Beautiful place on the downturn
-
10/4/2017
5 Years ago, I would have given Grants Pass 5 stars. However the recent passage of Oregon's recreational marijuana laws have started a downward spiral that is unclear whether Grants Pass will ever recover from. Pot growers consider the climate in Grants Pass perfect for growing marijuana and thus I will start my review listing the pros and cons of someone who has lived here for the last 5 years.
Pros:
1. Grants Pass has a beautiful "old town" district which is vibrant, full of culture, festivals, live music, farmers markets, and offers a lot to all.
2. Grants Pass's Riverside Park is perhaps one of the most beautiful small town parks in America with regular festivals and concerts.
3. Grants Pass has successfully separated the "strip mall" shopping of the east side from the Historic Downtown district.
4. The Rogue River, nearby Oregon Coast, Redwoods, Crater Lake, and plentiful National Forest areas offer much for the outdoorsman.
5. Even though we don't have school age children, we've heard the schools in Grants Pass are excellent!
Cons:
1. The recent recreational marijuana laws have caused marijuana investors and growers to buy up almost all rural land in Josephine County which has raised the price of rural land around Grants Pass to skyrocket in the past three years.
2. There has been a noticeable increase in drifters and bums in Grants Pass in the last few years much because of the marijuana laws and also because of Grants Pass's lenient attitude towards these people.
3. Shoplifting and property crimes are on the rise due to the increase in drifters and homeless in Grants Pass.
4. Winters are foggy and cold because the mountains around Grants Pass trap in the fog for most of the winter days.
5. In the past several years forest fire smoke from summer fires has been unhealthy and increasing.
Overall, Grants Pass is a very nice place, but the direction it's taking now will ultimately decide if Grants Pass is worth investing in.......or not!
Michael | Grants Pass, OR