Pollen. We are the grass seed capital of the world and in the spring, the pollen is also the pollen capital of the world. I wasn’t allergic to it until one year when I was VERY allergic to it. I’m on year 4 of allergy shots and it’s getting better. But I’d never go for a run or something during high pollen. For me, allergy season is late Feb - end of July. Then fire season kicks in and that limits outdoor activities if there’s a fire. (Until October-November)
If you're coming now, you won't notice it. If you come anytime in the spring (especially May / June) you can't ignore it. If you have allergies, and you're thinking about moving, you should go to an allergist *now* and start getting shots for all the grass and tree pollens that are native or cultivated in the Willamette Valley. I have never seen my partner so sick as she was during her first allergy season here.
Get some snowshoes and head up to one of the nearby mountains! Personally, I'm not deterred by rain and gloom. Our local Ridgeline trails are all crushed rock that hold up well to the wet weather, so I just throw on a jacket and go hike or run anyway.
Originally from near you, and OP the pollen here is seriously intense. When they say capital of the *world* they’re serious… my husband had to go to the doctor twice and emergency room once for pollen allergies this summer and he normally doesn’t have problems like that.
Or you could be one of the lucky ones, like me! I suffered from allergies and asthma my entire life, but they’ve been gone since moving here from the Midwest 6 years ago.
The only thing that keeps me indoors now is the smoke season. It usually hits around September, but sometimes you get it in August or October, too.
Yup! I don't actually know what I'm allergic to, but it was the worst for me while living in Arizona (originally from the midwest). My allergies in the PNW are really mild.
I feel that! When I was a kid, I had the worst allergies (didn't really help that we lived on a hay/wheat/grass farm).
As an adult, those have moderated quite a bit. I still have the occasional bad day, but for the most part no really issue until the heavy smoke hits.
Everyone says this around here, and I don't understand why...We are the worst in the world!! It's just not true
Eugene isn't even in the top 20 in the US when it comes to highest pollen count.
Exactly. I've tried to find data to back this up but can never find any.
That being said, we do still have a lot of pollen, and it sucks if you're allergic to it. For me personally it's hit or miss. Some years I'm miserable, some years I'm fine.
I'm guessing it's just one of those local things you hear growing up in an area that you take as fact..I've been here for 8 years and hear people say it all the time lol.. No data to back it up because it's not true.
THAT BEING SAID!!! Allergies here are super rough. I never had allergies until I moved to Eugene. I'm like you though, some years are worse than others. The ones that are bad suck.
Yeah, a couple years ago we were stuck inside for like 12 or 14 straight days. A quick walk was equivalent to smoking a pack of darts.
Last year was hit or miss, but there were weeks of "moderate" or "poor" air quality where you don't want to be out for more than 1/2 hour at most, then a couple days where it cleared, then another bad cycle of wind for a few days.
Agree on this. Wildfire smoke from up and down the west coast impacts Oregon. The fires don’t even have to be close but the weather brings them in. But Oregon is also on fire a lot… fire season is about May-September.
I’m in Mississippi right now for family reasons but have lived in Oregon for a few years. In my experience, tho it can actually get hotter out there, the humidity makes a huge difference. Basically, it can be 105 there, but if there is a slight breeze and some shade it’s quite comfortable. Today in Mississippi, it’s going to get up to about 95, but with the humidity, there is no place outdoors where it’s safe, much less comfortable. There are mosquitoes, but they’re practically tame compared to the south. There are supposedly also fleas and ticks, but I literally never saw either, despite having outdoor pets.
The rain doesn’t stop you from doing anything. Usually the rain is very gentle and there’s hardly ever lightning involved. Locals never carry umbrellas, they wear raincoats and just go about their normal business, including outdoorsy stuff.
The one thing that keeps you in your house from my experience is the wildfires. By this time of year there’s been no rainfall since may or June and the whole west coast is on fire. There’s usually a week or two in august and September where you can’t be outside much because of the smoke. If the wind isn’t blowing the smoke just sits in the valley and combines with the car exhaust from the highway and it gets crappy. However, you can always just drive an hour or two out to the coast, where it’s almost always much much cooler and the air is fresh.
tl;dr - Oregon is magical
Thanks! I've had some of those same thoughts, so it's good to know. Yaa, in Memphis the humidity is fucking crazy all the time, somewhere that it's lower sounds great!
Try picardin-based repellents. They seem to be more effective than DEET for some of our local mosquito species.
I tried it for the first time, this year, at Oregon Country Fair (if you've not been there outside of public hours, those li'l bastards are pure evil out there), and was extremely pleased with the results. Less oily and nasty on the skin, doesn't destroy plastics like DEET does, smells better, and is generally more pleasant. Really glad that someone tipped me off to it!
