Don’t move here - 6/20/2022

It’s cold and rainy and cloudy most of the year on June it rained and was cloudy every day except 3. The weather is mostly cloudy even if it’s not raining. If you want sun this not the place to live!!!! People are nice , weather sucks, and there’s a large population of homeless all year.

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Love this town - 6/17/2022

Moved here from Austin, Texas about three years ago. I've lived in the Bay Area, California, San Diego, Los Angeles and various towns in Central Texas (Georgetown, Taylor, Elgin), Taos and Santa Fe, New Mexico. Spent time in Florida Gulf Coast, Portland, Oregon, mid-coast Massachusetts. Really what prompted me to write this review are all the Eugene bashers. Every place has issues. Indeed the cost of living and inflation are high; rents and house prices have climbed. That being said, I would submit that *any* nice town in the US, where you can work and/or go to school, eat decent food, and aren't swarmed by insects in the deep summer, will have the same issues or be worse. Sure you can buy a three bedroom house in Orrville, Ohio for under $200K. And it will be a tidy place to live. But can you get work there? Want to send your kids to school or go to college? Go outside in August and not die from the heat and mosquitos, go outside in January and not wade through snow drifts? That's the trade off you make between livability and cost. Eugene is the Goldilocks of cities, not too big, not too small, developed but not too developed, mild weather with seasons. Stunning natural beauty. Great local produce and food. Very good bike infrastructure and urban parks are in abundance. Price-wise compared to Austin? Eugene comes off cheap. There is a substantial homeless population, but again, anyplace that's decent will also have this - homelessness is a *national* problem, not a local phenomenon. It's a sad fact that many people have mental issues and can't take care of themselves. There are ongoing efforts to mitigate ranging from poor to great success. Eugene is not diverse in terms of race/ethnicity. Population is mostly white and missing middle aged folks - lots of college age and lots of oldsters. And yes, Eugene is mostly liberal. Personally I love it here.

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Eugene is a great place to live - 6/4/2022

Eugene has its warts, just like any other city. But in my view, the good things far outweigh the bad aspects. What I like the best is the location, right on the Willamette River, and conveniently located 2 hours south of Portland. About 50 miles to the East and you are in a gorgeous part of the Cascades, and about 50 miles to the West and you arrive at one of the most beautiful Pacific Coast lines in the world. What I especially like about Eugene itself is its small size: you can get just about anywhere on bicycle, especially thanks to a wonderful and well maintained bicycle/walking path along both sides of the river, and most car drivers are very bicycle conscious. It is also a university/college town, with really fantastic restaurants and cafes, with some of the best coffee in the world, and also a nice range of grocery store choices, from Winco (an employee-owned cooperative) and Grocery Outlet (and of course Walmart) to the more upscale Market of Choice and gourmet "hippie" markets, not to mention the ubiquitous CostCo and Trader Joe's. Finally, what really makes Eugene a nice place to live is the people. Yes, there is a homeless problem, houses are in short supply and too expensive, and there are occasional A-holes, as in many other cities, but Eugene has a high concentration of very friendly, thoughtful, caring people of all ages and incomes, and overall it is a progressive, clean little city, great for people of all ages.

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A great example of why people make fun of Oregon - 3/27/2022

I've lived in Eugene for 3 years now. I moved back to Oregon to be closer to family. I could not afford Portland, so I chose Eugene. Covid happened, inflation is nuts, the housing market is nuts. Here is the bad..... I can't afford Eugene now. I would like to buy a home, but there's nothing here under 300k worth buying. Rental market is impossible. You almost have to know someone to get a place. If you ave a dog/cat, forget it, and if you do find a place, you're looking at $1500 a month for a decent 1 bedroom apartment. The air quality here is the worst even if you don't have allergies. Pollen count is one of the highest in the world. Property crime is INSANE in some parts of town because of the homeless issue. People here also kinda suck because of extreme politics. I'm pretty progressive, and I am starting to hate liberals. They're cut from a different cloth here. Then you got all these A-hole ultra-conservatives with their monster trucks rocking phuck Biden or Trump flags all over that are a push back from the extreme left wing politics here. You have to experience it yourself to really wrap your mind around it. If you're anywhere in the middle politically or just not political at all, you will despise this place. Now for the Good......it's pretty, and located in good proximity to the mountains, coast, and a large city.

