In Eugene, Oregon, people are passionate about almost everything, in the best possible sense. Its location in the southern toe of the Willamette Valley sets it in the heart of four seasons of diverse recreational opportunities. As home to the University of Oregon, academically-driven students argue their perspectives in local coffee shops and craft beer breweries. And as a base for alternative political thinkers, Eugene is arguably the capital of the United States.
Quality of Life:
For recreational pursuits, Eugene has no comparison. A 90-minute drive west takes you to the beaches of the Pacific Ocean. The MacKenzie River runs at your side along the way, presenting numerous fishing, picnicking and hiking options to lure you away from your oceanic destination. Once at the beach, however, typical tourist activities abound (beach-combing, wave boarding, etc.), and true "mariner" adventures await off-shore with deep sea fishing and whale watching tours - this stretch of coast sees a bi-annual migration of grey whales.
More river and lake excursions are found in the foothills to the south and east of Eugene, providing options for literally every type of canoer, boater, angler and sportsman. Another 90-minutes to the west, you're deep into the Cascade Mountains. This volcanic chain boasts peaks high enough for year-round snow skiing (Mount Hood, three hours north), as well as plains and plateaus that support ranching, camping and virtually every other kind of outdoor sport. Mount Bachelor is within two hours of Eugene, so snow aficionados can get in a full day on the slopes and be home by bedtime.
Summers are warm and fruitful. The Willamette Valley produces produce voluminously, including everything from apples to winter squashes. Eugene's burgeoning wine and beer industries are based on the area's increasing production of hops, barley and wine grapes. Organic food is also a focal point of Eugene's economy, and the acreages surrounding the city are often devoid of pesticides and other man-made agricultural "enhancements."
Culture Drives Eugene Economy:
The University of Oregon sits immediately east of downtown Eugene, and its activity dominates much of the city's commerce. More than 40,000 students swell the town's population (and its coffers) each school year, and those students need housing, food, jobs, and fun things to do. Within a ten-minute bike ride from class, these young adults can find retail shops, restaurants and bars, fitness facilities, and art galleries and studios to either (or both) find work or just a fun leisure activity. The physical proximity of the city to the school gives students and faculty the opportunity to enjoy a unique blend of "city-campus" lifestyle.
Eugene's public and private schools follow the University's focus on high academic excellence. There are 64 public schools, 21 private schools, and six other colleges in the relatively small city of 160,000, so education is clearly a city-wide priority. More than 90% of Eugene's residents have a high school education; more than 70% have at least some upper-level learning, and almost half (40%) have a Bachelor's degree.
Demographics
The city's unique location and the University's appropriate nickname of "Track Town U.S.A." combine to offer some of the best fitness and health facilities in the country. Running shoe giant Nike got its start here, when its founders, runner Phil Knight and running coach Bill Bowerman, developed a light-weight, balanced running shoe that gave its wearers more speed and traction. Both the company and the University's focus on track sports were launched.
Today, Eugene's miles of running tracks through town and up and down the surrounding foothills are the focus of much of the city's fairly youthful population. With an average age of 34 years (younger by four years than the rest of the state), thousands of residents take advantage of the blood-pumping terrain on a daily basis. Singles are the dominant population group, making up over 50% of the total city crowd, although families with children are close behind, at 44%. And for those who choose not to run to work or school, the average commute time for all Eugene residents is under 20 minutes.
Of course, for those who elect to avoid the masses on running paths inside the city, the surrounding lakes, rivers, forests and valleys offer dozens of other fitness and exercise options, like hiking, biking, hunting, fishing, boating, canoeing, etc. The list of sporting and fitness opportunities is limited only by your imagination.
Best Know For its Alternative Attitude:
Perhaps nothing sets Eugene apart from other like-sized cities more than its unique and intriguing political history. The city's personality was fairly nondescript through until the 1960's when the first hippies either hitch-hiked their way into town or simply tie-dyed their school uniforms. In the late 1960's and early 1970's, Eugene became the destination for thousands of young people, who were migrating away from constricting suits, skinny ties and 8-to-5 corporate structures. Some commentators suggest that Eugene's agriculture and open spaces attracted the relaxed, "back to the land" crowd. The general tolerance of the city apparently convinced them to stay, and their earthy, environmentally-focused agricultural activities are the foundation of Eugene's thriving organic foods industries today.
Eugene's counterculture reputation remains firmly in place, too. These days, the city is home base for a number of political and environmental activist groups, most notably the Earth Liberation Front (ELF). This groups emphatic defense of natural habitats have drawn both national attention and police action for its aggressive stance against logging, land clearing and other industrial activities that remove natural resources in favor of commercial ones.
Living in Eugene Oregon is vastly entertaining, as its residents stridently proclaim their allegiances to running shoes, organic wines and even the right to do nothing. Whether you're looking for a healthy, down-to-earth, natural lifestyle, or a career in education or hospitality and tourism, you'll find it all here. Eugene offers a lovely climate, youthful and relaxed attitude, and welcoming community for hippies and academics of any age.