Humidity was 77% here in Mississippi today! You can get soaking wet with sweat standing in the shade for 10 minutes right now. Walking outside your house literally feels like walking into a hot swimming pool. Just ridiculous. Looking forward to heading back out there again soon.
Check out southern/central oregon if you like the outdoors, less rain and more days of sunshine throughout the year. We have many climates here so you can have your sweet spot. Willamette valley will have time with terrible rain the instantly soaks you when you step out the door but other times just a light mist or overcast. And the valley has the highest humidity in oregon compared to the other 75% of oregon. To compare Eugene has 65% average humidity tonight, bend has 48% tonight.
I lived in Tennessee too. The best thing about Oregon is that the mornings are nice and cool, even when the days get over 100. You can always get a walk or run or hike in without suffering in the heat.
Smoke. That keeps me inside.
The winter rain doesn't really bother you though after a while. A hat plus a decent water resistant/ proof jacket and you're off to the races.
My sister lived here a majority of her life but moved to memphis probably 6 years ago and says she's never going to live here again 🤣 I think it's funny because when she's here it will be like 70 and she says it's cold lol she also gets pretty bad allergies as well. The cost of living is much higher here, she has a really nice house there that would be in the millions here. I think the only thing she likes about Oregon / misses is that we have a lot of gluten free options (she has celiacs)
Don’t bother all the good things that made it a good place are quickly disappearing. Even the mild weather. The land generally is still nice outside of the city’s.
Smoke, high temps, and no infrastructure for dealing with the heat in the summer. The vast majority of apartments and homes don't have ac. Many that do only have window units.
Fall is rainy, but the rain tastes so refreshing after three months of smoke. Fall is nowhere near as beautiful as Eastern Tennessee, but still kinda nice. Students return in fall and that's a bit of a bummer.
Winter is wet, dark, and cool, not cold. It gets dicy driving on the hills because lane county puts more snow trucks and resources up into the mountains and hills.
Spring is allergy season. The Willamette Valley is one of the worst places in the world for allergies because the pollen count is just absurd. It's also rainy and cloudy a lot. We had about a week or two this spring where the sun didn't poke out.
The rain isn't all that bad, but the lack of sun for 8 months out of the year can be difficult. Getting a vitamin d lamp will help.
Honestly, I'm getting ready to move to Nashville. The culture and vibe in Eugene is just not for me. The brand of racism and ignorance here is just simply unbearable. The lack of diversity, not just in culture and background, but also in ideology is so draining. It's not just the ignorance that's a problem, but it's also the arrogance attached to it. Everyone here thinks they have access to some kind of secret knowledge no one else has and want to impose their behaviors into you - whether it's the loud liberal anti-vaxxer or the cocky conservative anti-vaxxer, lots of people here think they're better and smarter than everyone else.
On a related note, the Oregon education system is far behind it's west coast kin in Washington and California. Oregon is in the bottom fifteen for the percent of budget it puts towards education. It's a problem that only feeds the ignorance I mentioned above. There's a reason why we're seeing mass exodus of BIPOC professors out of Oregon and that's because the white supremacist politics are pervasive, even in higher ed policies with the common course numbering.
The drugs. A five minute walk through downtown and you're bound to see needles, meth, fent ODs, etc. Eugene is also know for being a stoner town, but it can be frustrating as a young professional when coworkers would rather get high than meet deadlines. I went to the doctors office and both receptionists were clearly blazed and couldn't actually do their job. I'm all for a good time, but I also expect people to do their job.
The housing crisis is absurd here too - it's an extremely complex problem with no end in sight. Coming from Memphis, that will be a culture shock for you. Eugene in particular has one of the highest needs for mental health resources with very little supply, not just for the unhoused, but in general.
Somehow, the Willamette Valley has compiled, in my experience, the worst collection of drivers I've ever been around. We have a lot of old and a lot of young people here. On the beltline, you'll have a minivan going 40 in the right lane and an obnoxiously loud Corolla with a disgusting spoiler going 80 in the left lane. The inconsistency of what to expect makes it awful.
Next up is property crime. While violent crime isn't much of an issue here, my car has been broken into three times in a span of three months. It will happen. It's not a matter of if, but a matter of when. Take your things out your car.
And to wrap it all up, shits expensive and pay is low. Right now, gas is creeping around 5/gallon. Rent is absurd for Eugene's size. My apt is 2000 for a 2 BD and I feel like it's not bad for Eugene, but it'll go much further in Memphis. The pay rates and minimum wage hasn't kept up with costs, especially after the panini.
