jorda

My husband has been offered a position in Salem. We are a family of 4, with 2 teenage boys. We both enjoy the feel of a University town, and I would like to take classes at OSU. We have visited Salem, but not Corvallis. There are several issues that will factor in to which town we would prefer. I have heard that the public schools in Corvallis are excellent, but have not heard the same things said about Salem schools. Does anybody have any insight on this subject? Comparing schools is a somewhat difficult thing to do, because standardized test scores are not always the answer. Housing in both towns seems comprable in price, and it looks as though Corvallis may have some more wooded lots, which we would really prefer. Obviously, either my husband or I would be commuting- how long is the drive, and is it traffic-jam type traffic, or smooth sailing? Are icy roads ever a problem in winter? I would love opinions and advice on this matter. Thanks!

bbqboy

That's one long commute, but Salem is the pits. Albany stinks too(literally). The exurbs between Portland and Salem might be a better choice, something in the McMinnville to Woodburn range.
PSU is a state school, and Western Oregon University is in Monmouth.
http://www.wou.edu/
Corvallis- Maybe if they give him gas for free.
There's also 2 Amtrak trains, but the times won't be right.

jorda

bbqboy-
Why do you say that Salem is the pits?- could you give me specific examples? Thanks, jorda.

Fodorite018

Jorda--I have lived in both Corvallis and Salem. I grew up in Salem, and then went to OSU in Corvallis. I am not sure how all the schools in Salem are now, but I do know from friends that are still there that South and Sprague are still very good schools and areas to live. I have been back to Salem quite a bit even though my family does not live there anymore, and it is a nice place for families. I have heard, but do not have any first hand knowledge, that the schools in Corvallis are good. The drive between Salem and Corvallis is not bad, but there is an area that gets dense fog and that can be definitely be a factor to onsider. The traffic between the two is usually not bad. Albany is smelly like bbqboy mentions. I honestly think either town would be a nice place to live with a family.

therenaissanceman

With no factors involved, I would probably recommend Corvallis. But there are factors involved. Your husband's work is in Salem and it is not a short trip from Corvallis. Unless you have your heart set on OSU in Corvallis, you could go to Western Oregon U. (same state college system) in Salem or possibly Willamette. There are nice areas in Salem, as in most towns. Given those factors, I think you would be better off locating in Salem. Just my opinion, but one that is based on some knowledge, but not of the school systems.

thornphoenix

Hi Jorda,

I currently live and work in Corvallis and have multiple co-workers who live in Salem and commute daily. The commute is typically 45 minutes. There are two major routes for commuting from Corvallis to Salem (hiway 99 and I-5). If your husband will be working in south Salem then the commute will be shorter. Yes, icy roads can be a problem in the winter here - both on hiway 99 and I-5. As mms mentioned above the fog can be very dense in the fall and winter - especially on hiway 99.

As for schools - Corvallis school district is very good. There are only two high schools: Crescent Valley, and Corvallis High - which has been rebuilt. One nifty thing about Corvallis is that a family can choose which high school to send their kids - you aren't bound to send your kids to one just because you live in the area of it.

As for community feel - I much prefer Corvallis to Salem. I personally find Salem to be impersonal and too spread out. I really detest the Lancaster Blvd. area - it is very congested traffic wise.

I think one of the major deciding factors will be the commute. If your husband has the perk of telecommuting once or twice a week then I would definnitely jump at moving to Corvallis, however if he will be required to be in the office 5 days a week, then the commute may drag on him (I know it would for me - especially during the short days of winter and having to worry about fog, ice, dark roads).

Goodluck with your decision and let us know if you have any additional questions!

