Eugene, Oregon moving recommendations
March 27, 2017 12:59 PM Subscribe
My wife got into grad school at UO and so we are 90% sure we will be moving to Eugene (from Pennsylvania) this summer. Several questions about apartment hunting inside, chief among them: WHEN should we make a trip to secure a July 1 rental?
We're aiming for a July 1 lease start and I first want to know WHEN we should time a trip to find an apartment. We'll be flying out and would prefer to find something we can live with in one trip. We COULD get out there anytime theoretically, but late April would work best. Should we be trying for earlier or later than that? When will July 1 rentals be easiest to find? When do we have the best chance of beating a zillion other students?
We also want to know which neighborhoods or specific landlord recs we should be looking for with these criteria:
$1200 or less, at least 600 sq ft, large-dog-friendly (50 pounds, not on any breed restriction lists I've seen)
*the biggest hurdle..we've been told some rentals that say small dog only are amenable to compromise... can any Eugenians sound off on this?
Quiet( hopefully out of the drunk kids radius), decent landlords, easy public transit to UO would be nice.
Springfield seems fine to me too. We are a bit older for grad students and don't mind living in an "unhip" part of town as long as it's safe and we can get to the hip things when we want to.
LGBT friendly (I mostly assume this will not be a problem in Eugene)
Finally, what is there to love about Eugene? If you're from this area, what do you like about it and what should we check out first? Neither of us has lived in the PNW but we have both visited. I am aware of the common complaints online about job-finding, the rain, the panhandlers....
Any specific raincoat brands we should check out? Any Mefites with local connections we might ask?
We're aiming for a July 1 lease start and I first want to know WHEN we should time a trip to find an apartment. We'll be flying out and would prefer to find something we can live with in one trip. We COULD get out there anytime theoretically, but late April would work best. Should we be trying for earlier or later than that? When will July 1 rentals be easiest to find? When do we have the best chance of beating a zillion other students?
We also want to know which neighborhoods or specific landlord recs we should be looking for with these criteria:
$1200 or less, at least 600 sq ft, large-dog-friendly (50 pounds, not on any breed restriction lists I've seen)
*the biggest hurdle..we've been told some rentals that say small dog only are amenable to compromise... can any Eugenians sound off on this?
Quiet( hopefully out of the drunk kids radius), decent landlords, easy public transit to UO would be nice.
Springfield seems fine to me too. We are a bit older for grad students and don't mind living in an "unhip" part of town as long as it's safe and we can get to the hip things when we want to.
LGBT friendly (I mostly assume this will not be a problem in Eugene)
Finally, what is there to love about Eugene? If you're from this area, what do you like about it and what should we check out first? Neither of us has lived in the PNW but we have both visited. I am aware of the common complaints online about job-finding, the rain, the panhandlers....
Any specific raincoat brands we should check out? Any Mefites with local connections we might ask?
I agree with Freedomboy. I grew up in Eugene and just moved back after a 10 year hiatus, so I have further thoughts if you'd like to PM me.
posted by Happydaz at 1:40 PM on March 27, 2017
posted by Happydaz at 1:40 PM on March 27, 2017
Used to live in Eugene until we moved to Seattle.
I have no idea about the dog, but we lived in River Terrace Apartments with cats (near Valley River Mall). Had no complaints - the usual corporate apartment management type of thing. That complex was very quiet.
One thing to note is that many places charged a "pet deposit" which was actually a misnamed fee, not a deposit. Increased rent per month per pet was also a thing. Our cats were rather expensive to house!
If you call the apartments, they'll know when their busy season is.
Stuff to love:
Pizza Research Institute! I really miss their Pear, Pesto, and Potato pizza (Yes, it sounds weird as hell but it's so damn good..!)
Sweet Creek Falls (link). Beautiful hike but not too strenuous.
Raincoat wise, just use an umbrella for a while. You'll be arriving during the dry season anyway. When fall comes, you'll have a better idea of what your commute is like and how much rainproofyness you need. Rain PANTS were the surprise for me, coming from the midwest. They're awesome, especially when biking.