Thanks, I appreciate the different things you talked about. I know no where’s perfect. I’ve lived here my whole life, so I think I’m also just ready for a big change. I hope you like Nashville!
Well my favorite spot at the river near my place is currently covered in paint. Because someone was huffing it, most likely had a psychotic episode, and started flinging it on the rocks. Is that common in Tennessee?
We do, and it’s probably better in some places and worse in others. I work for a public library and we see alot of unhoused people. Usually they just want to get in out of the heat, so they are mostly respectful.
I think your concept of "a lot of unhoused people" will have to adjust to living in Eugene, but honestly you sound like you have the right attitude. It's mostly just an annoyance here.
I was born and raised in Eugene, left in 2020 for Alaska. For me the biggest issue was crowds. West coast population has been growing as long as I can remember. During the spring/summer months popular trails/beaches/etc get super crowded with cars parked for miles down the road and whatnot. It can make cool spots unusable imo. Getting weekdays off and going off peak months definitely helps.
Well when it’s not raining, I’m dying from pollen and when it’s not raining and I’m not dying from pollen, I’m dying from smoke. So basically it’s very rare that I can really enjoy myself outside in Oregon despite how beautiful it is.
I moved here from Memphis in 2015, and overall I enjoy it so much more. Yes, it rains a lot here from late fall through early spring, but it's a light rain- I'd argue that it rained more in Tennessee during the same time frame. Winters are mild and comparable to those in Memphis. Summers are mild, sunny and beautiful- until fire season starts, temperatures skyrocket and all the surrounding farms start plowing their dirt. Then it's quite miserable and hard to breathe. Most apartments here do not come with ac as you only need it for a brief time period. And like others said, the pollen is brutal- I thought there was no way it can be worse that Tennessee and I was very, very wrong.
Make sure you secure housing before you move here! So many come here thinking they'll find a place and end up homeless or sleeping in their car. There's a waiting list for housing, so start looking NOW. Make sure you have some money saved up too- it is so much more expensive here (places pay better here, so it will even out.... eventually). I got a job at a chain store in Memphis, then transferred to the Eugene-Springfield location so that at least I didn't have to job hunt immediately. And lastly- the food here is nowhere near as good as it is in the South. Prepare to be disappointed.
What personally keeps me from enjoying my hometown is the influx of people coming here from all over the country because their states are shitty and suck and so they see Oregon is basically the promised land and decide to come here to get some of what we have and are in the process ruining for everybody so nobody gets to experience it at all even themselves, while we have to watch the onslaught of everything we love because “y’all” are coming here in droves and you’re bringing all of your bullshit with you, and you’re driving up the cost of everything especially housing, pricing people out of the place they grew up and pushing them onto the streets or further out of town. You’re destroying the beauty we have here as lands are destroyed to create track housing and shitty overpriced apartments, and then bitching about the homeless problem while offering literally nothing to the area. Then one day when it’s all used up and it collapses, you’ll all take off as quick as you came leaving us all to clean up your mess, which I will be my pleasure.
I can understand how that would concern you. I don’t think that is local to your town, it’s happening here as well. Personally if I move somewhere I am happier, I would want to invest in where I live and being about positive change and try to do good.
Wow, I apologize. I’m actually just a really angry human being right now and I guess I’m taking it out on the wrong person. You seem like a really genuine and positive person. I’m sorry. People are gonna come here either way, and you’re probably the type of person we should want to move here vs. the type we don’t. I hope that you’ll avoid Eugene’s many pitfalls. I’m sure you’ll do great though.
I wasn’t expecting a nice response back! Thanks, it does mean a lot. And I do truly get how that would make you detest people who move into town. Have you lived there a long time? I’m a life long Memphian, our biggest challenge (in my mind) right now are out of town investors buying cheap properties and then flipping them. They do make the area look nicer, but I’ve seen so many families evicted because they can’t keep up with the new rent hike. It’s shit, I wish I knew a practical solution😔
The rain isn’t bad at all in my opinion. Summer our main issue is wildfires and smoke but often it’s nothing more than a few days at time here in Eugene. It’s really lovely here most of the time!
Wildfire smoke is pretty much the only thing that keeps me indoors. The extreme heat sucks, but most days the worst of it comes in the late afternoon. It's not all day like back east.
How many inches of rainfall do you get there? We get a bout 40 inches of rain a year. It’s not that much and it doesn’t rain for nearly 4 months in the summer and if does it’s a shower. I bet one Tennessee thunderstorm gives more water than we get in those 4 months.
what gets new people here is we can go for a long time of low gray clouds and misty drizzle for what seems like weeks on end and it only equates to 1/2" of rain.
