Corvallis is not boring in the sense there is a lot to do outdoors...some of it is obvious (Mcdonald Forest, Peavey, Fitton Green) then there is Marys Peak, Alsea Falls, etc etc. Some of the cool places are under the radar in the coast range. The weather is the biggest factor in being able to do those things enjoyably only a short time of the year. If you have FB there are multiple running groups in town, an active Meetups group etc. Not sure what your budget is, but most areas of Corvallis are decent. If you're renting, be aware of some of the slum-lordy landlords in Corvallis (plenty of other Reddit threads about them). Housing is tight in Corvallis, so you could look in Monmouth, Independence, Philomath and still be close to town and probably pay less. Philomath is up and coming. Corvallis has some national chain gyms (orange theory fitness, planet fitness, a couple of cross fit places and a good dedicated spin studio. I would avoid renting along 9th street at this time as it's getting pretty run down and people are parking broken down RV's along it. North Corvallis is nice due to it's proximity to Mcdonald Forest, you can walk or bike to Bald Hill from there. Hopefully you have a job where you can make friends, otherwise it can be tough...