To enjoy all the excitement of a big city with just-blocks-from-home country accents, no neighborhood offers more opportunity than downtown Eugene, Oregon. Set on the southwest bank of the Willamette River, Eugene is just an hour south of the world-famous Willamette Valley Wine region, and 90 minutes from the Pacific Coast. Home of the University of Oregon, this small city of 160,000 is nicknamed "Track Town USA" for its fervor for all sports throwing, running and jumping. An educated population, a culture that embraces both opera and open-mindedness, and plenty of eclectic dining and entertainment options, Eugene provides for its residents a truly unique style of living.
Downtown Eugene contains the head offices of dozens of industries that do business around the world:
Environmental Industries:
Eugene got its start as a timber town, and wood-related industries are still a key element of its economy. Its lumber and wood products are shipped all over the world. Agriculture is also an integral aspect of the city's economic activity, both traditional and organic. Many of Eugene's local agricultural companies produce award-winning, pristinely organic foods and beverages, including wines and beers.
Manufacturing Industries:
Manufacturing of both Recreational Vehicles and boats (commercial and personal) lure corporate and private buyers from across the country. Along with the Interstate 5 that forms the eastern border of the city, the deep water ports of Portland to the north and Coos Bay to the southwest provide shipping and transportation opportunities to all corners of the world. The Univeristy's dedication to maintaining the highest level of technology also contributes to the growth of the city's computer technology sector.
Tourism Industries:
Eugene's thriving tourism industry is driven by the area's natural beauty and proximity to the Oregon Coast, the Cascade Mountains, and the Willamette Valley. Every kind of outdoor activity is available, regardless of skill or ability, and there are several tour guides that maintain offices within the downtown core.
The heart of Eugene's high arts culture lies in its downtown core. The Hult Performing Arts Center is downtown's largest venue for concerts, touring Broadway shows, events and conference spaces. Each year, it hosts the Oregon Bach Festival, along with many other numerous events for local, national and international groups. Downtown real estate is dotted with both professional offices and several art galleries that feature both painting and multimedia art pieces. Live theater is found in at least four downtown locations, providing a venue for innovative and creative theatrical minds.
Dining is also an adventure. Of course, the Pacific Northwest's obsession with coffee is reflected in downtown's numerous cafe's and coffee bars. National commercial vendors compete, however, with local coffee brewmasters for the days most luscious "cuppa joe".
For lunch or dinner, the variety is deep. Standard American fare is presented by numerous dedicated chefs, each with his or her own "Pacific Northwest" interpretation. Seafood is abundant, of course, and locally obtained fish and shellfish are often the stars of the menu.
While there are more formal restaurants available that cater to conventioneers or Opera buffs, many of downtown's dining establishments offer a lower-key, less formal vibe for their gastronomic artistry. The "farm-to-fork" movement is vibrantly visible here, and sometimes the growers of the ingrdients in the day's specials are available to chat with diners. Many of the pubs offer live music by local talent. In this highly talented town, both food and music artists are among the best in the country. If nothing else, the colorful character of downtown's population provides plenty of excellent people-watching fun.
After all that work and play, you'll want to reset your "start" button with some healthy activity. Overall, Eugene is one of the state's most physically fit cities, and downtown Eugene offers alternatives that provide easy access, affordability and an almost guaranteed excellent "well-being" outcome. In the downtown core alone, there are more than a dozen health and fitness clubs that offer everything from ballet to martial arts, meditation, and yoga. Because the weather can sometimes be "less-than-favorable" to outdoor endeavors, these indoor gyms and fitness studios provide the healthy lifestyle options you need, regardless of the time of year. Because the neighborhood is quite small geographically, biking is a preferred method of transportation, which adds a fitness activity to your day, regardless of your destination.
If gym memberships aren't attractive to you, the (comparatively inexpensive) purchase of a pair of running or walking shoes will integrate you immediately into Eugene's primary fitness culture. Downtown's level streets are excellent thoroughfares for both walkers and runners. A trip through the neighborhood will take you past the professional offices, theaters and business activity south of 7th Avenue, into the eclectic shopping area of the Market district between 7th and the Willamette River. Nearby, to the north, Skinner Butte Park offers hills to test your endurance. To the east, the University's spacious and historically architectured acres offer both beautifully landscaped paths, and youthful running mates to test your capacity. In general, Eugene - "Track Town USA" - attracts international runners at all levels, who enjoy its incomparable running facilities that wind through its staggeringly beautiful vistas.
Downtown Eugene is populated by a young, highly-educated crowd that has created a community unique to the city and the state. Its former "hippie"-self lives on in downtown's smaller stores that offer hand-made clothing, toiletries and jewelry. Yet, just a few blocks away are some of the country's top professional service providers. And wandering through it all are university students, who both soak up the open-minded tolerance of the area, as well contribute to its intellectual tone. If you're looking for mental and physical stimulation on a daily basis, you'll want to live in downtown Eugene, Oregon
