1) People in Ashland swallow their E’s or pronounce them as I’s, especially in the middle of a word. “My name’s Ginny,” I thought my daughter’s friend’s mom said, and that’s what I called her. When the class list came out I realized her name was actually Jenny. “I’m ’Mree” a man told me. I had to ask him his name three times until I finally got that it was Em-er-y.
2) People in Ashland are friendly, even the teenagers (who strike outsiders as decidedly lacking in dysfunction and existential angst). Passersby make eye contact and give you a half smile. Not a full smile, mind you, and usually no hello (that would be taking things too far).
3) There’s a bias against Californians among people in Ashland. The real estate market in California is much more robust than in Ashland. Rumor has it Californians sell their Bay Area 2-bedroom bungalow for $800,000 to buy a palace in Ashland with money to spare. There’s a sense—whether real or perceived—that Californians artificially inflate the housing market.
4) Ashland has a surfeit of both hybrids and SUVs. I’ve never seen so many of both coexist in one place. Whatever car being driven, a cell phone to the ear is the requisite accessory, despite the law against it.
5) We have mountain lions, and bears. When my kids run ahead of me on the paths in Lithia Park, I imagine they would taste sweet and juicy in the jaws of a mountain lion. Ask anyone in Ashland and he’s likely to tell you a really good story about a near-death experience with a four-legged beast.
6) The Shakespeare Festival is misnamed. We’re well known for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival but the best plays are often the more contemporary ones. (OSF puts on fabulous plays but I’ve been consistently disappointed by the Shakespeare.) The “Festival” lasts nine months, which makes it on-going theater in my playbill.
7) Ashland is paradise on earth, especially if you leave often. Four seasons, a university (albeit a modest one), friendly folks (see #2), lots of parks, a ski mountain 25 minutes away, manzanita-lined hikes, a Science Center, outdoor adventures, a fantastic food Co-op, access to Crater Lake and other breathtaking natural beauty. What more could you want? Well, a love life for one. My girlfriends in their 20s and 30s find it hard to find eligible men under, say, 85. (We have a large retirement community.) The other secret to happiness in our small city is to travel away from it. Just drinking the tap water in Chicago made me convinced we picked the right place to raise our kids.
I’d love to know what you like (or hate) about Ashland or seven things about your town if you live somewhere else! Caveat: The baby and I are getting on a plane on Monday and will be out of the country for two weeks and I’m not sure I know how to approve comments from afar. If you’ve commented before, that won’t be a problem. If you’re new here, have patience, your thoughts will show up eventually.
Related posts:
Snowshoeing at Crater Lake
Scenes from the Halloween parade in Ashland, Oregon
Best Coffee in Ashland
Published: September 2, 2011
Updated: January 13, 2020
Rachel says
Great list! Just wanted to add that the ideal Ashland car is a green Subaru Forester and that whatever bias there is against California, most people here came from the Bay Area within the last 10 years.
Kris @ Attainable Sustainable says
What’s the one thing you’d recommend a visitor to Ashland see? We’ll be there with limited time one day next month, but want to see a bit of the town. Spill!
I live in a tiny town called Honoka‘a. Let’s see if I can tell you seven things.
1. We have an awesome theater that dates to 1930 and still has much of its original decor.
2. People greet each other with “Good morning” – or not at all. “Hi” and “hello” are not generally used.
3. Walk past the high school at certain times of day and you’re likely to hear Hawaiian chanting.
4. On a clear day, you can see Maui across 30 miles of ocean.
5. You can pick up anthurium flowers, protea, and fresh fruit at a roadside stand. Some is locally grown, some is not.
6.The air smells lovely, courtesy of the plumeria, ginger, and jasmine.
7. It’s not uncommon to see people of all ages walking down the street carrying an instrument. Most often it’s an ‘ukulele.
Jennifer Margulis says
Just one thing?! I’d say go to the Plaza, sample the Lithia Water, and then take a nice long stroll through Lithia Park, which will be beautiful that time of year. Don’t miss the Japanese Garden in the park. When you start to lag, walk to the up and coming Railroad District for the best cup of coffee you may ever have at Noble Coffee Roasters. Then window shop on Main Street. We have a great travel store, indie bookstore, and lots of charming, quirky shops.
Carolyn says
I’ve never been to Oregon but here are 5 things about Austin, Texas:
1. Austinites pronounce things oddly too e.g. they say Guadaloop instead of Guadalupay, just because they can.
2. Austinites also hate Californians. We’re suspicious of their west coast mentality and their west coast money. It’s nice to have a common enemy.
3. You can find both crunchy and cowboy boots in the same line at the supermarket.
4. We have a naked guy who rides about on his bike. The scandal of it divides our community into those who are crunchy vs those who are cowboy booted.
5. It is so hot here that you might wish you were in Oregon, even if you’ve never been there before. Luckily, the heat breaks and the city becomes both verdant and splendid just before the moving guys arrive.
With the exception of the weather, it sounds as if Austin and Ashland have a great deal in common.
Natalie says
I saw someone refer to that naked guy recently, and refer to him as a celebrity, and was confused. Now it makes more sense.
Natalie says
Well, we don’t know what other people do or don’t know about our city, so we’ll just write some things we like about Portland, OR, our hometown.
1. There’s a volcano a mile from our house – Mt. Tabor, which is also a lovely park.
2. We really do have the BEST farmers market in the country. Everyone says so, and we agree.
3. Speaking of food, man, there’s a lot of good food in this town.
4. There are also more breweries per capita than any other city (not positive, but think that’s true). And not crappy ones, good ones.
5. It rains a lot. We like the rain. We wish it rained more. Seriously.
6. Everyone likes pets here. Dogs everywhere. Chickens everywhere. Goats, cats, you name it. We’re wondering if we could fit a Jersey cow in the back yard.
7. You can take a 30 mile hike in the forest without leaving the city limits.
Well, there you have it. That’s what we think of Portland.
Mike and Natalie
sarah henry says
As a Northern California dweller I gotta tell ya we’re well aware of #3.
Just know that not all of us are selling $800K homes and buying mini-mansions in Ashland.
caitlin flom says
I realize this post was from years ago, but I’m considering relocating my family to Ashland from The Bay Area. Seeking a slower pace and more nature. One question: how do people make a living in Ashland?
I am a psychotherapist and my husband is a senior software engineer. Thanks!
Jennifer Margulis, Ph.D. says
Hey Caitlin, thanks for stopping by. Ashland is wonderful. There is definitely more nature and a slower pace of life. There’s also a lot less diversity than in the Bay Area. I was just talking to a neighbor who relocated from Minneapolis and she’s really noticing how white it is here. Just so you are aware. Luckily there are lots of neurotic people here in need of therapy. That is probably a good profession to be in for this town. Also there is a need for software engineers, I suspect. A friend used to work for Plexus and had a great experience there, you may want to check them out. How do people make a living? The Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Southern Oregon University, the cannabis industry, and businesses that cater to the tourism industry employ a lot of people. In our circle of friends we know restaurant owners; business consultants (who live here but work remotely or travel for work); SOU professors, elementary, middle school, and high school teachers; dance instructors; folks who are independently wealthy and don’t need to work; massage therapists; doctors; chiropractors; folks who work for non-profits (there are lots here); and more. You may want to check out WinterSpring and your husband may want to check out True South Solar (solar panels are a thriving business around here.) Hope this helps!