Any Ags in Oregon?

16,093 Views | 107 Replies | Last: 7 yr ago by aggiespartan
DevilYack
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
I'm looking at a possible move to Corvallis, OR. Does anyone live up that way?
Cardiac Saturday
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Bring your umbrella - it rains a lot over there. We live in dry eastern Washington but my wife went to the University of Oregon in Eugene which is 40 miles away from Corvallis. She grew up in eastern Oregon however and was just hard headed enough to try and make a go of it in Eugene without owning one. Said that about halfway thru the first winter, she owned two or three of them.
OAg
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
There are about 20 of us Ags in Bend that get together for Aggie football games. Bend is about 2.5 hours East of Corvallis. Agree with the previous poster on the rain in the valley. It can be pretty cloudy and rainy from late Oct through April.
DevilYack
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Thanks for the cheery news. Anything else I should know before I pull the trigger on moving up there?
OAg
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
On the positive side of things, you would only be an hour from the coast which is beautiful scenery. You would also be near some great wineries and fantastic fishing. Oregon is about 60 percent public land so if you like the outdoors you will have ab heart time.
I have been to both duck and beaver football games and while it isn't Kyle field, they can be fun when USC or other big programs come to town. Aggies have a home and home with the Ducks coming up.
Cardiac Saturday
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
quote:
Anything else I should know before I pull the trigger on moving up there?


While the west side weather in the late fall and winter can be pretty darn wet, the spring, summer and early fall can be pretty darn awesome.

Oregon does not have sales tax.

Crater Lake National Park is in Oregon and is gorgeous along with the Oregon coast, Mount Hood up near Portland as well as other mountains. The there's the Columbia River Gorge and all of the Cascade Mountains waterfalls. If you get tired of that, SE eastern Oregon has some high desert country. Haven't experienced a tornado watch or warning in nearly 30 years of living up here. Nuisance insects are not a big problem. I could go on and on.

I think that if you move up here and give it a couple of years, the region will grow on you and you'll never want to move back to hot, sweaty Austin, TX again. At least that's the way it worked out for me. I grew up in San Antonio but am not planning on going back.

Willing to try to answer any specific questions about living up here even though we are about 7 hours from "Corn Valley" (that's what University of Oregon Duck fans call Corvallis where the Oregon State University bark rats [beavers] reside.

Best wishes in your decision making.

Cardiac
mattvswild
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Oregon summers are great. It's light early 'till late, only gets really hot for short periods, and it usually cools off sufficiently to make nights enjoyable. You'll be close enough to visit the coast or Portland when you want, too. There is so much to do outdoors there, as well (assuming you like that sort of thing). Finally, Deschutes makes good beer, though you can get that in TX now I believe...

At any rate, I miss Oregon quite a bit and would consider myself lucky if I got to move back to that part of the country again.

Oh, and about the rain... lived there six years (both in southern Oregon and Portland) and I never bought an umbrella. When it rains there, much of the time it's just mist or a soft rain. At any rate, gore-tex is your friend, and umbrellas are for tourists.
DevilYack
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
I appreciate all the information, and I'm looking forward to getting up there for a visit. It sounds like it's a great place, if a bit damp.

I'm interested to see what my kids think about the rain since we've been in a drought here for a significant portion of their lives.
athensag94
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Oregon is great. My family is never moving back to Texas. We live in Bend which is nature's playground.

Corvallis is wet from Novmeber to May but the summers are great. Pretty nice to be 2 hours from skiing and an hour from coast. Portland being an hour away is great as well

[This message has been edited by Athensag94 (edited 6/5/2014 9:49p).]
AggieDruggist89
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Dont pump your own gas...
Cardiac Saturday
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
^
|
|
|
|
Unless you're on an Indian reservation....
Saxsoon
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Live in Seattle but I love the weather and scenery up here, even the rainy times.
cr06gis
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
I split my time between Bend and Lakeview. I have also lived in SE WA (near tricities)

Oregon is a nice place, but still planning on moving back to tx when I get the opportunity. I am taking an absolute thrashing in taxes in this state...

I am a big fan of Corvallis, though. The people are alot more tolerable there than Eugene, Bend , and especially Portland.

Also the speed limits are a joke. Nothing worse than crossing into OR from NV and having the speed limit drop from 75 to 55...

Sorry, I dont mean to talk down this place, it is pretty and if you like to fish/ski/hike, there are few places better.
corndog04
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Noooo way I would ever move back to Texas if I lived in Bend

I don't love the state sales tax, but also don't feel that it is killing me. My property tax is dirt cheap, no sales tax is also
nice. The net impact of the state tax after all deductions to it and the reduction it gives to federal tax winds up just not being much of an impact in my case. Housing costs are the real hitter, especially if you own.
cr06gis
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
With my business situation, it's not just state income I have to deal with.

