r/Eugene • u/pataphor_ • 5d ago
Louisville -> Portland or Eugene? Moving
My wife and I (both 30, no plan to have kids) are planning to move to Oregon, and visited Portland for a couple weeks in December as a test run. Loved it even through all the rain.
We didn't get a chance to visit Eugene, but are considering it primarily for:
- Access to natural sights, parks, hiking, etc.
- Relatively cheaper than Portland
- Smaller city, may be an easier adjustment going from KY to OR, having never made a cross-country move before.
Some info about us: - I'm a remote developer, so no need to worry about finding work. - My wife needs to see a healthcare specialist twice a year due to some genetic health issues, and regularly needs to fill some important prescriptions. I saw a comment where this can be a struggle in Eugene, and would be curious about others' experiences. - We plan to stay in an AirBNB for a week or 2 while we find somewhere to rent long-term. Eventually may look for a house, but for now looking to rent. - We love being around nature, and want to be able to garden. - I like to make electronic music (Ableton + Elektron gear). - We are a couple of nerds; we'd be more drawn to libraries/universities than we would bars, if that tells anything.
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u/TheNachoSupreme 5d ago
Call the type of doctor she needs and see how long it takes to get an appointment and if they are accepting new patients.
If it's twice a year, going up to Portland isn't so bad if you end up choosing Eugene and need to be on a wait-list til you can get one here.
Ultimately, there's more to do, see, eat, etc, in Portland, but there's also more traffic and things are further away.
Everything in Eugene is within 20 minutes drive, including incredible access to nature. Pretty much anywhere you want to go in the state is within 4 hours, which is nice of you're a day tripper.
U of Os art museum and library are great. Loads better than Portland States art museum and library.
I personally love Eugene
Edit: also, Eugene is on a bed of volcanic rock, so if you're an anxious person, when you inevitably start to worry about "the big one" Eugene is the safer bet.