by far the best.

:hi:

[Shakespeare]

27. Check out Mendocino County, elad!!

It's about 2 hours north of SF, the cost of living is within your range (especially in the small-but-growing towns like Willits), and you're in really beautiful country--the wild northern CA coast, redwood country, lots of rivers and a few modest mountain ranges.

[LWolf]

28. A few Oregon suggestions

Even though I live in So Cal, I've spent more time in Oregon than N CA; I have family in Oregon.

The coast is beautiful. It rains too much for me. One family member moved to central oregon to escape the rain.

Eugene sounds like your best bet. It's got a university, it gets a little less rain than the coast, and you'd find like-minded people.

Ashland also deserves a good look. There is a lot going on there.

On the other side of the mountains, I like the Bend area. It's grown more than I like the last 15 years, and is now too pricey for me, but there are still some outlying areas that are affordable. I'm looking to head that way this summer myself; I'd like to relocate closer to my mom.

[Webster Green]

29. Sonoma County California...

One hour from San Francisco, two and a half hours from Sacramento. This place is really beautiful, and it is a hotbed of liberals. The rents are generally a little higher than $700 for a small house, but you can find them for $900 or $1000. More likely price is $1200 and up. I'm paying $800 for a two bedroom apartment with a large yard that fronts the Russian River. The threat of an occasional flood probably makes the rent a little cheaper. Last time the river came into the house was '96. You pays yer money and takes yer chances.
Our goal is to get enough money together for a down payment on 40 or more acres in Mendocino or Humboldt County and do the back to the land, off the grid, homesteader thing. Its always a little beyond our reach, as the land gets more valuable every year. We have formed a group of like minded friends to try to make the dream a reality, as in: "let's start a commune!"

[Guaranteed]

34. I grew up there...

in Forestville...and would recommend it over Arcata (my suggestion) but the problem is the expense of it. Sonoma County is overflowing with people now.

[DrWeird]

30. I live in Corvallis.

It sounds a lot like what you're looking for.

It's about forty five minutes north of eugene, forty five minutes south of Salem, and an hour and a half or so south of Portland. Tens minutes from I-5. If you want to go to the coast it's about a fifty minute drive to Newport, which is pretty close to being right in the middle so it's just as easy to go to the north coast as it is to the south coast.
Haven't been to the cascades since I've been here but they're quite close and visible on a nice day, but I go to the Coast Range frequently, particularly Mary's Peak.

The town it's self is about 50,000. Most of the jobs are at the university, OSU, and the Hewlett-Packard plant. It's got a real small town feel, lots of liberal college students, in what I've been told is fairly conservative farm country, although in the year and a half I've been here I haven't noticed the later. There's plenty of good places to eat, some good bars, and almost always some entertainment on campus. There's a nice little downtown shopping area, the selection's not the greatest, but if there's something you can't find it's not a far drive to Albany, or Salem, or Eugene.

It rains in the winter a lot. But I think it rains a bit less thanPortland and Eugene, were in a bit of a rain shadow from the Coast Range. But summers are dry and quite hot. Both summers that I've been here it rained maybe two or three times the whole summer, temperature often in the nineties and several times in the hundreds. Fall and spring are gorgeous. It's a lot drier here than it was in Bellingham, Wa, where I grew up.

It's a pretty nice town.

[Kickin_Donkey]

31. This is right up my alley --

both literally and figuratively. I live exactly halfway between Chico and Sacramento -- you can easily make out the cluster of towns where I live on a map. And, to boot, I made a road trip in November up I-5 to Eugene, Portland, and Seattle.

It's cool up in the Northwest. I really felt the liberal vibe and felt "at home" there. I wondered if I could live up there -- and I decided that I could -- but I'm ultimately a Northern California boy and would still prefer to live where I live.

Chico's very nice. It's a liberal college town. But, because of that, housing prices are fairly high. In addition, it's getting a lot of urban refugees from the Bay Area, further driving up prices, and sprawl is becoming a problem. Chico is an island in a sea of rock-ribbed Republicans, but despite that I've always found the Valley to be pretty tolerant.

If Chico prices are too high for you, you might try the smaller towns around Chico, but within spitting range, like Corning, Orland, or Paradise.

Sacramento is a big city with a lot of liberals, Democrats, art scene, lots of diversity, etc. It's the home of the state government, so it votes Democratic. Downtown and Midtown with their prewar now-yuppified neighborhoods have lots of character. Suburbs, especially toward the Sierra footbills, tend to be Repub. Then there's the great college town of Davis (home to a UC campus) not 15 miles away -- but I'm sure that's out of your price range.

The Sierra foothills are a mixed bag. Lots of atmosphere with its Gold Rush history -- follow the appropriately numbered Highway 49. The hills are a mix of freeper nuts, hillbillies, urban expatriates -- as well as some artsy, countercultural types. Nevada City in particular is sort of a liberal burg -- arts, theatre companies, used-book stores, cute cottages, and boutiques.

