Utterly food-unrelated but dire question

[emilycat]

Okay, maybe I was exaggerating a bit about the "dire" part, but I'm going to go out on a limb here and ask if any of you know anything about Roseburg, OR. I've had a job offer there, and have become quite fond of all my big-city amenities in Atlanta. If the position were in Portland or Eugene this would be a no-brainer, but I wondered if any of you might have any input...and I'm sorry about littering the board with un-related requests!

Emily

[hhcowgirl]

Wow, Emily, congrats! That's great. Can't help with the Roseberg question, though . . . but obviously if it is a suburb of some cool place like Portland, you'll be fine. Just wanted to say congratulations though!! (P.S. You might want to re-post this as "Oregon question" and then someone who may otherwise not read it but is interested/knows something about OR will open it up. Does that make any sense?? http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif)

[Laura]

Hi Emily

I just did a quick search on Yahoo. Seems like a neat town although relatively small (20,000 but with a urban population of 60,000). I noticed that they only have 7 miles of paved running trails. The city slogan was Timber Capital of the World which could mean that the population is more conservative. I think hhcowgirl is right. Maybe post this as a Oregon thread and you might get a more informed response. Best wishes on your decision and congratulations on the offer. It's always nice to know that there is an offer out there even if you don't take it.

[kwormann]

ANy chance of a visit out there? We visited Tucson and Phoenix with the chance of a move, and am so glad.....even though Tucson is beautiful, it feels too small after Houston! I would recommend a visit! BTW...what is tht job?

Kim

[Kerri]

Hey Emily. I am a military brat so I have done a lot of moving around to places of different sizes where I don't know a single person so I thought I would give you some advice. After I graduated, I did the exact opposite of what you are thinking of; I moved from a small town (Clemson, SC) to a big city (Dallas). I have had some friends who got jobs in smaller cities and I think for the most part, they were unhappy and ended up moving when they could. In my experience, it takes 2 years to make a life for yourself in a new place. You may find some people to hang out with and you may not be miserable, but just know that you really have to give it 2 years before you give up. It is going to be really hard, especially if you have never moved before and have never been alone. For people right out of college it is a lot harder for those who are married with families. It is just easier to meet people that way. When you are single, it sucks. It requires a lot of active participation on your part. You will be lonely, and I guess it is up to you if you are able to deal with it. If the job is great and the people you will work with are terrific and friendly, hopefully it will turn out okay.

I don't mean to be negative. It actually sounds exciting to me. I wish I could job search through out the entire country and if I find something, go have a new adventure in a new place. I just want you to be prepared before you spend a lot of money on a move.

Oh, also be prepared for the culture shock. In Atlanta, they probably call all soda "coke" but in other places it is called soda. Also, no sweet tea. I also think they only have full service gas in Oregon.

[This message has been edited by Kerri (edited 01-16-2001).]

[kentgirl]

They DO only have full service gas in Oregon. They also have no sales tax, but property taxes are pretty high (so I heard). You also have to always put a deposit (I think 5 cents) every time you buy a can of "coke" or "soda". You get a refund when you bring them back, though.

We go to the northern Oregon coast at least once every year and love it there (Manzanita, Cannon Beach area).

You have quite a decision Emily! My husband are I made a similar decision years ago when our kids were small. We moved lock stock and barrel from Utah to the Seattle area, and have never looked back!

And congrats on your job offer. May I ask if the job is one you're really excited about??

[This message has been edited by kentgirl (edited 01-16-2001).]

[Peggy]

emilycat,

I have only driven through Roseburg, Oregon on a family vacation. That is where they have the Wildlife Safari, (a must-see with kids! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif

I didn't see much of the actual city. I do remember visiting some wineries there so they must have some culture. Let me just say I really like Oregon. We live about 2 hours south of the Oregon border and get up there as much as we can. I love Ashland (for skiing and plays), Bend (skiing at Mt. Bachelor), the Oregon Coast, and Crater Lake. I believe Roseburg is a little over an hour from the coast and about as far away from the mountains. It is also on the Umpqua River which is known for it's river rafting.

Someone suggested a visit to the city and I think that is an excellent idea. We moved four years ago from the San Francisco Bay Area to a small town in Northern California to open our own business. At the time I supported my husband's decision, but I was more than a little apprehensive. After major culture shock, I have adjusted and we have a great life here. Sometimes change is very good! It worked out well for us...

Good Luck! It would be great to have you on the West Coast!

Peggy

[KimKelly]

Emilycat, I have not personally been to Roseberg, but my husband actually researched the town about 8 years or so ago for a possible move there for us. He was unelmplyed at the time and we thought of buying a pizza franchise (goodness what were we thinking????!!!!) there. He and a potential partner drove up and looked around. He's asleep now (lucky guy!), so I'll have to post more for you in the morning. If I remember correctly, he did comment on the smallness, but that he liked the city. We are from the SF bay area, so it would have been quite a change for us. Luckily a job in his current field opened up and the decision was made for us.

