Columbia Ridge by Hayden Homes, Inc.
Hermiston, OR 97838

"Friendly neighbors, great place to raise kids, fast commute to anywhere. Definitely a family friendly community. "

"Hermiston is a good place to bring up a family. Public schools are good and there are lots of youth sports opportunities. There are a couple of private schools but I don't know their quality. Lots of churches, but no synagogue or mosque. It is a relatively safe community with little gang activity. It is quiet. There are citizens who are devoted to this community and its success. It has a lot of small, shabby houses from an earlier era but it does have some very nice areas and new subdivisions. It is growing at a steady rate and real estate values have not suffered as they have elsewhere. On the other hand, a house here is not going to appreciate suddenly to stratospheric levels. The neighborhood where this house is located is full of families. There is a small park two blocks away. Kids play outside and walk to school. This is a rural town; shopping and entertainment are limited, but there is a Wal Mart, a Home Depot, an Office Max, and a Big 5, as well as local stores. Clothing and furniture shopping is probably best done in the Tri Cities, 40 minutes away. There are some local boutiques and a family-run menswear store. Hermiston has taxi service and limited bus service. Greyhound stops here. It has a branch of the community college and offers courses that can help toward a bachelor's degree in cooperation with Eastern Oregon University. There is good fishing in the Columbia River and hunting in the mountains. Lots of outdoor recreation opportunities are within a couple of hours' drive. Portland is 3hours away by freeway. Prosser and Walla Walla, Wash are about an hour away and offer a lot of wineries. The Hermiston rodeo in August is excellent and draws top talent, as does the Pendleton Roundup, which is a half hour away. Lots of hobby farms and horses around town. No fancy restaurants but some pretty good ones and lots of franchise restaurants. Has a Starbucks and about five other espresso places. 8 screen movie theatre. "