Younger residents and newcomers frequently gripe that Boardman rolls up the sidewalks after dark, while longtime locals argue the Columbia River, outdoor recreation, and tight-knit community events are more than enough entertainment. Who's right?
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Add your commentBorn and raised in Boardman. Spent my whole childhood on that river and I turned out just fine. You want nightlife, move to Portland. That's not a complaint, that's geography.
My teenager asked me the other night what kids in Boardman do for fun and honestly I didn't have a great answer. That's the problem. It's fine for adults who've built lives and social circles. For young people figuring out who they are, a place with nothing to do after dark can feel genuinely isolating. That's worth taking seriously rather than dismissing as whining.
Has anyone else noticed that the people loudest about 'go enjoy nature!' are never actually outside? My neighbor has said this to me three times and his idea of outdoor recreation is walking to his mailbox. Sir.
The complaint is legitimate AND an excuse to complain. Both things can be true. I've lived here 22 years and yes, evenings are dead quiet, but I also know plenty of people who'd be bored in Manhattan because they've decided in advance there's nothing to do. Self-awareness, people.
I used to live there from 2015 to 2021 and I'll say this -- the people who made it work were the ones who MADE things happen. Trivia nights, potlucks, river floats at sunset, informal volleyball at the park. The town doesnt owe you entertainment. But also yes it wouldve been nice to have literally one place open past 9.
My family has been in Morrow County since before Boardman was even incorporated and I'll tell you what -- we used to drive 45 minutes to Hermiston just to go to a sit-down restaurant on a Friday night and we didn't moan about it. We called it 'making the trip.' Now everybody acts like it's a human rights violation that they can't get sushi at 9pm.
I challenge any 'longtime local' here to tell me the last time they actually went and did something on the Columbia after 8pm that wasn't just sitting in their truck. The river argument is a DAYTIME argument. At night it's dark and cold and the ramp at Boardman Marina closes. So.
both sides of this debate are missing the real issue which is that Boardman is growing FAST with all these tech and agricultural jobs but the amenities havent kept pace at all. its not about nightclubs its about basic quality of life infrastructure for a growing workforce. the city needs a real strategic plan and this 'just enjoy the river' answer doesnt cut it when you're trying to attract and retain talent in 2024
actually Boardman has a population of like 4,000 people. statistically it should have at least two or three evening entertainment venues by now given the economic growth from the data centers alone. this isn't nostalgia vs. newcomers, this is a real infrastructure gap that the city council keeps ignoring. follow the money folks
i mean the bowling alley closed what, like 2019? 2020? and nobody replaced it with anything. that wasnt covid that was just boardman being boardman. i dont blame young people for being frustrated. i blame us older residents for not pushing harder to keep community spaces open
okay but like... i moved here from Bend eight months ago for a job at the port and i genuinely did not realize how real this was. it's not even that i want bars or whatever. i just want SOMETHING open past 8. a coffee shop. a bookstore. anything. the mcdonalds drive thru is not a social scene
Boardman has the McNary Wildlife Refuge, the river, the marina, Sand Station OHV area AND community events through the parks district. I counted six things off the top of my head. The problem isnt that there's nothing to do. The problem is that people want other people to hand it to them pre-packaged.
Nope. Hard disagree with the complainers. Learn to host a bonfire. Learn to stargaze. You can literally see the Milky Way from your backyard here. That's not nothing, that's everything.
Fun fact: Boardman was literally a planned agricultural community built around irrigation. It was never designed to be an entertainment destination. Complaining there's no nightlife here is like complaining there's no beach in Denver. Wrong tool for the wrong job, friend.
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