SperlingViews - Salem, Oregon

Hi, we are moving to Salem next year, sight unseen and I was wanting to know what parts of Salem are the good neighborhoods and where the bad neighborhoods are as we have young children. Also can anyone tell me which schools are the better ones? thanks[read more...]

I moved to Salem in June 2010 with a friend. Unfortunately our friendship ended and I was'nt able to find a job so I had to move away with regret. I loved the 5 months I was there and would give anything the world to be able to live in Salem I was so happy with the friendly people,the natural beauty was breathtaking I loved the little coffee shops,micro breweries, the vineyards...What can I say the countryside is awesome and the ocean is only like 65 mile away.Of course there are good and bad people everywhere but I found that most people I met were friendly.I love the climate as well.It is my dream to one day move back and live my life in Salem. I left my heart in Salem...I Love, Salem!!!![read more...]

Hi, I have lived in Salem for 11 years. I lived in Portland the other 35 yrs of my life. My husband and I moved here for a teaching job, not out of choice. Salem has always been put-upon, put-down, and just plain bad mouthed. It is really ridiculous. It isn't that all of the criticisms are off the mark, but some of them really truly are! And generalizations abound. It is amazing how one person can live in a town and have X experience and another in the same town has Y experience, totally different. We live in an inner-city neighborhood in a 100 yr old house. This neighborhood has always been "on the other side of the tracks". Very mixed income, mostly low income and plenty of people on SS etc. There are some half-way houses a few blocks away. The prison is about a mile or two away. But guess what? We have had NO problem with crime, I have a beautiful garden in my front yard, great neighbors all around me. I am walking distance to the Capitol (known as one of the more beautiful ones in the country), downtown, Willamette University, Bush Park (large city park), the hospital, Waterfront park etc. We have a 7 year old son who is doing great... we are enrolling him in the neighborhood school. We are both very highly educated ourselves. Sure there are plenty of people who might LOOK "scary" or "homeless" or just plain out of it... but really most of those folks have a sad story to tell. They are still Oregonians and they are still fully, utterly HUMAN. And "they" are all over Oregon! All over the country! What you need to understand is that Salem has a LOT of poverty... more than 50% are below the poverty level. Now is that Salem's fault? Hardly! The wealthy and powerful in Portland have always burdened Salem with the prisons, mental institutions, etc. Most of the economy here is either state employees, public service jobs (education, police etc) and the hospital is well regarded and employs a lot of people. I may be missing some key employers. But there are all sorts of wonderful people here, and I am not just cheerleading. Artists of all kinds, musicians, wonderful teachers, families!!!! I would never raise my child in a place that wasn't a good place for children. So many people say there is nothing to do in Salem. They are almost always referring to nightlife, entertainment etc. Then they will say that Portland has all "the culture". Well, DUH!! It has a couple million people... we have a few hundred thousand. Portland has bucketloads of high income folks, lots of "old money", and it is a large, metropolitan city! Hell, New Yorkers are moving there it is so hip. And I love Portland. One of the best cities in the country. And here is poor Salem trying to compete. It is apples and oranges and people who compare Portland restaurants, nightlife, cultural events to Salem's don't get the apple/orange thing. And please don't tell me there is more to do in Eugene and Corvallis. First of all, those are university towns with MUCH less poverty. The prisons etc weren't thrown there way. Eugene has much more wealth. Corvallis does too. Great towns, I am just saying that considering the history of Salem, the level of poverty, the diverse cultures... I think it has an amazing amount of "things to do". I could make a loooong list, but here is just a few things that come to mind: the independent music scene is very strong, better than Eugene and Corvallis in many ways. We have a great independent movie theatre with top-notch films of all kinds. Of course we have plenty of regular movie theatres. Restauants? Portland has literally the best restaurants in the country... much more per capita than New York or Chicago. People can afford to eat at them. Salem DOES have several quality restaurants. And the local food movement is huge all over Oregon, including Salem. We have some really nice parks, including Minto-Brown a wildlife refuge area that covers about the third of the area around Salem. Willamette Universities art museum, a very highly rated childrens museum, art galleries, the Salem art fair (biggest in the state), a great library, not enough bookstores and NOTHING compares to Powell's in Portland. But we do have independent bookstores here. WE have a very nice waterfront park. I could make a long list of the negatives, of course. Sprawl. The planning commission and much of the city council are simply outgrowths of the Chamber of Commerce (some city council members are quite liberal). I am about as liberal politically as you can get and I have met plenty of like minded people. People here are generally unassuming... not boring or dumb, just not showy and trying to put on a scene. Family people. Hispanic families making a go of it. Older folks. Students. Small business owners. Farmers, nursery workers and owners. Rain? It rains all over Western Oregon, not just in Salem! It is just the same in Portland and the entire valley. Very dry in the summer and fall, very wet in the winter and spring. Beautiful.... diverse natural areas abound. People who find Salem boring need to live in Portland. People we want a more slow pace, with plenty of diversity, plenty of cultural events and groups, interesting neighbors.. in short, "real" people will like Salem. If you are looking for a nice mid-sized city that is close to Portland, close the the coast, close to the mountains, close to really everything...well, Salem isn't bad. [read more...]