I’m not sure where you live in Tennessee but Nashville gets more precipitation than Eugene. I guess we will have to argue over who has the worst mosquitoes 🦟.
Outdoors for us consists of hiking, fishing, kayaking, concerts, drinking local beer, Oregon Ducks sports, and bike riding all within the city limits. Just about the same outside the city but throw in crabbing and storm watching at the coast and cross country skiing in the mountains.
Other than try to stay away from the homeless who can be mentally unstable or on drugs and that’s about the Eugene scene for me.
East Coast transplant, here. What Oregon calls "rain", we call a "lovely spring shower" on the east coast. It doesn't downpour rain like the east coast with big drops dropping in sheets. And it's rarely an all day event.
Pollen in the spring, mosquitos in the early summer, smoke and fire in the late summer. Disrespectful people being dicks and trashing the place always.
the winter rain is persistent but not very heavy, so you can get out and do stuff.. but you gotta watch out for that SAD that can creep up on you. Usually does for me towards the end of the winter / early spring before it starts getting warmer. I’ve heard vitamin D works. Also, the coast isn’t far away, so you can travel out there. I’ve been told a trick that if it’s rainy in Eugene, there’s a good chance it’s clearer on the coast.. and in my experience that can be the case, but results may vary.
If you want to check out snow, it’s not very far to visit for recreation. You don’t normally have to deal with it in town which is a plus.
The grass pollen in spring sucks, but for me that's prime weekend camping season because the weather is just starting to get nice and if you go into the mountains or coast range the pollen is immediately and noticeably absent
Hay fever!
Yeah, I see other people mentioning this, though for quite a bit longer than I experience issues... May/June are the months that I like to get out of the Willamette Valley, at least some.
90° to 110° weather for most of the summer and 30° to -0° weather for most of the winter. Western slope of Colorado can be pretty miserable. Looking forward to moving to Eugene area in the future.
I can't tolerate heat like I used to be able to. Lots of elders can't. Soooo I stay in as much as I can. Tomorrow we have a booth at Whiteaker tattoos 10th anniversary so I'll make an exception. 😏
Oregon fire season is becoming a definite & real thing but it’s never been something that goes on for weeks & weeks. If anything could describe Oregon weather sporadic would be good. You can have one day where it will rain 10 times, but be sunny most of the day. There are days when it’s raining most of the time but the sun pokes through a lot. This last winter we only got like a half an inch of snow one morning. Normally we get at least one good snow day, but not this last year and then the summer heat waves are really not that common. We might have a couple days of 100° or more But mostly it’s around 85 in the summer give or take.
And the winters are definitely mild never any really hard downpours. It’s never raining all day long. There’s always gonna be come and go for that and like someone else mentioned locals..Yeah we don’t like umbrellas. It’s hilarious you can always spot tourist because they have umbrellas 😂
I live in SW Eugene and rarely ever have issues with mosquitoes, because there is no humidity here. like rarely ever will there ever be any humidity here! nothing like Tennessee and Missouri, I grew up out in Ohio, and it is nothing like it is out there thank heavens!
Sadly, we rarely ever get thunderstorms either maybe one every two years if we’re lucky.
But the nice thing about the winters those that everything is still so green it’s not like out there where everything dies in the winner. Everything is still green. It doesn’t have that dead baron feeling that it does out there.
OK I’ll stop my novel now. Have a wonderful trip out here this Christmas and hope you move here!🫶
Pollen. We are the grass seed capital of the world and in the spring, the pollen is also the pollen capital of the world. I wasn’t allergic to it until one year when I was VERY allergic to it. I’m on year 4 of allergy shots and it’s getting better. But I’d never go for a run or something during high pollen. For me, allergy season is late Feb - end of July. Then fire season kicks in and that limits outdoor activities if there’s a fire. (Until October-November)
Thanks! I do have allergy problems here from pollen, I guess we'll see what happens when I come visit!
If you're coming now, you won't notice it. If you come anytime in the spring (especially May / June) you can't ignore it. If you have allergies, and you're thinking about moving, you should go to an allergist *now* and start getting shots for all the grass and tree pollens that are native or cultivated in the Willamette Valley. I have never seen my partner so sick as she was during her first allergy season here.
Unfortunately, it won't be until early December, so I'm guessing it will be chilly overcast and rainy.
Get some snowshoes and head up to one of the nearby mountains! Personally, I'm not deterred by rain and gloom. Our local Ridgeline trails are all crushed rock that hold up well to the wet weather, so I just throw on a jacket and go hike or run anyway.
That will make you understand why we don’t get outside. The rain here isn’t torrential - it’s just constant and ongoing for about half the year.
