Questions about Eugene

[litlady]

Hello,

I am thinking of doing Ph.D work in Eugene. I know that UO has a good program for what I desire to do but I want to know other things. I have read literally dozens of reviews of Eugene but I want to ask you. Here are my questions, feel free to give any other honest opinions you have. Thanks. :)

- I am from So. California and miss the West Coast. But how is the weather in Eugene?
- Political climate? Hoping its liberal (the red state thing right now sucks!)
- I know the city is fairly small, any vegetarian options?
- Nearness to natural beauty? National parks etc? I've never been to Oregon before so forgive my ignorance.
- Also, the reputation seems to be that there are lots of hippies. I am okay with that but I don't use illegal substances nor am I "lazy" etc. Is it comfortable there, safe, etc?
- Anything else?

[FireFly70]

1. Eugene

Well, if you are just moving to Eugene, then you just missed the great summer weather, get ready for the rain.....
Eugene is a very liberal city, as well as most of the larger cities in Oregon
Lots of vegetarian eating in Eugene
Eugene it's self is a natural beauty, but all of Oregon has so many parks that you could never visit all of them, I am from the south and moved here 5 years ago and have seen most all of the US and I can say without a doubt that Oregon is one of the prettiest states we have. I love it here!
It's OK if you don't smoke pot, I don't either, although I don't think it should be illegal, and I have never had a hippie give me a hard time about it ;)
Eugene/Springfield has more of a meth problem than anything, so break-ins on cars and anything left outside your house are up for grabs, just like in CA I would imagine. I find it pretty safe here, the hippies are harmless....
Be ready to converte to either a Duck or Beaver fan and venomously defend your stance. This is a college town and with you going to UO, (i am a graduate) you will HAVE to be a crazed Duck fan. It is a little on the insane side all these Duck supporters.
Other things....
You will Like the saturday market and all of the fresh food you can get here....
You should like UO, I found it to be a great school, but some departments have a lot of school politics involved....
You will hear that Springfield is the "hick" town, but don't let that stop you from going to eat at Mookie's restaurant, it looks like a hole in the wall, but it has some of the best food around...
Bring your bycicle.....
Bring a water proof windbreaker with a hoodie, this will be your best friend....

Guess that is all for now...Good luck!

[insanity]

4. As an OSU student, it pains me to say this:

Eugene is a really nice town. The school is really vibrant and it is about as blue as a morning glory. On that note, there is also a healthy drug culture there and it is fairly open; but it is nonthreatening and usually amusing. All of western Oregon is beautiful, even during the normal gloomy gray. Once you live here for a year, living any other place will feel weird.

But fuck the ducks.

[WheelWalker]

10. Friends don't let friends go to OSU --

Ducks for a Beaver Free America!

[litlady]

6. Thanks for all of your comments!

Eugene sounds great. I already am a Ducks football fan so that will work... I'm excited to find out the availability of veg food and places of beauty nearby. I can't wait!

[insanity]

7. uck

OSU>UO sorry man, but go Beavs.

[WheelWalker]

11. The story is told that Eugene has

the highest per capita rate of PhD's working as restaurant bus staff of any city in North America. People are willing to trade their livelihood for quality of life.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

2. ...

"I am from So. California and miss the West Coast. But how is the weather in Eugene?"

In the summer, it's So. California-ish. The other nine months of the year it's wet and cloudy. Snow is very rare, but it feels cold compared to SoCal. Some people have a real hard time adjusting. But then again you'll be indoors studying every day.

"Political climate? Hoping its liberal (the red state thing right now sucks!) "

Eugene is as liberal as it gets. It's a little island of liberalism in an otherwise mostly conservative sea.

"- I know the city is fairly small, any vegetarian options? "

Lots in Eugene. One of the most veggie-friendly cities in the country.

"Nearness to natural beauty? National parks etc? I've never been to Oregon before so forgive my ignorance."

You'd be a fifty minute drive from the coast, near the dunes. That's as beautiful as the west coast gets. The mountains an hour in the other direction. Some insanely beautiful desert and badlands a few hours past that, Crater Lake a few hours to the south, Oregon Caves a few hours to the south, Columbia gorge two hours to the north, and lots of little pretty spots nearby. The MacKenzie river flows right through Eugene, it's great for rafting. You couldn't ask for a better place.

"Also, the reputation seems to be that there are lots of hippies. I am okay with that but I don't use illegal substances nor am I "lazy" etc. Is it comfortable there, safe, etc?"