I grew up in Salem. It's a small town at less than 150,000 people but feels much smaller for its lack of cohesiveness and overall vibe. The pros are that it's an attractive town, amidst rolling hills and plenty of trees and flowers. It's in a central location: an hour from Portland, two at most from the beach and three from great skiing, not to mention the outdoor playground surrounding it that offers mountain biking, hiking, rafting, climbing, and hot springs. It's in the valley so it's rich in agriculture and the local food movement in Oregon is gaining serious ground. There are beloved microbreweries and wineries as well as the requisite coffee houses, but for some reason Salemites seem to prefer chain restaurants and strip malls -- thus the slim pickings on good, locally owned restaurants and shops (though they exist, and need your support). The area boasts mild winters that may or may not offer snow, a long growing season, and hot and dry summers. For kids, it's somewhat limited. There's the museum, a great library, the carousel along the waterfront, several parks, a skate park, and the new Kroc Center. The cons? Well, it rains, a lot, and worse than that is the low-lying cloud cover. As the Capital, Salem boasts the state pen and the mental institution among its government buildings. There appears to be a growing meth issue. For a town this size, there are pitiful offerings for food, culture and entertainment--in summer you find the Art Fair, the State Fair, and World Beat, and some great year-round Wine and Food events that need more community support. Only one small natural foods market even though Salem is certainly large enough to support one of the bigger brands. Downtown is still somewhat run-down and just can't get its flow. They're trying to rejuvenate the waterfront. It would be great if Salem tapped into the vibe of what needs to be in a town for it to thrive--its leaders need to look at comparably-sized towns to get a fresh perspective. As it is, though, Salem's not in the running for a placement on any "Best Places" list, either to live or raise a family. Plus, right now, its unemployment rate is sky-high and the economy is in the dumps. [read more...]

I was born and raised in this city. When I graduated I high tailed it out of the entire state. Oregon is a beautiful state. Salem in my opinion is the armpit of Oregon. Things to know about Salem, Oregon: - Bad Investment: The real estate actually DEPRECIATES! - Scary People: There are half way houses which facilitate unusually scroungy looking people who walk down the streets talking to themselves (something I have only witnessed in Salem). - High Crime: The crime is horrible! - Weather: It rains ALOT - Jobs: There are none! Plan on commuting 45 minutes to Portland just to work a part time job at Starbucks. - In my opinion this town is NOT for people with families, or anyone for that matter. Honestly, I feel badly for anyone who is still left in the depths of the armpit.[read more...]

Salem's climate is sunny half the year and cloudy/rainy the other half. It has a definite four seasons, which is nice, but if you don't like the rain and clouds (which does make for beautiful spring/summer) then this probably isn't the place for you.[read more...]

Nice town, rainy though[read more...]

Hey Chris,I am relocating to Salem the 1st week of June, with a cat and 3 huskies....(Wife and teenage son will join in about 9 months)...Do I have a chance of finding a decent place to rent or buy on an average income... in or near Salem...? Is the community generally dog friendly? ...and anything else you can tell me... like are the high schools decent..etc. And how are us of various race, ethnic origins, and national origins treated in Salem?[read more...]

I live in Salem back in 85 to 87 also I was born there. The drugs were bad also the homeless was everywhere in the parks. I could just imagine how it is now. It is a pretty area but would never consider moving back.[read more...]

I have been living here for three years. Not my place. Employment has been patchy at best, and most cultural things are in Portland---an hour plus traffic. But it is only an hour to the coast. But nothing nearby. Still, I have felt safe here, and met very nice people. But it is somewhat expensive, and boring. Very, very boring. And a bad economy. I am looking to leave soon. School here is very expensive also, which makes a career change or new training out of reach.[read more...]

I Lived in Salem,Oregon From 1994-2001. When I lived there back then it was quiet, there is not a hole lot to do there but it is close to outdoor recreation. It has 2 small malls, Salem center and Lancaster mall. It Has nice temperatures almost year round. Salem dose have its bad points, Like the fact that there is state prison there,and mental institution. But for a place that has that kind of stuff in it its not that bad. A lot of places are much worse then Salem.[read more...]

I give Salem a "Thumbs Up" review in regards to the quality of living here in the Capitol of Oregon. Salem is smack in the center of the gorgeous Willamette Valley, and is the third largest city, so you have a lot of options with recreation (mountains, beach, rivers, an excellent children's learning museum, local and regional restaurants, even rodeo's just out of town if you like). And it is a hub for community involvement, thriving small businesses, priorities of health, wellness & education (pre-k clear through university and law school) and a town with a wealth of artists. And you definitely have your choice of churches/spiritual-growth places... It is a beautiful, fertile area with all four seasons, tho' you will see the rain often (but true Oregonians do everything out in the rain anyway!). This is not just a political town, or a place to retire, or just a town to pass through on your way to Portland... you can raise your kids here, you can get involved in so many different organizations, and you can drive short distances to get to those above-mentioned recreational activities. Oh, and the person writing this is a 36-yr old, single female... So there's my two cents worth. ~ sl, salem, oregon, 11-10-08[read more...]

