Celebrate Eugene In many cities, civic leaders are great boosters of their towns, but in Eugene it's too often the opposite. Former Mayor Jim Torrey bashed Eugene in the national press as the "anarchist capital of the world," the Eugene Chamber of Commerce is constantly complaining publicly about the town's supposedly "anti-business reputation," The Register-Guard regularly publishes moaning "only in Eugene" articles and editorials, a former police chief knocked the town as too tolerant and local cops and prosecutors hype the crime rate to push for tax increases. While most of the nattering nabobbing of negativity comes from the right lamenting the town's progressive politics, we'll admit too that we often focus on muck and rake the city for its failings. But in the contrarian spirit of the alternative press, we'd like to do something different this time. Recognizing that most cities have it much worse, this is our positive issue where we celebrate and list the many good things about Eugene's high quality of life. Activists Mother Jones ranked the UO number one for the most politically active student body in the nation. While other cities struggle with apathy, citizens here care deeply about their community, their nation and the environment and regularly pack protests to make their voices heard. Safe Eugene has a relatively low violent crime rate that's falling still lower, according to FBI data. Out of 398 of the nation's largest law enforcement agencies, Eugene ranked 280th for violent crime. Eugene's violent crime rate is about the same as Fort Collins, Colo., but way better than Salem's 187th or Portland's 109th ranking. In the last decade Eugene's violent crime rate has fallen 54 percent. Volunteers The UO is one of the top schools in the country for inspiring Peace Corps volunteers. Eugene has hundreds of former Peace Corps volunteers including Mayor Kitty Piercy, who served in Africa. The wider volunteer spirit here has helped create a host of non-profit groups working to make Eugene and the world a better place. Quality of Quirk Chances are, somebody you know in Eugene enjoys squid for Christmas dinner, thumps a washtub bass in a jug band, dresses up as a lizard for Halloween, collects photos of sneakers thrown over power lines, practices obscure and maybe dangerous forms of massage therapy, designs war games for military training, talks incessantly about composting freeze-dried human remains, conspires to end civilization as we know it, blogs about conspiracies that are probably true, wears unusual items beneath his or her clothing, becomes a hippy once a year, etc. Every town has its quirky folks, but Eugeneans defy any attempt to define the word "normal." Some cities have begun sprouting "Keep it Weird" bumper stickers to fight off encroaching gentrification. Eugene doesn't have to worry as much; we're naturally weird. Trees Eugene has one of the best urban forests in the nation, with ancient trees making towering green cathedrals out of many downtown streets. At the UO there are 4,000 trees in 537 species, including one giant sequoia that's reached a circumference of 24 feet. Blue jean Eugene Relax; in Eugene no one notices shorts and sandals at government and business meetings, and tie-dyes are more common than neck ties. Sea and Mountains Eugene is happily nestled a short drive from some of the most spectacular mountains and coastline in the nation. Tourists travel thousands of miles to see what's just a short drive from our doorstep. Rivers There aren't many towns where you can step into a wild-looking river on your lunch break and snag a steelhead on your fly line, shoot the rapids in your kayak or watch osprey and heron eat lunch with you as you drift in a canoe. Weather Of course it rains a lot here in the winter, but you can't beat the dry, low humidity summers. And while other cities shovel snow in winter, throw salt and burn expensive oil to keep warm, our precipitation makes rainbows, gorgeous waterfalls and cheap hydropower. Skiing If you do want snow, some of the nation's best downhill, snowboarding and cross country skiing areas are only a short drive into the Cascades. Slug Queens While Portland has a demeaning beauty contest for a Rose Queen, Eugene has slug queens. Sure they're slimier, but it's a much more entertaining and healthy tradition. Garden of Eatin' Things grow really well here, year round. So well that one can almost subsist off the land with a modest garden, neighbors leaving three-foot zucchinis on your doorstep, and blackberries, plums and apples hanging over sidewalks and down alleys all over town. For shoppers, there's a wide variety of fresh organic food from local farms in one of the most productive agricultural areas around. Local farms even deliver fresh produce boxes to community-supported agriculture "subscribers." University Town Eugene wouldn't be Eugene without the UO. The campus, with 20,000 students and 4,000 employees, adds a huge amount of diversity, culture, books, intelligence, and liberal thought, not to mention economic oomph, to this small city. Short Commutes While many people in the U.S. spend an hour or more driving to work through traffic, Eugene's average commute is about 17 minutes, a third shorter than the national average. Butte-i-ful. It's hard to imagine a much better natural setting for a city — green buttes to the north and south and a clear river cascading through. Public Utility While Portland and other cities have to fight for a public utility, EWEB has been serving customers rather than corporate profits for almost 100 years. The power is cheaper than most cities and the water tastes better. Recycling In many places, you still have to pay extra for recycling if it's available at all, but in Eugene it comes with garbage service and its own separate curbside bin. There's even another bin for yard composting. The city estimates that 90 percent of its households recycle. Wildlife In Eugene you can see osprey, heron, geese, wild turkeys and Bambi eating your neighbor's flowers, all on your way to work. At night, your backyard becomes a romping ground for raccoons and opossum. Creative Class Eugene's quality of life, tolerance and cultural and environmental amenities put Eugene on the cutting edge of the latest trend in economic development — prospering not through industrial tax breaks and subsidies, but from attracting the talented, creative class that will make the jobs of tomorrow. Friendly In Eugene people smile and chat and stop their cars to wave other people through. Here, people road rage about building a freeway through wetlands, not at each other. Music and Theater Eugene has the Hult Center, the Cuthbert, Shakespeare in the parks, the Shedd, Lord Leebrick, Willamette Rep, Very Little Theater, Actors Cabaret, WOW Hall, McDonald Theatre and a host of smaller neighborhood venues, like Sam Bond's Garage, for live music and performance. Bumper Snickers Auto adornments in Eugene are far superior in wit