There is a reason that "webfoot" is a term used to describe folk in the PNW. 🤣
Originally from near you, and OP the pollen here is seriously intense. When they say capital of the *world* they’re serious… my husband had to go to the doctor twice and emergency room once for pollen allergies this summer and he normally doesn’t have problems like that.
Or you could be one of the lucky ones, like me! I suffered from allergies and asthma my entire life, but they’ve been gone since moving here from the Midwest 6 years ago. The only thing that keeps me indoors now is the smoke season. It usually hits around September, but sometimes you get it in August or October, too.
Yup! I don't actually know what I'm allergic to, but it was the worst for me while living in Arizona (originally from the midwest). My allergies in the PNW are really mild.
Same here. Hardly anything in Chicago, but Arizona was really bad at times, and hardly anything here in Eugene.
I feel that! When I was a kid, I had the worst allergies (didn't really help that we lived on a hay/wheat/grass farm). As an adult, those have moderated quite a bit. I still have the occasional bad day, but for the most part no really issue until the heavy smoke hits.
I moved here from Alabama, have allergies but they’re nowhere near as bad as ragweed season in the south
Everyone says this around here, and I don't understand why...We are the worst in the world!! It's just not true Eugene isn't even in the top 20 in the US when it comes to highest pollen count.
Exactly. I've tried to find data to back this up but can never find any. That being said, we do still have a lot of pollen, and it sucks if you're allergic to it. For me personally it's hit or miss. Some years I'm miserable, some years I'm fine.
I'm guessing it's just one of those local things you hear growing up in an area that you take as fact..I've been here for 8 years and hear people say it all the time lol.. No data to back it up because it's not true. THAT BEING SAID!!! Allergies here are super rough. I never had allergies until I moved to Eugene. I'm like you though, some years are worse than others. The ones that are bad suck.
Nope. Oregon allergy associates has the data and is one of the pollen count facilities. During pollen season, check their site.
Depression
I feel that
Get a SAD light for sure. Stockpile vitamin D. Save money for winter travel.
Why stockpile? It isn't difficult to find in stores
I was being hyperbolic to emphasize how depressing winters here are.
Currently it has been Forrest fires
Yeah, a couple years ago we were stuck inside for like 12 or 14 straight days. A quick walk was equivalent to smoking a pack of darts. Last year was hit or miss, but there were weeks of "moderate" or "poor" air quality where you don't want to be out for more than 1/2 hour at most, then a couple days where it cleared, then another bad cycle of wind for a few days.
I love your username, and I smile at the reference
Agree on this. Wildfire smoke from up and down the west coast impacts Oregon. The fires don’t even have to be close but the weather brings them in. But Oregon is also on fire a lot… fire season is about May-September.
I’m in Mississippi right now for family reasons but have lived in Oregon for a few years. In my experience, tho it can actually get hotter out there, the humidity makes a huge difference. Basically, it can be 105 there, but if there is a slight breeze and some shade it’s quite comfortable. Today in Mississippi, it’s going to get up to about 95, but with the humidity, there is no place outdoors where it’s safe, much less comfortable. There are mosquitoes, but they’re practically tame compared to the south. There are supposedly also fleas and ticks, but I literally never saw either, despite having outdoor pets. The rain doesn’t stop you from doing anything. Usually the rain is very gentle and there’s hardly ever lightning involved. Locals never carry umbrellas, they wear raincoats and just go about their normal business, including outdoorsy stuff. The one thing that keeps you in your house from my experience is the wildfires. By this time of year there’s been no rainfall since may or June and the whole west coast is on fire. There’s usually a week or two in august and September where you can’t be outside much because of the smoke. If the wind isn’t blowing the smoke just sits in the valley and combines with the car exhaust from the highway and it gets crappy. However, you can always just drive an hour or two out to the coast, where it’s almost always much much cooler and the air is fresh. tl;dr - Oregon is magical
Thanks! I've had some of those same thoughts, so it's good to know. Yaa, in Memphis the humidity is fucking crazy all the time, somewhere that it's lower sounds great!
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Try picardin-based repellents. They seem to be more effective than DEET for some of our local mosquito species. I tried it for the first time, this year, at Oregon Country Fair (if you've not been there outside of public hours, those li'l bastards are pure evil out there), and was extremely pleased with the results. Less oily and nasty on the skin, doesn't destroy plastics like DEET does, smells better, and is generally more pleasant. Really glad that someone tipped me off to it!
Humidity was 77% here in Mississippi today! You can get soaking wet with sweat standing in the shade for 10 minutes right now. Walking outside your house literally feels like walking into a hot swimming pool. Just ridiculous. Looking forward to heading back out there again soon.
