Station/Boat Location~
CG Sector Columbia River (DH at Airsta branch)
Date there~
Dec '09-present (scheduled to transfer '13)
Weather~
Personally least favorite thing about the area. Winter is a steady cold and damp at 40s and 50s, and then it only starts to get warmer near June. Summer arrives in late July and stays til early August, bringing temps that might hit 70s, but often do not. When they do, expect the winds to pick up, cooling down any added heat. I think the toughest thing is that it is overcast a lot, and it can make you start to feel quite socked in.
Military facilities~
Exchange, gym, basketball court, baseball field, morale has parking lot for your travel trailers and boats
Medical~
On base is AD only, Dependents see civilian docs and dentists. I saw Dr. Ashley at Columbia Medical, my kids saw Dr. McPherson as their pediatrician. My dentist was Dr. Bletcher in Warrenton and my kids went to World of Smiles in Beaverton (Portland suburb on the West side).
Housing~
Nice Housing in Astoria, Enlisted only. Economy rentals are hit or miss. You can find some real dumps, but on the other hand you can find newly built, pretty places as well. If you utilize your CG community, there were always plenty of contacts in the Astoria CG community who were willing to check places out for you. My favorite neighborhood area around here was Surf Pines in Gearhart (about 15-20 min S of Sector). We lived in Seaside, just a short walk from the beach. If you look diligently, you can find a cute little beach cottage to rent while you live here. Some very idyllic houses by the ocean.
Shopping~
Safeway, Fred Meyer, Costco, Joanne's Fabrics, Dollar Store, Cash n Carry, Home Depot, Petco, Big 5, Ross, JC Penney, and Warrenton is growing and supposed to be getting a Walmart. Outlet stores in Seaside, including Nike, Bass, Eddie Bauer, Carter's Osh Kosh, Kitchen Collection. Seaside is just 1 hr 15 min from Hillsboro with lots of great shopping there (Target, Trader Joe's, Macy's Pier 1, REI, Gap, Victoria's Secret, PacSun, Hollister, basically anything you could ask for). I do wish we had better choices here, so we didn't have to drive so far.
Child Care/Schools~
Quite a few choices for preschools. In our time here, my kid(s) went to Astor Elementary, Seaside Heights Elementary and Broadway Middle School. Not the worst schools, but not the best. One private school available: North Coast Christian School in Hammond.
Adult Schools~
Clatsop Community College in Astoria. I have been going there and finally got into the nursing program. It is a tough program to get into! Otherwise, online options are your other choice.
Fun Activities~
Camping and hiking galore. Lots of fishing, crabbing, biking, watercraft, beaches, and running is all the rage in Oregon. In Astoria: Maritime Museum, Column, Trolley, Riverwalk, lots of great little coffeehouses and cafes. Seaside is a typical little coastal town with attractions, gift shops, seafood joints, etc. The Promenade is very popular. People like to ride bikes, surreys, etc throughout town in the summer. Beach combing for sand dollars, clam digging, whale watching, kite flying. Lots of nice parks in Astoria and Seaside. In Portland (90 min away), there is OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry), Portland Zoo, Portland Children's Museum, lots of festivals and concerts, etc. About 3 hours away is the not-to-be-missed Columbia Gorge.
Additional Info~
Seaside is a very fun place to live in the summer, always something going on, but gets bit packed with tourists at times. (Typical for a beach town on the Oregon Coast.) Overall the north coast of Oregon can be a nice place to live if you can survive October-June, because the weather is kind of crappy often then. Staying busy and always finding the good in the area helps. The good news is that the weather pattern is localized to the coast, and you can always travel to the valley to find all seasons throughout the year. Also, Oregon is a very beautiful place, always something new to see. While we are here we have seen so much, and done a lot of camping, hiking, etc. There is nothing like stopping at one of the scenic overlooks on the Oregon Coast cliffs and staring into the horizon, ocean as far as the eye can see.
