Veneta and Elmira, OR Real Estate and Community Info. | The Galand Haas Team, your Veneta and Elmira, OR real estate specialist

Veneta and Elmira are small, rural communities nestled between the gorgeous Oregon Coast and the thriving city of Eugene. Naturally beautiful, the towns are surrounded by rich farmland that supports some of the Willamette Valley’s top vineyards. The growing community of Veneta is located approximately seven miles from Eugene on the border of the Fern Ridge Reservoir. Elmira is a smaller town located just north of Veneta and about 15 miles from Eugene. Both towns offer picturesque, small town living with easy access to the economic, cultural, and entertainment amenities of Eugene.

Shopping and Dining

Veneta’s inspiring number of shopping and dining options belies its small size. Our Daily Bread serves up mouthwatering breakfast platters, great sandwiches, and delicious lunch and dinner entrees all from inside a converted church. Los Primos Taco Shops dishes up street style Mexican food, including fish tacos and authentic homemade salsas. Ixtapa Mexican Restaurant, Yukon Jack’s Steakhouse, Countryside Pizza & Grill, and Bonne Chance Bistro are other notable favorites. Veneta also is home to a Subway and a Dairy Queen. Wine lovers have access to a wide selection of fine, locally grown wines. The Domaine Meriwether Winery on Vineyard Lane produces numerous award-winning still and sparkling wines, including Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Meunier. The winery is open for visitors seven days a week. Wineries Without Walls on Highway 126 offers free weekend wine tastings and selections for purchase from a variety of wineries located within 30 miles of Veneta. Life’s daily essentials can be purchased at Ray’s Food Place, Bi-Mart, and The Farm Store. Service providers in Veneta include optometrists, beauty salons, and fitness clubs. Name-brand items, unique gifts, and upscale fashions can be found in nearby Eugene.

Parks and Recreation

There are seven city parks in Veneta. The 11-acre Bolton Hill Sports Complex features basketball courts, ball fields, and baseball diamonds. City Park is located at the end of East Broadway Street and features picnic areas, playground equipment, a community center, and a community pool on 5.9 acres of land. The City of Veneta’s new regulation-sized community pool opens mid-June each year and offers water aerobics, lap lanes, swimming lessons, and open swim sessions to area residents. The 2.5-acre Territorial Park includes a playground, skate park, basketball court, and quarter-mile jogging path. Veneta also hosts the annual Oregon Country Fair. Originally called the Renaissance Fair, the Oregon Country Fair has been an annual Veneta tradition since 1969. The fair takes place each July on the banks of the Long Tom River and features world-class performers, gourmet foods, artisan crafts, educational displays, parades, and special events. Zumwalt Park is situated on the southern banks of the Fern Ridge Reservoir near Elmira. With easy water access, it is the perfect place for swimming, boating, and other water activities. Perkins Peninsula County Park is also located on the southern banks of the Fern Ridge Reservoir. Park amenities include hiking trails, water activities, and wildlife observation from within the park’s green fields and thick forests.

Living

Living in Veneta and Elmira combines the best of small town, country living with the amenities of city-life. Though close to the shopping malls, business centers, museums, and universities of Eugene and Springfield, Veneta and Elmira real estate offers low crime rates, personable neighbors, and quiet streets. Veneta houses for sale are newer and more affordable than most of the houses in Eugene. They also are situated on bigger lots. Median home cost in 2012 was $153,500. Elmira’s cost of living is lower than the surrounding areas. Most houses for sale in Elmira are small to large, single-family houses on beautiful multi-acre lots. Median home cost in 2012 was $152,400.

Schools, Health, and Transportation

The Fern Ridge School District 28J runs three schools in Elmira and one in Veneta: Veneta Elementary School, Elmira Elementary School, Fern Ridge Middle School, and Elmira High School. Institutes of higher learning in the area include The University of Oregon, OSU, and Lane Community College. Veneta and Elmira residents have access to several good medical providers in Eugene. The Sacred Heart Medical Center – University District provides acute care and emergency services 24 hours a day. The McKenzie Surgery Center is a multi-specialty ambulatory surgery facility that provides out-patient surgical options to area residents. LTD Lane Transit runs buses from Veneta to Eugene six days a week. Additional bus lines and light rail services are available inside Eugene. Amtrak provides long-distance services to area travelers. The Eugene Airport also offers connections to destinations throughout the country.

Presented by Galand Haas and The Galand Haas Team. If you are thinking about buying or selling a home, give us a call at (541) 349-2620 or send us an email to explore your options and to find out when is the best time for you to make a move.