Salem vs Albany? (Eugene, Corvallis, Newport: schools, living in, homeless)

[Ken WA]

If you had to make a choice between living in Salem or Albany (or their immediate surrounding areas) which would you choose and why?

Ken

[bler144]

It would depend. If I were earning $30k a year single I'd wager I could do more with that $$ in Albany, and it's a shortish hop to Corvallis for social life, particularly from the west side.

But $50k+ with a family, I'd tend to choose Salem for amenities, schools, etc.

Also depends on what you do for work. More gov't jobs in Salem - Albany gives you better access to OSU.

[Ken WA]

Originally Posted by bler144

It would depend. If I were earning $30k a year single I'd wager I could do more with that $$ in Albany, and it's a shortish hop to Corvallis for social life, particularly from the west side.

But $50k+ with a family, I'd tend to choose Salem for amenities, schools, etc.

Also depends on what you do for work. More gov't jobs in Salem - Albany gives you better access to OSU.

Thanks.
We're both retired. No kids living with us. We are both active. We do a lot of cycling, so bike friendly is a plus. Night life is not an attraction, but outdoor activities (hiking mountain biking, kayaking, etc) are. We are trying to find one or two acres with a decent house, which I think we can do in either place within our budget. It's just a matter of figuring out which locale is best for our life style. Quality of healthcare is factor.
Maybe we just need to decide whether we want the road to the ocean ending at Cannon Beach or Newport. Quality of healthcare is factor.
Easy access to the great Oregon beaches is a major motivation in our move.


Ken

[Ken WA]

Originally Posted by Ken WA

Thanks.
We're both retired. No kids living with us. We are both active. We do a lot of cycling, so bike friendly is a plus. Night life is not an attraction, but outdoor activities (hiking mountain biking, kayaking, etc) are. We are trying to find one or two acres with a decent house, which I think we can do in either place within our budget. It's just a matter of figuring out which locale is best for our life style. Quality of healthcare is factor.
Maybe we just need to decide whether we want the road to the ocean ending at Cannon Beach or Newport. Quality of healthcare is factor.
Easy access to the great Oregon beaches is a major motivation in our move.


Ken

I should have said Lincoln City or Newport.

[Silverfall]

There is access to outdoor activities no matter what city you live in around here so I don't think that impacts which city you choose. So it really depends then on what you want in a city. Salem is three times larger than Albany so you can't really compare the two.

[Ken WA]

Originally Posted by Silverfall

There is access to outdoor activities no matter what city you live in around here so I don't think that impacts which city you choose. So it really depends then on what you want in a city. Salem is three times larger than Albany so you can't really compare the two.

If you read my original post again, you will see that I did not ask for a comparison or for someone to suggest a choice for me.

I asked, "Given a choice of only those two places, which would YOU choose and why?"

For example: You might choose Salem because it is larger.
Someone else might choose Albany because they like the proximity to OSU.

My hope was that, from the comments, I could glean some positive aspects of both places that perhaps I wasn't yet aware of.


Ken

P.S. If a respondent should answer that they would not choose either of these two places, they will, in the context of this thread, be forever damned to wander homelessly along the lush shore of the Salton Sea.

[Silverfall]

Originally Posted by Ken WA

If you read my original post again, you will see that I did not ask for a comparison or for someone to make a choice for me .

I asked, "Given a choice of only those two places, which would YOU choose and why?"

For example: You might choose Salem because it is larger.
Someone else might choose Albany because they like the proximity to OSU.

My hope was that, from the comments, I could glean some positive aspects of both places that perhaps I wasn't yet aware of.


Ken

I live in Salem because Albany isn't particularly appealing and it is way too small a town for me. It is also why I don't live in any of the surrounding cities. Too small.

[Metlakatla]

What I can't figure out is why Albany's even on the table. No one lives there unless they have to. You should look at Corvallis instead.

[Ken WA]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

What I can't figure out is why Albany's even on the table. No one lives there unless they have to. You should look at Corvallis instead.

Albany is on the table because I started the thread.

(and I'm pretty sure, I've never been off of I-5 as I passed through, Unless you are talking pre I-5. My dad may have stopped for gas on Hwy 99, when I was a kid)
I'm a UW alum, so there is probably an ordinance banning me from living in Corvallis, or Eugene for that matter. My Dad was raised in Oregon, so maybe I could get some sort of legacy exception.
Ken

[Metlakatla]

Albany's a dump. It's all flat. Corvallis is closer to the Coast Range and has a better overall ambiance.