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971-237-1800[/frame] [dropcap character=”A” color=”yellow”]McMinnville has much to offer families considering a move, including a wide variety of attractions, fine public and private schools, and good employment opportunities.
As a military wife, my husband and I traveled the world during twenty years in the Air Force and lived in more than 14 cities and towns. Without a doubt, McMinnville is my favorite of all places we have ever lived! It is ideal because of its small town friendliness, proximity to Portland, Salem and the coast. Our thriving, historic community offers a variety of employment opportunities, entertainment options, schools both public and private, and medical and retirement facilities. Some of the major highlights are:
Offering a variety of choices in both public and private education, McMinnville schools provide instruction from preschool through college. From Montessori to Linfield College opportunities abound for students of all ages.
Making plans for your retirement is a process that we all must complete at some point. Not sure where to begin? Once your finances are in order, you might want to take some time finalising your living arrangements, whether that be moving into a san francisco assisted living facility, or elsewhere. There are some wonderful retirement communities out there, so if you prefer living among like minded individuals of a similar age, then doing some research into accommodation options like Spring Harbor can help make your decision a little easier. Why not check out their website for some inspiration here: https://www.springharborlife.org/. Ultimately, if you intend on living out your golden years within a retirement community, then read on for our pick of some more highly popular accommodation choices. Depending on your needs, there is sure to be something to suit your own unique lifestyle.
In addition to retirement facilities, the McMinnville Senior Center serves the needs of our senior population through recreational opportunities and leisure pursuits. In addition, a variety of classes are offered from Yoga to computer instruction as well as travel opportunities. On-site noontime meals are available as well as meals-on-wheels for housebound seniors.
[frame align=”right” border=”1″]This information
courtesy of Wendy Stassens,
Realtor® specializing in
green building and new construction.
503-560-5189 [/frame]
How my family came to McMinnville is not a unique story. Since moving here, I have heard again and again how people fell in love with McMinnville and how, after having lived in so many different places in their lives, finally chose to come home to McMinnville. The town embraces you with such gentle grace and warmth that it is hard not to feel like you are home when you arrive.
In planning our return to the mainland from Hawaii with our one year old son in 2005, our search was more head than heart in the beginning. We were enamored with the idea of choosing the place where we would set down roots for our new family. Between us, my husband and I had lived in six different states and four different countries in our lives, so we had enough experience under our belt to know what we were looking for. Our decision making matrix was complex and detailed, and we utilized it to look at places all over the world.
Eventually our path led us to McMinnville. The bustling downtown nestled amidst rolling hills dotted with vineyards and Oak forests, small-town friendliness with amenities uncommon for a smaller town, abundant parks and activities for kids and families, planning to foster community and connectedness, and conveniently located halfway between Portland and the spectacular coast – are just a few selling features of this amazing community.
We love McMinnville and are so grateful to call this our home. We hope these resources will help you to get to know the many amazing things that this community has to offer!
For the past decade, McMinnville policy-makers, staff and citizen volunteers have been preparing the City’s long-range plan for growth. When originally drafted in 2003, the Growth Management and Urbanization Plan helped establish the City’s vision for McMinnville: A compact and livable community.
In support of the vision, stakeholders in the planning process also confirmed certain urban design principles to guide development through the City’s land use and transportation plans. These core urban design principles include:
For more information about the Planning Goals and Policies for McMinnville visit: http://www.ci.mcminnville.or.us/city/departments/planning-department-documents-a-publications/
McMinnville has a Comprehensive plan for parks in the City which includes an emphasis on having parks within walking distance of all residential neighborhoods. Many of the City Parks contain creeks and interesting natural environments for children to explore. Some have running and walking trails through woods, along rivers and winding through neighborhoods. They offer amenities such as ball fields, water features, play equipment, picnic areas and pavilions for private and public gatherings. McMinnville has 10 City Parks and 7 mini neighborhood parks totaling 241 acres of park space within the McMinnville City limits. Visit the Parks Department website for more information about reservations of pavilions and cookout facilities at City Parks for events. http://www.ci.mcminnville.or.us/city/departments/parks-a-recreation/
In 2009 the City of McMinnville adopted a Transportation Plan for the City following a “Complete Street” concept. This plan was designed to facilitate multimodal transportation on McMinnville streets, to enhance the opportunities to utilize alternate forms of transportation, like bicycles, pedestrian and bus travel, and to enhance the community connectivity. For more information about the McMinnville Transportation Plan visit http://www.ci.mcminnville.or.us/city/departments/planning-department-proposals-a-projects/
On June 10, 2008, the McMinnville City Council adopted Resolution 2008-20, which committed the city to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and to promoting sustainability. Subsequent to this resolution they formed the “Sustainability Committee”. The committee defined sustainability as: ‘Using, developing, and protecting resources at a rate and in a manner that enables people to meet their current needs and also provides that future generations can meet their own needs. Sustainability requires simultaneously meeting environmental, economic, and community needs.’ – City of McMinnville Sustainability Committee. For more information about the City of McMinnville’s Sustainability Initiative, visit http://www.ci.mcminnville.or.us/city/government/mcminnville-sustainability/.
