What the heck is La Grande, Oregon?

Downtown La Grande - Photo by Skyhigh Imaging LLC

Well, I’ll tell you – La Grande, Oregon is a great little town located in the heart of the Blue Mountains of Eastern Oregon. La Grande is an outdoor recreation haven, and fairly well undiscovered – for now. Find yourself in the downtown and you are just miles from several forest recreation access points to the north.  Running across the face of Mt. Emily is the Mount Emily Recreation Area (MERA). The MERA is a 3700 acre forested property with a diverse and fun trail system. It is composed of two sections, one for horseback riding, hiking and bicycling, the other section for motorized recreation. A large hillside separates the two units, so noise from machines is not a problem if you are hiking and you are not likely to run over a hiker if you are out having a blast on your four wheeler. Check out more information and get a feel for the beauty of the area here:  www.meetmera.org

A few miles further out and to the east, you will find access points to the Eagle Cap Wilderness Area, the largest wilderness area in Oregon. The Eagle Cap Wilderness is one of my favorite places in the world. There are countless trails and scores of high alpine lakes. You won’t regret a visit, and you typically won’t see another person on the trails once you’re more than a couple miles in. Lots of great information at www.eaglecapwilderness.com.  

So back to La Grande, let’s learn more:

We have about 13,000 people in La Grande and 25,000 in Union County as a whole. La Grande is home to Eastern Oregon University. This beautiful campus is the state’s most eastern college location and home of the EOU Mountaineers! There are a diverse range of programs and the school is doing well. There is excellent information about the school available online at www.eou.edu.  

Downtown La Grande is a great place that continues to improve in aesthetics and quality in spite of the nationwide trend of failing downtowns. We have seen many local building owners and investors creating more downtown quality rental housing in the last few years. Downtown living is one of the keys to building a thriving downtown economic zone. City hall (http://www.cityoflagrande.org) and the bi-weekly La Grande Farmer’s Market (www.lagrandefarmersmarket.org) are located at the intersection of Fourth and Adams – the heart of downtown. Right across the street is the public library -  a beautiful building, and there are numerous good restaurants and small shops very close by. Don’t miss the La Grande Underground Market right around the corner or stop by for some outdoor dining at Mamacita’s. Get set up for the outdoors at Blue Mountain Outfitters and Mountain Works – our local adventure shops. Drink a delicious beer at Side A Brewing on Washington Avenue!

La Grande and Union County have a great real estate market. We have lots of acreages for sale both small and large around the valley. We have great, old established neighborhoods with beautiful bungalows and craftsman homes, as well as newer quality subdivisions. We have commercial property, industrial, recreational and much more available.  Right now (early 2019) inventory is tight, but as you know, the real estate market is always fluid and dynamic. Check out my office website to view all available properties for sale in La Grande, Island City, Union, Cove, Elgin, Imbler and more! www.bluesummitrealtygroup.com

This post is really just scratching the surface, I’ll dive into more details about life in La Grande and Union County on other posts. Thanks for reading!

If you have any questions about my community, real estate or otherwise, please feel free to reach out to me at [email protected] or 541-805-8274. I’d love to help you buy or sell your next home, or at the least send you in the direction of a fun outdoor adventure, a great music show, and an ice cold drink to wash it down!

Jeff D. Clark
Realtor, GRI, RPCV
Blue Summit Realty Group
102 Greenwood La Grande OR 97850
 
La Grande Oregon Real Estate – Union County Real Estate – La Grande Homes For Sale – Union County Oregon

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