Thinking of moving from Portland to Bend

[delta07]

Originally Posted by TeacherAdvicePlease

There are numerous teaching jobs posted. I qualified for 10 and applied. Since there were so many open, that was encouraging. I have also noticed numerous private schools are also there. The job search continues. I'm pretty sure that I will find something. Since it's just me and my pups I don't need to make a fortune. I just want to be happy and with my family. Don't want to live in SC alone anymore.It really sounds like you don't want anyone to come to Bend as I read all your posts.

Not sure if you saw this post, but worth noting the last response. http://www.city-data.com/forum/bend/...rrounding.html

[olbuckaroo]

I first moved to Bend in 1965; the population was a little over 12K and the county was about 35K. Skiing was just getting established, and biking and jogging had yet to grab a foot hold. Hunting, fishing, and camping were a part of everyday life. The economy was tied to the lumber industry, and tourism had been developing since the 50's...there were no big resorts and there were only three golf courses in the area, one of which was private. Today, all of this has been developed, or still exist, providing an outdoor experience that is some of the best in America.

My biggest disappointment in the Bend area has been in the quality of much of the housing and the over-all use of the land in the area. Much of it is over-crowded and poorly built; 25 years from now they will look like shacks! For the sake of unreasonable profits, projects were allowed that the area will have to pay for down the road, and will result in being damaging to the entire community. If you buy, and there are many good homes in the area, make sure you get a really good professional inspection before hand.

Over the year's there have been variations in the climate due to periods when the Northwest has been impacted by La Nina. The biggest differences between Portland and Bend are mainly elevation (about 3000 feet) and the rain shadow effect of the mountain range giving the Bend area the high desert. I know that because of the mountains, Bend will get more days that have "some" periods sunshine than you will experience in Portland, giving a stronger impression of having more sunny days. Over all, the climate in much dryer, and during the winter the days are "crispy" and often windy.

I have lived in the Portland area since 1980. Because of family, I did not move back to Bend and yet my heart has always been there. It lost it's small town feel in many ways, something that can't be avoided when you have such an influx of people from all over the country. But when you get out in the different areas...away from the city itself, it is still the beautiful diverse chance to learn and experience it always has been. Within a 60 mile circle there are lava caves, desert, mountain streams and lakes, skiing in powder snow, rock climbing that will challenge anyone, rock hunting, hunting, fishing, horse back trails, boating, jogging and hiking, motor bike areas and biking challenges, good food, and most of all nice people.

I wish I had gone home when I got out of college in 1970....maybe I'll end up in Sisters after all...it's still a small town.