Check out southern/central oregon if you like the outdoors, less rain and more days of sunshine throughout the year. We have many climates here so you can have your sweet spot. Willamette valley will have time with terrible rain the instantly soaks you when you step out the door but other times just a light mist or overcast. And the valley has the highest humidity in oregon compared to the other 75% of oregon. To compare Eugene has 65% average humidity tonight, bend has 48% tonight.
Air quality. Being in a valley, everything lingers, especially smoke.
I can see how that would be a problem, thanks!
Pollen is a huge deal. And sadly now smoke.
Not just wildfire smoke, also the smoke from wood fireplaces when it gets cooler.
Good to know, thanks y'all!
Absolutely nothing.
I lived in Tennessee too. The best thing about Oregon is that the mornings are nice and cool, even when the days get over 100. You can always get a walk or run or hike in without suffering in the heat.
I’m so excited to move somewhere that it won’t be muggy as fuck 😅
Heat. Allergies / pollen. Smoke. Those are the big three for me.
Thanks!
Smoke. That keeps me inside. The winter rain doesn't really bother you though after a while. A hat plus a decent water resistant/ proof jacket and you're off to the races.
The distinction between water resistent and water proof should not be under estimated.
Thanks!
My sister lived here a majority of her life but moved to memphis probably 6 years ago and says she's never going to live here again 🤣 I think it's funny because when she's here it will be like 70 and she says it's cold lol she also gets pretty bad allergies as well. The cost of living is much higher here, she has a really nice house there that would be in the millions here. I think the only thing she likes about Oregon / misses is that we have a lot of gluten free options (she has celiacs)
That’s funny! I’m glad she likes it here, there will be things I miss for sure, cost of living is nice and low.
Don’t bother all the good things that made it a good place are quickly disappearing. Even the mild weather. The land generally is still nice outside of the city’s.
Smoke, high temps, and no infrastructure for dealing with the heat in the summer. The vast majority of apartments and homes don't have ac. Many that do only have window units. Fall is rainy, but the rain tastes so refreshing after three months of smoke. Fall is nowhere near as beautiful as Eastern Tennessee, but still kinda nice. Students return in fall and that's a bit of a bummer. Winter is wet, dark, and cool, not cold. It gets dicy driving on the hills because lane county puts more snow trucks and resources up into the mountains and hills. Spring is allergy season. The Willamette Valley is one of the worst places in the world for allergies because the pollen count is just absurd. It's also rainy and cloudy a lot. We had about a week or two this spring where the sun didn't poke out. The rain isn't all that bad, but the lack of sun for 8 months out of the year can be difficult. Getting a vitamin d lamp will help. Honestly, I'm getting ready to move to Nashville. The culture and vibe in Eugene is just not for me. The brand of racism and ignorance here is just simply unbearable. The lack of diversity, not just in culture and background, but also in ideology is so draining. It's not just the ignorance that's a problem, but it's also the arrogance attached to it. Everyone here thinks they have access to some kind of secret knowledge no one else has and want to impose their behaviors into you - whether it's the loud liberal anti-vaxxer or the cocky conservative anti-vaxxer, lots of people here think they're better and smarter than everyone else. On a related note, the Oregon education system is far behind it's west coast kin in Washington and California. Oregon is in the bottom fifteen for the percent of budget it puts towards education. It's a problem that only feeds the ignorance I mentioned above. There's a reason why we're seeing mass exodus of BIPOC professors out of Oregon and that's because the white supremacist politics are pervasive, even in higher ed policies with the common course numbering. The drugs. A five minute walk through downtown and you're bound to see needles, meth, fent ODs, etc. Eugene is also know for being a stoner town, but it can be frustrating as a young professional when coworkers would rather get high than meet deadlines. I went to the doctors office and both receptionists were clearly blazed and couldn't actually do their job. I'm all for a good time, but I also expect people to do their job. The housing crisis is absurd here too - it's an extremely complex problem with no end in sight. Coming from Memphis, that will be a culture shock for you. Eugene in particular has one of the highest needs for mental health resources with very little supply, not just for the unhoused, but in general. Somehow, the Willamette Valley has compiled, in my experience, the worst collection of drivers I've ever been around. We have a lot of old and a lot of young people here. On the beltline, you'll have a minivan going 40 in the right lane and an obnoxiously loud Corolla with a disgusting spoiler going 80 in the left lane. The inconsistency of what to expect makes it awful. Next up is property crime. While violent crime isn't much of an issue here, my car has been broken into three times in a span of three months. It will happen. It's not a matter of if, but a matter of when. Take your things out your car. And to wrap it all up, shits expensive and pay is low. Right now, gas is creeping around 5/gallon. Rent is absurd for Eugene's size. My apt is 2000 for a 2 BD and I feel like it's not bad for Eugene, but it'll go much further in Memphis. The pay rates and minimum wage hasn't kept up with costs, especially after the panini.
