Reviews & Comments
Eugene, OR
If you're coming to OR - hard pressed to beat Euge -
2/25/2013I read all the posts... Many good points have been made. But I'll add another perspective.
Disclaimer: I was raised in Eugene. My family lives there. I can relocate there and still make a six figure income. I could live anywhere. My employment opportunities are endless - I could go work for Goldman, iBnak, whatever. I attended UO and love my Ducks. I say this only for perspective.
But I am choosing to move back to Eugene.
Here is my honest review of over 25+ years of living there:
Jobs:
If you are a doctor, lawyer, CPA, etc. you will be fine. If you are trying to start a career? Forget it. I am moving back after I built a strong résumé but if you want to start something in Eugene you need to be an entrepreneur or have a family business; guaranteed. If you want to be 30 making 6 figures working on a "career" that is not going to happen easily; and is in many cases basically impossible; regardless of education.
Housing:
It's expensive. Period. If its somewhere you would "want to live" get used to paying serious cash. I have a 220k house in the state of WA and its a LOT more than you can get there. But, if you buy a house built in the 60's or 70's, the yards are huge. Lots of green space, room to expand, etc. if you have vision for a house, or are willing to put in work, you can get something with a ton of positives and make it your own for 250k without trouble; and in a decent to nice area.
Schools:
They are fine in the nice areas, bad in the bad areas. Stands to reason - this is universally applicable. Go to Sheldon and you will see BMW/Mercedes/Porsche in student parking. Go to north Eugene, and you will see clapped out cars with low income children driving them. It's just the way it is. This spills over into academic/athletic achievement and resources. People are, on average, highly educated there. People who work at Red Lobster as waiters have masters degrees - no joke! And people have a thirst for knowledge; they soak it up and it bleeds into the rest of life.
Economy:
Eugene does not weather storms well because, despite the "education" people have. Eugene is no doubt anti-business. They want to keep people out as much as possible to not disturb the "utopia" that exists. Ill get into that more later.
Religion:
Extremely diverse. No one will judge you on that basis. Feel free to bring your opinions and beliefs and people will gladly listen to you.
Politics:
Local politics are certainly left leaning. However, there is a big "silent majority" there that keeps the really off-the-wall things in check. If you're a conservative, you're not alone. If you're a liberal, you will love it.
Crime:
Is non-existent. Meth heads are dealt with easily. Someone breaks into my house and I bring out my Glock 10mm, they will run like the wind. These are not "real criminals". Don't act like a victim and you won't be a victim. This is common logic that can be applied anywhere. I have literally never felt truly "unsafe" after living in and visiting other big cities - and I would not be concerned about it. If you have a shred of common sense regarding your property, you're fine.
Traffic:
Does not exist in Eugene. If you have lived in any metro area, you will literally never complain.
Cost of living:
Is relatively low. Cheaper than Portland but not by a lot. It's by design. Eugene wants to make it just expensive enough to stop people from wanting to come there, while keeping it cheap enough for the natives to stay there.
Climate:
It rains. A lot. No worse than portland or anywhere in the state of Washington on the west side of the mountains. It's the PNW, you know it's not so cal when you come here. It's also mild and not too extreme. Humidity is basically non-existent. Summers are perfect;literally. But no one says that for fear other people might figure it out and move there.
Transportation:
Tons of mass transit. The airport is small but extremely nice. You can connect anywhere out of Eugene and you will literally never stand in a TSA line, wait more than 10 minutes for bags, or sit on a Tarmac or wait in a holding pattern. It's a small version of a major airport and thus it's void of all the bad. Don't expect to see designer shops, but that's not what traveling is for anyway. Want a sandwich or a preflight cocktail? You got it.
Hippies:
It's Berkley north, and the 60's never died. There are a lot of hippies. I am not a hippy. But, a good friend of mine once said, "you know, we hate the hippies, but in a lot of ways, they are what makes this place great". And he is right. Their lack of urgency and isolationist attitude keeps people out who don't "get it". And if you do, they welcome all with open arms.
Finally, the reason I am heading back....
Quality of life and the people:
Quality if life is literally unparalleled. You have more outdoor activities than you can think of; rivers, lakes, ocean, mountain, biking, running, and everything else. Golf, tennis, baseball; it's all there. People in Eugene are abnormally happy. They live in a place that economically could use an overhaul but they don't care - I call it the Eugene "life tax". You give a little to get a LOT. If you are over 35 and employed you chose to live there - and it shows in how people behave and think. They are truly happy. People are healthy, and unusually so. Both mentally and physically. People are not pretentious, self-absorbed, negative, or generally bad. It's really strange in some ways because there are places that are far more prosperous and sunny but people there are really happy. It's refreshing. Air quality is fantastic. Arts, theatre, food, beverage is all local and abundant. People really do open doors and "love thy neighbor". I see some posts that are negative and I'm sure that is their experience, but ultimately it's about location and ability to see the surroundings for what they are. You never are really "unsafe" and people are highly educated. In many cases, the people there literally know they are giving up much more money and advancement by living there, but they don't care. This means people are there who want to be there. The city literally stunts growth nearly intentionally; they really want to make sure that those who live there "want" to be there... And it reflects in the diverse and happy people who populate it. It's a special place.
I have been all over, seen lots of money and amazing areas and homes, but it doesn't hold a candle to a 1200 square foot bungalow in Eugene and all of the people, activities, and the quality of life that accompanies it.