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Eugene is Beautiful! - 1/30/2022

I moved out to Eugene, Oregon back in 2006. Unfortunately I was only privileged to live there for less than 2 years. Eugene is one the most beautiful cities in the entire country! The natural beauty, the people, and even the way the city was designed to accommodate for people (especially pedestrians), rivals most cities in this country which designed specificallywith cars in mind. I The one and onlyissuei have withEugeneis my inabilityto decide if I should refer to Eugene as a town, or a city. Eugene is the perfect blend between city and town with the very best of both worlds when you consider the culture, accommodations, population size, and the amazing community. Eugene best asset revolves around its small-town courtesy, energy and the surrounding natural environment. Eugene supports and hosts every type independent business that could think of, from Beer, Wine, Retailers , Restaurants. Eugene's independent spirit also attracts Musicians, Artists and performing Artists from all over the nation and world by hosting Artwalks, Venues, Galleries and Museums. Compared to another city in the pacific northwest Eugene is more affordable with a very stable real estate market and there are jobs available too. By far the very BEST asset in Eugene are the people! If could go right now. Clearly I highly recommend moving or visiting.

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Eugene; The armpit of the planet... - 5/20/2021

I have lived in Eugene for over 10 sad years! Eugene is a terrible place to live. Its very expensive. Its over run with "educated" spoiled college brats! Its imposible to find reasonably priced places to live. its over run with Homeless people. It's over run with METH! And its no secret the COPS are running the Crystal Meth and thats why it has become so bad! The stores and resturaunts are waaay over priced. And the City of Eugene has now made it illegal for a street musician to use a tiny amplifier to make street music so they can make money to put food on their table! Eugene also has severe Air quality issues! The highest pollen count on record is 1600! A high pollen count is 200! It will cause severe sickness and Asthma problems! Most people who move here end up very very sick! Is it any wonder the Native Americans called this "The Valley of Sickness"!

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Eugene; The armpit of the planet... - 5/20/2021

I have lived in Eugene for over 10 sad years! Eugene is a terrible place to live. Its very expensive. Its over run with "educated" spoiled college brats! Its imposible to find reasonably priced places to live. its over run with Homeless people. It's over run with METH! And its no secret the COPS are running the Crystal Meth and thats why it has become so bad! The stores and resturaunts are waaay over priced. And the City of Eugene has no made it illegal for a street musician to use a tiny amplifier to make street music so they can make money to put food on their table! Eugene also has severe Air quality issues! The highest pollen count on record is 1600! A high pollen count is 200! It will cause severe sickness and Asthma problems! Most people who move here end up very very sick! Is it any wonder the Native Americans called this "The Valley of Sickness"!

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Mixed bag - smart but scruffy - 4/25/2021

Eugene is going through a rough patch, made worse by the pandemic. The city has a fun, quirky side that has been put on hold during pandemic. Hoping that spirit returns soon. It’s a manageable size, smart and progressive. Heavenly weather and soul for gardeners. Running and biking trails are everywhere. The statw’s most popular short hike - -Spencer Butte - is at the southwest end of town. Dog friendly. But its deteriorated in past decade. An ineffective city and county government is reactive to problems. There’s never strategic planning in a real world way - an attitude that keeps the city hamstrung. Homelessness is out of control, making the cafe and shopping in downtown along the main Broadway corridor not some place you’d take your out of town friends. Growth has hurt air quality and after a dip during the recession, homes are over-priced and of more bland design and poor construction than you’d expect. Away from downtown, city is very pleasant with parks, gardens and hikes. Spread out on either side of the Willamette River. Other than grabbing rentals and parking spaces, the University of Oregon has very little presence in city life. Friendly neighborhood (that’s its name) is upper-middle area with nice smaller houses. Some day, the Whittaker neighborhood, with fine old houses, will make a comeback - but right now the homeless camps and property crime aren’t worth it. More affluent area are in hills in southern part of the the city. More apartment complexes lately in areas around the core. Decent mix of restaurants - ethnic , vegan. Nothing outstanding. Lots of nature just outside the city. Very good, growing airport. City is very liberal politically, but that ens at the city line. Nearby Springfield and rural area are conservative. Four seasons of weather - usually a week of temps with lows in teens and week of at or near 100 degrees. If Eugene is too expensive, check out Cottage Grove to the south.

