A Different Kind of Civil War

As a recent Oregon State University transplant, I see everything through orange-and-black colored glasses. After spending three years in Corvallis, I can’t help but compare my time in Eugene to my experiences at OSU. Although I’m not going to the extremes of keeping a pro and con list, I have to admit that I weigh one town against the other, finding differences and evaluating how I feel about them.

One thing about the University of Oregon that I like better than OSU is the Duck Store. It’s located in a convenient place on campus, its outward appearance is eye-catching and its contents are both diverse and useful. I always felt that OSU’s bookstore left something to be desired with its middle-of-campus location and its drab setup.

While Eugene wins the campus bookstore contest, Corvallis definitely wins for best downtown. It offers a gorgeous riverside park with a spacious bike path, an ample variety of restaurants, from bars to burger places to elite seafood palaces, and a comfortable atmosphere with plenty of families and college students alike.

Eugene’s downtown seems inaccessible and unappealing by comparison. For one thing, it’s much larger and sprawled out than Corvallis’ downtown, which occupies about five streets. There seems to be no focus, no highlighted streets with popular attractions. As a newcomer, I find it difficult to tell which parts of downtown are meant to be appealing and which are purely business.

The entire place struck me as highly urban with lots of concrete and metal. Corvallis streets explode with colorful blooms from spring to fall, but on my walk through Eugene’s downtown, none of the flowers popped out at me. It seemed to be far removed from nature, a theme that is unusual in a city like Eugene.

Since we visited downtown in the morning, my impression was perhaps skewed, but there seemed to be a significant lack of people present. Besides the abundance of homeless people, I didn’t see many people shopping or eating in restaurants, something that tends to give an area a comfortable feeling. Admittedly, it was earlier in the morning, but I would still expect more people to be out for breakfast or shopping on a Friday.

Basically, Eugene’s downtown makes a bad first impression. I didn’t see any shops or restaurants that made me want to remember them for later.

But maybe it’s unfair to judge downtown Eugene on a few, brief visits. My perception of downtown Corvallis comes from years of checking out restaurants, exploring parks and visiting intriguing little shops that can't be found anywhere else. I can see the potential in downtown Eugene, with its edgy art, multitude of sculptures and hodge-podge restaurants. After all, Saturday Market already holds a great deal of fame and appeal, and it’s located in downtown Eugene.

Ultimately, while I am willing to give Eugene’s downtown a second chance, I didn’t click with its atmosphere and I still remain loyal to my first love of Corvallis, home of Science Pub, Block 15 and Peak Sports. Although the Ducks may reign supreme when it comes to football, perhaps Eugene has a thing or two to learn from Corvallis, after all.

Downtown Eugene is located off of Exit 194B on Interstate-5. For more information, visit downtown Eugene's website.