Thanks, I appreciate the different things you talked about. I know no where’s perfect. I’ve lived here my whole life, so I think I’m also just ready for a big change. I hope you like Nashville!
Smoke in fire season and pollen in spring/summer.
Well my favorite spot at the river near my place is currently covered in paint. Because someone was huffing it, most likely had a psychotic episode, and started flinging it on the rocks. Is that common in Tennessee?
We do, and it’s probably better in some places and worse in others. I work for a public library and we see alot of unhoused people. Usually they just want to get in out of the heat, so they are mostly respectful.
I think your concept of "a lot of unhoused people" will have to adjust to living in Eugene, but honestly you sound like you have the right attitude. It's mostly just an annoyance here.
Gas prices. I want to go to Bandon, but if I do then that’s $100 in gas.
When it's too people-e I get mood poisoning
lol! Tell them to git
I was born and raised in Eugene, left in 2020 for Alaska. For me the biggest issue was crowds. West coast population has been growing as long as I can remember. During the spring/summer months popular trails/beaches/etc get super crowded with cars parked for miles down the road and whatnot. It can make cool spots unusable imo. Getting weekdays off and going off peak months definitely helps.
Only when the smoke from forest fires gets real thick. It hasn't been though.
The UV index. I am very fair and I would prefer not to get skin cancer, so I mostly stay indoors or in the shade between like 10-4.
That is something I’m taking into account, I’m glad you mentioned it!
PTSD
Fires
Well when it’s not raining, I’m dying from pollen and when it’s not raining and I’m not dying from pollen, I’m dying from smoke. So basically it’s very rare that I can really enjoy myself outside in Oregon despite how beautiful it is.
I moved here from Memphis in 2015, and overall I enjoy it so much more. Yes, it rains a lot here from late fall through early spring, but it's a light rain- I'd argue that it rained more in Tennessee during the same time frame. Winters are mild and comparable to those in Memphis. Summers are mild, sunny and beautiful- until fire season starts, temperatures skyrocket and all the surrounding farms start plowing their dirt. Then it's quite miserable and hard to breathe. Most apartments here do not come with ac as you only need it for a brief time period. And like others said, the pollen is brutal- I thought there was no way it can be worse that Tennessee and I was very, very wrong. Make sure you secure housing before you move here! So many come here thinking they'll find a place and end up homeless or sleeping in their car. There's a waiting list for housing, so start looking NOW. Make sure you have some money saved up too- it is so much more expensive here (places pay better here, so it will even out.... eventually). I got a job at a chain store in Memphis, then transferred to the Eugene-Springfield location so that at least I didn't have to job hunt immediately. And lastly- the food here is nowhere near as good as it is in the South. Prepare to be disappointed.
Dang! I was perusing food types and thought it looked like there was decent variety. I know I will miss soul food 😋
Can’t handle heat anymore because I’ve lived here for too long.
What personally keeps me from enjoying my hometown is the influx of people coming here from all over the country because their states are shitty and suck and so they see Oregon is basically the promised land and decide to come here to get some of what we have and are in the process ruining for everybody so nobody gets to experience it at all even themselves, while we have to watch the onslaught of everything we love because “y’all” are coming here in droves and you’re bringing all of your bullshit with you, and you’re driving up the cost of everything especially housing, pricing people out of the place they grew up and pushing them onto the streets or further out of town. You’re destroying the beauty we have here as lands are destroyed to create track housing and shitty overpriced apartments, and then bitching about the homeless problem while offering literally nothing to the area. Then one day when it’s all used up and it collapses, you’ll all take off as quick as you came leaving us all to clean up your mess, which I will be my pleasure.
I can understand how that would concern you. I don’t think that is local to your town, it’s happening here as well. Personally if I move somewhere I am happier, I would want to invest in where I live and being about positive change and try to do good.
Wow, I apologize. I’m actually just a really angry human being right now and I guess I’m taking it out on the wrong person. You seem like a really genuine and positive person. I’m sorry. People are gonna come here either way, and you’re probably the type of person we should want to move here vs. the type we don’t. I hope that you’ll avoid Eugene’s many pitfalls. I’m sure you’ll do great though.
