What BestPlaces Users Say about Bend
Bend, Oregon is a small city located in the central part of the state. It is known for its outdoor recreation opportunities, craft breweries, and vibrant downtown area. With a population of just over 100,000, Bend has been steadily growing in recent years, attracting newcomers from all over the country. To gain a better understanding of what it's like to live in Bend, let's take a look at some user reviews from BestPlaces.net.
According to John, who has lived in Bend for 3 years, "The outdoor activities in Bend are top-notch. From skiing to hiking to river activities, there is always something to do here." He also mentions that "the local community is very friendly and welcoming, making it easy to make new friends."
In contrast, Stephanie has a different perspective. She moved to Bend from a big city and says, "The pace of life is much slower here and it took some getting used to. But now, I appreciate the laid-back vibe and being so close to nature." She also adds, "The cost of living is a bit higher than I expected, but the quality of life makes it worth it."
Another user, Sarah, has been living in Bend for 10 years and has seen the city change. She says, "The growth in Bend has brought some challenges, such as traffic and crowded trails. But overall, I still love living here." She also mentions, "The food scene has improved significantly and there are always new restaurants and breweries popping up."
Lastly, Brian has a mixed review of Bend. He says, "I love the natural beauty of Bend and the outdoor activities, but the job market is limited and the cost of living can be a struggle." He also adds, "The city is definitely becoming more touristy, which can be a downside for residents."
Overall, the majority of user reviews about living in Bend are positive, citing the abundance of outdoor activities, friendly community, and beautiful scenery. However, there are also mentions of challenges such as cost of living, job market, and growth impacting the city's small-town feel. It seems that Bend may not be for everyone, but for those who appreciate a laid-back lifestyle and love for the outdoors, it could be the perfect place to call home.
based on 100 ReviewsGet to know Bend with the latest comments and reviews from people who live in or have visited Bend
Too many people - 11/4/2017
I've lived here 20 years. The influx of the last years has destroyed my neighborhood. Traffic is horrible and crime is up. Most of my neighbors have moved away, selling their homes to out of town owners, who rent them to people making $12 an hour and living 4 adults to a house. My street is packed with parked cars because there are more drivers than driveways. I had hoped to retire here, but I can't stand it, so I am looking
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Beautiful but overpriced and poor job selection. - 11/3/2017
I have lived here for just over two years. Rents are ridiculously high for what you get. Good paying jobs are elusive. I have 30 years experience in my field yet can't find a decent paying position. As someone else noted many of the jobs open are in the service industry. People working those jobs cant afford to live here unless they take in roomates.
Yes, it is a beautiful area. Winters here are rough, fall and spring are short and often rainy. The only appreciable sunshine is in the summers which are hot and dry. This summer there were many wildfires nearby due to the summer drought. It's also very windy year around.
The people are for the most part very friendly. As the city has grown more crime and drugs are infiltrating the area.
The area is best for young people(under 30) that can live and work for $12 an hour and retirees. It's an expensive place to
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Going down hill in a hurry - 9/23/2017
I was born here... A long time ago when there was a little hospital on a hill and many of the roads aside from the two main arteries were still unpaved. The area is beautiful to the south and west (Towering pines, rivers, lakes and mountains). The weather is sunny and warm in the Summer. It is cold and often snowy and foggy in the Winter. Autumn and Spring each last less than a month, but some will still try to sell you on a 4 season climate. To the east you see nothing but dirt, brush, tumbleweeds and juniper trees. It once was a nice, quiet, social, friendly community. In the last 2+ decades the growth has been astronomic. With that, the cost of living has become nearly unaffordable. There's little available for rent (Under 1% availability) for lower incomes. What is available is way overpriced. Houses for sale are also way overpriced. There's no industry as the local hospital is the largest employer leaving low income jobs in the service (such as tourism or manual labor)
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Climate/recreation superb - 9/19/2017
Bend has an excellent climate. It's not excessively cold in the winter, and actually cooler than many other areas in the summer due to down slope cooling from glaciated mountains. The town receives around 12 inches of precipitation a year which is about equal to Tucson, Arizona. However, you can drive 20 miles to Mount Bachelor where there may be 20-30 feet of snow in a typical winter.
