Eugene is a great place to live
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6/4/2022
Eugene has its warts, just like any other city. But in my view, the good things far outweigh the bad aspects. What I like the best is the location, right on the Willamette River, and conveniently located 2 hours south of Portland. About 50 miles to the East and you are in a gorgeous part of the Cascades, and about 50 miles to the West and you arrive at one of the most beautiful Pacific Coast lines in the world. What I especially like about Eugene itself is its small size: you can get just about anywhere on bicycle, especially thanks to a wonderful and well maintained bicycle/walking path along both sides of the river, and most car drivers are very bicycle conscious. It is also a university/college town, with really fantastic restaurants and cafes, with some of the best coffee in the world, and also a nice range of grocery store choices, from Winco (an employee-owned cooperative) and Grocery Outlet (and of course Walmart) to the more upscale Market of Choice and gourmet "hippie" markets, not to mention the ubiquitous CostCo and Trader Joe's. Finally, what really makes Eugene a nice place to live is the people. Yes, there is a homeless problem, houses are in short supply and too expensive, and there are occasional A-holes, as in many other cities, but Eugene has a high concentration of very friendly, thoughtful, caring people of all ages and incomes, and overall it is a progressive, clean little city, great for people of all ages.
Stanley | Eugene, OR