Kansas or Bend? (Redmond, Prineville, La Pine: house, employment, neighborhood)

[PNW-type-gal]

Originally Posted by ritamiller9

And you are all right, when I looked a little closer at physical therapist jobs in bend it looks pretty skimpy compared to Portland, or even other parts of the country.

More than 70% of Oregon's population lives in the (relatively) small Willamette Valley (Portland/Vancouver in the north down south to Eugene), with the majority of that in the Portland area, so that is where the jobs are.

If you moved the city of Overland Park to Oregon, it would be the second largest city outside the Portland metro area. The Kansas City metro area is about the same size as the Portland metro area, if you want to compare like to like.

[redguard57]

Originally Posted by ritamiller9

Thank you all so much for all your answers! We are going to stay put for now, and explore more areas in Oregon. Maybe Washington, Colorado, or even Montana may be other options. For now, we will just continue to travel, and enjoy doing that with the kids. In the next couple years, if we still have this strong itch, we will move when my oldest is entering middle school. And you are all right, when I looked a little closer at physical therapist jobs in bend it looks pretty skimpy compared to Portland, or even other parts of the country. The one comment that hit me the most is when someone said that Bend is starting to be more like California than Oregon. I really love the culture of Oregon, and that is one of the main reasons for us to move there. Again, thanks for all your input, really appreciate it!!!

To be fair, that is a common complaint among Oregonians, and as an outsider one that I don't quite accept. I think we're far from it. To me CA is quite different than OR. The only similarities are in the far northern part, the Shasta Cascades, State of Jefferson area - it's a lot like southern Oregon with higher prices. But that's not really the "Cali" people think of.

The people that say that are just upset about growth.

To my mind there is little similarity between Oregon and the Bay Area, Southern Cal, Inland Empire or any populated part of California.

[BendLocal]

My wife and I moved to Bend after spending a number of years in the SF Bay Area and our impression is that Bend is feeling more and more like California. I suppose this shouldn't be a surprise given the number of transplants from California.

[redguard57]

Originally Posted by BendLocal

My wife and I moved to Bend after spending a number of years in the SF Bay Area and our impression is that Bend is feeling more and more like California. I suppose this shouldn't be a surprise given the number of transplants from California.

I guess what I don't understand is the California culture, so I don't see how it's changed Bend.

Exactly what have the CA people brought, other than their tolerance for high home prices?

[Dry Side]

To my mind there is little similarity between Oregon and the Bay Area, Southern Cal, Inland Empire or any populated part of California

Agree. I just don't see or feel any similarity. My parents live on the SF Peninsula near the Hwy 280 corridor. I visit a few times a year. When I come back to Bend it's like a breath of fresh air. Bend just doesn't have the density, congestion, expense, aggressive driving I experience on my CA visits. The only thing I would say going for CA over Bend is the ethnic diversity.

CA has a population 10X that of Oregon. Based on city-data, Bend has 2.5K people per acre. Redwood City a similarly populated city in Nor.Cal. has 4.1K people per acre and is bordered by many other cities with high density population.

[boulder2015]

Originally Posted by redguard57

To be fair, that is a common complaint among Oregonians, and as an outsider one that I don't quite accept. I think we're far from it. To me CA is quite different than OR. The only similarities are in the far northern part, the Shasta Cascades, State of Jefferson area - it's a lot like southern Oregon with higher prices. But that's not really the "Cali" people think of.

The people that say that are just upset about growth.

To my mind there is little similarity between Oregon and the Bay Area, Southern Cal, Inland Empire or any populated part of California.

They were only talking about bend, not or as a whole. Bend is still a nicer place than most of cali, but certainly has some tendencies in that direction.

[boulder2015]

Originally Posted by redguard57

I guess what I don't understand is the California culture, so I don't see how it's changed Bend.

Exactly what have the CA people brought, other than their tolerance for high home prices?