Regards,
Tracey

Fodorite018

Tracey--I definitely agree with you on the Lancaster area. Even when we lived there we rarely went up that direction.

bbqboy

Perhaps I was being a bit harsh, but it's a smaller place with big city problems(gangs etc) and because of being the center of Government,(my impression), just doesn't possess the quaint nature
and ambience of many other Oregon towns and cities. When our friends moved north to be closer to relatives from the Rogue Valley, it was distressing to be so close to Portland, yet so far away. Salem itself was too big to be small, and just seemed blah. They ended up moving to Wilsonville.
just not attractive to them

jorda

It's very interesting to read all of the comments on Salem. Many of you mirror what my husband and I felt when we visited. The commute from Salem to Corvallis does not sound worth the hassle, but Corvallis sound like a nicer place to live- shame! On a website which evaluates schools, many of the comments on Salem schools mention drugs, alcohol, bullying. I realize that you can find those issues at any school, but some areas are definitely worse, and some districts take a stronger zero tolerance stance. We did drive by one Middle school which looked like a mini-prison, the school was in a poorer neighborhood, and the entire campus was surrounded with concertina type wire fencing, and this was a school that kids from the upper class neighborhoods were bussed to. People also mention security guards in the schools, which is somewhat disconcerting. The Oregon area has a lot to offer, so I'm hoping my concerns about quality public education in Salem can be eased!? Thanks for the advice, it is very much appreciated. Jorda

Andrew

What about Wilsonville? I say that based only on location. I don't know what the schools are like, only that it's a fairly pleasant but bland small town that is growing rapidly. It is probably about a 30 commute to Salem and about 20 minutes to Portland, both on I-5. You'd have plenty of options for school in Portland.

Andrew

suze

Corvallis is a really great town...I have family there. Nothing against the other towns and not taking into account the commute, etc. it would be my pick as an easy answer to your question. Yes sometimes icy roads or snow will be a problem, but not too often.

SaraLM

A difficult decision! We had to make the same one a while ago. We already lived in Corvallis so we decided to stay. I think the two cities are very different. Corvallis feels like a town. It definately has a community that is involved in the care and welfare of the town.

I don't feel comfortable saying too much about Salem since I don't know much personally. It feels very sprawled out, very disconnected. It does have some beautiful old neighborhoods and Bush park is lovely.

The commute can be affected by so much - where you live in Corvallis and where he works in Salem. For example we live just off the by-pass in Corvallis so he doesn't have to go through town to get home. He also works just off the freeway in south Salem so he doesn't have to go through Salem either. This commute is 45 minutes each way (he also goes early in the morning - 5:30ish to miss most traffic). Getting through Corvallis can take 15 minutes alone depending on where you are going through. I know that isn't very helpful but if you have your heart set on Corvallis, it would help you in your house hunting.

The weather is rarely icy mostly rainy and foggy. If it gets icy lots of people are late or work from home.....

Another reason we stayed in town was for the schools, we wanted to start a family and wanted the best we could find in this area for our children.

A compromise might be Albany. It doesn't stink everywhere and even by the mill not much anymore. It is a nice town with a downtown that is working on redevelopment. The schools are ok - (can't tell you much since we only have a 2 yr old). It is significantly cheaper to live there than Corvallis. I would recommend at least looking at it.

Good luck!
Sara

sparklegem

Corvallis is a really nice little town. It has active downtown with lots happening on the river walk including a terrific farmers market. There are some good restaurants and few nice shops. It is pretty place to walk around. There is a lovely library. The schools are better then Albany's.

Most of Albany does not smell. The smell is in Millersberg, on the freeway. Albany has a very pretty historic downtown and parks along the river. Albany also has some nice restaurants and the downtown has many antique shops, some cute smaller shops and a really good new bakery. Also a nice smaller farmer's market.

I have never really cared for Salem. When living in Albany and Corvallis, if I wanted to go to the city I would go to Portland. Salem also has the state government offices, the prisons and it used to have the state mental health hospital but I have heard that it was closed and the patients were released.