Hippies are the safest people on the planet.

http://www.oregoncountryfair.org/

[sandnsea]

3. You will love Eugene

I was raised in California and now live on the coast, 60 miles from Eugene. Right now, the sun is shining and my doors are open. It rains a few days, then we get sun a few days. There are bad winters where it just seems like the rain never stops, but over many years, it really isn't as bad as it's described.

The hippies add to the eclectic nature of downtown Eugene. I am clean 25 years, but Eugene wouldn't be Eugene without the "hippies". Everything else you ask... YES. Liberal, veggie and organic foods and farms, lots of scenic places, outdoor recreation, it's a pretty great place to live.

Here's some links and such you can check out:

http://www.Eugene-Springfield.com

[Fairfighter]

15. I agree

Eugene is the shizznit.

[Tafiti]

5. I just moved to Eugene from IN in August.

To echo everyone else...

Though I only caught the tail end, the weather was amazing until the beginning of October. As far as the rain goes: maybe I just haven't been here long enough, but my Midwestern conception of rain is quite different from the rainy climate here. I'm used to thunderstorms. And in the Midwest, when it rains, I mean it rains. It seems like when it rains here it's always light and spotty. I don't mind it a bit, and I thought I'd hate a rainy climate.

Seems pretty liberal to me, but I'm a UO law student, so I live in a very liberal bubble, which is great. Thus, I have no conception of the town's politics in general.

Vegetarian/Vegan options galore. I've never seen anything like it.

Nearness to natural beauty? Check. Though I haven't really had the chance to see much yet. Went camping once, and rafted on the McKenzie. Most pristine river I've ever seen in my life. But just driving between here and Bend was a sight to see. Seems like there was a different campsite or hiking trail every two miles. That's to say nothing of the coast and other natural wonders, which I have yet to experience myself. I can't wait. The law school faculty compiled an enormous list of things to do/see in/around/near Eugene for incoming students, which was nice. It would literally take years to check off everything on the list.

I really haven't seen much of a hippie scene. I know it's here, but it's not as visible as you might think.

Oh, and my car got stolen about 6 weeks after I moved here. It was in a parking garage downtown. The police officer I reported it to said it was probably a meth-head. It's OK though, Eugene is an extremely pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly city. I walk everywhere; otherwise, I ride the bus since it's free to UO students.

[WheelWalker]

13. Once second only to Berkeley in the concentration of hippies, they have

for the most part either gone underground or are in diaspora. You came late in the year to experience much of Saturday Market in the downtown park blocks, where you can find a gathering each weekend during the summer. And, you altogether missed the annual Oregon Country Fair, the first weekend after the 4th of July, just outside of town in Veneta. The Country Fair is where those in diaspora gather each year. It's sort of a three day Brigadoon. There is also the Whitaker neighborhood which is sort of a year round enclave. I'd call the jungle remnants of the hippie counter culture alive and well in Eugene.

ON EDIT - Here's a link to the Oregon Country Fair. Enjoy, and I'll see you there!

http://www.oregoncountryfair.org/

[totheleft]

8. Thanks!

I appreciate your post, you had a lot of the same questions I did, as we plan to move to Eugene in a few years (building resumes and cleaning up credit before moving out there).

Thanks again!

[SydneyBristow]

9. i am currently a student at UO

GO DUCKS! lol beat the beavers!!!
I come from the midwest, and so I am used to precipitation 9 months out of the year, but not the wet kind :)
That was probably the biggest shock to me.
The town is small, but also very nice, it can be a rowdy campus town, or a sleepy rural town, just depends on what day!
As far as green goes, I havent seen anything much greener than a march or april after 6 months of rain!
You are 15 mins. away from rock climbing and hiking, an hour from the coast, and two hours from Portland!
Very liberal on campus and in the city, the closer to the suburbs and Idaho you get, the more red
I would say the town is safe, and campus is safe. I don't know that I would go walking near the train-tracks at 2am, but most nieghborhoods are nice.
If you haven't experienced a Duck game at Autzen, that right there can make you get goose-bumps! It is now officially the loudest stadium in the country (127.9 DBs against USC)!
I hope you are on your way to U of O, it really is a great find as far as smaller state universities go. And Oregon is the retirment place for lots of Californians, so they must like it!
Hopefully I will have you as a professor sometimes soon!
and again, GO DUCKS!

[WheelWalker]

12. Oh yes, the sun

is worshiped there as a deity.

[here_is_to_hope]

14. Only to a Californian is a city of 100k...

small!:hi: :hi: :hi: