A Postcard from Oregon’s Bay Area: Charleston, Coos Bay and North Bend
After settling into our vacation home near the Estuary, we used our binoculars to watch the elk grazing on protected land. Soon we’ll head down to the harbor for fresh salmon, and then a walk on the beach at sunset. Easy living here in Charleston. Come visit.

About Charleston, Coos Bay and North Bend, Oregon
It’s unusual to write about three distinct towns as if they were one, but the so-called “Bay Area” of Oregon is unusual. Within a small coastal area, three distinct towns grew out of a single root, like branches of a tree, so it would be odd to describe only one branch or town, ignoring the strong foundation underlying all three. The foundation of all the towns springs from the natural resources in the area—the harvest of the oceans and the timber of the woodlands. The combination of commercial fishing and timber mills created the economy of the towns as far back as mid-1800’s. As the industries gave way to the modern era, the same natural resources created a new wealth in parkland and preserves attracting tourists and retirees in increasing numbers.

Today Charleston, Coos Bay and North Bend are ideal places for people seeking a vacation home or a second home prior to eventual retirement. The three state parks – Sunset Bay, Shore Acres and Cape Arago complement the wild and wonderful South Slough Estuarine Research Reserve, creating thousands of acres of land for animals and people to enjoy. When you’ve had your fill of lush, first growth forests, you can head to the beginning of the 50-mile stretch of the Oregon Dunes National Recreation area.

Charleston
The 19,000 acres in the South Slough Estuary feels like Eden, as you walk along paths that have been created with great love for both the environment and the people who come to experience it. When you manage to tear yourself away from the Estuary, you drive past well-cared for, modest homes to arrive in the small, unpretentious fishing town of Charleston, population 800. The port of Charleston is where the watershed of the estuary empties to the ocean.

Charleston Harbor has distinctly different energy from the rest of the coastal towns. With few tourists and no luxury leisure boats docked there, it’s clear this is a fishing town. The hardworking denim-clad fishermen -- sobering, solemn and quietly awesome -- are clearly the ‘salt of the sea.’ We eat because they work. As one sign in town reads, “Fishin’s the mission.” Watching the boats going out into the ocean via the huge bay is a pastime in itself.  There’s even a moment of disorientation because the bay itself is so huge, it’s difficult to tell which is ocean and which is bay. 

Nearby, Sunset Bay is a gentle cove, with water warm enough to swim, and calm enough for even little kids to learn kayaking. Shore Acres State Park offers a glimpse into the past, with its flourishing, formal gardens that were created in the early 1900’s. All in all, when you reach Charleston, you feel ready to settle down.

Coos Bay and North Bend
In comparison to tiny Charleston, Coos Bay and North Bend feel like city, though their combined population is only 26,000. Coos Bay is clearly the commercial center, with a cleverly restored downtown area conveniently designed for pedestrians. The largest commercial center on the South Oregon coast, it attracts business and shopping from the more isolated southern coastal towns.  North Bend was originally built to house sawmills and shipyards. Now it has homes located near the shore, and a casino overlooking the coast in an old lumber mill.

Coos Bay was recently cited as one of the top ten towns for retirement. A good portion of people buying second homes there are from California, because of the relatively lower cost of a second home here. With some of the mildest weather among Oregon cities, planning for retirement here makes good sense.

Housing in Coos Bay, Charleston and North Bend
Median Price (2000 Census): Coos Bay: $92,000; North Bend: $98,100
Prices in Coos Bay, Charleston and North Bend are generally less than the neighboring towns of Florence to the north and Bandon to the south. Typical sales are $290,000 for a 1700 sq. foot home on 3 acres overlooking the bay. You can still get homes for $130,000. The Bay Area (Charleston, Coos Bay and North Bend) is a good place to invest in today as prices are still within reach. The 2000 census lists 2.9% of the houses for seasonal use.
 
Local History
Settled by Native Americans for a long while, and perhaps touched by explorers in 1579, the area was actually first settled because of a shipwreck off the north spit in 1852. Soon after that, settlers arrived to make their fortune in gold, mining and timber. A variety of nationalities settled here including Chinese, Swedes and Finns. With the advent of the steamer and the rail lines, the area began to develop as a tourist and commercial center. In 1936, with the completion of the bridge across the bay, the link to the rest of the world became permanent. For a wonderful description of life in the area during the development of Coos Bay and North Bend, read the historical fiction novel A Gathering of Finches.

An Average Lifestyle in Oregon’s Bay Area
Life here is more settled than elsewhere, with people bringing up their families or easing into retirement. There is not so much tourist activity as might be seen in the other southern coastal towns, making the place feel much more like ‘home.’

Things to Do in Coos Bay, Charleston and North Bend
• Fish for chinook and coho
• Charter a fishing boat
• Watch freighters coming in and out of the harbor
• Visit the saltwater aquarium
• Swim and kayak at Sunset Bay State Park
• Visit the gardens and dramatic headlands at Shore Acres State Park
• Hike and bird-watch in the South Clough Estuarine Research Reserve
• Beachcomb on Whiskey Run Beach
• Golf at one of two local courses
• Whale watch
• Watch bird migrations during the Oregon Shorebird Festival (November)
• Explore the dunes on an all-terrain vehicle
• Camp on the dunes in the Siuslaw National Forest campgrounds

Cultural Activities
• Oregon Coast Music Festival (July)
• Blackberry Arts Festival (August)
• On-Broadway Theater (live theater)
• Oregon Coast Chamber Orchestra
• Coos Art Museum
• Coos County Historical Society Museum

Location
On the middle coast of Oregon
Distance to other major cities:
Eugene: 90 miles
Portland: 184 miles
Bandon: 21 miles
Florence: 35 miles

Getting To Oregon’s Bay Area
Commercial planes fly into North Bend Municipal Airport (Horizon Air, to and from Portland).
Railroad and bus also stop in Coos Bay.
Highway 42 goes inland to Route 5 at Roseburg.

Weather
Mild and humid with rain in the winter months.
Annual Average Temperature: lows 45, highs 59
Annual Average Rainfall: 63 inches

Population
Coos Bay: 15,470
North Bend: 9,370
Charleston: 800
The population in Coos County has actually declined from 64,000 in 1980 to 62,000 in 2001.
Median Age, 2000:  Coos Bay: 40.1, North Bend: 43.
22% of the population is over 62, according to the 2000 Census.

Economics
Median Household Income: $31,542
Principle Industries: Agriculture, Logging, Shipping. New Technology industries are starting to arrive.

Education
Southwestern Oregon Community College