and wisdom to just about any town in America. Festivals With the Oregon Country Fair, Art in the Vineyard, Bach Festival, Oregon Festival of American Music, Fiesta Latina and a host of other festies, there's a lot to do in Eugene. Every week in summer the Saturday Market, the oldest such fair in the country, hosts a free and colorful craft, food and music festival downtown. Neighborhoods Forget the malls and commercial strips; the best place to be in Eugene is the city's neighborhoods, with their friendly corner markets, sociable, caring people and tree and garden-lined sidewalks. Slackers In New York people are obsessed with money. In Washington, D.C., the obsession is power. But in Eugene people at a party are more likely to drop boasts of the great camping trips they had than of their powerful, high-paid jobs. Kids With all the good schools, parks and playgrounds, relatively low crime and kid-friendly people, Eugene's a great place to raise a family. Eugene 4J test scores significantly beat state averages. The school district has ranked as one of the best in the nation, and South Eugene has ranked as one of America's best high schools. Tolerance Eugene's tolerance has attracted one of the largest populations of lesbians for a small city in the nation, a growing minority population, multi-racial families and a host of diverse people who have made the town more vibrant and interesting. Cheaper Living Without a need for power suits and gas for long commutes and with food and housing relatively cheaper here and no regressive sales tax, it's still possible to live more and work less in Eugene. Property values in Eugene still lag behind Portland, Bend and southern Oregon. Socialism People in Eugene actually believe in government helping people and, unlike other curmudgeonly towns, regularly pass higher taxes to make the community a better place. Bakeries Great bakeries are at the building blocks of great cities, and out of Eugene's yeasty mix a wide variety of tasty breads and pastries has risen. Stuck in the 1960s A lot of guidebooks will tell you this about Eugene. The town's a lot more complicated and interesting than that, but what's wrong with the 1960s? It would be a lot worse to be stuck in the intolerant 1950s or greedy 1980s than in the time of love, tolerance, civil rights and environmental awareness. Growth Boundaries While much of the nation is a wasteland of urban sprawl, Eugene has an urban growth boundary to try and hold back the unlivability. Parks From rivers to ridges to wetlands, Eugene has one of the best urban park systems in the nation. Hendricks Park, Spencer and Skinner's Buttes, the West Eugene Wetlands and Alton Baker are just some of the gems in the 3,000-acre and growing park system. Green City This year The Green Guide named Eugene as the top green city in America. Eugene beat 251 other cities in 12 areas including environmental policy, air and water quality and transportation. Far more than most cities, Eugene's government is green, using 100 percent recycled double-sided paper, many hybrid and biodiesel vehicles, green building and even soy-based fire foam. Art From Saturday Market vendors to the host of commercial galleries on a monthly art walk to the Jacobs and Schnitzer galleries and the shiny architecture of the new federal courthouse, Eugene has a lot to look at. Bicycling With the riverfront path loop and 30 miles of off-street trails and more bike bridges than car bridges, it's no wonder Eugene regularly ranks as one of the best cities in the nation for bicycling. Eugene has twice as many bike commuters per capita as Portland, making the city that much more healthy, fun, clean and livable. Animal Rights & Wrongs Eugene is passionate about all animals, and even welcomes invasive species such as nutria; however, recipes for nutria chili have been known to circulate. We are also passionate about controlling invasive plant species, such as ivy and blackberries. Accessible When a distant architect and federal officials thought they could build a new courthouse without a ramp here, they learned a lesson. Eugene cares about helping people with disabilities and ranked among the top 10 cities in recent Accessible America awards. Ducks There are thousands of people here who will spend hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars watching ducks fight. Sports Illustrated recently named Eugene as one of the best places in the nation to be a college sports fan. While other teams have a vicious dog or other predator as a mascot, friendly Eugene has a Disney duck. Running We got Pre's trail, the Amazon trail, Hayward Field and the Olympic trials coming. Eugene has been named one of the nation's top running cities by Runner's World. For the slower of us, it's a great place to walk too. The American Podiatric Medical Association ranked Eugene as one of the nation's top cities for walking. Incubator A lot of big things have come out of Eugene. Nike had its roots here. So did one of the state's leading environmental groups, the Oregon Natural Resources Council. Eugene's Relief Nursery is emulated around the nation now. Politics With the town nearly split between progressives and conservatives, Eugene makes for some interesting politics. While other cities are lucky to get a few yawning spectators at public meetings, Eugene regularly packs the council chambers with high spirited citizens. Eugene is a fascinating laboratory in clashing cultures and values. Still hanging onto power are the timber barons, developers and backers of polluting industries, but they are being challenged daily by new voices critical of sprawl and the trashing of air and water. Old Volkswagens Eugene loves its old VWs, which provide regular opportunities for exercise and making new friends when they break down or won't start. If VW bus-pushing ever becomes an Olympic sport, it will have started in Eugene. Small As a small city, people in Eugene don't spend much time waiting in line or lost in crowds. Eugene's a little pond, and it's still a place where one person with some healthy determination can make a big difference. Clean The air and water here are a lot cleaner than in most cities. The American Lung Association recently ranked Eugene as one of the least polluted cities in the nation. Overqualified Workers Not everyone considers this a positive attribute, but Eugene has more than its share of highly educated and sophisticated people drawn here by the university, the culture and the vibrant intellectual and environmental climate. Your local car salesman might have a law degree. The fellow selling you house paint might be a master's degree student. The woman waiting your table might be a respected author with a doctorate in sociology. Your laid-back landlord might be an expert on early African art. You who are reading this might be making three times as much money in Los Angeles, but then you'd have to live there and not here.
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