Corvallis, OR

[Ilikekitties]

Anyone familiar with Corvallis? What is it like?

[lambda]

Hi, I went to undergrad at OSU and grandparents lived in Corvallis as well.

Corvallis is, by most consensus, to be a rather nice small town. However, it is a small town. There is a lot of small-knit little groups to hang out with, the Pacific is fairly nearby (~40 min), as well as Portland (~1.5 hr) and great hiking all around. The people are often incredibly kind and laid-back, pretty typical American West Coasters. Lots of liberal, hippie people. However, it *is* genuinely a small town, and can get boring fast if you do not enjoy outdoors stuff and need cosmopolitan life frequently. I found that trips to Portland were sufficient for me! There is not very good food there unfortunately for the most part, but there are a few great places. Another possible negative is the rain. It is very dreary and drizzly much of the year, as with all of the Pacific Northwest, but the summers are quite beautiful. 

Overall, I loved Corvallis and miss it dearly sometimes. But I know people that couldn't wait to get out.

[CubismCubed]

I'm currently finishing up my undergrad at OSU. Overall, Corvallis is a great town - it's pretty small (which is fine, the size of the uni makes up for it) but the downtown is nice and it has many great natural areas in close proximity. Housing is pretty cheap - I'm currently paying 433 a month in rent which is pretty typical for the area. In Corvo (as the locals call it) you're only 90 minutes from Portland and 50 from Eugene, so you can find plenty of things to do on the weekends if you get bored with Corvallis after a few years. The weather is great april - Oct/nov but Dec through march you generally get a lot of cold, rainy days (you'll learn to love them). People are nice, generally liberal with a small but appreciable amount of conservatives, and welcoming. 10/10 would recommend corvallis

[TammyTams]

Small.

Background: I'm from DC and lived in Philly for a bit (I'm trying to hint at I'm used to living in the city and that this post might come off as snooty but I'm just being honest :/ ). I got accepted to a PhD program at UofOregon and decided to give the state of Oregon a visit. A friend and I drove through Corvallis from Eugene as we were heading to the coast (because there's straight shot highway that's a 50 mile stretch in between the two campuses) and we both agreed that Corvallis was.....boring. Like extremely boring and I don't think the overcast weather helps it's case. 

It's a small town and the university is extremely bland (especially after seeing how gorgeous UofO's campus was)/all brick buildings which leaves the campus looking a little like a Community-College. I remember there not being anything of excitement as we drove through the campus/city (I'm lying, I think they had JUST opened a Dutch Bros)  except the fact that the stadium was smack dab on campus and people seemed to really love beeping my city driving skills lol There were lots of middle class homes, a decent looking shopping center (I think...). Other than that we didn't see anything of note. We drove away joking that it was good I didn't apply there instead.

BUT, as previous posters mentioned, Oregon is GORGEOUS and there really is a lot to do in Oregon if you're ok w/a 30 min-2hr drive or into nature! Also, despite being turned off by Corvallis and OSU, OSU seems far more personable and inclusive than other local schools! I have my opinion of Corvallis but Oregon isn't TOO expensive to visit and it's so gorgeous in the State that even if you visit Corvallis and hate it, you'll be happy you got to view the wonders of Oregon

Edited December 22, 2017 by TammyTams

[ceterisparibus9]

Hello! 

I just received my official admit letter from OSU in the epidemiology program and I am stoked to hear more about Corvallis (and the news of course!). I hope to possibly visit this spring, but am not sure if I can afford it all the way from Mississippi 

Anyway, I wanted to accomplish 3 things with this post, so that if I could not get out before decision deadline I could:

1) Re-liven the thread in hopes that anyone in my position can connect as a community to discuss things.

2) Know what the downtown scene is like? Is there any kind of bar/brewery/pub scene that young people frequent outside fraternity parties? I've lived in smallish towns and don't necessarily fear that-- I can mostly be happy with bikeable/walkable landscapes, good coffee, and the occasional nights out. 

3) See what the transportation scene is like, following from my last questions. I would definitely be junking my volvo on the move out there, so I am hoping the transit is effective and somewhat trustworthy/safe? I don't mind paying extra to live closer to downtown and just biking as well (as that seems mostly embraced on the admissions site). 

 

Thanks! Let me know if any of this is unclear, or certainly if anyone else has heard back from OSU recently as well!

[Halek]

On 2/16/2018 at 9:22 PM, ceterisparibus9 said:

Hello! 

I just received my official admit letter from OSU in the epidemiology program and I am stoked to hear more about Corvallis (and the news of course!). I hope to possibly visit this spring, but am not sure if I can afford it all the way from Mississippi 

Anyway, I wanted to accomplish 3 things with this post, so that if I could not get out before decision deadline I could:

1) Re-liven the thread in hopes that anyone in my position can connect as a community to discuss things.

