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IT IS A SMALL TOWN! That's one of
the nice things about it. But there is still a lot of stuff to do!
You can choose from all kinds of activities (or none at all if you want to be
left alone). We have a great library and Friends of Music and little
theater and art guilds and garden clubs and churches and a branch of
Southwestern Oregon Community College and fabulous camping
and a very busy activity center. Then there's whale watching and hiking
and shopping and gambling and tennis and swimming and golf. Three nearby
courses! One of them, Salmon Run Golf Course
is just a three mile drive from town. IS THERE A SAK'S
FIFTH AVENUE NEARBY? Uh...Not within walking distance.
But on the other hand, we have some of the best shopping on the Oregon
coast. Lots of small local shops and several chain stores are here or within a
half hour drive. All of them are staffed by friendly local people who
haven't forgotten how to care. And of course, when you buy something for
$9.98 in Oregon, you get two cents back from your ten dollar bill. We
don't like that nasty sales tax any more than we like those ridiculously
high-priced license plates. (Did I mention that ours cost just $43 a
year?) MORE? Ok. We have good
builders and plumbers and electricians and barbers and beauty shops. And
we have good accountants and mechanics and lawyers and just about any service
you'll find in any other fair-sized town. There are several good insurance
agencies and some great real estate brokerages in town. Two excellent escrow companies,
several banks, a great credit union and good mortgage
companies. We also have great police and fire departments and caring
government workers. SO HOW ARE THE PEOPLE?
Mainly nice (with just a few grouches mixed in for contrast). Supposed to
be about 15,000 of us in the area. About 6200 of us live within the city
limits of Brookings. The rest are in the unincorporated areas like the
community called simply "Harbor". They say about two thirds of
us are retired. Those who are have backgrounds ranging from accounting to
zoology. Those who are not retired work in the timber industry or the
fishing industry or the tourist business or in agriculture. Many of our
residents are also employed by the California Department of Corrections which
maintains a not-so-lovely residential facility known as Pelican Bay Prison,
just a few miles south of the state border. |
