Visitors often wonder what it’s like to live in a coastal community. It’s a question locals are often asked and one they are extremely proud to talk about. “You’re a coasty” visitors may ask or simply exclaim. This moniker locals have learned since a young age was and is a term of endearment among their kind. A term that truly never leaves a person and one they are sincerely proud of and definitely shaped by living in Seaside, Oregon.
Life in the Pacific North Coast
Living in the Pacific North Coast is described as nothing short of wonderful. Young children growing up in the area feel as if they have multiple families. Kids often ride from one end of town to another on their bikes making it easy to find a sense of independence while still being under the wing of their family and community. During the fall season as long as the sun isn’t touching Tillamook Head they know they have more time to roam free. A crisp time of year where the sun feels warmer than summer. Winter comes and the rains feel like ice when combined with the wind. Perfect weather for hot chocolate and board games. Locals in Seaside meet spring with shorts and sandals welcoming the sunshine and spurts of rain.
There has always been and continues to be a seasonal event that brings coast families and the community together. The local shops of downtown will be bustling with familiar local faces or perhaps new people they were going to soon know. It is rather difficult to stay unnoticed in such a tightknit community and with this environment who would want to be? It adds to that sense of belonging.
Seaside Oregon
In the small coastal community of Seaside Oregon people learn fast to make their own entertainment. During the summers they pick blackberries swim in the ocean wander through forests and play pickup games in the parks. Swimming in the cold waters of the Pacific give locals a sense of being tougher than people from other areas. Only the tough could wade in these waters without a wetsuit.
Everyone who comes to town finds something they need. Some find that perfect seafood dinner or a relaxing retreat. Others enjoy a beach getaway and a day of exploring nature’s beauty. Others find family and friends while a lucky few find a home. A fortune that is shaped by a large bond with a small coastal environment. They are coasties and proud of it.
Josh Garhofer is a first-generation Oregonian. He graduated from Oregon State University and currently resides in his hometown of Seaside Oregon.
