In search of a haircut, I found Analog, Eugene’s favorite barber shop according to Yelp. Also a tattoo parlor. Upstairs, the walls are lined with LP album covers of the 60s, 70s and 80s, with good tunes on the sound system. But it was too busy that morning, with a long wait.
A few blocks away Anderson’s took me right away. They had free IPA on tap for customers. “The Big Lebowski” was playing on their large-screen TV, next to the small wire-frame house where one barber’s small dog dwells. All very homey and laid back. Everyone there was relaxed and chatty. My barber scalped me proper but it wasn’t cheap. Nothing much is here these days.
Eugene remains cool, as cool as it was forty-odd years ago, when hippies roamed the earth in great profusion, the city pioneered environmental awareness and very early touted the fitness benefits of running and biking. Eugene’s extensive network of parks linked by myriad bike paths testify to the city’s ongoing green commitment.
The Lane County bus system is another wonder, user-friendly and comprehensive, providing mobility throughout the city and county at low cost to riders who otherwise could not get around. Disabled, elderly and economically marginal folks make use of the generous passes the bus offers. Amtrak also has a station downtown. You really can survive here without a car.
Tie-dyed styles and values persist in this city of 156,000+ people – Oregon’s second-largest – as visitors can confirm by a…