As I said, I'm halfway between Chico and Sacramento. The area is small-town rural, but is becoming surburbanized with the overflow from Sac. It's definitely Republican but, like I said above, it's tolerant and diverse. It's not monolithic politically. Hell, I'm a liberal, and I'm here -- although outnumbered. Like most places, it has its share of rednecks and Christian fundies, but you'd be surprised that Democrats do come out of the woodwork. The public school teachers are mostly liberal. There's a union guy with a card table who sets up in front of Albertson's and registers Democratic voters. My mom's active in the LWV, and most of the members are liberal. In my section in my company, most of the people are liberals -- it's in a profession where you assume that would be the case (I can't say too much).

So move here, elad, we need more people like you in this area. The location is good -- always touted as halfway between the coast and the mountains. The Bay Area isn't too far away either. I'm not an expert on these things, but I'd imagine that the housing prices are fairly low here because this isn't a college town or a big city and there's still a lot of space as well as underoccupied older homes in the older parts of the towns. If you considered, say, Colusa, you could go even cheaper, but there's not a lot going on out there.

PM me if you have question. I'll see if I can figure out how that works.

Mike

[mouse7]

32. Here's a wrench... maybe Reno

Reno is pretty affordable. You should be able to get a house for that amount there. University of Nevada is in town. A gaming town is always going to be more open about EVERYTHING. No income tax in Nevada. You're right next to Lake Tahoe, too.

[Misinformed01]

35. My rent in Hillsboro was $350

for a one bedroom farmhouse on 16 acres of hazelnut trees.

I was about 10 minutes from a big mall in Beaverton, and a Borders, Powells-

If you are willing to look at some of the small towns and out of the way places, you will do fine on rent. My personal suggestion if you are set on Portland is to rent a yuppie apartment for a few months, and drive around and look. My little tiny house was not advertised, and was so far out of the way, I found it quite by accident.

My other suggestion, and one that I personally recommend, is a town like Bandon, OR. Or Yachats--

www.Bandon.com

http://community.webshots.com/album/48148639ricqvT

Be aware that outside of Eugene, Ashland, Medford, Portland, Seattle...there are some horrible small towns with some of the meanest, nastiest, drug ridden people I have ever met. The I-5 corrider can be a helluva place unless you know where you are. Stick to "known" places until you get to know your way around the area.

Also, be aware that in terms of friendliness, Oregonians can be very weird--hidebound. Note that no one on DU when discussing OR has ever said, "I am moving, and am going to miss the people" or "I suggest that you move there because the people are so wonderful." They all talk about the scenery, the weather, the beer, the music, the pubs...Oregonians gave me the impression that if someone died on the streets it would be a serious inconvience to them to have to drive around them.

The traffic is horrible; almost as bad as Atlanta.

One other little note of interest...I am a Southerner (NC) and I have never seen racism like I had the displeasure to witness in Oregon. I am sure I will be blasted all to hell and back for this remark...however, when I have had this conversation with other people in person, I always have to ask them: "So how many African Americans did you see in the coffee shops downtown?" "Well....none...but, that doesn't mean anything! They live in different parts of the city."

Uh huh. I see.

Think "Tonya Harding." (She was my first bar customer, btw...she is about as lovely as you can imagine.)

In the book "Blue Highways," Portland was one of the few cities William Least Heat Moon couldn't wait to leave. Look it up, it's there.

Again, I suggest the smaller towns near the coast...Bandon and Yachats are my favorites. They are friendlier, more fun, and you can drive into Portland, visit Powells, then sit in a coffee shop with all the white people, put your laptop on the table and look bored with the best of them. If you don't have a laptop, get a used copy of "Catcher in the Rye," and frown alot while you look at it.

Stephanie

[JanMichael]

36. Honey. I'm sure that Minorities in Portland aren't segregated.

You must have just gone to the wrong coffee shop.

Or are there train tracks that you missed?

[HuckleB]

39. Actually,

I find the people in Portland and in most of Oregon some of the friendliest in the nation. Further, the traffic doesn't come close to Atlanta. And the traffic is far worse in Seattle, San Francisco, LA, Phoenix, Houston, Dallas, and on and on and on.

[Misinformed01]

42. Dare ya

to drive out to Baker City and ask the folks there what they think of people in Portland. Or Bandon, Yachats, hell...Seattle!

I stand by my statement...Portlanders, and some of the I-5 corridor towns are some of the meanest, coldest, most heartless people I have ever seen.

[HuckleB]

43. I do, all the time.

Sorry, you are way off base.

[Misinformed01]

44. We are going to have to disagree then

Different experiences, I guess.

btw...please note that I singled out the I-5 corridor to bitch about. I loved Oregon, and most Oregonians. I just can't stand the attitude in Portland/Cornvallis, couple of other small towns along I-5---

I always said Key Westers WISH that the rest of the US would drop off the face of the earth; Portlanders assume it already has.

Cascadia.

[HuckleB]

46. Not sure who you interacted with, but my experience is very different.

Been here full time for 12 years now. Everytime I go out I end up in friendly and interesting conversations with Portlanders I don't know. The same usually happens in the rest of the state, as well.

