I'm a Utah transplant and I could not agree more! I love the diverse culture, the fact that I can drink in a restaurant without being treated like a common criminal, and the fact that the weather isn't extreme on either end. Oregonians are so much nicer than they give themselves credit for, and far nicer than Utahns think they are. Nobody tries to sell you on their side hustle like they do in Utah! Oregon has long had a reputation as being more expensive than Utah, but we were able to buy the same sized house with four times the land and ten times the charm and character. We don't regret moving, and dread the day when we may have to move back for family.
@@SalemOR It's been surprising to go to farmer and craft markets and be able to get samples of local brews and wines. That would NEVER happen in Utah, where you can't go into a liquor store without a cop checking your ID. We've been surprised to hear a lot of people speaking Russian all over the place. I feel like we hear it more often than Spanish. Discovering more about Russian old believers has been really interesting, and at first we wondered if there was a secret community of polygamists here. I think a video on ethnic/religious/lifestyle communities around the Willamette would be helpful for people who want to connect or at least be aware of the area's diversity. We have no family or friends here, so we've been trying different meetups and events to make friends. There are so many interesting groups to engage with here!
Great points and I'm so glad others can read this comment to learn more about Salem. Have you found it difficult to connect with people here? When I first located I felt like Salem was cliquey. It was hard to connect with the people of Salem who were born and raised here. What has your experience been?
@@SalemOR It hasn't been super easy, but my spouse and I are pretty introverted anyway. We've gotten to know our neighbors pretty well. It's taken a year or so, but we have BBQs and stuff with them. We've joined some book clubs as well, so we're finding people! We have noticed that there is a bit of cliquey-ness, especially where we are, but it seems to stick mostly to the older generations. We've managed to avoid it. Oregonians always talk about how cliquey their towns are, but trust me, it has NOTHING on Utah! If you aren't Mormon, you basically don't exist. I imagine it gets worse here with the more isolated or small a town is, but Salem really isn't too bad. We've had so many random pleasant conversations with strangers. It really helped put us at ease because we expected the Seattle chill applied to the whole PNW, but it totally doesn't. Salem is so down to earth and real. It's not shiny and new like the hottest housing markets in Utah, but even if people are a little slow to warm up to strangers, I've never felt like Utahns are as genuinely kind as Oregonians!
What a great perspective! I would agree that Salem isn't shiny and brand new but it does have a lot going for it. What is your guys' favorite date night spot in Salem? My hubby and I are always looking for new places to go.
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I'm a Utah transplant and I could not agree more! I love the diverse culture, the fact that I can drink in a restaurant without being treated like a common criminal, and the fact that the weather isn't extreme on either end. Oregonians are so much nicer than they give themselves credit for, and far nicer than Utahns think they are. Nobody tries to sell you on their side hustle like they do in Utah! Oregon has long had a reputation as being more expensive than Utah, but we were able to buy the same sized house with four times the land and ten times the charm and character. We don't regret moving, and dread the day when we may have to move back for family.
Thanks for sharing your perspective! What is the biggest culture shock you had moving to Salem?
@@SalemOR It's been surprising to go to farmer and craft markets and be able to get samples of local brews and wines. That would NEVER happen in Utah, where you can't go into a liquor store without a cop checking your ID.
We've been surprised to hear a lot of people speaking Russian all over the place. I feel like we hear it more often than Spanish. Discovering more about Russian old believers has been really interesting, and at first we wondered if there was a secret community of polygamists here.
I think a video on ethnic/religious/lifestyle communities around the Willamette would be helpful for people who want to connect or at least be aware of the area's diversity. We have no family or friends here, so we've been trying different meetups and events to make friends. There are so many interesting groups to engage with here!
Great points and I'm so glad others can read this comment to learn more about Salem.
Have you found it difficult to connect with people here? When I first located I felt like Salem was cliquey. It was hard to connect with the people of Salem who were born and raised here.
What has your experience been?
@@SalemOR It hasn't been super easy, but my spouse and I are pretty introverted anyway. We've gotten to know our neighbors pretty well. It's taken a year or so, but we have BBQs and stuff with them. We've joined some book clubs as well, so we're finding people!
We have noticed that there is a bit of cliquey-ness, especially where we are, but it seems to stick mostly to the older generations. We've managed to avoid it. Oregonians always talk about how cliquey their towns are, but trust me, it has NOTHING on Utah! If you aren't Mormon, you basically don't exist. I imagine it gets worse here with the more isolated or small a town is, but Salem really isn't too bad.
We've had so many random pleasant conversations with strangers. It really helped put us at ease because we expected the Seattle chill applied to the whole PNW, but it totally doesn't. Salem is so down to earth and real. It's not shiny and new like the hottest housing markets in Utah, but even if people are a little slow to warm up to strangers, I've never felt like Utahns are as genuinely kind as Oregonians!
What a great perspective!
I would agree that Salem isn't shiny and brand new but it does have a lot going for it.
What is your guys' favorite date night spot in Salem? My hubby and I are always looking for new places to go.
I live in Oregon between salem and silverton. My family has a farm Fordyce farms it is a great place we have a perfect view of mt Hood.
That is awesome! What is your favorite thing about having a farm in Oregon?
@@SalemOR Growing berries/ all of the work that needs to be done and it's so pretty.
Has you're family always been in Oregon? I'm kinda assuming you have a generational farm due to the location...
@@SalemOR Yes three gens. My grandma moved here from kansas and grandpa from washington state both moved here
Sweet! Do you think this is a good State to be a farmer in?
Ahhh geeze yeah…yes it is better than Utah. For almost everyone …