What is Bend like? (Portland: fit in, real estate, to buy)

[sdepauw8]

Hi, I'm a 30yr old female single doctor, have lived in Atlanta (nice place), NYC (hated it!), and now may be moving to Bend. I'm a bit of a yippie--an outdoor enthusiast, environmentalist, vegetarian, but also like drinking a martini at a sophisticated lounge with other professionals. I was just wondering what the general feel of Bend is like. I of course realize not everyone fits into a one sentence generalization, and I'm sure there are niches for nearly everyone, but every city does have a certain feel to it. Thoughts?

[PNWhike]

Bend is a lot like Palm Springs California, only much much cleaner. Yuppies like yourself will fit in just fine. I hope you like exponential growth from California. It is a nice setting for outsoor pursuits. Hiking, rock climbing, skiing, snowboarding, the list goes on. The traffic on US 97 get's a bit slower every day. I know there is a proposed toll road to alleviate congestion. Good luck with your move.

[Bendite]

Bend is a good place to live. It's certainly not perfect and a lot of people have moved here expecting it to be some kind of paradise and it is clearly not that. I imagine people coming from a large city like L.A. could find it refreshing, but the fast development has created some problems that should be expected when a town grows as quickly as Bend did. As a doctor, you'll find Bend has pretty extraordinary medical capabilities for a town of its size. You'll find everything that an outdoor enthusiast looks for, with things to do year round. As a martini drinker, you'll enjoy the locally distilled offerings of Bendistillery's two martini bars (downtown and the Old Mill District) and for the occasional beer, we've got some great microbreweries. The Produce Patch sells the freshest fruits & vegetables and in the summer when local produce is available, we have a farmers market twice a week. We have stores and restaurants that offer lots of options for vegetarians. My daughter, who is in her 30s, complains that the night life in Bend isn't all that it could be, but there is usually some kind of event happening. We have our own opera company, a couple of live theaters, and big names artists come in to perform, especially in summer. If you want a night in a bigger city, a weekend in Portland is easy to do. Overall, the people in Bend are very friendly. There is bitterness towards people who have come here from California to buy up real estate which has resulted in our housing prices skyrocketing. Also, people who come from large metropolitain areas don't always adjust well to living in a slower paced environment and so they bring their anxieties and brusqueness with them and that is not at all appreciated so you may have to get used to slowing down if you're coming from a large Eastern city - it's a different pace.