This means you can ride your bike in town or nearby desert areas, but ski in the same day.
And though Bend may be technically a "desert" there is a lot of water neaby. Some 45 lakes are within an hours of drive, not to mention a number of spring fed rivers, including the Deschutes River which flows through town.
Add in six wilderness areas within an hour or so of town for hiking and cross country skiing, it's pretty hard to beat.
But what I also like is there is a fair amount of cultural activities here as well. Summer time concerts, speakers on
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Been there going back to stay. - 7/4/2017
Went there to visit my daughter. Now we are planning to move up there all of us. My son and I. She has the job already and can possibly get him one so that leaves me to get one. So we are set! Finding the house is next on the list. OR here we
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Watch the exodus here - 9/9/2016
What used to be a wonderful place to live has turned into a hell hole.
The entire state of California has migrated here.
Here is what is going to happen here in Bend. It is fast becoming too expensive to live here as a retiree. They (your tax base) will move somewhere else they can afford without winter. That leaves, oh boy, the new college with a bunch of young people with no money....So if you think the roads and infrastructure are terrible now, just wait. There will be no money for anything to be repaired. There will have to be tax increases somewhere to pay for the lack of improvement and the upkeep. And, then there's the west coast earthquake. Are you ready?If you liked California and all that goes with it, you will like it
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Crime, traffic jams and mismanagement - 6/23/2016
I have lived in Bend 26 years. In those years Bend has changed quite a bit. At first change was good. Now, I find that the people who most enjoy Bend are coming from cities of 500,000 or more and believe that 45 minute traffic jams in a town that used to have none is acceptable. Those who exclaim that Bend is beautiful have not travelled much. Bend is dry and brown. The mountains are 30 miles West. We now have so many potholes in Bend that the citizens are planting flowers in them - part of the humor that makes up our nightly news and a result of city mismanagement. Bend Park and Recreation takes a big bite out of property taxes and the white water park they inadvisedly built was shut down immediately upon opening after a woman took her very young children over the expert area in inner tubes and then reported that she was very scared.
The homicide rate is likely low in Bend compared to a city of 500,000. In the past several months we had a Super 8 held up, hostages
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Worst place in the world - 3/6/2016
I have lived here 6 years. Don't even think of moving here. You will hate it. It is defiantly the worst place. Stay away....I love it the way it
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Over done Greedy people place! - 2/2/2016
I have lived here since 08, yeah not a good time to relocate but had to get Parents closer to better Medical facilities. This place isn't what you read in the Brochures or from realtors. The temps last summer were over a 100 degrees for several days, 96 is like the real summer temps, winter cold and dreary unless you can get up on Mt. Bachelor.
The downtown is ridiculous packed with tourist and no place to park, for example there is a open lot Downtown at the end of Bond Street, it is a ball park but mostly bare, now they want to turn a green space into a large hotel, more greedy people, and tourists. Like others have mentioned the trendy ppl have their noses up in the air thinking they are better than those workers who have lived here many years. I have a business and can't wait to sell my home and get out of here.
I lived in Bend in 91 for a year and had a blast riding my bike and fishing, now be prepared for a over sold over "Californized"Just like we all
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Not a newcomers review - 8/6/2015
Here is my .02 on Bend. I see a bunch of reviews about how "great" Bend is, mostly from people that have moved recently from overpriced areas..ie, California, NYC, Chicago. I'd venture to guess these folks had decent equity in their homes and surely found Bend much cheaper than their previous CITY. If you didn't have a home before moving here, good luck. The vast majority of jobs here WILL NOT allow you to buy a home..hell, good luck finding someplace to rent. "Poverty with a view" has been a joke of sorts for decades in Bend..there is a reason why. People come here on vacation during the summer and fall in love, it's easy to do..them they move here and find life harder than vacation..$15/hr is a good wage here..yes, a good wage. Sure, there are better paying jobs but good luck. I'm sure many of the positive reviews about Bend are from Dr.s or business owners..not the majority.
I won't talk about all the great outdoor activities here..that's been covered too many times.
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