I assume you get amazon deliveries there just fine right? I buy groceries locally, but most other stuff I buy online. I don't do much shopping either way.
Well...FedEx, UPS and of course USPS are all here...Look, we ain't off the grid, no one is getting dysentery or falling ill to cholera. The only raiding the Indians do is confined to the local casino. I stream so I think my broadband cable internet is pretty damn good and has never gone out. Charter/Frontier are available every where but way up river(s). We have all of the chain fast food places plus some fine local choices.
What are some areas of town you'd look at moving to? Cross streets or other landmarks would work.
There is no 'bad' part of Coos Bay/North Bend, maybe Empire is run down but its getting much better. If you want semi-country like me, I live on 80 acres two miles from downtown. That's ten minutes to Safeway/City Hall/library/gas/eateries/bike shops/The Grange Co-op/health food store/antiques...etc. One stop sign between me and most of those places.
What are some of your favorite places in town?
Tough one... I am an outdoors person so... Mingus Park, Ferry Street Park, Radar Hill, Sunset Bay, Bastendorf Beach, Cape Arago, Shore Acres, John Topitz Park and Lakes, The Boardwalk, Gold and Silver Falls, Whiskey Run Beach, Chicken Point, Airport Heights Park, Pony Slough, Red Dike Slough, Eastside Bridge, La Verne Park, Rink Creek Park, Powers Creek, O and C Lands, Lakeside and the Dunes, Horsfall Beach, North Spit, Riley County Park, Hollering Point, Oregon Dunes National Park, Winchester Bay, Charleston Marina, South Slough Nature Reserve and the top of Libby Lane where I hike often (ticks are bad this year though). Every one of these area's are within 25 minutes of my front door.
For food? Lupita's (mexican), Bennetti's (Italian), Blue Heron (German), 7 Devils (Americana, brewery), Portside (fish), Millers Cove (fish), Blue Moon (breakfast dive), Goonies (sports bar), Dutch Bros (coffee), Kafe 101 (coffee), Portland Bagel (bagels), Sugar Shack (donuts) The Boardwalk (fish), Chucks (take home and eat in seafood), High Tide (fish, craft beers), Momoji's (Japanese, sushi), Kum Yons (Chinese), Yuengs (Buffalo burgers, Americana)...
Other: Orcoast Music (guitars!), Time Bomb (vintage fashion), Stickles Music (more guitars), Mo's bike shop (bikes!), Snuffy's (pawn shop), Franz Bakery Outlet (bread man)...Coos Head Foods (natural and organic foods), Off the Record (vinyl and local music), Sol Coast (solar and renewable energy). I could go on but you get the idea. We get painted as some backwoods hick shit conservative hellhole full of tweakers because we don't have a Costco or an interstate highway.
I can tell you about the other towns, I lived in most them for at least two weeks each. The only area that comes close to offering what Coos Bay does is Newport.
But it has shitty surf 8 months of the year, not nearly enough parks and its at the end of a major road to the valley so its overrun with tourists in the Summer. We get our share here but have the benefit of much more space, ie; parks, State Parks and such. But it has its charms, the Bayfront, Nye Beach Area, lots of public beaches to the North and for better weather, you can live in Toledo, 8 miles up river.
Astoria is cool and growing but access to beaches is tougher, not enough public spaces and its expensive due to its proximity to Portland. It rains here in Coos but it fucking rains in Astoria, there is a difference.
Lincoln City sucks.
Euuuwwww....
Outlet Mall.
Enough said.
Depoe Bay is a mile long, fronts a very busy two lane highway and is absolutely overrun in the Summer. No beach access either unless you go five miles north or south. Quaint? yes, for about ten minutes. Live there? Hell no, you will drive to Newport/Lincoln City for everything so whats the point?
Waldport is sleepy, also a mile long (unless you count up the river).
Yachats was cool in the early 1970's when the Summer of Love broke up and all of the artists and counter culture types settled there. Pretty famous musicians/band members live there with some well set up studios. But its less than a mile long, you will be driving to Newport for everything so again, whats the point?
Port Orford...no, sad little town. Good surf in the summer but the population is hardcore Nativist.
Gold Beach...yeah, if you are over 60. Seriously, sleepy town with not much to offer. Tourists like it for lunch.
Brookings...2 miles long, nice weather, decent outdoor area's, good fishing but expensive to buy or rent there.
I still travel this Coast often for surf and to play gigs, not much has changed since I gathered up these thoughts thirty year back.
Ok, have to run, I hear Indians!