Good news for our town

Coos Bay makes adventure town list:

The beaches are great for surfing. The downtown is looking better and better. And somebody noticed.

It’s these amenities and more that have earned Coos Bay the status of one of the 50 Next Great Adventure Towns in September’s National Geographic Adventure magazine.

It appeared in newsstands on Tuesday.

“With Pacific swells that rival San Diego’s, Coos Bay has carved a name for itself as the Northwest’s premier surfing hideout, and this year the gritty port upgraded with a downtown face-lift,” the magazine article read. “The best breaks are off Bastendorff Beach; beginners head to gentler surf at Lighthouse Beach.”

[...]

But what does this year’s theme, Next Great Adventure Towns,” really mean? According to Fried, it includes cities already considered tourists’ destinations, as well as towns that are on an upswing.

“They’re innovative towns, not just prime relocation now, but also smart choices for the future, really,” Fried said. “It’s not just places with great action now, but also places that have plans for the future.”

In the feature, the population of the hometowns and the median home prices are listed. For example, Coos Bay’s median home price is $180,000, according to the article.

[...]

Timm Slater, executive director of the Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, said Adventure magazine approached him a few months ago, expressing interest in the city of Coos Bay.

He said he was a little disappointed that other activities the area has to offer — fishing, all-terrain vehicle riding, biking, hiking, shopping in local stores — were not mentioned in the article. But he was glad for the exposure.

“Positive national exposure for the area is a great thing, no matter what it is,” Slater said. “People will come here and discover what the whole place is.”

Tuesday afternoon, Coos Bay Mayor Jeff McKeown said he was hearing about the listing for the first time.

“Wow! That’s great to hear!” he said.

He said he was not surprised that Coos Bay was among the top 50.

He said what he loves about the area are living close to the beaches, fishing spots, local restaurants and the beauty of the coast.

“And, also, for me, the people,” he said. “We have great people that live here — friendly, welcoming.”

Fortunately it is still a "gritty port" town with a railway line running through downtown (actually most of it is downright plain and homely) and the arty-farty types prefer the cutesy little seaside towns further north. The surfers aren't going to be happy. Every time the "secret" of local surfing gets publicity, they have a fit because of the "crowds" (which means they have ten surfers on the miles and miles of waves with them instead of the usual two or three.)