503-560-5189[/frame] [dropcap character=”F” color=”red”]Finding fresh, local produce and foods is not a problem in McMinnville. We have a year-round public market, a seasonal farmer’s market held in downtown McMinnville, and many local CSAs to join. Strong support in the community for local foods, wines, and craftsmen has resulted in a rich and vibrant community of growers, eaters, creators, and connoisseurs.
In historic downtown McMinnville since 2001, the McMinnville Farmers’ Market offers farm fresh, locally produced fruits, vegetables, meats, fish, dairy, herbs, flowers, food and craft items. There is live music and wine tasting each week, providing the perfect atmosphere for the community to gather and shop. The McMinnville Farmers’ Market is sponsored, promoted and facilitated by the McMinnville Downtown Association.
A four season gathering of Artistis, Writers, Farmers, Wine Makers, Musicians, Chefs, Purveyors, Hounds and Local Celebrities. The mission of the McMinnville Public Market is to serve farmers, artists, winemakers and similar by providing a dynamic, eclectic retail environment that epitomizes Oregon Wine Country. The McMinnville Public Market is a private venture but one that’s very much community and service minded.
Slow Food Yamhill County – slowfoodyamhillcounty.blogspot.com
Back in January 2008, a group of people interested in local food issues got together and formed Slow Food Yamhill County. Their goal is to increase awareness, availability and access to local food. For more information, e-mail Nicole at nmontesanoblack@yahoo.com or Judi at valleycreekfarm@gmail.com.
Local Community Supported Agriculture Programs (CSAs) provide the opportunity for people to invest directly in a farm and receive a share of that local farmer’s crops throughout the year. Investing in a farm can reap many benefits, plus it can help the farmer out by providing them with the resources to build on their supplies, buy equipment from companies like Costex as well as others, and give them that essential support. Below are some examples of active CSA programs in the McMinnville area.
Oakhill Organics – Dayton, Oregon – www.oakhillorganics.org
Joyfully growing vegetables & a family on Grand Island, Oregon. Casey & Katie Kulla, a husband and wife farming team started Oakhill Organics in 2006 by growing on just one rented acre of ground southwest of McMinnville, Oregon. Later that first year, they purchased 17.5 acres on Grand Island (a river island in the Willamette, just south of Dayton). They grow Oregon Tilth Certified Organic vegetables: everything from arugula to zucchini. They sell all of their vegetables within Yamhill County, their CSA program and to several fine restaurants in McMinnville and Amity. Because of this ever-growing success, they may want to think about expanding their services more by enlisting the help of places like urban-gro.com to see how their room designs for an indoor growing facility can ensure that their vegetables have the ability to grow in all weather conditions.
Growing Wild Farm – McMinnville, Oregon www.growingwildfarm.com
Andre and Sheila Jaillet have a 14 acre family farm located 7-miles south of McMinnville. They purchased the land in the summer of 2006. They aim to provide high quality food products, from annual vegetables and seasonal fruit to pasture raised meat and eggs, as well as value added products like dried tomatoes and mushrooms, and hand crafted cutting boards from oaks that have fallen and been milled from their land.
Kookoolan Farms – Yamhil, Oregon – www.kookoolanfarms.com
“A small, diversified family farm in Yamhill, Oregon, committed to organic farming practices, rotational grazing, grass-based animal husbandry, humane animal handling practices, and producing the healthiest, best-tasting, premium poultry in Oregon.”
[stylebox color=”red”]Contact McMinnville Realtor ® Wendy Stassens at 503-560-5189 to learn more about real estate in McMinnville and the wonderful community that she calls home.[/stylebox]971-237-1926[/frame]
My first visit to McMinnville was to move here. As a freshman in college, home for the summer, I clearly remember driving into town with my mom and a car full of cleaning supplies for our new house. The town felt like home immediately and I hadn’t even seen the historic downtown area, which is one of the biggest reasons why, over twenty years later, my family and I are still here today.