2) Know what the downtown scene is like? Is there any kind of bar/brewery/pub scene that young people frequent outside fraternity parties? I've lived in smallish towns and don't necessarily fear that-- I can mostly be happy with bikeable/walkable landscapes, good coffee, and the occasional nights out. 

3) See what the transportation scene is like, following from my last questions. I would definitely be junking my volvo on the move out there, so I am hoping the transit is effective and somewhat trustworthy/safe? I don't mind paying extra to live closer to downtown and just biking as well (as that seems mostly embraced on the admissions site). 

 

Thanks! Let me know if any of this is unclear, or certainly if anyone else has heard back from OSU recently as well!

So, my parents live in Corvallis and I took a few classes at OSU as an undergrad when I was home for the summer, so I can't answer all of your questions, but I can at least answer some!

2. Downtown, for the size of the town, has a lot of breweries and pubs and both people who live in town and college students go to them. So it's not just frat parties. There are also some local cider places that have tasting rooms right outside of town if that's your thing. Also, one of my favorite things about Corvallis was how many coffee shops it has. Coffee Culture is my personal favorite. Downtown also has an amazing farmers market along the river during the summer on Saturdays and Wednesdays. A lot of people also take kayaks out of the Willamette in the summer, which runs right next to downtown.

3. A lot of people bike to campus in Corvallis, even in the winter when its rainy. There is a bus system that (at least as of a few years ago) is free that I used to get to and from class. It's a usable bus system, but they honestly need more buses. Some of the bigger routes take close to an hour for the bus to complete, so if they get behind the schedules are basically thrown out the window. 

[geologyninja13]

Hi @ceterisparibus9

Welcome! If you're in good shape nowhere in town is more then a 20 minute bike ride from anywhere else. I'll second Halek, the bus system is OK (but honestly, great for a small town) but runs on the hour and if one bus goes off schedule the entire system starts running late. Good for groceries and general commuting, not great if you urgently need to make a meeting. Downtown can be pretty happening if you keep up with the town's schedule of events, and has a good variety of food and pubs. In addition to being a college town Corvallis is also a retiree town so the tone is a bit classier than you might expect. Grad students gravitate to Squirrels Pub, but Block 15, Sky High Brewing are also local brewpubs. Decent variety of ethnic, american, and "hippy" dining options. I just went to a world-class folk band concert at the Whiteside theater last night, the Majestic theater downtown has plays and performances, and the Darkside Indie cinema usually has a lot going on. Downtown also has three great independent bookstores.

[(m)academia_nut]

Hey everyone!  I'll be moving to Corvallis for the fall term and am glad to see this thread re-awakened.  If anyone has any insights on the following, they'd be much appreciated. : )

1.)  I've heard rumors of a slight housing crunch in Corvallis.  Is this true?  Should I be looking for apartments in neighboring towns like Lebanon or Albany?

2.)  Would it be worth it to get a car?

3.)  Any thoughts of the general safety of the campus/area?  (at night, certain neighborhoods, etc etc...)

 

Thanks in advance! 

[marisawhy]

Hopping on this thread for similar advice as previous posters--I really like the program I've been accepted to at OSU but I have nooooo idea what housing or cost of living is like in Corvallis. I would really like to live alone, but I'm not sure how I will do on my stipend. Does anyone have apartment complexes they could recommend to help me start my search?

[lambda]

On 2/17/2018 at 4:22 AM, ceterisparibus9 said:

Hello! 

I just received my official admit letter from OSU in the epidemiology program and I am stoked to hear more about Corvallis (and the news of course!). I hope to possibly visit this spring, but am not sure if I can afford it all the way from Mississippi 

Anyway, I wanted to accomplish 3 things with this post, so that if I could not get out before decision deadline I could:

1) Re-liven the thread in hopes that anyone in my position can connect as a community to discuss things.

2) Know what the downtown scene is like? Is there any kind of bar/brewery/pub scene that young people frequent outside fraternity parties? I've lived in smallish towns and don't necessarily fear that-- I can mostly be happy with bikeable/walkable landscapes, good coffee, and the occasional nights out. 

3) See what the transportation scene is like, following from my last questions. I would definitely be junking my volvo on the move out there, so I am hoping the transit is effective and somewhat trustworthy/safe? I don't mind paying extra to live closer to downtown and just biking as well (as that seems mostly embraced on the admissions site). 

 

Thanks! Let me know if any of this is unclear, or certainly if anyone else has heard back from OSU recently as well!

