Anyone here live in Oregon?

[whistleclient]

My brother's thinking about moving to Oregon to get a way from the rat race in New York City. Neither of us know the state very well.

Here's what he's looking for:

NOT the subarbs. Mostly rural. Rural enough that he could get 10-20 acres to build a house, get away from city life, actually have a garden, but close enough to civilization that he has:

-- access to high speed internet. I'm not sure if "directway" satellite internet has matured enough to be feasible, but his preference would be cable. doubt CO box would be close enough for DSL.

-- access to good schools. he has two kids in elementary.

-- access to a reasonably nice market


does this exist in Oregon? I don't know the state that well, but I'm willing do drive up from CA to check out some towns. I just need some starting places to look.

Thanks for any help you can provide...

 

[ribbon13]

Eugene rocks.

 

[Lizabath]

Definitely Corvallis

 

[BEL6772]

Yeah, you probably want to avoid Washington, Multnomah, and Clackamas counties. They're pretty aggressive about keeping developments high density.

Have you considered Washington State? No income tax there. There are still some nice properties on the outskirts of Vancouver, I hear.

 

[PlatinumGold]

Originally posted by: BEL6772
Yeah, you probably want to avoid Washington, Multnomah, and Clackamas counties. They're pretty aggressive about keeping developments high density.

Have you considered Washington State? No income tax there. There are still some nice properties on the outskirts of Vancouver, I hear.

for tax purposes, you want to live near vancouver (no income tax, moderate property tax) and shop in Portland OR, (no sales tax).

as to schools and such, there should be areas of vancouver (my sister lives in vancouver, wa) that are pretty good. don't know about rural tho.

OTOH, if you move to OR east of the mountains, say 2 hours east of Portland OR, you could have access to Portland OR, but be almost completely rural. about 80 percent of the population of Oregon lives within so many miles of the coast. 20 percent of oregon is pretty much bare.

 

[SagaLore]

I lived in Corbett for a few years, that is fairly close to Portland.

But as much as I love Oregon - if he's already in New York, why not just go farther west into the state? That is very rural/country as well.

 

[PlatinumGold]

Originally posted by: SagaLore
I lived in Corbett for a few years, that is fairly close to Portland.

But as much as I love Oregon - if he's already in New York, why not just go farther west into the state? That is very rural/country as well.

or west to the poconos.

 

[SagaLore]

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold

Originally posted by: SagaLore
I lived in Corbett for a few years, that is fairly close to Portland.

But as much as I love Oregon - if he's already in New York, why not just go farther west into the state? That is very rural/country as well.

or west to the poconos.

I personally don't like the Poconos. I just don't get good vibes in that area.

 

[whistleclient]

Originally posted by: SagaLore

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold

Originally posted by: SagaLore
I lived in Corbett for a few years, that is fairly close to Portland.

But as much as I love Oregon - if he's already in New York, why not just go farther west into the state? That is very rural/country as well.

or west to the poconos.

I personally don't like the Poconos. I just don't get good vibes in that area.

I don't think he wants to stay in NY. He's sick of the whole state...

 

[illusion88]

oregons a weird state. You cant pump your own gas (its funny to watch the Oregonites at the northern california border try ) AND the speed limits are hella slow.

 

[FoBoT]

i was born in portland

1- find an area covered by a WISP , WISP is the way to go in rural areas. unless the power company offers service

2- no idea, i didn't go to school there

3- nice market? what does that mean? a 7-11?

 

[Eli]

Yes, your requirements certainly exist in Oregon.

 

[PlatinumGold]

Originally posted by: tangent1138

Originally posted by: SagaLore

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold

Originally posted by: SagaLore
I lived in Corbett for a few years, that is fairly close to Portland.

But as much as I love Oregon - if he's already in New York, why not just go farther west into the state? That is very rural/country as well.

or west to the poconos.

I personally don't like the Poconos. I just don't get good vibes in that area.

I don't think he wants to stay in NY. He's sick of the whole state...

as the Poconos i was referring to is in PA, not sure how that applies.

 

[PlatinumGold]

Originally posted by: illusion88
oregons a weird state. You cant pump your own gas (its funny to watch the Oregonites at the northern california border try ) AND the speed limits are hella slow.

Hey, we're like that here in NJ also.

no self service. i personally prefer it.

 

[Bryophyte]

Originally posted by: BEL6772
Yeah, you probably want to avoid Washington, Multnomah, and Clackamas counties. They're pretty aggressive about keeping developments high density.

Have you considered Washington State? No income tax there. There are still some nice properties on the outskirts of Vancouver, I hear.

There is still plenty of rural land in Washington County. I know, I live in rural Washington County. Only reason I don't have high speed internet is that I live on the backside of a hill. I should have access to high-speed wireless broadband when 802.16 becomes available.

We own 11 acres, can't see or hear our nearest neighbors, kids are in a good school, and the nearest good stores for shopping are 20-25 minutes away. There are plenty of rural properties (not suburban) that have good access to high speed internet, with good schools, that are 10-15 minutes from shopping.

Having said that, I grew up on 52 acres out in the Coast Range to the west of Corvallis (Philomath), and there is a tremendous amount of rural property around there within 5 to 15 miles from towns with decent schools and decent shopping.

What you ask for is a good description of much of western Oregon from just south of Eugene to Portland, from the eastern edge of the Coast Range to the west edge of the Cascades.

 

[Bryophyte]

There is a town in Oregon named Tangent. heh

 

[axelfox]

Originally posted by: Bryophyte
There is a town in Oregon named Tangent. heh

Not to go off of a Tangent, but . . .

the math jokes abound.

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

North Plains.

 

[Bryophyte]

Originally posted by: Nik
North Plains.

 

[SagaLore]

Originally posted by: tangent1138

Originally posted by: SagaLore

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold

Originally posted by: SagaLore
I lived in Corbett for a few years, that is fairly close to Portland.

But as much as I love Oregon - if he's already in New York, why not just go farther west into the state? That is very rural/country as well.

or west to the poconos.

I personally don't like the Poconos. I just don't get good vibes in that area.

I don't think he wants to stay in NY. He's sick of the whole state...

Yea I don't care much for New York either. That is where my wife grew up and I cringe any time she mentiones moving there to be closer to her family.

He could try PA. I'm not talking Philly - he could come live in my area. Williamsport, Lewisburg, Selinsgrove.

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

Originally posted by: Bryophyte

Originally posted by: Nik
North Plains.

Well, he wanted a rural area that's not too far from civilization. North Plains is all of 10 minutes from Portland and all of a few minutes from Beaverton and Hillsboro, if that.

 

[Bryophyte]

Originally posted by: Nik

Originally posted by: Bryophyte

Originally posted by: Nik
North Plains.

Well, he wanted a rural area that's not too far from civilization. North Plains is all of 10 minutes from Portland and all of a few minutes from Beaverton and Hillsboro, if that.

And I live there (well, it's my nearest town, anyway.) :thumbsup: