Best Coastal Towns in Oregon to Live
The top neighborhoods on the Oregon Coast. We are going to start first with Salishan. Salishan is on the Central Oregon coast. It does have a resort and a spa there as well as a golf course so this more of an upscale community. There’s quite a few homes there and if you look at it on a map you’ve got a little sand bar or a spit if you will so – it’s a long strip of land. There’s one road called Salishan drive that goes along that strip of land with homes in a one row. There’s a few little roads that fork off of Salishan drive into dead-ends with a few other homes scattered throughout. Most of these homes have both a view of the ocean s well as you have the bay just behind you so it’s a gorgeous area. It’s not too close to a whole lot of shopping and stuff like that so it’s a little bit more secluded so if you’re looking for something more resort-style. If you like golf, Salishan is maybe a great spot for you.
Next is Astoria. Astoria is a very popular spot especially for people coming from Portland and Vancouver. People coming from Portland Vancouver tend to navigate to the Northern Oregon coast. I don’t really know if there’s a top neighborhood in Astoria and everybody’s definition of top is going to vary whether you’re looking for amenities such as a golf course or you’re looking for something that’s more walkable that’s close to shopping and restaurants so I’m gonna give you kind of a list of different neighborhoods and as well as towns. In Astoria right up on the hill, I think is probably some of the most desirable living. If you’re in downtown Astoria and you look up the hill, you’ll see a bunch of houses all along the hill. Those houses are all close to the downtown so everything is really walkable. you can walk down to all of your restaurants and the shops. There’s not much beach access around there so if you’re looking for some sand and actually to get down to the beach Astoria is probably not going to be the best place for you. If you like a little bit more of the hustle and bustle of a bigger town sitting up on the hill Astoria there are a ton of great homes and if you want something a little bit more secluded in Astoria a little hidden gem is River Point. It’s about maybe a 10 minute drive from downtown Astoria. It’s a very small community there’s only a handful of houses there they’re newer houses on bigger lots. So if you want something a little bit more secluded a River Point is a good spot for you.
We’ve got quite a few small towns that don’t have a ton of different neighborhoods so in this case I’m just gonna give you a town that doesn’t really have a whole lot of different neighborhoods which is Gearhart. Gearhart is a pretty small little town it’s sandwiched in between Warrington and Seaside so it’s not secluded. In the center of Gearhart is a golf course they’ve got a McMenamins with great food and outdoor seating so you can sit outside have a bite to eat have a drink watch the golfers and so all of these homes in this community despite being kind of sandwiched in between Seaside and Warrington, Gearhart has kind of has a quaint little feel. There’s not much to it there’s not a whole lot of shopping and restaurants. There is the golf course, the McMenamins and then there’s a very small downtown. If you’re a golfer, Gearhart might be a good spot for you.
Just South of that in Seaside is a little community called Seaside Cove. If you’ve been to Seaside before you’ve probably driven down the strip which is Broadway road. You’ve got the turnaround at the end of Broadway where Hood to Coast ends. That’s where everybody kind of goes when they go to Seaside. You drive down the strip and do a little turnaround. Seaside Cove is just south of that it’s not something you wouldn’t drive past. It’s on a dead-end road called Sunset Blvd. So if you haven’t heard of it, or you haven’t been to Seaside Cove, you’ve probably never driven past it. It’s kind of a hidden gem even though it is connected to downtown. What you’ve got is are some newer homes right along the coastline. So you’re pretty close to downtown Seaside you’re right on the water and it’s pretty secluded because you don’t get a lot of through traffic. If you’re looking around Seaside you might check out Seaside Cove if you’re looking for something on the water close to downtown and still a little bit more secluded.
Next is Surf Pines. That’s actually where I’m at right now. Surf Pines is a gated community that’s in Warrington it’s just sort of on the Southern part of Warrington just north of Gearhart so it’s a small little community. There are quite a few houses in here though and they’re building quite a
few houses right now. There’s a ton of lots available in here. If you’re an equestrian there’s a handful of equestrian properties including in a connected neighborhood called Polo Ridge. There’s also a lot of properties that are right along the water which is where I’m at right now. The properties on the water are about a couple of hundred yards from the coastline. You don’t actually have a waterfront view because of the sand dune unless you are viewing from a second story. The homes that aren’t beachfront are set back up in the hills and you might be able to see the water from some of those. If you want to be able to walk to the ocean you’ve got a lot of homes along the coast in the Surf Pines community. If you’re not oceanfront, there are five trails in between some of the lots that give people beach access. Also if you like deer and elk, there’s a herd of elk that are kind of known to hang out in this area. If you look up like Gearhart elk you’ll probably see there’s a bunch of videos and pictures online. There’s a ton of elk around there so for the sportsmen for the people that like deer and elk there’s a lot of other wildlife along here as well too.