Downtown: it is fairly small, like Corvallis in general. It does have great options for breweries (McMenamins, Block15, etc) and some really nice little holes in the wall. I would say most of the area is actually more friendly towards the non-frat life, at least it was when I visited my family growing up and when I went to undergrad there (2011-2015). If you're good with what you listed, Corvallis will be a good fit for you. It's boring to some people, but I found it pretty cozy, with quiet little places for me to drink beer with friends. I recommend McMenamins on 3rd (not Monroe, too loud there), and Block15 for breweries. The "night out" place used to be Peacock, but I think I heard through the grapevine that it burned down a couple years back...

Transportation: Bus system is free. Yes, you will meet an unfortunate amount of uncared for homeless/mentally ill people, but I never felt unsafe as a teenager taking the bus system. It is also an incredibly bike friendly city (it used to win national awards for this), and I did both throughout undergrad. Since Corvallis is pretty damn small, you can also walk many places. It's very relaxed and people are generally more conscientious of bikers/peds than in many parts of the U.S. 

If you have anymore questions, I can try to help answer them- I loved Corvallis!

[lambda]

8 hours ago, marisawhy said:

Hopping on this thread for similar advice as previous posters--I really like the program I've been accepted to at OSU but I have nooooo idea what housing or cost of living is like in Corvallis. I would really like to live alone, but I'm not sure how I will do on my stipend. Does anyone have apartment complexes they could recommend to help me start my search?

A fairly popular, mid-cheap range apartment complex close to campus is Campus Villa. I lived there for a year, and many of my friends did. The landlord can sometimes be a bit much, but if you follow the rules then you shouldn't have an issue. Corvallis is a mix of cheap and expensive housing options. North Corvallis will usually be more townhouse style, which can be cheaper if you find others to live with. However, it is a bit ambitious (though I know people who did) to bike constantly to campus from that far due to the rain throughout most of the year. The bus system runs through North Corvallis as well.

Campus Villa is on the edge of South Corvallis, which is often cheaper, but is a bit less ped friendly and less active community wise, IMO. 

[lambda]

On 3/5/2018 at 11:13 PM, (m)academia_nut said:

Hey everyone!  I'll be moving to Corvallis for the fall term and am glad to see this thread re-awakened.  If anyone has any insights on the following, they'd be much appreciated. : )

1.)  I've heard rumors of a slight housing crunch in Corvallis.  Is this true?  Should I be looking for apartments in neighboring towns like Lebanon or Albany?

2.)  Would it be worth it to get a car?

3.)  Any thoughts of the general safety of the campus/area?  (at night, certain neighborhoods, etc etc...)

 

Thanks in advance! 

1) Not sure if that's totally true, but there is always talk of running out of housing options in Corvallis, as it was never meant for as many students as OSU has, IMO. Living in Albany or Leb is fine, and seems pretty close, but you'd be surprised how disconnected and far away you feel from Corvallis, even though it's only 10 miles away. Corvallis is pretty small, and the OSU culture is very concentrated in Corvallis itself. I would personally feel very isolated if I lived that far away from Corvallis, as someone who went to undergrad there.

2) Depends on where you live. Corvallis has free, relatively reliable public bus system and an extremely bike/ped friendly road system. If you live in town you genuinely do not need a car as long as you're alright with a bit of physical exercise.

3) Since around when I went to college, there has been an increase in sex crimes, I believe (I should really see if this is statistically true). When I went to college there, we had a few people breaking into girls' houses, etc. Overall, though, Corvallis is an extremely safe town (and was marketed to us that way for undergrad), which is why the aforementioned crimes seemed so extreme. It has normal city crime and college campus crime, but it is a very safe town IMO.

[lambda]

On 2/27/2018 at 3:28 AM, geologyninja13 said:

Hi @ceterisparibus9

Welcome! If you're in good shape nowhere in town is more then a 20 minute bike ride from anywhere else. I'll second Halek, the bus system is OK (but honestly, great for a small town) but runs on the hour and if one bus goes off schedule the entire system starts running late. Good for groceries and general commuting, not great if you urgently need to make a meeting. Downtown can be pretty happening if you keep up with the town's schedule of events, and has a good variety of food and pubs. In addition to being a college town Corvallis is also a retiree town so the tone is a bit classier than you might expect. Grad students gravitate to Squirrels Pub, but Block 15, Sky High Brewing are also local brewpubs. Decent variety of ethnic, american, and "hippy" dining options. I just went to a world-class folk band concert at the Whiteside theater last night, the Majestic theater downtown has plays and performances, and the Darkside Indie cinema usually has a lot going on. Downtown also has three great independent bookstores.

Would second this post!

[marisawhy]

It's me again! I've accepted my offer from OSU and have also accepted the necessity of a roommate. I'm lurking on the facebook groups right now, and will soon be added to a group for my cohort that I'm told is a good place to start looking. I definitely want to start there because I'd prefer to live with other grad students. Are there other places I should be searching? I know people use Craigslist but I never have and am... wary.

