Move to Bend? (Portland, La Grande, Burns: public school, standard of living, fence)

[Kamaaina]

Am considering a move to Bend, there's a great job potential for me. Currently living in Maryland, and would love to get away from congestion and high prices - of everything! I did live in and around Seattle for 10 years; know most of the cities and towns in western Washington plus a few in Oregon; but never been to Bend. Can anyone give me a comparable reference to a city in western WA? Any insights into the lifestyle, general outlook on life, etc. there (e.g., does everyone who lives there think it's the pits or incredible, etc.)? Is it terribly isolated, or is Portland a fairly easy weekend getaway? I love small cities/bigger towns, so it's just what I'm hoping Bend has to offer.

Thanks.

[Steve97415]

Bend is somewhat isolated, but it is its own place to be, so that's less of an issue. It's a medium-sized city that's going through some growing pains so don't expect small-city culture. Access to Portland via U.S. 26 is relatively straightforward, but it's a drive of several hours. Bend is in the high desert on the lee side of the Cascades, so any comparison to a location in western Washington would be inappropriate. It has often been compared to Prescott, Arizona and various cities in Colorado including Fort Collins, Durango and Boulder (in its earlier days).
Many people on this forum would be envious of you for having a good job opportunity in Bend. Bend is one of those cities that many people try to relocate to without having a job lined up ahead of time just for the lifestyle. If you have a chronic form of outdoor sports addiction -- mountain biking, hiking, snowboarding, skiing, river rafting -- you may well find that Bend provides the payoffs to offset the long cold winters and relative isolation. If you don't, you might think twice about what you think its attractions would be for you. If you're an avid gardener, Bend could be disappointing. Many families value Bend for its superior public school system. Most people don't associate Bend with relief from high prices, but that may be a relative matter coming from the East Coast. If you generally like medium-sized outdoor-oriented cities in cold-winter portions of the intermountain West, Bend could be for you.

[John Shaft]

That's a pretty accurate assessment from Steve above. The only item I'd clarify is the relativity of the term "medium-sized city." Bend's city population is about 80K which in my opinion is a small city. However, it is definitely the largest city in the area which makes it the cultural/economic center and thus it "lives" larger than its population, if that makes sense. Still, you shouldn't necessarily expect all the features of a city of 150-200K.

[AlabasterPrince]

Originally Posted by Steve97415

you may well find that Bend provides the payoffs to offset the long cold winters and relative isolation.

Just how cold and long are these winters Steve97415? I have been considering a move there for some time now but hadn't quite made the leap. Are we talking Montana, Minnesota type long cold winters with 6-8 inches of snow on the ground at all times and below zero temps? Or snow melting almost immediately 20-30 degree temps? And about how long would you say winter lasts there? Because where I am originally from winter lasted from around October to June...would you say that's how long we're talking here?

I might have to rethink it if that's the case.

[Kamaaina]

Thanks for all the advice, guys - really helps to paint a picture for me. I'm on the fence about it overall, but hope to visit very soon to see for myself. Are the arts alive and well there? I'm certainly not expecting any major symphony orchestras, but is there a decent cultural life there too?

[roneb]

Don't be fooled into thinking Bend has cold winters. Cold for the NW region? Perhaps, but I believe Burns, La Grande, and Baker (while probably not nearly as appealing places to live relative to Bend) get colder pretty routinely. Cold compared to MN or MT? Not even close!

[delta07]

I am actually moving to Bend in July. One of the main reasons we chose Bend, other than the awesome outdoor activities, was the culture. Comparing Bend to New York or LA would be crazy, so I won't even go there. However, for the size of the city, there are plenty of cultural opportunities. Currently I live in a town slightly larger than Bend, but it lacks cultural appeal. Bend feels like a much larger city in terms of things to do. The variety of restraunts (sp?), music venues, and art events are amazig. That is why I fell in love with Bend! You get the feel of a bigger city, but not the problems (although that is changing a bit from what I hear). I would highly recommend checking Bend out there. You certainly wouldn't want to move there without first visiting. Oh, and in terms of cold, it is not MT cold at all! I was there in March, and it was absolutely beautiful! 70's during the day (may have been a bit unusual) and 20's to 30's at night. Not bad that far north!

[johnes4th]

I have been one of the many who have moved to bend without a job because I love it. My fiance and I moved here because we are finishing our education online and want to live in a place that we love, great view and lots to do. However, we are moving with a huge amount of experiance in the service industry. Working in it is better than where we were (NE). At least here you can get a paycheck in the service industry which easily compensates for slight increase in price (maybe $100 a month than Omaha, NE; which is supposed have a very low standard of living... which is true unless you are working near the state min. per hour $2.13

[Smiled]

I'd go for it, if you don't mind moving to Portland if it doesn't work out. I live on the rainy side of the Cascades; the problem with the Bend side is the short summers - it would drive me crazy to be in the office watching one of the 90 really nice days slip away.