Salem, OR Reviews

Salem Rocks! - 12/24/2010
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, Read More

Salem is fine with me - 9/6/2010
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 Read More

small town with potential still hampered by sticks - 1/9/2010
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 Read More

No Thank You - 10/23/2009
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 Read More

climate - 9/9/2009
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 Read More

Nice - 4/15/2009
Nice town, rainy Read More

Hey Chris - 4/3/2009
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 Read More

The crime is a shame and homeless is over the top! - 2/22/2009
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 Read More

Hard to survive here - 2/14/2009
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 Read More

Salem,Oregon - 1/26/2009
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 Read More