Salem has slowly been going downhill for many years. I have lived here for 13 yrs, and just outside of Salem for 6 years prior to that. I can't wait to get away from here. We may end up taking a loss on our house, or renting it out, just to get out. Criminals everywhere, crooked city police with no accountability, prisons all around, escapees from the mental hospital, bums being spread all over town by the decrepid bus transit system. A mayor whose got developers hands in her pockets, development everywhere, yet no plans to develop the infrastructure to handle all the traffic. You used to be able to get from one side of town to the other in 15 min, not any longer. Expect at least half hour - 45 min. And nothing to do if you don't like hanging out at the many bars. Oh but they do have a nice quarter million dollar bathroom being built in the main city park, that's 1 bathroom, while the bathrooms in the rest of the park and the other parks remain run down and disgusting. If you want to enjoy life, don't move here.[read more...]

I was born and raised there. I didn't just live there for two years and not have anything to do. Like one comment there are several things to do like the ocean, mountains, rivers and lakes for outdoors type. There is plenty of shopping and a well rounded city for resturants. It is a small town feel with all the amendities of a large city. It is a great place to live and raise kids. The schools in South Salem are great. Medical facilities are very good also.[read more...]

We moved to Salem about 3 years ago and we will be moving this summer. There is nothing to do here and there is a terrible meth problem. I can't say it isn't pretty here because it is. The people are nice, but they aren't friendly. I would not recommend living here.[read more...]

I appreciate Salem's viable downtown. If you live in any of the nice neighborhoods close-in, you can completely avoid malls & sprawl. Downtown has Nordstrom, Kohl's TJ Maxx plus several nice locally-owned shops, some good local restaurants & an excellent artisan bakery & art gallery, coffee shops, bike stores.... At least 3 new mixed-use condos are being constructed, and more downtown historic buildings are being converted to apts. or condos. Minto-Brown & Bush Park are centrally located large parks, wonderful for walking, biking, playing.... The Art Assoc. in Bush Barn Gallery exhibits fine art & sponsors the Salem Art Festival each summer in the park. Salem Rep. Theatre & Pentacle offer high-quality theater. Music venues range from Oregon Symphony, local jazz & pops groups to visiting performances at the Elsinore & Willamette U. The Univ. & the Public Lib. host outstanding visiting lecture series. A frustration sometimes is that Salem,dominated by State govt. & civil servants, is reluctant to vote for increased budgets. Another frustration is lack of ethnic diversity. We DO have an E. European deli, S.E. Asian groceries, excellent Vietnamese meals at Kim Huong, Lao/Thai restaurants, one Chinese dim sum restaurant,a couple of sushi places one gourmet pizza cafe--and countless Mexican restaurants. In about about an hour or less you can be hiking at beautiful Silver Falls State Park, Opal Creek Wilderness, Baskett Slough or Ankeny Refuges. It's easy to have spur-of-the-moment day trips to the Coast or Cascade Mtns.[read more...]

Salem is a nice place to live but the winters can be too long, dreary and rainy for my taste. Looking forward to retirement in an area where I can golf year-round. The golf courses are open all year here, but you'll need waterproof boots to slosh around the fairways some of the time. Summers can be quite hot some days but not that often. The humidity is pretty low, which is a great thing on those hot summer days. But, be sure and store up on those lovely summer days and commit them to memory because you'll need to keep them in mind to make it through the winter![read more...]

I moved to Salem 2 years ago, and will be leaving this summer. There is nothing to do here. When I ask people who have lived in Salem all of their lives, they agree. It's too bad too because Salem is a quaint city that has the potential to be really cool. I don't know why they don't try to improve the social life here. People go to Portland to have fun when they could be spending their money in Salem if there was JUST SOMETHING TO SPEND IT ON![read more...]

I go to Willamette University - We are surrounded by institutions. There is a high-level psychiatric ward and a prison within a few miles of campus. There is another prison another 15 minutes away. On top of that, "half-way" housing is right next to campus, which means all the people who get out of these places move right next door. I'm not sure why there are so many prisons / institutions in Salem, near downtown, but it makes for a lot of homeless / sketchy folks walking around. On top of this, Salem has a bad meth problem, which only adds to the sketchies. Unless you're looking for cheap housing + smallish city, or going to college (great college, btw), staying away from Salem for now is a good idea. I think in 10-20 years we'll see Salem get nice, but not for a while. Move to Olympia if you want the same-sized city feel with a safer / newer city.[read more...]

I lived in Salem for over 2 years and I will say that Salem has a very serious problem with meth. I know that "meth is everywhere," however, you see more people in Salem on meth than Seattle or Portland combined. Salem has 2 prisons, a huge psychiatric hospital, and juvenile institutions. It is basically an institution town with a lot of scandals and criminals reintegrating back into the community after they are released. Salem has an affordable cost of living, however, drug crimes and dealers are everywhere. I would be cautious in considering moving to Salem if you have or intend to have a family. Salem is not a good place to raise children. I would suggest Corvallis or Eugene as an alternative.[read more...]