considering moving to southern Oregon

[northernlights]

and am interested in the pros and cons. Mostly the cons. When I was speaking with the program director at a college in Portland, she said, "You *don't* want to move to southern Oregon." But she didn't say why. I'm looking in the valleys between the coastals and Cascades.

Is there a super-high crime rate? My current neighbors have been a string of petty criminals, so I'm learning to cope with that.

I understand that Oregon has more wild fires than any other state. Where do they mostly happen? In the valleys? West of the Cascades? In the Cascades?

I'm aware of the very high unemployment in Oregon. It's pretty much the same here, but I figure in southern Oregon I won't freeze to death if I can't come up with $2,000/year to hand to the oil barons.

I also saw that, longterm, Obama didn't include southern Oregon is his high speed rail plans.

[magicr]

1. Moving to southern Oregon

Boy, no Portland snobbery there. I live in southern Oregon. (born here raised in Portland area, been back for 35 years). Medford is as conservative as any where in the deep south. 12 miles south is Ashland which is as liberal as San Francisco. This part of Oregon (weather wise is not like what you may think of Oregon). Temperature this weekend is supposed to be in the mid 90s, and summers here have pretty much non existent rain and are HOT.

Good paying jobs are pretty much non existent here, no matter what shape the economy is in.

Wildfires do happen every summer mostly west of the cascades. (that's where most of the forests are), and they can create smoky skies for many days on end.

Crime rates are nothing terrible.

If you bring a good job with you, or are able to get a good job here, you won't find a more beautiful area of the country. (My opinion)


And tell your snobby Portland contact she doesn't know squat, and maybe she ought to come here before she passes judgment.

[Athelwulf]

2. Snobbery? What are you talking about?

Native southern Oregonian here. I'm a born-and-raised Klamathite. Still live there, in fact. And even I wouldn't recommend southern Oregon to people, except Ashland. The local scenery is nice, but that's about all the area has going for it, in my opinion.

[magicr]

3. Yes snobbery...

Many people Eugene north seem to think southern Oregon is 100% redneck (it's not). I love all of Oregon, so I get a little bent out when someone disses my part of the state.

[Athelwulf]

4. Fair enough, I suppose.

But trust me, too often Klamath Falls feels 100% rednecky. :(