I understand for some, taxes could be a wash when comparing TX & OR, but unfortunately that's not the case with me. And really, it's a no brainer for me.

I do love many aspects of living here, don't get me wrong.
histag10
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Dont catch a case of the SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder)
OregonAggie
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
When are you planning on moving there? I lived in Medford for 5 years and Eugene for 3. We moved back to Dallas 2 years ago and I'd move back to Eugene if given the chance.

I could try to answer some questions for you since I lived 40 minutes from Corvallis and I also covered Corvallis as part of my sales territory. Let me know and I'll post my email address.

The natural beauty of the area is amazing and the amount of public land that can be used for camping/fishing/shooting/hunting makes Oregon an awesome place to live. All it took was me moving back to Dallas to appreciate it...the cloudy/rainy skies for 9 months is definitely something I'm not missing though.

One good thing about living in Corvallis is it's proximity to Portland if you want to hangout in a "big city", although I use that term loosely. It really isn't that big but it's definitely easy to make a day trip up there for shopping or sporting events like Blazers and Timbers games.

I'll echo the sentiments of some of the previous posters as well. Corvallis is very close to the coast, numerous wineries, and the selection of local brews is amazing there. McMinnville is about an hour north and there's tons of wineries to tour there.

Good luck with your possible move!

DevilYack
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Thanks for all the help, guys. I pulled the trigger on the move this week, so we are headed to the great northwest. If anybody is ever in Corvallis, drop me a line and we can go try out some of the local brews.
ElephantRider
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Applying for a job in Corvallis as we speak
DevilYack
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Good luck!

Be advised, you can't talk on a handheld cell phone here while you're driving. And cops don't cut Texans a break on that one.
corndog04
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
How are you liking things so far, Yack?
ElephantRider
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
cr06gis, is the GIS in your username indicative of your business in Bend?
DevilYack
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
The weather so far has been spectacular, even though everyone is warning me about the dreary, wet winter. Kids seem to be fitting into the schools well. I've only been on the job for 3 days, but those folks seem eager for my help and I think it's going to be a lot of fun. And we have a contract on a cool chalet-style house up on a hill with a few acres.

Oh, I also get the SEC Network with comcast, so my football fix is covered.

On the downside, no barbecue, the mexican place I tried the other day was bad, and I owe the city of corvallis $160.

So far, I find it pretty agreeable. Ask me again in February.

Edit:
The speed limits are a joke here. 35 in town. I think my truck idles at 35.

I work for OSU and will be going out to Bend at some point to look at the operation there. I hear it's beautiful and I'm looking forward to it.
corndog04
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Sounds like you are settling in nicely. September is my favorite month of the year up here - weather is still dependably nice and tourism crowds have dropped.

If your BBQ craving gets too bad and you don't mind a mini-roadtrip, Podnah's in North Portland is the best I've had outside of Texas.
AggieRob93
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Just peeking in on this thread, would like an update from D-Yack if possible. May have an opportunity with employer to relocate from San Mexico to Portland area (office in northwest Portland).
aggiespartan
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Portland is great. Is there anything specific you would like to know? It's a pretty small-large city. NW is a pretty nice area.
AggieRob93
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
I'm completely naive to the area. From what I've been reading, tax comparisons are a push. Salary going to Portland is not a point of contention for differences in cost of living.

My biggest concern is going as a lifelong son of Texas to the pacific NW. For those there, what was(were) the biggest adjustment(s) besides leaving family and friends?

How is the housing situation? Understand housing costs are significantly more in Portland. What is current estimated inventory? Wife and I may well rent so we can determine where we would favor living, but we actually just closed in SA in early January after renting for 4+ years. Momma's not too happy about this particular component of the scenario.

How are the folks? Friendly? Stand-offish? Gonna be hard getting an acknowledgement from someone on the street after telling them "good morning"?

aggiespartan
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
I'm originally from Louisiana, was in Texas at A&M for 7 years, and was in law school in Michigan for 3 years. I can honestly tell you that the people in Oregon have been the nicest people out of all the states I've lived in. And I mean genuinely nice. The people are great. They are really into buying local here, so there are tons of little local shops that are awesome. The food is actually pretty good too. There are a few things that are particular to Portland that are very fun. The food carts are awesome. The local science museum is awesome and has an adult night each month when they serve beer and you get to go play on everything without kids around. I will never get used to driving around a corner and seeing Mt. Hood in the distance. The landscape is beautiful.

Housing is scarce and that's why it's expensive. The inventory is low for both sales and rentals. We just bought a house, and most of the ones we looked at already had offers in. For rentals, if you find one you like, you need to get it. You can find good places, but you just have to do a little more work.