Next is Cannon Beach. Sort of like Gearhart, this is a town – it’s not a neighborhood. There’s not a whole lot of neighborhoods within Cannon Beach. If you look at it on a map it’s pretty much all west of 101 and it’s a quaint little area. Everything is kind of focused around the downtown so you’re looking at downtown living, this is a good spot for you. It’s mostly smaller lots and older homes. You’ve got a lot of homes also that are along the water so if you’re looking for something that’s walkable to the water and walkable to downtown and everything is kind of condensed together, Cannon Beach is a great spot. It’s a little bit quieter there. The younger demographics tend to go to Astoria and Seaside for whatever reason and the older demographic tends to go to Cannon Beach a little bit more so if you’re looking for something that’s a little bit quieter maybe doesn’t get quite as much of the tourist foot traffic, then Cannon Beach might be a good spot for you. Just south of Cannon Beach is a place called the Arch Cape. You’re not going to be walkable with anything on an Arch Cape. It’s a little bit too far from Cannon Beach but there are some beautiful homes just along the coastline just south of Cannon Beach.
And then even South beyond that is Manzanita. Manzanita is kind of similar to Cannon Beach in that you’ve got a little downtown and from that downtown, you can walk to the beach. You can walk to all the little shops so a lot of the desirable homes around Manzanita are near the downtown area as well as they have a golf course there too. So there’s another spot if you’re a golfer. The homes around the golf course in Manzanita are a little bit more secluded. There’s are quite a few vacation rentals in Manzanita so you kind of you do get a little bit more of that traffic but it’s a smaller area so you don’t get a ton of tourists like some of the Northern coastal towns like Astoria.
Next is Sahhali Shores which is in Neskowin and that is a very small community that kind of sits up on a bluff. This community consists of large newer homes on big lots. I think there are some lots available. There is one home being built there right now. If you’re looking for something with some great views sitting up on a bluff in which you can see to the Northern Oregon coast and the Southern
Oregon coast for miles, this is a great spot. It’s very secluded you’re not very close to anything. Lincoln City is the nearest city the lots of shopping located about 20 minutes away. If you’re looking for a larger home or would maybe like to build a bigger home on the bluff somewhere and have incredible views around the Central Oregon coast, Sahhali shores might be a good spot for you.
Next is Little Whale Cove which is in Depoe Bay. Little Whale Cove, kind of as the name implies, is a great spot for whale watching. Depoe Bay is the whale watching capital of the Oregon Coast thanks to a resident pod of gray whales that makes its home offshore from March through December. For whatever reason the whales come a lot closer to the beach in Depoe Bay. Little Whale Cove is in Southern Depoe Bay. Little Whale Cove is very small and sits up on a bluff. It has a great vantage point so you’re getting a great view of the coast where the whales come in very close to the shoreline so if you’re a whale watcher, Little Whale Cove might be the top neighborhood for you around the Central Oregon Coast in Depoe Bay.
If you’re looking for a larger town that has more shopping more restaurants and all the amenities that come with bigger towns around the Southern Oregon coast in Coos Bay there is a hill called Telegraph Hill. There’s a bunch of very large homes that you can see from downtown Coos Bay. There’s a lot of great little neighborhoods along Coos Bay. Telegraph Hill is kind of one of the cooler neighborhoods because it’s got a great view. You’re overlooking the bay as well as downtown and there’s a lot of great houses up on Telegraph Hill. There are some smaller pockets around Coos Bay too that are closer to the coastline. Telegraph Hill is kind of tucked away in the bay so you’re not very close to the ocean but the views are amazing there’s a lot of nice houses up there so if you’re looking around Coos Bay, look to Telegraph Hill.
Just south of Coos Bay is Bandon. Bandon is a town. It’s kind of one of those situations where they don’t have a whole lot of different neighborhoods it’s a small area so not a ton of different neighborhoods in Bandon but if you recognize that name you probably associate it with golf. Bandon has one of the top golf courses in the world and so if you’re a serious golfer, I’ve mentioned a few other golf courses, in this blog, but if you’re a serious golfer Bandon is probably going to be your number one choice along the Oregon Coast. If you really want to hit the greens hard, there’s a handful of houses along or near the golf course. There are some houses as well that are just outside of the golf course I don’t have a particular neighborhood other than on or near the golf course as well as a road called Beach Loop Road that parallels the coast and there’s a lot of nice houses along Beach Loop Road with great views of the ocean. So if you’re a serious golfer you might want to look to Bandon and you might want to look to something on around the golf course or along Beach Loop Road.
Finally, the Southernmost town in Oregon is Brookings. Brookings is pretty close to the California border so you’re kind of getting Northern California feel. This means you have amazing rock formations all along the coastline. I don’t know that I have a favorite neighborhood in Brookings but the thing to do in Brookings if you can pick any home is to get one of those homes along the coast with one of those amazing views of rock formations. There’s a ton of houses up and down of the coast on Brookings. You’re not probably not going to have beach access because everything is kind of set on a bluff or on a cliff somewhere so not a lot of beach access but amazing views, amazing sunsets and some of the prettiest coast along the Oregon Coast as well as the Northern California coast. Again, you’re right there on the Northern California border so if you’re looking for something beautiful with temperate weather, Brookings has a fair amount of shopping and restaurants. It is a little bit seasonal once you get that far South. Some restaurants don’t stay open year round and might close a little earlier in the evenings than you’re used to if you’re coming from a bigger town. Not a lot of hustle and bustle but if you’re looking for something a little bit more temperate as far as the weather and quiet as far as the traffic goes and you want something beautiful, there’s a lot of homes along the coastline that have amazing views and Brookings.
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