Eugene

Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon after Portland and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the southern end of the Willamette Valley, near the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about 50 miles east of the Oregon Coast.

Eugene is home to the University of Oregon, Bushnell University, and Lane Community College. The city is noted for its natural environment, recreational opportunities (especially bicycling, running/jogging, rafting, and kayaking), and focus on the arts, along with its history of civil unrest, protests, and green activism. Eugene’s official slogan is “A Great City for the Arts and Outdoors”. It is also referred to as the “Emerald City” and as “Track Town, USA”. The Nike corporation had its beginnings in Eugene.

To the north of downtown is Skinner Butte. Northeast of the city are the Coburg Hills. Spencer Butte is a prominent landmark south of the city. Mount Pisgah is southeast of Eugene and includes the Mount Pisgah Arboretum and the Howard Buford Recreation Area, a Lane County Park. Eugene is surrounded by foothills and forests to the south, east, and west, while to the north the land levels out into the Willamette Valley and consists of mostly farmland.

Eugene’s largest employers are PeaceHealth Medical Group, the University of Oregon, and the Eugene School District. Eugene’s largest industries are wood products manufacturing and recreational vehicle manufacturing. Luckey’s Club Cigar Store is one of the oldest bars in Oregon. Tad Luckey Sr. purchased it in 1911, making it one of the oldest businesses in Eugene. The “Club Cigar”, as it was called in the late 19th century, was for many years a men-only salon. The city has over 25 breweries, offers a variety of dining options with a local focus; the city is surrounded by wineries. The most notable fungi here is the truffle; Eugene hosts the annual Oregon Truffle Festival in January.

Eugene has a significant population of people in pursuit of alternative ideas and a large original hippie population. Eugene is noted for its “community inventiveness.” Many U.S. trends in community development originated in Eugene. Because of its status as a college town, Eugene has been home to many music genres, musicians and bands, ranging from electronic dance music such as dubstep and drum and bass to garage rock, hip hop, folk and heavy metal. Eugene also has growing reggae and street-performing bluegrass and jug band scenes.

Spencer Butte Park at the southern edge of town provides access to Spencer Butte, a dominant feature of Eugene’s skyline.

source: wikipedia.org