[BigDaddyLove]

50. I disagree with your assesment of the people of Portland..........

but I will say that if you go five miles in any direction out of the city proper you will meet some extremely closed and conservative minds. I loved living in Portland, but I didn't like Oregon itself all that much.

[rucky]

37. Ashland, OR

exactly what you've described... and a Shakespeare Festival all Summer to boot.

[hayu_lol]

38. Eugene or Portland for the best of everything...

You can live in small towns outside these cities and enjoy life immensely. Lots to do, good auditoriums with active professional music of all kinds all the time...other items equally well presented.

Avoid like the plague, towns like Grants Pass--most of the people are to the right of Attila the Hun.

A Kalamity Flats resident

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

40. You would do better in Central California than northern Cal

and might possibly find something of that nature in the Mariposa area which is off the 99 (check out a map..it runs parellel to the I-5

You are elevated there but right down the hill from YOsemite if outdoors is your thing. It beats all other outdoors camping and hiking locales :D

You are 3 hours from northern and southern Cal. It is right up the hill from Fresno so timewise it is within the timeframe to get to Chico and only a bit further from SAC.

here's a sample from a realtor:

http://www.yourfresnobroker.com/listings.html

A bit further drive to the ocean but within a couple/few hours



see area 10 (BTW lots of artists in the area so less conservative than the Fresno area in general.)

[Mz Pip]

41. Been out west for 30+ years

I've lived in the SF area since 1969 and have spent a lot of time in some of the places you mentioned.

Sacramento. We considered retiring there. It's somewhat cheaper than the Bay Area and has some suburbs like Fair Oaks and Carmichael that have a rural feel to them but are only 15 minutes from Sacramento. It is a pretty conservative area though. The Congresscritters seem to be pretty solidly Republican. Gets really hot in the summer - 100+ days are common.

Chico. Population 90,OOO. Other than being a college town, there really isn't too much there. However, it's not too far from some truly spectacular wilderness. Lassen Park is an active volcanic region and has wonderful hiking and camping. We have a vacation place up there and really love it. Bush/Cheney posters abound. Pretty conservative. Can get really hot in the summer. This year it hit 115.

Portland. My son goes to law school there. It does rain a lot but summers are glorious. There is skiing on Mt. Hood until June. My son lives in a little house on a quite lane on a creek in SW Portland. They pay $925 per month. It's very ruralish but only 10 minutes from downtown Portland. Powell's Books ion downtown Portland is the best bookstore in the world.

Gook luck.

MzPip
:dem:

[hussar]

45. We got a spare room while your'e looking

We live 15 minutes from the gorge and 25 minutes from Mt Hood, I'm from England and it seems that here in Portland they get all their rain out of the way in winter and then in summer the weather is fantastic.

We have 2 acres and 3 nags if you want to ride?

[HuckleB]

47. Also, look into Sisters.

Near Bend, but has a great progressive community based around a wonderful independent bookstore downtown. Great brewpub too. Of course, Bend has Deschutes Brewery, and it doesn't get any better than that.

[murphymom]

48. More about Eugene

One thing we didn't know before we moved here is if you have allergies, Eugene may give you problems. Fortunately it hasn't affected us, but many people really suffer during allergy season. I think part of it is being in a valley, plus a big agricultural crop in Lane and Linn counties is lawn grass seed.

Another thing, Eugene is overall pretty white - although it's full of lovely liberal people who would desperately like to embrace diversity, if they could only find any. ;-)

I've never lived in the mid-west, but I'm guessing you would find the winters here pretty mild by comparison. It does rain a lot, but it isn't the kind of weather that keeps you pent up indoors all the time - you'd be surprised at how few umbrellas you actually see around town. People just get used to it.

We've found the folks here about as friendly as you want them to be - if you're outgoing they'll respond, if you want to be left alone, they'll oblige you.

I'd veto the idea of the eastern part of the state. I think you'd find it way too conservative, plus way too lonely (no people!).

[TopesJunkie]

49. Ashland rules --

[kaitykaity]

51. Another Portlander Here.

In Oregon, if you want small town rural, you're gonna
be in conservative country. The further you get from
the metro areas (Portland, Eugene, Corvallis) the
more the state looks like Georgia. They get really
mad at us because the people in the metro area always
swing the state liberal.

If you can handle that, try towns on the edge of the
megalopolis like Canby, Oregon City, Estacada, Boring,
Sandy. Although I'm not really sure you could get a
house for the price you're looking to pay.

When they say it rains here, they're not kidding.
It's true that people come from California thinking
they can handle it, then in a couple of years they
run screaming for the sunshine. It's a mental thing
I think. I'm a night owl mole, living in a cave, so
I don't mind it so much.

Let us Oregon DUers know what you decide. We'll get
together and have a welcome party.

:yourock:

[Cleita]

52. I like Arcata in N. California.

It's very liberal, a college town, so there are a lot of gathering places for socializing. It's very picturesque because most of the victorian buildings have been preserved. It's also by the Pacific ocean and short drive to the redwoods.