Look out for the grass allergies in the summer. They grow a lot of grass there and it'll hit you hard if you're allergic.
posted by WowLookStars at 5:46 PM on March 27, 2017
I have no idea about the dog, but we lived in River Terrace Apartments with cats (near Valley River Mall). Had no complaints - the usual corporate apartment management type of thing. That complex was very quiet.
One thing to note is that many places charged a "pet deposit" which was actually a misnamed fee, not a deposit. Increased rent per month per pet was also a thing. Our cats were rather expensive to house!
If you call the apartments, they'll know when their busy season is.
Stuff to love:
Pizza Research Institute! I really miss their Pear, Pesto, and Potato pizza (Yes, it sounds weird as hell but it's so damn good..!)
Sweet Creek Falls (link). Beautiful hike but not too strenuous.
Raincoat wise, just use an umbrella for a while. You'll be arriving during the dry season anyway. When fall comes, you'll have a better idea of what your commute is like and how much rainproofyness you need. Rain PANTS were the surprise for me, coming from the midwest. They're awesome, especially when biking.
Look out for the grass allergies in the summer. They grow a lot of grass there and it'll hit you hard if you're allergic.
posted by WowLookStars at 5:46 PM on March 27, 2017
Forgot to add - LGBT friendly is not an issue. :)
Also I loved that Eugene was pretty tiny but still gets good shows. Wicked and Cirque du Soleil both came while we were living there.
posted by WowLookStars at 5:48 PM on March 27, 2017
Also I loved that Eugene was pretty tiny but still gets good shows. Wicked and Cirque du Soleil both came while we were living there.
posted by WowLookStars at 5:48 PM on March 27, 2017
Ninkasi and Oakshire brewing.
Find the page for Cuthbert Amphitheater. Lots of great music comes through Eugene and Cuthbert is usually where it's played.
Cougar hotsprings is kind of cool, but there are lots of other places to explore in the Umpqua forest.
You'll be only a few hours from Crater Lake. Head there for a weekend to take in the sights of the PNW.
You'll also be about 60 to 90 mins from the coast. Pick a city and go explore. Newport or Lincoln city are my recs.
posted by TomFoolery at 11:13 AM on March 28, 2017
Find the page for Cuthbert Amphitheater. Lots of great music comes through Eugene and Cuthbert is usually where it's played.
Cougar hotsprings is kind of cool, but there are lots of other places to explore in the Umpqua forest.
You'll be only a few hours from Crater Lake. Head there for a weekend to take in the sights of the PNW.
You'll also be about 60 to 90 mins from the coast. Pick a city and go explore. Newport or Lincoln city are my recs.
posted by TomFoolery at 11:13 AM on March 28, 2017
Where to live:
As mentioned above, Springfield is good for cheaper rent + quiet, and if you stick close to the EMX bus line, it's a quick commute to campus. I'd also suggest looking into South Eugene -- you can take the 28 line to UO if you live near Amazon or the 73 if you live near Willamette, and biking is fine if you don't live too far up in the hills. I've been living in Jefferson-Westside (bordered by 7th/Chambers/18th/Willamette) for the past 7 years and like it for easy access to downtown; not sure on buses to campus, but biking would be easy.
To avoid drunk college kids, you need to avoid the areas directly west (as far as Willamette or Olive, or maybe Jefferson to be safe) and south (to 24th, maybe to 30th to be safe) of the university. Also, the Whiteaker (roughly Chambers/6th/I-105/the river) has a lot of the breweries and restaurants and is probably a neighborhood you want to visit but not live in if you're looking for quiet.
Stuff to love:
Downtown and the Whit are the main hotspots. To a lesser extent, south Eugene (the plaza by Market of Choice on Willamette), downtown Springfield, and Oakway Center (for more upscale shopping/dining) are as well.
Beer: Ninkasi and Oakshire, mentioned above, are the mainstays, and they both have breweries in the Whit. I also like Agrarian Ales (out on a farm in Coburg) and the Brewers Union Local 180 further afield in Oakridge -- the Union makes some tasty Cask Ales.