I'm sort of the mindset that I don't care whatever other people do as long as it doesn't affect me to much. That's a great mindset to have coming to Portland. There is great people watching downtown. There are enough weirdos to make it interesting, but not so weird that you feel unsafe. Many people liken Portland to Austin, and I think that's probably pretty accurate, except the landscape and climate is better here (in my opinion). We have a few hot days each year, but more or less, it's pretty mild year round. You cannot beat the summers here. If you like outdoorsy things, Mount Hood is an hour one direction, and the coast is an hour in the other. There is an abundance of hiking trails, and they don't call Portland Beervana for nothing - we have the most breweries per capita of any other city. And people love it.

Most of the people you meet will be transplants. People support the sports teams - MLS, NBA, and a handful of minor sports. The farmers market in the summer amazing. Berry season is amazing. I don't care where you've had local strawberries and blackberries from - they are better here. People live here because they love it here.
IDAGG
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Move! I grew up in Texas. The NW US is unbeatable in awesomeness. Like to hunt and fish? Sheetloads of opportunities. Millions of acres of public lands. Hunting leases? GTFO! Like four seasons? You got it. Get acclimated to the local climate and start thinking 95 degrees with 20% humidity is really hot? Yes! Like living without thinking about getting robbed/mutilated/raped/beaten? Yes indeed. Skiing, snowmobiling in the winter. Hiking, camping in the summer. Hunting in the fall. I live in Idaho, but Oregon is awesome. Been there many times. Yes, plenty of granola types, but everyone minds their own bidness. The only downsides to Oregon are slow ass speed limits and you can't pump your own gas. Other than that, it is a great place. If I could find a decent job in Bend, Oregon, I would be in heaven. Maybe Nosler bullets is hiring. The key up here (like anywhere really) is to find a good paying job.
PlanoAg98
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
I lived in Seattle for 3 years. Just moved back to Texas 9 months ago in the middle August. I loved returning to those warm Texas summer nights. In Seattle, the nights would get kind of chilly even in the middle of the summer. The Pacific Northwest is a beautiful place to visit during the spring/summer, but the other 6 months are flat out depressing.
aggiespartan
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Seattle is a little different than Portland. We've actually had probably one of the sunniest and driest winters in a long time. Ever since we moved here in 2011, they have gotten drier and sunnier.

I can't say that I miss hot summers or hot nights. The year long mild climate is one of the reasons we moved here. And for the beer. Definitely moved here for the beer.
corndog04
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
quote:
I lived in Seattle for 3 years. Just moved back to Texas 9 months ago in the middle August. I loved returning to those warm Texas summer nights. In Seattle, the nights would get kind of chilly even in the middle of the summer. The Pacific Northwest is a beautiful place to visit during the spring/summer, but the other 6 months are flat out depressing.


To each his own - I love the cooler nights and are one of the things I most enjoy about summer here. "Warm" summer nights are one of the least appealing things about Texas to me (or at least the humid parts of Texas). I remember in grad school lugging my heavy backpack to my car one night around 2am after a late night in the lab - I'm not lolfat and I wasn't walking vigorously and I still managed to break a sweat. That ain't right.

I don't have a/c in my house up here, and even in days when we get up well in to the 90s it doesn't affect me much because I can air out the place with the cool outside air in the evening.
Cardiac Saturday
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Plus it's really fun to become a fan of one the NW Universities (Ducks, Beavers, Dawgs, Cougs); Mrs. Cardiac and I just came back from a weekend in Eugene, Oregon and had a great time at the Ducks' spring football game (at which we both froze our butts off) where there were an estimated 35,800 in attendance and at the U of O women's sold-out softball games on consecutive sunny afternoons. Gig em Ducks!!
PlanoAg98
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
quote:
Plus it's really fun to become a fan of one the NW Universities (Ducks, Beavers, Dawgs, Cougs);

None of those compare to the atmosphere at Kyle Field or Blue Bell. I've been to both sports at all 4 universities. Not the same.
Cardiac Saturday
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
quote:
quote:
Plus it's really fun to become a fan of one the NW Universities (Ducks, Beavers, Dawgs, Cougs);

None of those compare to the atmosphere at Kyle Field or Blue Bell. I've been to both sports at all 4 universities. Not the same.
I didn't say it was the same or greater or lessor than Kyle and Blue Bell. I said the NW teams are fun to follow. And when did Aggie Softball play start playing at Blue Bell??
Last Page
Page 1 of 4
 
×
subscribe Verify your student status
See Subscription Benefits
Trial only available to users who have never subscribed or participated in a previous trial.