There are two distinct areas of Neskowin, each with its own distinct personality: "South Beach" and "The Village."
The Village
The Village is more of an artistic community, replete with small, brightly colored cottages and hand painted signs warning motorists to slow down. And in Neskowin, slowing down can mean either "don't drive so fast" or "don't live so fast." A favorite pastime for visitors as well as residents is the "Village Walk," which is just what it sounds like - taking a walk through the Village and absorbing the atmosphere - sometimes dreamy, sometimes whimsical. There is even a guidebook written by a resident which includes sketches by the author of many of the houses and suggestions on how best to enjoy the Village Walk.
South Beach
South Beach is a lot more wooded, quiet and there tends to be a lot more space between neighbors. The public cannot easily access South Beach as it has a gate with a code at the entrance road and a creek emptying out to the ocean and separating it from the rest of Neskowin at Proposal Rock. But the beach at South Beach is where you'll find the fascinating (and sometimes eerie) "Ghost Forest" - 2,000 year old ancient spruce stumps that were covered by sand and ocean for centuries and then just suddenly reappeared a couple of decades ago. It's definitely worth a wade across the creek if you're coming from the north to go and experience for yourself. Stayed tuned for my upcoming more in-depth post about the Ghost Forest of Neskowin.
Everything in Between
Between the Village and South Beach is the community golf course and the State Beach public access parking area. Part of this parking area is taken up on Saturday mornings in the summer for the friendliest Farmer's Market in the Great Northwest. It's small, but mighty. And amazing deals can be had on anything from farm fresh eggs (chicken OR duck) to professional photographs of your favorite Neskowin landmark.
Our home (Brigadune) is in South Beach on an acre and a half of woods. There are often deer breakfasting on the property. There is a small creek in the back. It is a quiet and peaceful retreat and you can't believe how many stars you can see at night, away from city lights. It's a about a three minute walk to the beach, and because it's South Beach and not many people are brave enough to wade the creek from the north side (even though, at low tide, it is often only about 18 inches deep), we are often the only people on the entire beach, even during some of the busiest weekends. You might even find a whole sand dollar or other washed-ashore treasures, since there aren't crowds of early risers picking the beach clean before you even wake up. South Beach's seclusion is protected by its border to the South of a large, rocky outcropping and by Proposal Rock and the creek to its north.
Neskowin is what I dream about when I'm having a bad day at work in the "big" city of Portland. When you're in Neskowin, it feels like a different universe, where time slows down a little and laziness is something to be cherished, not something to feel guilty about. And it's something that I love to share with others, but not too many others... It's been a "secret" spot for years and I hope it always feels that way.
For further information on how you can rent our Brigadune, please visit us at www.brigadunehouse.com Thank you.