Homeport OR
CG Sector Columbia River (DH at Airsta branch)
Date there~
Dec '09-present (scheduled to transfer '13)
Weather~
Personally least favorite thing about the area. Winter is a steady cold and damp at 40s and 50s, and then it only starts to get warmer near June. Summer arrives in late July and stays til early August, bringing temps that might hit 70s, but often do not. When they do, expect the winds to pick up, cooling down any added heat. I think the toughest thing is that it is overcast a lot, and it can make you start to feel quite socked in.
Military facilities~
Exchange, gym, basketball court, baseball field, morale has parking lot for your travel trailers and boats
Medical~
On base is AD only, Dependents see civilian docs and dentists. I saw Dr. Ashley at Columbia Medical, my kids saw Dr. McPherson as their pediatrician. My dentist was Dr. Bletcher in Warrenton and my kids went to World of Smiles in Beaverton (Portland suburb on the West side).
Housing~
Nice Housing in Astoria, Enlisted only. Economy rentals are hit or miss. You can find some real dumps, but on the other hand you can find newly built, pretty places as well. If you utilize your CG community, there were always plenty of contacts in the Astoria CG community who were willing to check places out for you. My favorite neighborhood area around here was Surf Pines in Gearhart (about 15-20 min S of Sector). We lived in Seaside, just a short walk from the beach. If you look diligently, you can find a cute little beach cottage to rent while you live here. Some very idyllic houses by the ocean.
Shopping~
Safeway, Fred Meyer, Costco, Joanne's Fabrics, Dollar Store, Cash n Carry, Home Depot, Petco, Big 5, Ross, JC Penney, and Warrenton is growing and supposed to be getting a Walmart. Outlet stores in Seaside, including Nike, Bass, Eddie Bauer, Carter's Osh Kosh, Kitchen Collection. Seaside is just 1 hr 15 min from Hillsboro with lots of great shopping there (Target, Trader Joe's, Macy's Pier 1, REI, Gap, Victoria's Secret, PacSun, Hollister, basically anything you could ask for). I do wish we had better choices here, so we didn't have to drive so far.
Child Care/Schools~
Quite a few choices for preschools. In our time here, my kid(s) went to Astor Elementary, Seaside Heights Elementary and Broadway Middle School. Not the worst schools, but not the best. One private school available: North Coast Christian School in Hammond.
Adult Schools~
Clatsop Community College in Astoria. I have been going there and finally got into the nursing program. It is a tough program to get into! Otherwise, online options are your other choice.
Fun Activities~
Camping and hiking galore. Lots of fishing, crabbing, biking, watercraft, beaches, and running is all the rage in Oregon. In Astoria: Maritime Museum, Column, Trolley, Riverwalk, lots of great little coffeehouses and cafes. Seaside is a typical little coastal town with attractions, gift shops, seafood joints, etc. The Promenade is very popular. People like to ride bikes, surreys, etc throughout town in the summer. Beach combing for sand dollars, clam digging, whale watching, kite flying. Lots of nice parks in Astoria and Seaside. In Portland (90 min away), there is OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry), Portland Zoo, Portland Children's Museum, lots of festivals and concerts, etc. About 3 hours away is the not-to-be-missed Columbia Gorge.
Additional Info~
Seaside is a very fun place to live in the summer, always something going on, but gets bit packed with tourists at times. (Typical for a beach town on the Oregon Coast.) Overall the north coast of Oregon can be a nice place to live if you can survive October-June, because the weather is kind of crappy often then. Staying busy and always finding the good in the area helps. The good news is that the weather pattern is localized to the coast, and you can always travel to the valley to find all seasons throughout the year. Also, Oregon is a very beautiful place, always something new to see. While we are here we have seen so much, and done a lot of camping, hiking, etc. There is nothing like stopping at one of the scenic overlooks on the Oregon Coast cliffs and staring into the horizon, ocean as far as the eye can see.
Homeport OR