More shallow people, worse traffic, sprawl, ugly minimalls, ugly subdivisions laid out with poor planning. Aggressive rich people, some of whom have done very little to actually earn their money. I dont live there, just relaying complaints ive heard over and over from bend locals.

[Thom52]

Originally Posted by boulder2015

More shallow people, worse traffic, sprawl, ugly minimalls, ugly subdivisions laid out with poor planning. Aggressive rich people, some of whom have done very little to actually earn their money. I dont live there, just relaying complaints ive heard over and over from bend locals.

I think a lot, maybe not all, of those complaints have nothing to do with California immigrants specifically, but are more about the growing pains of a more crowded world, and can be driven by people coming in from just about anywhere, or people just reproducing.

What I find interesting is the general tone of "I am here, now nobody else move here". Looking at growth stats, I thinks its very roughly only about 1 out of 9 people have been Bend residents for more than 10 years. Of course part of the problem is the same people not wanting people moving to Bend will staunchly defend and brag about how great Bend is when talking to outsiders. I find the irony to be funny. I am already ramping down my bragging.

My wife and I have family in Bay Area Pennisula, Humbolt County, Bend, Portland, and we are desperately trying to move out of the Seattle area, which REALLY has growth problems and has really become a southern CA. So we get to experience a lot of the variations in West Coast culture. (I was born in the midwest and have some connection there too)

People really should differentiate when talking about Southern CA vs Northern CA, it is two very different cultures, although sadly that line of demarcation has blurred and moved north over the last few decades. The Bay Area has slid more and more into the South CA superficiality and shallowness. I dread my visits to family down there now. i just don't like it.

Far Northern CA is again a different world from the rest of CA. I used to have a strong desire to move to Humbolt county, which unfortunately has a job situation that makes Bend look like a booming job market. Last couple times visiting Humbolt county, the appeal has gone. The lack of building a legal job based economy is starting to take its toll and its feeling a bit burnt out and ragged around the edges. Bend's tourist based economy definitely has its issues, but at least it brings in money and jobs and we have a healthy and exercise oriented robust culture at its heart. You should really appreciate that.

Seattle is an example to look to, as a place that is being killed by its own popularity and corrupt local government. The fabled Seattle Freeze is actually a real thing. Bend oozes friendliness....Please lets not ever lose that wonderful bit of Bend culture. Seattle has an amazing Outdoor Culture like Bend, but gridlock and poor road planning chokes traffic, making it hard to get anywhere. Maybe Bend will turn into another Seattle? That would be sad.

Greater Seattle area is a good lesson of what to avoid for growth planning. Southern CA is a good lesson of what to avoid for superficial and shallow culture. Far Northern CA is a lesson of what happens when the economy doesn't latch onto something that creates jobs in a legal industry. Portland...Well, who hasn't watched Portlandia? make your own decision on that...


IMHO

[boulder2015]

Originally Posted by Thom52

People really should differentiate when talking about Southern CA vs Northern CA, it is two very different cultures, although sadly that line of demarcation has blurred and moved north over the last few decades. The Bay Area has slid more and more into the South CA superficiality and shallowness. I dread my visits to family down there now.

IMHO

Great post. 100% yes on that paragraph. Used to love going back to bay to visit for years after i left. Dont feel that way any more.

[ajams22]

Originally Posted by redguard57

To be fair, that is a common complaint among Oregonians, and as an outsider one that I don't quite accept. I think we're far from it. To me CA is quite different than OR. The only similarities are in the far northern part, the Shasta Cascades, State of Jefferson area - it's a lot like southern Oregon with higher prices. But that's not really the "Cali" people think of.

The people that say that are just upset about growth.

To my mind there is little similarity between Oregon and the Bay Area, Southern Cal, Inland Empire or any populated part of California.

I think anyone that actually believes Bend, or Oregon overall, is turning into the Bay Area/Southern California has never actually been to the Bay Area or Southern California

I love California for the reasons that it's different from Oregon.