You'll probably love it here... with some reservat
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2/23/2015
I've lived in Bend for 18 years; having moved from the SF Bay Area, I did experience some culture (and weather) shock at first, but lots of things have changed since then. It does seem like a lot of potential newcomers are romanticizing life in Bend; you have to weigh the realities yourself.
Here are some of the good things, in no particular order. Our water is really, really good. You can drink it right out of the tap. We have those 'big sky' vistas with the mountains in the background, and on a clear, blue day, it's gorgeous. If you can afford some property with room for horses or alpacas and views of those mountains, well, that's exactly the Oregon dream, and it doesn't get much better than that.
Dogs rule: just about everyone has one, and they are welcomed in many places. We have good dog parks and good pet stores and plenty of groomers. If you like to ski/snowboard, it's heaven. Slopes are not far from town, and Mt. Bachelor usually has more snow than any of the other ski areas in Oregon. This year has been bad, however; season pass owners are grumbling. If you like mountain biking, rock climbing, stand-up paddle boarding, kayaking, and golfing, you are also in luck, as all those things are available in abundance, either right in town, or close by. Also, we have plenty of orthopedic surgeons and physical therapists to fix you when you fall off your bike (or slip on ice in the driveway). In fact, we have a really great hospital here and no shortage of health providers and services.
Bend has a great restaurant scene (including the ubiquitous food trucks), especially for a town our size. In summer, during tourist season, the place is hopping, and I bet more than a few visitors get the idea that they could open a restaurant here, too and make it work. The only problem is non-tourist season, when the locals hunker down and try to save money. Our downtown is really charming, and we have a river running right through town. It's a magnet for those who want to float around on a hot summer day... or stand up paddle.
Our nights do cool down in summer (thankfully, because it can get very hot here), and we don't seem to have many bugs. That's a nice thing for eating dinner outside.
We have a thriving beer scene; seems like a new brewery/pub opens up once a month. I can't keep up with it, but if you love beer, you're in luck. It's everywhere. Lots of musical talent comes to town, playing in small clubs or our outdoor amphitheater in summer. There's a 16-plex movie theater, plus a couple of smaller, funkier theaters playing decent second-run movies (the one theater that played first-run art films was razed for a farm-supply store). We have a theater group that bravely mounts plays, and a lovely, restored old theater downtown that (oddly) doesn't show movies, but brings various musical/dance acts to town. And there are some good galleries around town (although quite a few have tried and failed).
We have a great little airport that's easy to navigate, and has direct flights to Portland, Seattle, San Francisco, LA and a few other places. Connecting from there is pretty easy.
Now for the other side of things. There aren't many jobs, folks, unless you bring it with you, or are willing to work for very little in retail or tourism (which is our #1 industry). If you're a medical professional you'll probably do just fine. But we've seen young families come and go because they just can't make it on lower salaries, even if the cost of living may not be as high as an urban area. If you're a really good construction worker, there is probably a job here, again. Lots didn't make it through the recession and had to leave town (see below). You probably shouldn't consider being a real estate agent: there are already gazillions.
The housing market is crazy, and getting crazier. During the recession, Bend took a huge nose dive, because we had overbuilt, and all these half-started housing tracts just languished, abandoned tyvex coverings flapping in the wind... now things have come back, and because so many people lost their houses in foreclosure or short sale, there are hardly any rentals left. There just isn't much available, if that's what you're thinking. If you can buy a house, better do it soon, before prices get out of hand again.
Winter: it's long, it's cold, and by April or May, when all of Bend is still brown sticks and dry tumbleweeds and biting cold wind, you just want to scream. Of course, nothing compares to east coast winters, so we really can't complain. But don't underestimate it if, like me, you're one of those lily-livered west coasters who has always lived in a pretty temperate climate. We have our days when the driving over snow and ice layers is extremely treacherous. There are months of cold, even if the sun is shining. We hardly have a growing season. If you like to garden, get over it. Sure, some have been successful with native plants and lavender and grasses. Lots of grasses. Go for stuff the deer don't eat, because they eat everything. Don't grow tomatoes from seed – just go to the farmer's market in summer (the best ones are brought over from the valley). But we're in the high desert: it's high and dry with a short growing season.
Summer: it comes on suddenly and then is relentless. If you're out playing in the river, 95º days might be welcome, but for some of us, it's too hot, too long. It's also very dusty here. The dryness is a magnet for dust and dirt and you'll never get rid of it. And you'll need plenty of moisturizer and hand cream, lest you dry up like a raisin.
Diversity: not much. It's changed a bit in the time I've been here, but still about 95% white, I believe. It seems like half the town is really conservative, and half not so much. I still don't get it.
Last bad thing: Bend really is isolated, and folks tend to underestimate that fact all the time when moving here. Portland is three hours away, over a mountain pass. Not so much fun in winter. Eugene is several hours away, also over a mountain pass. The coast is hours away. And the drive south to California is a long-ass, BORing, somewhat dangerous trek (lots of it two-lane with trucks passing each other).
Ideally, if you have the resources and live here, it's nice to be able to fly (not drive) out of town at least for some part of the winter. That would be the answer...
Jan | Bend, OR