I do not know much about Wilsonville but I do think that it would be a good idea to explore other towns. Monmouth is nice and has the university. Silverton is very nice. I think that Woodburn has a pretty historic downtown.

pdxgirl

I was born and raised in Salem, went to college in Monmouth, grad school in Eugene and have lived in Portland for the last 16 years. My family still lives in Salem so I go there regularly. Salem sucks. There's no there there. It is a government town, the largest employer being the State of Oregon. There are few, if any, good restaurants and not much to do.

I would second the recommendation to check out some of the towns on the I-5 corridor between Portland and Salem. If you don't mind an hour-long commute, you could even live in Portland. Lots of people live in Portland and work in Salem. There are commuter busses and vanpools available.

suze

Good point above about Corvallis and sense of community. It truly does feel like an old fashion small town. And takes care of its own including lots of various programs, active churches, farmers market, local charitable organizations, etc.

karander

What did you decide? We are either moving to Portland area or Salem area in Feb. My husband is going to go to a flight school in Newberg, so we want to be within 30 minutes of Newberg. I am leaning towards Salem as it seems to be cheaper to live there. I will have to find work and my husband will only be able to work part time. We also have 2 kids so things like school and safety are of concern too. Any other areas we should consider or thoughts on Salem vs Portland area suburbs?

beachbum

I think you'll find more and better job opportunities around Portland, karander. I have a few friends who even commute to Portland from Newberg, which isn't that far if you can put up with the traffic. School districts in the south and southwestern Portland suburbs are generally some of the best in the state.

noryglory

People! So nasty. I have lived in Salem for over 12 years now and I think it just really depends on what you're looking for. I HATED it here when we moved from California (came for husband to go to law school at Willamette) and when we were young and hip . It couldn't have been a less interesting place.

However, we stayed because of a job situation and have really come into our own here. Once we had our children we felt like we were in a relatively safe place, especially after the likes of September 11.

The joke about Salem is it's so ideal, everything you want to do is "just an hour away." Skiing, the beach, the big city, etc etc etc. Nothing here, but everything's close!

Yes there are problems and it's not perfect, but if you find the right neighborhood to live in and participate in the right activities you will find a niche. And if not, you can move.

If spending time with your family is important, why not give Salem a try so you can avoid the commute. If my husband got a job in Portland, we'd move there or to a Portland suburb...one of the reasons this area is such a great place is that you DON'T have to have an hour commute.

The school system has problems--it's a GIANT system therefore isn't as "wonderful" as a smaller school system that can be more homogeneous. SKSD includes both Salem and Keizer (the next community over) and has over 38K kids (might be even more than that now) and over 50 schools, from wealthy suburbs to the "inner city." Some South Salem areas tend to be the most affluent and highest scoring.

Portland magazine reviewed several school districts a couple of months ago (including SK) and I found it quite informative.

There are some beautiful lots for building in outlying areas, either South Salem and Turner area or West Salem, which is also a relatively good area of town to live in.

Obviously it all depends! But since we've lived here we've noticed a lot of growth, mostly in the right direction. I don't know that Salem will ever be anything but a little sister of Portland (too close for its own airport, tv station, and the like) but it is working for us.

Good luck with your decision.

amg503

I graduated a couple yearsa ago, and I'll tell you, the schools are NOWHERE near as bad as they report. I went to one of the "worst" ones, and it wasn't all that bad. It wasn't perfect, but as long as your kids are IN class during class hours, it's fine.

The only incidents we ever had (at high school) were during class hours, when kids were skipping and walking through the halls. But there were NEVER any shooting, or anything that people make it out to be. The worse thing that happened was a kid (who turned out was a middle-schooler), hit a I.A. and she fell down the stairs. He was later arrested. But remember, I went to one of the "worse" schools.

The Elementary & Middle schools are much better. But avoid a certain Middle School called "Waldo". I didn't go there, but there were certain things. The other Middle school in the area is 900% better.

You know, move to West Salem. The people over there are so rich, there's no crime in the schools (so I hear). Their NEW high school is sinking, but that's about it.

I got a great education throughout school here in Salem. And if anything, your husband won't have to commute.