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From a Oregonian - 1/4/2021

I've lived in Eugene most of my life spending some summers in other States with my Dad. There is no where else quite like Eugene. I like that there are different areas within the town. For example there's the Whitaker neighborhood that has your dedicated hippies. Unique yard art, friendly people and a Deadhead kinda vibe to it. There is a variety of different kinds of people here. The University's football team"the Ducks" have a fan base here that feels like it has something extra. You will be able to see what I mean quickly during football season. The landscape is absolutely gorgeous and if you don't mind rain you will no doubt love this being your home.

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Good people, beautiful city, in normal years. - 1/2/2021

I've lived in Eugene for over 20 years, and most years I love it! I've seen bad reviews about hippies, and homelessness, but you can't judge us by this year, or even the past few years. Eugene does have a homeless crisis,, but so do many cities and states, including Texas and! These are the worst states-California (151,278) New York (92,091) Florida (28,328) Texas (25,848) Washington (21,577) Massachusetts (18,471) Oregon (15,876) Pennsylvania (13,199) You'll notice, Oregon has less than Texas! We do have a lot of hippies here, but they congregate to certain areas of town, and can be easily avoided, if you're prejudice against different people. If you're also prejudice against LGBTQ, you won't like Eugene either far! Though there are hateful people here, most people here live,, and let live,, respectfully,, despite differences! I don't see that as the downfall of Eugene at all, maybe some of you ought to try it! As far as the college kids being rowdy here, that's just funny, because I've lived in California, and Montana (Republican y'all), my friends daughter lived in Texas and graduated from college there,, and according to her,, they were worsened! Florida kids are also far rowdier than here! My grandma lived across from the catholic university in Santa Clara, California, and they were easily as bad, or worse, every weekend! So, if you don't like college kids, why would you move to a college town? The cost of living may be a little higher than midland, texas, but I lived in California, and it's outrageously more expensive, everywhere in that state. It is easier to find a job with good HealthCare in Oregon, as compared to Montana where we lived.. Montana had a serious Healthcare issue, because of being a republican state. Few employers offered insurance for less than $400 month, including the state! We couldn't get the surgery my daughter needed do to lack of insurance options there. As far as looks, Eugene is beautiful! It offers huge rivers, trees as far as you can see, lakes close by, mountains to hike, and climb, awesome fishing, and we are within about an hour away from snow in 2 different directions, and the ocean! If you prefer the big town atmosphere, Eugene is not your place! FYI-this is one of the worst times in history to be judging a town on certain things! Nowhere in America is unaffected by covid19. Homelessness is up due to businesses closing down, people being laid off, and business owners losing their livelihoods. Add to that the devastation from fires on the entire west coast! Many states are trying to house the fire victims, on top of the regular homeless population, and they had no way to prepare for such a tragedy!

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shouldn't have bought a house - 7/1/2020

Something is wrong with the people. We moved here from N. Calif. There are too many burned-out drug hippies. Young kids who broke down the street signs and then on top of it they're building 1,000 of subdivisions-destroying the forests that brought us here in the first place. It's starting to look like L.A. Lots of gray skies.

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Good College Town - 6/13/2020

I lived in Eugene for 4 years as an undergrad at U of O. Aspects: The Outdoors: The towering trees, rivers, and hiking trails are downright gorgeous. Coming from someone who has lived most of his life in a big city-unable to escape concrete, this was perhaps my favorite aspect of Eugene. Public Transportation: The bus system is solid, running relatively frequently. The Culture: This is a very non-materialistic city, or "hippy" city as many would put it. Something I personally enjoyed. Many left wing activists call Eugene home and we have the Co-ops to prove it. Oregon is one of the least churched/religious states in the country, so know that before you choose to move here. Ethnically, it's fairly white, but definitely more diverse at the University. All the same, it's quite tolerant. Nightlife: Lots of solid bars and restaurants to check out. Not much in the way of big, ritzy clubs that you'll find in big cities- but don't think you want that moving to a city like Eugene anyway. There's the Cowfish if you're really into dancing. Business: Like most small to medium sized cities, this is not really a place to start off your professional career. Most people I know did not stick around after graduating from the University. And in some ways this reflects the attitude of folks towards "Big Business". My Business Professor told us the story of Intel wanting to build a large microchip in Eugene brining with it lots of good paying jobs, only for it to be voted down. Weather: It rains a lot, duh! Personally, I love that but I know for some it causes Seasonal Affective Disorder. Usually hovering in the mid 30s or 40s in Fall/Winter. Snowed literally twice in four years of living there-so pretty much a non factor. Summer is gorgeous.

