Where to Move to in Oregon?

General discussions on hiking in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest
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Charley
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Re: Where to Move to in Oregon?

Post by Charley » December 16th, 2014, 9:06 am

There's not much in the way of enjoyable year-round mtb riding in the Portland metro area: the nearest trails are either soggy or snowy much of the year. Things are slowly changing, but Bend is still the place to be if you like riding dirt. I can't speak about Ashland or Roseburg. The guidebooks I have don't cover those areas.

Ashland's ski area didn't open last year due to lack of snow. Of course, coming from California, you're very aware of that problem in general.
Believe it or not, I barely ever ride a mountain bike.

Lumpy
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Re: Where to Move to in Oregon?

Post by Lumpy » December 16th, 2014, 1:25 pm

I don't think you'll dislike anywhere in western Oregon. The rest of almost everything is a half day drive away or less. Good wishes for the job interview!
"Why are you always chasing women?"
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turtle
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Re: Where to Move to in Oregon?

Post by turtle » December 16th, 2014, 1:49 pm

Shameless plug for Gresham. 45 minutes or so from downtown Portland, Timberline Lodge, or the Columbia River Gorge. Just Sayin' :D
Summer breezes caressed me, my legs stepped forward as though possessed of their own appetite, and the mountains kept promising. Rebecca Solnit

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adamschneider
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Re: Where to Move to in Oregon?

Post by adamschneider » December 16th, 2014, 2:54 pm

turtle wrote:Shameless plug for Gresham.
Definitely the first time I've ever seen or heard the phrase "shameless plug for Gresham." :)

Steve20050
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Re: Where to Move to in Oregon?

Post by Steve20050 » December 19th, 2014, 4:01 am

Couple of things. The Willamette Valley is known for rain. While there are many places in the US states that have more annual rainfall, we have the urban myth it rains all the time. Why? Because the clouds get trapped headed over the Cascades and we get a lot of misty/ drizzle days or even just grey days. This gets worse as you head south from Portland and the gorge winds, to Eugene and your Cottage grove that have a lot of dead air flow. I lived in Cottage grove area at one time as well as a couple dozen other places in Oregon. Cottage grove is close enough to Eugene to have the influence though it was an overgrown mill town back when I lived there. About the most famous thing out of there was Animal House. Eugene, I lived in and out west of Eugene many years ago and have a lot of old friends there. There really isn't much better type of atmosphere and the area gets plenty of best places marks for a large town/small city.

Thumbs up for Hood River. I lived up in the Community of Mt. Hood outside Hood River years ago and Hood River was not more than a run down fruit pickers town. I went back recently and spent some time and now with the tourism and gorge activities it has changed a lot. Unfortunately with any expansion you have the good and bad. The location with half the rain Portland gets makes the area ideal as much as any place just over the crest of the cascades. This is certainly one of my personal favorite areas of the state.

I live in Portland these days. It is a great small/medium city. The traffic is getting worse as the population grows, and any one here can tell you the tourists out on the trails has certainly grown a lot. The good thing is the large amount of places to go here. Several volcanoes within a couple hours. The gorge, the coast. As for costs and jobs. Obviously there is more employment opportunities with a larger city. Who makes out the best though seems more to be our neighbors in Washington State part of our metro area. (Chime in here someone). I believe property taxes are high in WA. You don't have individual income taxes though, as I understand it. You can also drive over the border to here in Oregon and buy most stuff tax free. We Oregonians have long thought about a Washingtonian tax :P .

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dirtman
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Re: Where to Move to in Oregon?

Post by dirtman » December 29th, 2014, 3:51 pm

You could also be unique (and maybe eccentric) by helping to repopulate Greenhorn Oregon. There is also an opening for mayor...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenhorn,_Oregon

It is not too far of a drive from the thriving town of Sumpter. And there is great outdoor adventure in the nearby area - Blue Mountains (Elkhorn Mountains / Strawberry Mountain) and Wallowa Mountains.

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Bristol
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Re: Where to Move to in Oregon?

Post by Bristol » November 16th, 2015, 8:35 am

Just a follow up to kind of close this thread out... It was informative to talk about WHERE to move to in Oregon, but in the end it really depended on where I could actually find a decent job. All of the input helped to guide me and is much appreciated. Where I found a job was Portland. I've been here 6 weeks and I am very happy. Of course I've had to invest in some good rain gear and boots, but I am not letting the rain stop me and I am getting out every weekend. I've also been to one REI class and a North Face speaker presentation, so I am liking the access to the Gorge, but also access to good stores and like-minded folks.

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AAdamsPDX
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Re: Where to Move to in Oregon?

Post by AAdamsPDX » November 16th, 2015, 9:15 am

Welcome, Bristol! It's hard not to love this part of the world. :)
"The world begins where the road ends." ~Eddie Vedder
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sprengers4jc
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Re: Where to Move to in Oregon?

Post by sprengers4jc » November 17th, 2015, 6:26 am

Welcome to the area! Also, be sure to check out the PortlandHikers FB page, if you are on FB. Many of the same people on this site are also on there, along with many other lovers of the outdoors. It's great for current conditions updates :).
'We travel not to escape life but for life to not escape us.'
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Naturebat
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Re: Where to Move to in Oregon?

Post by Naturebat » November 20th, 2015, 3:45 am

Welcome!
I would choose Washington, hands down. Washington has a better economy and more rugged hiking opportunities.

Vancouver, WA might be the best for several reasons. It is located at a central location, not too far from Mount Rainier, the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Mount Hood National Forest, and many hikes in central Oregon and the Oregon Coast. And it is right next to the Columbia River Gorge.
- Previously ElementalFX

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