My husband and I chose to raise our family in this Oregon community largely due to the fact that McMinnville boasted a self-sufficiency we hadn’t seen in suburbs closer to Portland. I loved that as my kids were growing up they could safely walk around downtown with their friends. They could shop, get ice cream or a smoothie, go to lunch, and then walk across the street to the city park, swim at the aquatic center, or visit the library. When they were out of money or ready to come home they could check in with their dad (who works downtown) and catch a ride home.
From one end of 3rd St. you can easily access the McMinnville Public Library, the McMinnville Aquatic Center, the upper city park for picnicking and playing at the Recreation Station, and the lower city park with trails, tennis courts, and covered shelters. Click on the links above for more information, a schedule of classes, and hours.
From the other end of 3rd St. it’s a short walk to Joe Dancer Park, located adjacent to the Yamhill River, and home to several baseball and soccer fields, walking trails, the Drew Gary Ottley Memorial Skate Park, picnicking, and play equipment. Sandwiched in between the two ends of 3rd St. are a variety of specialty shops, restaurants, coffee shops, retail stores, professional offices, flats, art galleries, salons, wine bars, and more.
The retail business owners in downtown McMinnville are not only community members, they are my neighbors, my friends, my colleagues, and supporting them is a mutual venture. I can buy a last minute gift at one of the several retail shops, pick up a prescription, get groceries, grab a coffee, choose from several fantastic restaurants for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, or relax with a friend at one of the local wine bars. I know that when I walk into one of the many shops I patronize on 3rd St. on a regular basis, I will likely see the owner standing behind the counter and that I will also be greeted by my first name. To me, that’s the kind of business that I want to patronize. Visit www.buylocalmac.com
Every third Saturday, the McMinnville Downtown Association hosts an Art and Wine Walk. In October, the Arts Alliance of Yamhill County also hosts the Art Harvest Studio Tour which covers all the cities in Yamhill County and includes several of the galleries on 3rd St. Currents Gallery is a cooperative art gallery owned and operated by several local artists. Featuring over 50 artists, their focus is on the promotion of art and education in Yamhill County. Hidden Treasures is a custom frame shop, art gallery, and giclee printing shop. My personal favorite is Pacific Frame and Gallery. The owners, Noel and Leigh Ann, have spent many hours over the years helping me matte and frame the art in my home. They’ll even suggest that I look in their pre-made frames before custom framing an item for me, a suggestion that has saved me money more than once.
There are several well-deserving galleries, shops, businesses, and restaurants that weren’t mentioned in this article. I sincerely hope you take the time to visit 3rd Street in downtown McMinnville and draw your own conclusions on what your favorite stops and shops are. The McMinnville Downtown Association boasts that downtown McMinnville is Oregon’s favorite Main Street TM. I know it’s mine.
[stylebox color=”blue”]Contact McMinnville Realtor® Jody Purdy to learn more about real estate in McMinnville and this wonderful Oregon community.[/stylebox][frame align=”right” border=”1″]This information
courtesy of Wendy Stassens,
Realtor® specializing in
green building and new construction.
503-560-5189 [/frame] [dropcap character=”T” color=”blue”]This charming turn-of-the-century city owes its beginnings to William T. Newby of McMinnville, Tennessee, who came west during the Great Migration of 1843. He arrived in Oregon on the first wagon train. In 1853, Newby erected a gristmill at the west end of Third Street, below the present city library. Construction of this mill was the primary reason for the early growth of the city.
McMinnville was a thriving agricultural center in the early days. By 1866, it was described as the “most flourishing village in the county.” It had 300 inhabitants and, according to the Register, “five stores, three blacksmith shops, two wagon shops, one photographic artist, one silversmith, one shoe shop, two doctors, two churches, one flour mill… and no licensed beer or grog saloons.” In 1876, residents incorporated McMinnville as a town. Then in 1882, the citizens again incorporated McMinnville – this time as a city. After a heavy campaign by the McMinnville citizenry, county residents voted in 1886 to change the county seat to McMinnville from Lafayette, where it has remained ever since.
Between the years 1885 and 1912, most of the historic Third Street business structures were built. Many of the buildings from that era are still intact. Today, McMinnville continues to expand its amenities, while remaining sensitive to its history and the buildings associated with its past.
Downtown 3rd street during the late 1950’s
For more information about the history of McMinnville visit the Yamhill County Historical Society.
[stylebox color=”blue”]Contact McMinnville Realtor® Wendy Stassens at 503-560-5189 to learn more about real estate in McMinnville and the wonderful community that she calls home.[/stylebox]