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Corvallis, OR area -- living, working, riding?

Colin

Monkey
Nov 5, 2001
372
0
in my tiny apartment
Curious to see if anyone lives in the Corvallis, OR area. I've been thinking about Oregon State for my masters degree. How is the job market (my fiance is finishing up her masters in urban planning)?

How is the housing market? I guess it can't be any worse than South Florida.

And, most importantly, how is the riding? :D
 

Heidi

Der hund ist laut und braun
Aug 22, 2001
10,184
797
Bend, Oregon
I've ridden in Blodgett which is down the road, good climbing, some fun singletrack!!! They had an xc race there this year, and an endurance race as well.
 

boostindoubles

Nacho Libre
Mar 16, 2004
7,839
6,145
Yakistan
i'll be driving to corvallis on thursday to check the town/riding/school out myself.

i've never been to Corvallis before, so i will try and see what the scene is like. hopefully its good, cause i would like to transfer there for school.
 

Motoking16

Monkey
May 16, 2005
209
0
Bend, OR
corvallis is a small college town. I am going to OSU this january and i have been there many times. If you are going to ride XC there is plenty close by, but anything else will involve a drive. At least for anything decent. As for the job market, you might get lucky and find something in your feild that actually pays something worth the time and effort. Since it is a college town, the jobs are all taken up by low paid college kids looking for some extra cash. It is a really small town with a great comfertable feel to it. everything is spread out and usually pretty accessable.
 

sam_little

Monkey
May 18, 2003
783
0
Portland, OR
Hey Colin,
I just finished my master's degree at OSU and can probably give you some good information. I was in the geosciences department studying geography (GIS and ecology). Not sure what you'll be studying, but OSU has a variety of good programs, especially at the master's level.

Jobs: The job market in Corvallis is pretty tight. It is a town of about 45,000, and the largest employer is OSU. HP ranks as second, and neither of those are very planning intensive. Fortunately Oregon is the most planning-progressive state in the US, and thus there is a plethora of planning jobs available. Your girlfriends best bet would probably be Salem or Eugene, both about 45 minutes away, 1 hour with traffic. She can start looking for jobs now at the state's job clearinghouse , which is pretty inclusive. Also, check the websites of Benton, Linn, and Lane counties for additional planning oriented jobs. Also, Corvallis is the best educated, per capita, city in the state. As such, there are many little planning and environmental consulting firms, often operated by 2-3 people, that exist within the city. They are a little tougher to find jobs with, but it is hard to turn down talent when it is banging on your door.

Housing: One of the things that makes Oregon the most planning-forward state in the country is its inclusion of the Urban Growth Boundary in 1974. Since that time, growth has been restricted around urban centers to within a boundary that is readjusted every 5 years. This major restriction serves to bolster growth density like nowhere else in the country. It keeps streets narrow, blocks short, and the cities livable. Most people that live here enjoy those amenities and are willing to forgo some degree of affordability for them. As such, housing in Corvallis, and other Oregon cities, tends to be expensive. The median home price in Corvallis is the highest in the state, but is low compared to similar cities in California (e.g. San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ojai, etc.) and Washington. Housing in Corvallis will not be as expensive as southern Florida.

If you meant rental housing, well that’s a different story. I am currently renting a (crappy) room for $100/mo, but I previously lived in a gorgeous house with 3 other people. The place had hardwood floors in a large room, a reasonable backyard, garden space, a large fig tree, and a large garage for bike storage. I paid $240/mo.

Riding: There is a hell-of-a-lot-of XC riding in Corvallis if you are willing to explore. The Macdonald-Dunn research forest, owned and operated by OSU, has a plethora of trails for all levels. The Macdonald side has many long singletrack trails, but they tend to be over-maintained (e.g. graveled corners, wood-blocked straights). There are many trails that are not maintained throughout the forest, but they aren’t all legal. In most places this is an issue for rider stewardship, which it is here as well. However, it is also an issue because these are actively logged forests, and thus you may find yourself suddenly in an active logging show with a long climb back out. There are also hundreds of great day-trip rides around Corvallis, mostly in the Western Cascades (search Mackenzie River Trail) and some in the Coast Range.

As for downhill, there is quite a bit around, but nothing serious in Corvallis. The closest place is the Blackrock Mountain Bike Part (in Falls City, OR), which is about 40 minutes away. It is operated by the Blackrock Freeride Association, and is 100% legit (and badass). There are tons of drops, steeps, jumps, wallrides, etc. It is also a great place to learn with a “Basic-Training” area. You can learn more at the BFA website. There is also

There is also a skatepark in Corvallis that is bike friendly (BMX for sure, and usually mountain if not crowded). The Corvallis skatepark is fun, but not great. However, the skateparks state wide are the best in the country, especially the coastal parks and Burnside in Portland.

If you have other questions, feel free to shoot me an email. I have lived in Corvallis for the last 2.5 years, and have done as much as possible while here. Get me at:

sam.littlefield@gmail.com
 

Colin

Monkey
Nov 5, 2001
372
0
in my tiny apartment
Wow, thanks for all the info guys.

Sam_little: I have a bs in geology and thinking about the College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences. Oh, and thanks for all the info. Right now we pay nearly a grand a month for a nice one bedroom, so rent sounds pretty good.
 

Meat Foot

Monkey
Mar 24, 2004
269
0
On the asthenosphere
Colin said:
Wow, thanks for all the info guys.

Sam_little: I have a bs in geology and thinking about the College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences. Oh, and thanks for all the info. Right now we pay nearly a grand a month for a nice one bedroom, so rent sounds pretty good.
PSU has a program at the masters level in geology. Plus there are a couple companies here that are hiring right now/were a month or so ago. PM me if you need specifics. Unfortunately, not Corvallis (I like Corvallis and Eugene, college towns in general). I live in Salem and drive to Portland. Unfortunately, that is where the jobs seem to be. Probably not much help, but there you go.
EDIT: I am lame, sorry I did not read your post entirely, just got excited that there was another geologist out there.