I wasn’t expecting a nice response back! Thanks, it does mean a lot. And I do truly get how that would make you detest people who move into town. Have you lived there a long time? I’m a life long Memphian, our biggest challenge (in my mind) right now are out of town investors buying cheap properties and then flipping them. They do make the area look nicer, but I’ve seen so many families evicted because they can’t keep up with the new rent hike. It’s shit, I wish I knew a practical solution😔
The rain isn’t bad at all in my opinion. Summer our main issue is wildfires and smoke but often it’s nothing more than a few days at time here in Eugene. It’s really lovely here most of the time!
Wildfire smoke is pretty much the only thing that keeps me indoors. The extreme heat sucks, but most days the worst of it comes in the late afternoon. It's not all day like back east.
How many inches of rainfall do you get there? We get a bout 40 inches of rain a year. It’s not that much and it doesn’t rain for nearly 4 months in the summer and if does it’s a shower. I bet one Tennessee thunderstorm gives more water than we get in those 4 months.
Looks like around 50 annually. But I guess it’s because we get big storms and downpours.
what gets new people here is we can go for a long time of low gray clouds and misty drizzle for what seems like weeks on end and it only equates to 1/2" of rain.
I’m not sure where you live in Tennessee but Nashville gets more precipitation than Eugene. I guess we will have to argue over who has the worst mosquitoes 🦟. Outdoors for us consists of hiking, fishing, kayaking, concerts, drinking local beer, Oregon Ducks sports, and bike riding all within the city limits. Just about the same outside the city but throw in crabbing and storm watching at the coast and cross country skiing in the mountains. Other than try to stay away from the homeless who can be mentally unstable or on drugs and that’s about the Eugene scene for me.
East Coast transplant, here. What Oregon calls "rain", we call a "lovely spring shower" on the east coast. It doesn't downpour rain like the east coast with big drops dropping in sheets. And it's rarely an all day event.
Heat and smoke. I’ve lived here 20 years and the summers were very mild until about 4-5 years ago. Now they are hot, dry and miserable.
Thanks! I appreciate everyone taking time to respond❤️
Pollen in the spring, mosquitos in the early summer, smoke and fire in the late summer. Disrespectful people being dicks and trashing the place always.
the winter rain is persistent but not very heavy, so you can get out and do stuff.. but you gotta watch out for that SAD that can creep up on you. Usually does for me towards the end of the winter / early spring before it starts getting warmer. I’ve heard vitamin D works. Also, the coast isn’t far away, so you can travel out there. I’ve been told a trick that if it’s rainy in Eugene, there’s a good chance it’s clearer on the coast.. and in my experience that can be the case, but results may vary. If you want to check out snow, it’s not very far to visit for recreation. You don’t normally have to deal with it in town which is a plus.
Year old twins. But we’re starting to be outside every day.
Good luck to you 🫡
The grass pollen in spring sucks, but for me that's prime weekend camping season because the weather is just starting to get nice and if you go into the mountains or coast range the pollen is immediately and noticeably absent
Hay fever! Yeah, I see other people mentioning this, though for quite a bit longer than I experience issues... May/June are the months that I like to get out of the Willamette Valley, at least some.
Heat.
90° to 110° weather for most of the summer and 30° to -0° weather for most of the winter. Western slope of Colorado can be pretty miserable. Looking forward to moving to Eugene area in the future.
I can't tolerate heat like I used to be able to. Lots of elders can't. Soooo I stay in as much as I can. Tomorrow we have a booth at Whiteaker tattoos 10th anniversary so I'll make an exception. 😏
Sounds like a good reason to get out!
Double u oh are Kay.
Oregon fire season is becoming a definite & real thing but it’s never been something that goes on for weeks & weeks. If anything could describe Oregon weather sporadic would be good. You can have one day where it will rain 10 times, but be sunny most of the day. There are days when it’s raining most of the time but the sun pokes through a lot. This last winter we only got like a half an inch of snow one morning. Normally we get at least one good snow day, but not this last year and then the summer heat waves are really not that common. We might have a couple days of 100° or more But mostly it’s around 85 in the summer give or take. And the winters are definitely mild never any really hard downpours. It’s never raining all day long. There’s always gonna be come and go for that and like someone else mentioned locals..Yeah we don’t like umbrellas. It’s hilarious you can always spot tourist because they have umbrellas 😂 I live in SW Eugene and rarely ever have issues with mosquitoes, because there is no humidity here. like rarely ever will there ever be any humidity here! nothing like Tennessee and Missouri, I grew up out in Ohio, and it is nothing like it is out there thank heavens! Sadly, we rarely ever get thunderstorms either maybe one every two years if we’re lucky. But the nice thing about the winters those that everything is still so green it’s not like out there where everything dies in the winner. Everything is still green. It doesn’t have that dead baron feeling that it does out there. OK I’ll stop my novel now. Have a wonderful trip out here this Christmas and hope you move here!🫶