Hey guys, Anthony Beckham here to give you a tour of one of my favorite Roseburg neighborhoods where we’ll be exploring the “West Harvard” area. This is an area that was primarily developed in the 1950’s and 60’s is home to several of our local schools, and has some fun history! 🏡
Starting with the West Side School district we have Roseburg High School, Fremont Middle School, Fir Grove Elementary, and Fullerton IV Elementary. At least when I was in school, if you lived in the West Harvard area you were likely to have to walk or ride your bike to school because of the close proximity. Fremont Middle School is the higher rated middle school in the Roseburg area with an 8/10 rating according to greatschools.org compared to JoLane Middle School’s 5/10 rating. ✏️📚
A few other notable attractions include the art center, home to the art festival and other Roseburg events throughout the year. Fir Grove Park which is where a lot of the local soccer games are hosted and Stewart Park is just across the bridge! Harvard is also home to the Harvard Medical Park which is the location for many local private practices and most local dentists are located here on Harvard as well making this a great neighborhood for those who have careers in that field of work. If you have a dentist or doctor’s visit, there’s a good chance you’ll end up on Harvard Ave! 🪥🦷
Some fun history about this Roseburg Oregon neighborhood is that Harvard Avenue used to be where the kids would hang out and “cruise” up and down on the weekends and after school. While this was well before my time, the old Pete’s Drive In is still here and in action. Which not only serves great food, but is a great place to spot old classic cars, especially during Roseburg’s Graffiti weekend! 🚘🚦
My favorite area of the West Harvard neighborhood is the North side of Harvard bordered by the South Umpqua River and is the location of Fullerton IV Elementary school. This is actually where I purchased my first home which has now been an awesome rental for me over the years, and because I loved living in this neighborhood so much, I now own several rental properties in this neighborhood that do very well for me. 🏘️🏘️
When I was 21 and I first moved into this neighborhood I door knocked a few streets to introduce myself and meet the neighbors. The majority of them had lived in their homes for several decades and raised their kids there and planned on living out their years in this neighborhood. Because of the large amount of retiree owned homes, you’ll notice most people take really good care of their homes and lawns, and are super friendly! This also means that people who move into this community usually stay for some time. When homes come up for sale in this neighborhood they usually don’t last long! 🔥
The South Umpqua River borders this portion of the neighborhood, and offers some beautiful homes with river views! 🌲
I would rate the walkability of this neighborhood a 10/10. Even though I live in Melrose, I still drive to this neighborhood on a weekly basis for my evening walks. You’ll always see neighbors riding bikes or walking dogs, and it is a great low traffic area for getting some fresh air. 🏃♂️
If you’d like to learn more about this Roseburg Oregon neighborhood give us a call or shoot me a text we would love to hear from you!
Thanks so much for watching our video on Roseburg Oregon’s Top Neighborhood and Living In the West Harvard Avenue Neighborhood! If you haven’t already, make sure to check out our blog and subscribe to our YouTube channel to learn all about what it’s like living here in Roseburg Oregon and the greater Umpqua Valley!
-Anthony Beckham