Pizza Research Institute: The Potato/Pesto/Pear is pretty good, but I'd rank it #2, with Balsamic Eggplant / Caramelized Onions / Chevre my #1.
Other Restaurants: Izakaya Meiji for cocktails (their bourbon & ginger is fantastic) and Japanese small plates. Kung Fu Bistro for Chinese, Bon Mi for bahn mi,and Cornbread Cafe for vegan comfort food. Tacovore and Belly Tacqueria for not-particularly-authentic tacos and margaritas. Mame if you're willing to shell out for good sushi. Off the Waffle for waffles, Brails for hangover brunch, and Studio One for phenomenal challah French toast. Sweet Life for all things dessert, and Red Wagon or Prince Puckler's for ice cream depending on your tolerance of high levels of butterfat (I'm in favor, so I lean Red Wagon).
Bars: I like 16 Tons (both locations), Bier Stein, Beergarden, and Tap & Growler for beer bars. Jameson's and Horsehead for hanging out downtown -- the latter has some great southern bar food. Meiji and Rye for cocktails. The Wayward Lamb is a relatively new gar bar downtown that seems to always have something fun going on.
Music: The Cuthbert gets some great acts coming through in the summer. WOW hall, McDonald Theater, and the Shedd Institute are also worth checking out, as are the Hi-Fi and Sam Bond's. The Eugene Weekly is the city's alt weekly and a good reference for concerts and Jazz Station if you're into jazz, Eugene Symphony and Oregon Mozart Players if you're into classical. Late June + early July is when the Oregon Bach Festival happens.
Outdoors: Your move-in date of July 1 brings you to town at just the right time for floating the Willamette on inner tubes. Convenient close-in hiking is at Spencer's Butte, the rest of the Ridgeline Trail System, and Mt Pisgah. Further out there's a ton of hiking and waterfalls to be had in the Cascades and the coastal range.
Pub trivia: A friend of mine has an only-slightly-out-date list here. I'm partial to the ones run by Elliot Martinez, especially his Wednesday night trivia at 16 Tons. He also does (did? not sure on current status) a game show night at Blairally pinball (worth checking out in its own right, as is the more modern barcade Level-Up). Sam Bonds has a fun bingo night on Mondays if you appreciate weird prizes and dumb jokes.
Movie Theaters. We've got 3 good smaller theaters: the Broadway Metro downtown and the Bijou on 13th are both great indie theaters, while the David Minor has more mainstream second-run stuff but with comfy couches and the ability to order in food. (Both of the malls also have big multiplexes.)
Sports: As a student, your wife will get free admission to all UO sporting events, and you can apply for a spousal pass that gets you in too. Eugene's minor league baseball team, the Emeralds, plays in summer; Tall Boy Thursdays, with $3 tickets and PBR tall boys, are a pretty good deal.
Miscellany: The Saturday market happens weekly downtown in the spring+summer and has produce/meat/cheese/baked goods/mushrooms/etc, arts+crafts, music, and a small food court. First Friday has a number of events downtown -- I like the standup theater done by No Shame Eugene. The Oregon Country Fair (not even remotely country music related) is July 7-9 this year and a good way to get an initial dose of Eugene's quirky hippie side. The Cascades Raptor Center south of town is pretty neat.
posted by bassooner at 11:44 AM on March 29, 2017
As mentioned above, Springfield is good for cheaper rent + quiet, and if you stick close to the EMX bus line, it's a quick commute to campus. I'd also suggest looking into South Eugene -- you can take the 28 line to UO if you live near Amazon or the 73 if you live near Willamette, and biking is fine if you don't live too far up in the hills. I've been living in Jefferson-Westside (bordered by 7th/Chambers/18th/Willamette) for the past 7 years and like it for easy access to downtown; not sure on buses to campus, but biking would be easy.
To avoid drunk college kids, you need to avoid the areas directly west (as far as Willamette or Olive, or maybe Jefferson to be safe) and south (to 24th, maybe to 30th to be safe) of the university. Also, the Whiteaker (roughly Chambers/6th/I-105/the river) has a lot of the breweries and restaurants and is probably a neighborhood you want to visit but not live in if you're looking for quiet.
