Reviews & Comments
Eugene, OR
Resident from October 2018-present -
10/14/2019Pros:
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.
Prescott, AZ
A great place to live in the high elevation of AZ -
6/21/2018I was born in Scottsdale, AZ. Having lived in the western United States my whole life, and having travelled around the continent as well, I consider Prescott to be a great place, after recently living here. Prescott has been growing lately, but it still has a small town, friendly feel. There are plenty of fun things to do. Being close to the incredibly beautiful region of northern Arizona, the outdoor enthusiast will thrive here. You have desert and forest in Prescott, swimming in Sedona, and plenty of snow in Flagstaff, all within an hour and a half of driving. The food and drink scene in Prescott is surprisingly good too. Health conscious people will not feel out of place. Also- the Granite Dells are a stunning piece of natural beauty, that everyone should at least look into seeing someday. The only down sides to Prescott, in my opinion, are that it is experiencing a nasty drought, but monsoons in the warm season, as well as snow in the cold season, help out a little at least. The UV rays are quite strong here too, in this very sunny city. The cost of living is a bit high as well, but I consider it worth it. Overall, if you are interested in seeing or moving to Prescott, come out and see this nice, growing town.
Vancouver, WA
Resident from 2015-2018 -
3/20/2018Pros: Beautiful green scenery, plenty of rivers and lakes, great air quality, top notch natural landmarks within an hour radius, very little to zero dangerous wildlife in the area, moderate temperatures year-round, laid back people, located near a larger city with abundant amenities (Portland), federal and state tax benefits living in Vancouver and shopping in Portland.
Cons: Lack of sunshine (there are more grey days a year than there are sunny days), long stretches of rainy days (often 2-3 weeks straight in the rainy season), rent and property prices are increasing sharply due to steady growth, traffic is increasing due to lack of public transportation (traffic to and from Portland for 9 to 5 workers is especially bad), drug problems and homelessness are around the cheaper parts of town causing property crime (my aunt and uncle have lived downtown for 12 years and have had their cars broken into multiple times and have had a homeless person attempt to break into their house), pollen counts are high in spring causing very strong allergies for people who don't have a high tolerance