Bend vs. Hood River (Portland, Adams: rentals, crime, attorneys)

[hawksnest]

I am thinking of relocating to Bend or Hood River. For those of you who have lived or are living in either area what do you like and dislike? How many sunny or partly sunny days does each area get? Is it sunny or partly sunny in the winter? Is Mt. Hood Meadows as good for skiing/snowboarding as Mt. Bachelor or visa versa? Thank you for your input!

[Bendite]

Originally Posted by hawksnest

I am thinking of relocating to Bend or Hood River. For those of you who have lived or are living in either area what do you like and dislike? How many sunny or partly sunny days does each area get? Is it sunny or partly sunny in the winter? Is Mt. Hood Meadows as good for skiing/snowboarding as Mt. Bachelor or visa versa? Thank you for your input!

Can't speak to Hood River - I've only visited. The propaganda says we get 300 plus days of sunshine here in Bend, but I don't think that's true. We do get lots of sunny days year round but we get our share of cloudy, windy days too. What I like about Bend is the overall small town feel (getting harder since the population is now over 75,000) and at the same time, some big city amenities like fine dining, local theater/arts etc that are not always found in a place this size. There is a lot for outdoor enthusiasts to enjoy. I love the colors here and the way the terrain changes from high desert in the east part of town to forested in the west. At night, it is pitch black where I live and I can see so many stars. Deer walk by regularly and I've seen cougar prints in the snow by our house. Overall, just like everywhere in Oregon, the people are very friendly and helpful. What's not to like - too many lousy drivers in their big SUVs talking on their cells and not knowing how to use a roundabout (we have lots of roundabouts). A very conservative newspaper and more conservatives in the population than I care for. Developers have had more clout than they should have resulting in some unfortunate development, particularly destination resorts. The City is getting very low on money due to the decline in housing markets and we will be seeing layoffs and shortfalls in 2008 that I think are a result of poor vision and an "it can't happen here" attitude. We've seen some pretty bad leadership in some segments of the local government among certain county commissioners as well as city leaders. While that sounds pretty bad, overall, Bend is a great place to live.

[Weavebox]

Originally Posted by hawksnest

I am thinking of relocating to Bend or Hood River. For those of you who have lived or are living in either area what do you like and dislike? How many sunny or partly sunny days does each area get? Is it sunny or partly sunny in the winter? Is Mt. Hood Meadows as good for skiing/snowboarding as Mt. Bachelor or visa versa? Thank you for your input!

I don't know if you've already relocated or ??? But I live in Hood River. It is absolutely beautiful here, unless anywhere else. We have the forests, rivers, lakes, mountains all within our reach. Every view could be framed with Mt Adams and Mt Hood on opposite sides of each other. Mt Hood is about 30 minute drive and has amazing skiing, snowboarding and there are also many places for sledding up by the mountain like this place called Little John. It does rain quite a bit in the fall and spring, but not as bad as Portland. Summers are usually pretty hot, we usually have a few days in the upper 90s or low 100s. We definitely get all 4 seasons. Cons: it's a small town so there are very limited jobs, housing is getting more and more expensive so if you plan on buying you're looking in the upper 300,000s. Renting is out of control as well with all the tourists in the summer months jacking up the prices. Most rentals are seasonal, which is frustrating. It's an easy place to fall in love with, if you like small towns Hood River is one of the best. Just visit and you'll see exactly what I mean! If you can afford to live here, I definitely would choose Hood River over Bend any day! One hour from Portland and it's a beautiful drive. Great safe place to raise a family and within range of the city, coast and just about anything else you could ever want. Hope this helps you.

[BLAZER PROPHET]

I've lived in both places and here is my general impression:

Bend- as fine of weather as a human being will ever get. Four true seasons and the whole area is beautiful! Outdoor activities just abound. Crime is low average. Housing prices are so high it's a joke. It's a highly California elitist type environment (hey, it had a Jag dealership years ago) with the most unbelievable screwball local political environment imaginable. You don't know whether to laugh or cry. The schools are generally good. I recommend it.

Hood River- full of bleeping wind fags (wind surfers). Hood River is a very beautiful town. When the wind fags came in from all around they brought serious $$ and fixed up hundreds of old houses. The 'downtown' area is sort of eclectic and the shop owners charge major $$ for everything. As an example, I watched a store owner open a box of two coffee mugs she got from Wal Mart for $4.99 (I saw the box). She marked each one at over $20 and put them on her shelf. I have no doubt they sold. THAT'S the Hood River crowd. Like Bend, it too has a true 4 seasons (the autumn drive down the gorge is my #1 favorite in the world), however, that wind blows hard way too many days of the year. Makes things like bike riding a real chore. Wanna play tennis? Forget it. Too much wind. But the entire surrounding area is lovely. Like Bend, the housing prices are just comical. I would say the schools are comparable to Bend. The local politicians are a curious mix and it isn't unheard of for them to be skimming money from the community pot. That happened a few times when I lived there. All in all, I'd marginally recommend Hood River. It's just that damn wind...

So go east, young person! Californy is place you wanna be. So they loaded up the truck and moved to Beverly. Beverly Hills, Oregon, that is. California sewer attorneys. Golf. Hiking. Biking. Fishing. The great outdoors.