Reviews & Comments
Klamath Falls, OR
Excellent Place to Retire - but No Jobs -
7/8/2012I'm a very grateful Baby Boomer, in that I recently retired, (though my monthly pension isn't much), and I not only retired, but I found a nice, inexpensive place to live. Where is it you ask? Well it's Klamath Falls, Oregon. Unfortunately the word is getting out now and so it will be just a matter of time before it gets discovered, and the home prices really take off.
Here you can still buy a small older 2 Bd 1Ba home for under $65K, within walking distance of shopping, and there's always the bus to get around on as well. K Falls is located about 90 minutes from Ashland and it's world famous Shakespeare festival each summer, and also Medford, which has all of the shopping and amenities most anyone could ever want, and with the crowds too. K Falls is much less crowded, and slower paced, which is perfect for retirees, with good medical care here as well. And the weather isn’t bad either, if you like 4 seasons. There’s incredible fishing and with the mountains and Crater Lake nearby, there’s also all sorts of wonderful things to do, all year around.
Both Ashland and Medford have already been discovered and are now too pricy for most retirees. Same with Bend, OR which is beautiful, but is very expensive. K Falls biggest drawback though is the high unemployment rate here, which is ok for retirees who already have a monthly income, or those who could get by on a part time job to supplement their income. Except for some professional jobs, requiring a professional license, most jobs here are minimum wage, and many are only part time.
So for most of the younger crowd (18 to 40 years old) who are here, and are unemployed or underemployed, it may be best for them to move elsewhere for a better paying job (SLC, Phoenix or Texas are all good possibilities now), and then in 20 to 40 years, return to K Falls to retire. And it would probably be wise for most others looking for work, to just forget about moving to K Falls, as the few jobs here are filled by all of those who are already here.
I think I'll enjoy spending my retirement here, and suggest that other retirees consider it as well. Check out the facts about K Falls here at Sperling, and then plan a trip to come check it out, if you’re still looking for a place to retire. But I wouldn’t wait too long, as more retirees are discovering K Falls and are moving in as well.
Ogden, UT
Ogden's Not Too Bad - Fresno Is Worse -
7/22/2009I moved here from Fresno, CA for a job transfer in Jan 09, and it has been a bit of a culture shock as well as a bit of a disappointment too. Years ago I lived in Boise, ID and noticed how polite and well mannered the kids were, especially the LDS kids, and expected to find the same here in "Mormon Country".
I'm not Mormon, although I have never had any problems living with them and enjoying their friendship, and I was surprised to see that generally the older kids here in Ogden are basically pushy, ill-mannered and rude, whether they are of Mormon families, or not. And yes, there are gangs here too (well at least wannabe's as compared to Fresno), which are dangerous with their drive by shootings, especially in the older, middle part of Ogden.
Of course crime and other problems depend on which part of Ogden you live in, as the hills and edges are much nicer and newer, and are also more costly. If I were still young and raising my family, I'd search out one of these areas, or perhaps (with a little more money) consider living in North Ogden (a very nice town), or in Davis County.
The City of Ogden is really trying to upgrade a lot of the older run down areas, especially around down town, and is also doing a lot of roadwork so as to reduce the traffic congestion here, and hopefully if these efforts are successful, in a few years Ogden may evolve into a really nice city.
The biggest plus to the area is the recreation, which is great. Wonderful hiking and fishing areas are very near Ogden in the summer, and if you're a skier or snowboarder, Utah snow is very good. Fresno does have Yosemite, but it's not nearly as convenient as recreation areas are to Ogden.
As for me, Ogden will work ok for the next few years, and then I'll retire and move to a small town somewhere in Oregon or Washington, like many of the other retirees on the West Coast do.
Sacramento, CA
Sacramento: Over Priced, Over Populated and Over -
5/26/2007I was born in Sacramento, and while it was a wonderful place to grow up in the 50's and 60's, it sure has changed for the very worst! This may be true for most other towns in the US, but it is especially true since the entire world discovered Sacramento was only 2 hours away from Lake Tahoe and also only 2 hours away from San Francisco. As a result, for the past 3 decades, there has been uncontrolled housing growth and development resulting in incredible traffic gridlock, with the increased pollution that goes with it. And the rising number of people who now work in the SF Bay Area (for much higher wages) and live in Sacramento (as rents the Bay Area are far too expensive) only adds to the problem of rising housing costs in Sacramento. If you are considering a move to Sacramento, unless you're wealthy with a good job and can afford to live in the foothills (and at least a 60 minute commute to downtown), I'd avoid the place altogether. I'm very glad that I moved out of the area, and I don't miss it at all.