[I_mix]

@marisawhy

If you want to find housing, another option is looking on the CGE (Oregon state) housing forum. There is an associated facebook page where people who are looking for housing or roommates post. 
 

 

[mmmmcoffee]

Hi everyone! I've been reading through this thread and thought I'd put a post out there. I've decided to attend Oregon State starting fall term (even though it's the only program I didn't get a chance to visit due to work and the pandemic) and I'm so excited to move out west! I've lived in smaller cities so I'm not really worried about being bored at all - I'm happy with a few coffee shops, breweries or pubs, and maybe some shopping options, but driving 30 minutes for a Target is normal to me.

That brings me to my question: if you live in Corvallis, what are your favorite local haunts? I'm planning on road-tripping for my move across the country in early July (or maybe even earlier if I can find a job; my job got dissolved when schools closed) to get to know the area and have time to visit places I haven't been before! Anyways, I'd appreciate some suggestions for places I should definitely see in Corvallis (or the surrounding area) and also where I should take my parents to dinner when they come visit! Thanks!

If you're also attending Fall 2020, feel free to pm me! I'd love to get to know some students regardless of grad program - maybe we can all meet for drinks before fall term!

[rurality]

On 3/22/2020 at 10:04 AM, mmmmcoffee said:

Hi everyone! I've been reading through this thread and thought I'd put a post out there. I've decided to attend Oregon State starting fall term (even though it's the only program I didn't get a chance to visit due to work and the pandemic) and I'm so excited to move out west! I've lived in smaller cities so I'm not really worried about being bored at all - I'm happy with a few coffee shops, breweries or pubs, and maybe some shopping options, but driving 30 minutes for a Target is normal to me.

That brings me to my question: if you live in Corvallis, what are your favorite local haunts? I'm planning on road-tripping for my move across the country in early July (or maybe even earlier if I can find a job; my job got dissolved when schools closed) to get to know the area and have time to visit places I haven't been before! Anyways, I'd appreciate some suggestions for places I should definitely see in Corvallis (or the surrounding area) and also where I should take my parents to dinner when they come visit! Thanks!

If you're also attending Fall 2020, feel free to pm me! I'd love to get to know some students regardless of grad program - maybe we can all meet for drinks before fall term!

Hey! 

I am hopefully attending Oregon State in the fall as well! I'll let you know if that's where I officially settle on. I was also not able to visit the program due to work and the pandemic but I was able to visit the campus on my own. My boss lived in Corvallis for many years and recommended some foodie places to me that I enjoyed and thought I'd pass on to you. 

-McMenamins Pub   

- American Dream Pizza 

- If you don't have a dutch bros near you, you should definitely check that out. 

Obviously not very many suggestions, and none of them experiential, but thought I'd give them just the same. If you want to make the ~1.5 hour trip to Portland here's some fun things to do: 

- VooDoo Doughnuts or Blue Star Doughnuts 

-Seeing a Thorns game at Providence Park

- Walk or drive down Mississippi Ave for plenty of local shops and eateries 

- Powell's City of Books (a huge, multi-story bookshop)

- Salt and Straw Ice Cream 

 

Hope this helps! Maybe see you in the fall! 

    

[mmmmcoffee]

On 4/6/2020 at 3:33 PM, rurality said:

Hey! 

I am hopefully attending Oregon State in the fall as well! I'll let you know if that's where I officially settle on. I was also not able to visit the program due to work and the pandemic but I was able to visit the campus on my own. My boss lived in Corvallis for many years and recommended some foodie places to me that I enjoyed and thought I'd pass on to you. 

-McMenamins Pub   

- American Dream Pizza 

- If you don't have a dutch bros near you, you should definitely check that out. 

Obviously not very many suggestions, and none of them experiential, but thought I'd give them just the same. If you want to make the ~1.5 hour trip to Portland here's some fun things to do: 

- VooDoo Doughnuts or Blue Star Doughnuts 

-Seeing a Thorns game at Providence Park

- Walk or drive down Mississippi Ave for plenty of local shops and eateries 

- Powell's City of Books (a huge, multi-story bookshop)

- Salt and Straw Ice Cream 

 

Hope this helps! Maybe see you in the fall! 

    

this is awesome! thank you so much! I see we'd likely be in the same program too so let me know if you decide on OSU! 

[PaulMo]

Anyone have any advice on a good part of town to live in? I was just accepted to OSU so I'll be at least moving down to Corvallis in anticipation for fall quarter 2021.

I'm a little afraid that it might be difficult to find housing considering how small the town is compared to the campus.