Ocean Shores--good, bad and the ugly (Aberdeen, Hoquiam: RV park, real estate market, condo)

[Rrrrichard99]

There seem to be quite a few bitter digs at good old OS, and I don't fully get it. As far as I can tell, it's only improving. The southern end is definitely moving up, and there are many pretty new houses everywhere, sitting vacant for under 200k. When I think of the many perfectly rotten places to live in the rest of the country, or even in the rest of WA state where property values are grossly inflated and traffic horrendous, or where local economies are far worse than stagnant or touristy, I can only scratch my head. I think the Duck Lake and canal complex is awesome, the main Community Club is beautiful, the park system vastly underused, and of course, the Pacific Ocean vistas . . . And a nice casino to boot. Okay, it's not all good. There are plenty of ugly places (slowly rotting manufactured homes) here and there, but they won't be there forever. The driving on the beach is actually a major eyesore and deterrent--you have to time your walks carefully, or just avoid oceanside walks altogether. The marina is a crying shame--who is responsible for that degradation? And some of the tourist spasms are ill-conceived (thousands of motorcycles, anyone?). But I believe the negatives are diminishing, the positives on the uptick. I've seen better things in Aberdeen and Hoquiam (particularly) as well, as of late. Am I the last person on earth that loves Ocean Shores, despite its flaws? I wonder.

[doublea7]

A coworker of mine bought a house in Ocean Shores for 135K and seems to like it. I have noticed they are improving the streets, finally, as they were a roller coaster ride before the much needed repaving. I personally like more seclusion near a beach, so it's got too many houses for me, although in the offseason it's almost dead out there, which I actually kinda like. If I had the money though, I think I would prefer a house on bluff farther north, maybe up near Pacific Beach somewhere, although those houses at that new Seabrook village, while nice looking are too close together for my tastes.
If you like it, don't let anyone try to persuade you other wise. I grew up in the midwest and I'd take Ocean Shores over that 1000 miles of flat farmland anytime.
I first went through Aberdeen in 1984 and I can tell you, while it's still a rough and dumpy town, it is much improve over then.

[Fat Freddy]

Originally Posted by Rrrrichard99

The marina is a crying shame--who is responsible for that degradation?

The marina used to be active and full of commercial and charter boats, and the RV park was nice in it's day and used by many fishermen who put their boats in there.

Two things happened that killed it off.

1. Sand filled in the channel and boats couldn't get in or out of the marina harbor at low tides.
2. The Westport Marina was developed.

The channel has not been dredged and probably never will be because it is a low priority and involves, money, politics, and the Core of Engineers.

The Indians own it now. They bought it with casino money and grandiose plans to turn it into some sort of giant tourist attraction in the future, but realistically it probably has the same kind of future as that big tourist hype at Hogan's Corner or the famous Ocean Shores Aquarium.

What do you think of that plastic cabin village on the astroturf that is supposed to be built across from the post office?

[Rrrrichard99]

Most unfortunate. It's hard to conceive how that will look 10 or 20 years on. The aesthetics will be troublesome enough when it's brand new. The good news, however, is that it's to the relative north where the multitude of rabble usually descend, and where many other commercial sites of varying quality also exist.

[Fat Freddy]

By that time, it will have become nice little cabins for the drunks and dope addicts who presently live down at the marina, which in 10 or 20 years will have either burned down or rotted away and fallen into the bay.

[Rrrrichard99]

Well, it had certainly better be the finest astroturf ever produced to limit the mundane horror of such a project. But as is, they are not necessarily cheap. I know very few people that have 100k or 200k to spare on a vacation home these days, but even if they did, they could do much better for the money than settling on that. I'll be very surprised if the crowd that developer dreams of ever even materializes. But if it's true that the Quinault has purchased the marina/Silverking property, then there might be a future there after all. Casinos have a tendency to grow and virtually never fail. If anyone has the nerve and the moolah to gamble on a development, it would be them. They could forget the marina, but still build one hell of a new resort hotel or condo complex, etc. It is still a choice location despite its current condition. They would be severe fools to let it stand that way for long. But who knows, maybe they want to build a bigger casino first. Or maybe they're waiting for this recession and stagnant real estate market to blow over.

[x_xjessix_X]

okay so i was born and raised in ocean shores. And you guys are making it sound alot better, and in some cases alot worse then it is. Like the marina, yeah its gone to hell, but we aren't a fishing community. So why would the city waist its money and time to fix something that has not and wil not be used? The R.V. park next to it, looks like hell cuz mainly tweakers live there. Someone mentioned the empty houses out here, the old ones being run down and rotting, well honestly the new ones are going to do the same thing. Because this little town doesn't have enough jobs for people, nor does the surrounding towns aberdeen, hoquiam and westport. Yes there are jobs there but you wont make as much money as you need. As for seeing better things in hoquiam and aberdeen, i doubt that, cuz they are ran down more then we are! The repaving of the roads in ocean shores is great, but wont last. They did not build the roads right in the first place. So no matter how many times they repave them they will become the same old roller coaster.

[rheadabovewater]

OK, so I have a question - where do people work, if they live in Ocean Shores or Westport? I'm really curious, because I'd like to relocate to that area. I'm an executive assistant and am considering applying with the Corrections Dept. to work at the prison near Aberdeen (my son lives in Montesano and I'm in CA).

[Fat Freddy]

Employment in Ocean Shores is limited to support for the residents such as the IGA Grocery, the hardware store, Anchor Bank, and similar businesses, development of the area such as real estate, construction, excavating, plumbing, etc, and tourist related jobs.

Most of the construction related businesses are small and family owned and when they do hire outside workers, the wages are lower than in other parts of the state.

Most of the tourist related jobs are in the several large hotels and they are low paid service jobs such as housekeeping and maintenance.

Unless you have an independent income such as a retirement pension, or an inside track on employment, Ocean Shores is not the place to live.

Westport has an active fishing fleet of both commercial and charter boats and related support such as repair and minor boatbuilding. There is also a small tourist section, as well as resident support jobs, but like Ocean Shores, unless you have an inside track on a job, or independent income, it's not where you would want to live.

[rheadabovewater]

Thanks Fat Freddy - what about working at the corrections facility?