Oregon is a beautiful state though, but quite different from Atlanta. The weather is a main concern of ours and Oregon tends to be a bit "dreary". Lots of rain and grey. We are big sun people and that would have been a problem with us, but maybe not you - my mom loves grey! Do you have any experience on the West Coast? It is indeed different. I would agree with Kim above, you should not make a decision without a visit. And Kerri is exactly correct, it will take two years to feel at "home" again. We moved from SF to Louisville, Ky and it was almost exactly two years before I said to my husband that I felt comfortable.

Sorry to ramble! I will talk to my husband tomorrow for his input on the Roseberg review!
Good luck!
Kim

[emilycat]

Thanks so much, everyone, for your feedback http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif KimKelly, I would love to hear what your husband has to say about Roseburg!

I did also have a job offer in Atlanta, and I'm fairly certain I'll stay here for the time-being...if the job were in Portland or Eugene or Bend, it would be a no-brainer for me, but I thrive on a lot of diversity and culture, and I think many of you are right about the big adjustment I would have to make. The opening is a reporting position at a small daily newspaper, which very much appeals to me (although I'd much rather be at an alternative weekly), but I feel like I'd have to love the place to haul off and move completely across the country.

Anyway, my mind is swimming with decisions right now, so I'll keep you guys posted!

Emily

[RobinC]

I live in Portland, OR. Roseburg is a much smaller community that is very different than Portland. Personally, I love living in the Northwest. Don't believe what people say about it raining all the time. Yes, it rains. But it hardly ever snows (and snow is never on the ground for more than 2 days) and it does not get bitterly cold. Spring time here is beautiful and summer has been lasting well into late September/eary October.

If you are interested in alternative weekly papers, check out http://www.wweek.com/ The Willamette Week, Portland's alternative weekly paper. BTW, it is pronounced will AM ett - not WILL a metty (as most non-locals try to say http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif )

I do have a very good friend who's mother lived in Roseburg for a while. If you like, I can put you in contact with him to talk about Roseburg. He is very friendly and would be willing to talk with a complete stranger. You can e-mail me at robin@pjrc.com

[Vanessa]

Congrats! Because of my DH job there is always possibility of moving. Lately when we discuss the possibility of a job (promotion etc) to another city I do search about the place in the computer. It actually helps when you get a cost comparison of housing, taxes etc. I print all the info and we can clearly see if its a good move or not.
This has helped me get to know a place since when you go to a job interview theres is always the possibility of getting it and moving.

[LGBurns]

Emilycat: Congratulations on the job offers! I was really surprised to see you asking about Roseburg of all places. My dad lives near Roseburg (in Myrtle Creek). He loves it, but then again he's almost 70 and retired so I have a feeling his priority are just teeny bit different than yours http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif. I can tell you that he says the weather in that part of Oregon is better than in other areas (less rain in particular). Also, I have been to Ashland, which I don't believe is that far away, and it is a beautiful town with a nationally recognized, Tony-award winning, Shakespearean theater. Also, the area has a lot of outdoor recreational activities (hiking, kayaking, skiing). Also, some good wines come from that area (particularly Pinot Noir). Anyway, I'm not trying to sell you but I noticed that not a lot of people had direct contact with Roseburg, so I thought I'd let you know what I know.

[KimKelly]

Emilycat - I finally caught up with my husband! When I went to bed he was here, when I woke up he was on his way to Des Moines! (he's an airline pilot, so it's really not that wierd.) Anyway... he reiterated much of what LGburns said. Nice quiet community with lots of outdoorsy things. He said he liked the town very much and would probably have moved us there if our plans had worked out that way. Very positive comments. As I said though, he only had a couple of days there and that was 8 years ago. Sounds like RobinC might have your best current info.
Just keep in mind that it would be VERY different from Atlanta... but different is not always bad. You just have to find where you are in life. As I mentioned before we moved across country to KY. It was very different and we are now back in CA. CA is home for us and the move was difficult. I'm a big fan of anywhere on the west coast though, so I may be a bit biased! Oregon again is a beautiul place and though it has too much grey and rain for me the weather as mentioned before is fairly moderate.

Good luck again!
K

[Alky]

I have to pipe in and plug the northwest!! On the positive side of rain, the trees are always green and beautiful. It seems to me that the east coast is a lot browner. We have many mountains, water and a lot of outdoor recreation here. Although I have never lived on the east coast, my brother-in-law, moved to Savannah a few years ago. He sure misses all the hiking, skiing, climbing (no mountians in Savannah) that he has always enjoyed in the northwest. Once you get adjusted the rain rarely stops your plans! Just my two cents worth!!