Corvallis Oregon

I was born and raised in Oregon, and my husband and I attended OSU in the late 1990s. We returned to Corvallis in 2011 with a newborn and 4 year old in tow when I got a job with the university. We had fond memories and were excited to live there again, but we quickly realized the town does not offer the things we've come to value in where we live (we've moved around a bit over the years). It's not diverse, it's fairly isolated in that Portland is 90 mins away, it has one (sometimes two) of everything but not a lot of retail options or amenities, mediocre restaurants, and a depressing rental market for families! This wasn't all new news to us, but we certainly felt different being there as adults and not as college students. We moved here - for the second time - from Corvallis after 3 years there. All of that said, Corvallis is a very easy place to live if you have a good job - especially after living in the Bay Area! The school district is great and there are plenty of outdoor activities. No traffic, easy parking. Many people do love it, it just wasn't for us - as you may have caught on to, we're definitely city people and we love living in Oakland. I'm happy to answer any more/specific questions you might have!

I was raised in Corvallis and appreciated my "small town" childhood. As the previous poster wrote, it's not particularly diverse (ethnically) and Portland is approximately 2 hrs away. I visit once a year or so and I still love it for what it offers... In it's offerings, I would include: close proximity to lots of outdoor activities (countless rivers, creeks, forests, and beaches to be explored), good school districts, no traffic, thriving university campus, fun food and brewery scene, bike friendly, affordable housing (relative to the Bay). Depending on what you're looking for and value, I would definitely recommend Corvallis. The biggest issue I had with Corvallis (Oregon in general) was the 9 months of rain. I didn't realize until coming to CA how much it affected my life. If you're seriously considering a move, I would suggest visiting not only in the summer (when it's bound to lure you in with its warmth, abundance of local produce, and charming small town feel) but also in the rainy months when it's still lovely but takes more "work" to enjoy. There are hopper flights from Oakland to Eugene (45 min south) on Allegiant that get you up there in about 1.5 hrs. I would suggest visiting a few times and exploring what it has to offer. I'd be happy to answer any other questions or give more detailed suggestions. Feel free to reach out.