Medford: 3 favorite things and 3 least favorite things (Portland, Eugene: house, neighborhood)

[LosingToMarmots]

I have job opportunities in Medford,Grants Pass, and Portland. I'm asking what are your 3 favorite things about Medford and your 3 least favorite things about Medford. So what are they?

[Hawk J]

I don't know. I buy my vittles in Grants Pass. Nice, friendly folks imho.



Good Luck to ye.

[backdrifter]

I used to live in Grants Pass and now live in Portland, so I'm a little biased, but here goes...

My 3 favorite things about Medford:
- It had a bigger town feel than Grants Pass, which makes sense.
- They have a Barnes and Noble there.
- Umm...? You can see Mount McLoughlin nearby?

My 3 least favorite things about Medford:
- It has a very barren, arid looking landscape immediately around it that is totally unappealing and very reminiscent of unmentioned areas "further south".
- The people there were more similar to the people found "further south".
- Despite being 2 to 2.5 times larger than Grants Pass, it has a smaller downtown, a much smaller restaurant scene, and only a few more amenities (that is only to say if you like big box chain stores), and feels like a sprawling Anytown, USA that you'd find further south in California (I said the "C" word, oops) or the Midwest or... anywhere.

Depends on what you're looking for I guess. If you want to live in a new hillside subdivision, shop at Costco or Winco and the mall, and eat out at Red Robin in a medium-ish sized city that gets 20" of rain per year, and HOT in the summer, then Medford is it.

If you want lusher surroundings and a quaint downtown with lots of little neat shops, want to live in a 60s ranch house in a leafy, picturesque neighborhood, shop at Fred Meyer, Ray's, or Gooseberries, and eat out at an awesome local restaurant, and can put up with 30" of rain per year and still have the hot summers, Grants Pass is a good bet. Also better than Medford if you're into cycling. People in Grants Pass are a little less transient and tend to be a little more rough around the edges and hillbillyish than the people in Medford however.

If you want to be able to have the small town, picturesque neighborhood feel, but with the big city amenities and have A LOT more diversity of every sort (and less libertarians and conservatives and more liberals) and can deal with cooler (though probably perfect) summers and 40" of rain per year, then Portland is a good bet.

All have stunning scenery all around them however. All good places.

[Brenda-by-the-sea]

Three positives:

1. Climate: The Rogue Valley is arguably the only spot in the U.S. outside of Kahlifawneeyuh that has a Mediterranean climate. It may not be to everyone's liking. It isn't entirely free of extremes of heat and cold, but for those who want a well-balanced four-season climate that isn't too humid and is relatively mild, the lee side of the Siskiyou rain shadow has a nice blend of seasons. For a "northern California climate that's not in California," this is as close as you can come. There's considerable winter overcast and valley fog as well as summer heat, but there's little wind and and lots and lots of hours in the 65F to 90F zone with low atmospheric humidity. I strongly disagree with previous opinions about the look of the landscape. The hills around Medford are beautiful, in my view. The amorphous green of conifers is ubiquitous in most of western Oregon. The madrones, oaks and manzanitas of southern Oregon are part of what it gives it its unique Mediterranean beauty. The fungal diseases that plague many fruit trees and rose bushes elsewhere in the state are not much of a problem here.

2. Location: I tend to think of where I can be within a three-hour drive of a given location. Medford has a very nice radius. You could be in Eugene, Bend, Crater Lake, Redding, Chico, the southern Oregon Coast, or the redwood forests of Del Norte Co., not to mention all the smaller areas around southern Oregon: Ashland, Grants Pass, Roseburg, etc. And...it IS in Oregon...well the State of Jefferson part of it, at least.

3. Outdoor activities: From skiing, to mountain (or road) biking, to hiking, to surfing and beachcombing, the SW corner of Oregon is hard to beat.

Three negatives:

1. Culture and politics: There's a major redneck factor in the State of Jefferson. Educational attainment is lower and so are basic life skills of many citizens. Local politics follow suit. There is, however, a strong minority culture of progressivism as well, so you can find whatever affinity group you want.

2. Planning: Medford's footprint was already established by the time Oregon's land use goals were forged in the late 1970's. It's somewhat sprawlish and Libertarian leanings in the State of Jefferson don't strongly support a proud vision of future community development, so private development is often opulent while public development is minimal. Libertarians are more concerned with self-interests than contributing to some kind of Great Society.

3. Economy: southern Oregon's economy has always trailed behind the northern part of the state and wages tend to be significantly lower. The cost of living is not lower, however, so the salary-to-COL quotient is likely to be lower. Access to public services -- including libraries -- is always on the margin. Businesses come and go in an economic climate like this. You might show up at that favorite restaurant that you always loved to go to and find out that it has disappeared.

[pathrunner]

I don't know much about Medford but if you took the job there you could still live in Grants Pass which is an adorable little town like mentioned above with a gorgeous river running right through it! If you took the Grants Pass job (provided it paid as much as Med or PDX) then you'd be right there. I love that area.