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Why would anyone live here by choice? - 4/14/2020

Awful. Simply awful. litter, drugs, homelessness is out of control, constant crime, unruly college kids, nothing good to say. Lets just forget this town exists.

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Eugene is hell on earth. - 3/24/2020

TERRIBLE! This town is filthy. I couldn’t go one week without being robbed by the homeless population. They own your stuff more than you do. The crime is out of hand. College students are pumping music day and night, this town will take everything you have and ruin your life. AVOID.

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It's.... bad. - 3/10/2020

Worst town on the planet. Littered with trash everywhere. Dangerous and violent homeless. The college students shake the town with thumping music 24 hours a day, you'll forget what sleep is. It's a town for deadbeats and losers. Move along and find somewhere better if you know whats good for you.

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Resident from October 2018-present - 10/14/2019

Pros: Beautiful scenery- The Eugene area is full of greenery, rivers, lakes, buttes, and mountains in the distance. Moderately sized- not quite a big city, but not too much of a small town feel either. Traffic exists but is seldom more than a few minute ordeal. Excellent arts and culture- With the University of Oregon here, there are plentiful book, art, and music stores here. There is also a market downtown every Saturday that is full of interesting products and people. Tolerant culture- plenty of ethnic diversity here, and people mind their own business quite well. Not much bigotry happening here. Excellent beer- Oregon in general has incredible beer. Excellent geography- Eugene is just a little over an hour from the coast, and an hour from the mountains the other way. There is a spectacular range of natural beauty surrounding this area. Cons- A lot of rain. Eugene gets more sunny days than rainy days on average, but 47 inches of rain a year is no small amount. Limited job market- I started from scratch when I moved here, delivering pizza. Landing a great job in Eugene can take quite a bit of patience and effort. Homelessness- Eugene is basically a sanctuary for the homeless of the county that it is located in. There are quite a bit of homeless people scattered around town. Drug abuse is also common. Allergy season- Eugene has the highest pollen count in the country. If you are prone to allergies, springtime here can be a serious challenge. Overall, I find Eugene to be a charming place. I feel thankful to have a solid job here, as well as my own apartment. Eugene has been good to me. It's hard to imagine a better place to live now, honestly.

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I've never felt so unsafe! - 10/12/2019

There are so many homeless people here... At first I had sympathy but after all the robberies, vandalism, litter, drugs and broken glass/needles in every corner... I can safely say I will never go back to eugene

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Terrible. College town of dimwits. - 10/12/2019

TERRIBLE! This is the worst town I have ever been unfortunate enough to wind up in. Expensive rent, college students who act like neanderthals and shake the whole town's walls with thumping music 24/7. And the worst part, the homeless and drug problem. I literally couldnt go more than 24 hours without kicking homless people off of my property. They would leave so much trash and broken glass and even needles! The students of U of O should be ashamed for ruining what could be a good town, and the police need to actually do something about the horrible crime problem.

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Trash town - 8/27/2019

Nice if you're a drug addict criminal. But if you re an innocent person with career goals stay away. You'll be robbed, stalked, tormented and basically tortured until you're forced to move. I've only lived here a year and the amount of break ins and robberies I've had is shocking. the police do nothing, I kick homeless people out of my backyard every day and they leave behind all kinds of needles and broken glass. Avoid Eugene at all costs, not even worth stopping in, I'd take the long way and drive around it. This town is a stain on the otherwise beautiful Oregon.

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THE WORST - 8/26/2019

Dont move here, trust me. Not a single good thing to say. the trees and nature are nice but they're filled with litter and heroin needles. The homeless are out of control. Drug addicts will break into your property every day. Just forget this town exists.

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