Stuff to love:
Downtown and the Whit are the main hotspots. To a lesser extent, south Eugene (the plaza by Market of Choice on Willamette), downtown Springfield, and Oakway Center (for more upscale shopping/dining) are as well.
Beer: Ninkasi and Oakshire, mentioned above, are the mainstays, and they both have breweries in the Whit. I also like Agrarian Ales (out on a farm in Coburg) and the Brewers Union Local 180 further afield in Oakridge -- the Union makes some tasty Cask Ales.
Pizza Research Institute: The Potato/Pesto/Pear is pretty good, but I'd rank it #2, with Balsamic Eggplant / Caramelized Onions / Chevre my #1.
Other Restaurants: Izakaya Meiji for cocktails (their bourbon & ginger is fantastic) and Japanese small plates. Kung Fu Bistro for Chinese, Bon Mi for bahn mi,and Cornbread Cafe for vegan comfort food. Tacovore and Belly Tacqueria for not-particularly-authentic tacos and margaritas. Mame if you're willing to shell out for good sushi. Off the Waffle for waffles, Brails for hangover brunch, and Studio One for phenomenal challah French toast. Sweet Life for all things dessert, and Red Wagon or Prince Puckler's for ice cream depending on your tolerance of high levels of butterfat (I'm in favor, so I lean Red Wagon).
Bars: I like 16 Tons (both locations), Bier Stein, Beergarden, and Tap & Growler for beer bars. Jameson's and Horsehead for hanging out downtown -- the latter has some great southern bar food. Meiji and Rye for cocktails. The Wayward Lamb is a relatively new gar bar downtown that seems to always have something fun going on.
Music: The Cuthbert gets some great acts coming through in the summer. WOW hall, McDonald Theater, and the Shedd Institute are also worth checking out, as are the Hi-Fi and Sam Bond's. The Eugene Weekly is the city's alt weekly and a good reference for concerts and Jazz Station if you're into jazz, Eugene Symphony and Oregon Mozart Players if you're into classical. Late June + early July is when the Oregon Bach Festival happens.
Outdoors: Your move-in date of July 1 brings you to town at just the right time for floating the Willamette on inner tubes. Convenient close-in hiking is at Spencer's Butte, the rest of the Ridgeline Trail System, and Mt Pisgah. Further out there's a ton of hiking and waterfalls to be had in the Cascades and the coastal range.
Pub trivia: A friend of mine has an only-slightly-out-date list here. I'm partial to the ones run by Elliot Martinez, especially his Wednesday night trivia at 16 Tons. He also does (did? not sure on current status) a game show night at Blairally pinball (worth checking out in its own right, as is the more modern barcade Level-Up). Sam Bonds has a fun bingo night on Mondays if you appreciate weird prizes and dumb jokes.
Movie Theaters. We've got 3 good smaller theaters: the Broadway Metro downtown and the Bijou on 13th are both great indie theaters, while the David Minor has more mainstream second-run stuff but with comfy couches and the ability to order in food. (Both of the malls also have big multiplexes.)
Sports: As a student, your wife will get free admission to all UO sporting events, and you can apply for a spousal pass that gets you in too. Eugene's minor league baseball team, the Emeralds, plays in summer; Tall Boy Thursdays, with $3 tickets and PBR tall boys, are a pretty good deal.
Miscellany: The Saturday market happens weekly downtown in the spring+summer and has produce/meat/cheese/baked goods/mushrooms/etc, arts+crafts, music, and a small food court. First Friday has a number of events downtown -- I like the standup theater done by No Shame Eugene. The Oregon Country Fair (not even remotely country music related) is July 7-9 this year and a good way to get an initial dose of Eugene's quirky hippie side. The Cascades Raptor Center south of town is pretty neat.
posted by bassooner at 11:44 AM on March 29, 2017
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posted by Freedomboy at 1:23 PM on March 27, 2017