Quote:
Originally Posted by pdxfj
Corvallis is a nice area, but keep in mind it is a college town (Oregon State).
There is just about any kind of outdoor activity one could want to do. The coast is a short drive away. Central Oregon, Crater Lake, etc are also not too far. You're close to Portland and Eugene, so plenty of car things to do in both towns.
Weather. That is the kicker. If you're coming from S. California you have to realize this is the Pacific Northwest. Summers are fantastic, but you pay for it. It starts raining in October, and does not stop until about July. If it is not raining it's usually gray and you won't see the sun for days or weeks on end. A good friend moved up from S. California to Corvallis and I asked him why. He said he wanted a change of scenery and in my mind I didn't give him a year and he would move.
Almost 9 months to the day he packed up and left. Couldn't handle the weather. During that time some friends of ours visited from Australia during the winter. They came up to Portland and one question I got from them was "how do you live in this crap? Rain, gray and cold the entire time they were here.
Politically the area leans heavily one way. If you lean that direction, you'll do fine. Otherwise the atmosphere and tax happy mindset of the state will make you nuts.
If you're curious, visit the area in the summer and winter. I can't stress enough that the weather is the biggest factor in deciding to move here. Even if you think you're prepared for it, you're not.
If you have any other questions, feel free to PM me.
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Thanks pdxfj - great input. When looking at homes online, I could not help but notice that none of them had any measurable sized patios. I do know why. The weather is a big concern indeed. I used to live in LA, now in the Bay Area, so working my way north. I can deal with the Bay Area winters fine, but the rains here are about 25% of the Corvallis area and they come in storms, not a 9 month long drizzle. Also, moving to the Corvallis area would be later in life, with more spare time, so it would be nice to actually be able to go outside and do things. If you work 5 days a week 10h/ day, weather isn't as important.
G