Hippie Land, Somewhat Evolved
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12/29/2011
There are enough STRONG pros and cons about Eugene that anyone contemplating moving here should definitely consider: PROS: 1. The people are really, really nice. In fact, it's a bit scary. People open doors for you, wave you ahead in traffic, greet you with a sincere friendliness, etc. It's refreshing to not hear honking horns in traffic! (Really. I've been honked at exactly twice in three years.) 2. The university enriches the cultural life of the city. There's more going on here than in some cities five times the size. 3. Eugene is beautiful and green. It's also clean--and that includes the air. 4. You are within an hour of both a beautiful coastline and some fantastic mountain scenery. The best hiking and camping anywhere! 5. Cost of living is fairly low, though the university puts upward pressure on rental housing prices. Oregon tax structure is fairly progressive, meaning that it's pretty easy to survive on a low income. CONS: 1. The weather is Oregon weather. That means: yes, it rains all the friggin' time. Surprisingly, the summer isn't all that pleasant either--it gets pretty hot and humid. But that's when you should be up in mountains or out at the beach anyway. The shoulder seasons can be absolutely perfect (unless it rains). 2. The town revolves around the university, and especially, the football team. Five tuition hikes in five years, and the football team loses ten of millions a year. The town comes to a complete stop every day there's a home game. So it would be good if you like football, because you'll pay for it one way or another. The thtudent athletes (an oxymoron if there ever was one) get preferential treatment, from special buildings just for them to thtudy and to live in, from carte blanche to be low-grade felons (a few of them overdid it and got heaved off the team last year). 3. A social climate that is openly hostile to business. Not only a confiscatory tax structure at the high end, but also a series of rape-the-rich bills passed in the legislature ensure that businesses stay the hell out, which, with the commensurate high unemployment, seems to be EXACTLY what people want--none of those BEEEEEG EEEEEEVIL corporations sullying our greenscape!
All of the above means that what type of person you are and your personal goals can make this place either heaven or hell on earth. If you're a student or a teacher--great. If you just want to escape the rat race--great. If you love the outdoors--great. If you want to make money--forget it. If you like warm, sunny weather--forget it. If you're a political conservative--actually, it might not be that bad. People here are just too damn nice and mellow to get that worked up over anything. "Diversity" and "tolerance" aren't just buzzwords here. I think that stems from the not-too-distant past when this was jumping-up-and-down, marching-in-the-streets, blowing-up-things, radical Berkeley-of-the-North. The present social climate is a reaction to that. Plus, due to the ongoing Second Great Depression, no one can afford to buy drugs, so things are calmer than they have been for quite a while.
Joe | Eugene, OR