Can anybody tell me about Prineville? (Eugene, Bend: home, employment, movie theaters)

[FloridaMD]

I have a good lead on a primary care job in the area. A couple weeks ago I drove through Oregon from Eugene over the mountains through Sisters and down through Redmond and Bend, so I got a good feel for those areas. I didn't make it over to Prineville however, but I wanted some opinions on what the town was like.
What do they have in the way of restaurants, movie theaters, shopping, etc? what's the vibe of the area like? Is it upbeat or depressing? Do most residents (would love to hear from locals) like living there or do they feel stuck and want to get out? At least Bend is only about 30 miles away, so that's not TOO far out of the way if I wanted to go for some better eating/entertainment options for an evening.
Most everyone I met in Oregon was extremely nice when I was out there a few weeks ago (big change from what I run into a lot down here in Florida). Hope to move out that way at the beginning of the year next year, but need to find myself a job first and a community that I can really feel at home in.

[sarahkate_m]

Originally Posted by FloridaMD

I have a good lead on a primary care job in the area. A couple weeks ago I drove through Oregon from Eugene over the mountains through Sisters and down through Redmond and Bend, so I got a good feel for those areas. I didn't make it over to Prineville however, but I wanted some opinions on what the town was like.
What do they have in the way of restaurants, movie theaters, shopping, etc? what's the vibe of the area like? Is it upbeat or depressing? Do most residents (would love to hear from locals) like living there or do they feel stuck and want to get out? At least Bend is only about 30 miles away, so that's not TOO far out of the way if I wanted to go for some better eating/entertainment options for an evening.
Most everyone I met in Oregon was extremely nice when I was out there a few weeks ago (big change from what I run into a lot down here in Florida). Hope to move out that way at the beginning of the year next year, but need to find myself a job first and a community that I can really feel at home in.

Here's a little start for you:
http://www.city-data.com/forum/searc...rchid=15847723

Maybe you can hone your questions from that list of threads...?

Everyone here does seem to be extremely nice (I'm a transplant). Good luck on your decision!

Kate

[PNW-type-gal]

For nightlife and major shopping, you'd be commuting to Bend, definitely. Prineville is a small community - very nice, but small, especially if you are coming from a metropolitan area. Heck, Bend is a small community if you're coming from a metropolitan area.

My biggest concern for you would be traveling on snowy and occasionally icy roads - Bend doesn't get a ton of snow, but it's frequent enough in the winter. Are you a Florida native, or have you driven much in the snow? It's easy enough to learn to deal with (be careful and cautious), but until you're used to it, you might want to keep your winter commute short (ie: don't live in Bend and drive into Prineville every day).

[FloridaMD]

Originally Posted by PNW-type-gal

For nightlife and major shopping, you'd be commuting to Bend, definitely. Prineville is a small community - very nice, but small, especially if you are coming from a metropolitan area. Heck, Bend is a small community if you're coming from a metropolitan area.

My biggest concern for you would be traveling on snowy and occasionally icy roads - Bend doesn't get a ton of snow, but it's frequent enough in the winter. Are you a Florida native, or have you driven much in the snow? It's easy enough to learn to deal with (be careful and cautious), but until you're used to it, you might want to keep your winter commute short (ie: don't live in Bend and drive into Prineville every day).

Well, driving in snow doesn't really bother me. I grew up in Virginia. We didn't get a TON of snow there ,but we would get at least one or two winter storms every year, sometimes some hefty accumulations which I have driven in, and acquitted myself pretty well. I would probably get myself a 4 wheel drive vehicle if I move to that area.

As for coming from a large metropolitan area, I really have no desire to live around one. Usually higher crime, definitely traffic issues, I just don't want that. The area i live in now has about 100,000 total county-wide. It's not real urban by any means, but also not rural. Bend is probably similar in size to where I am living now. I could tolerate a Prineville sized community as long as there were things to do a reasonable driving distance away. Would likely try to live close to town and not drive all the way from Bend every day.

[FloridaMD]

Originally Posted by sarahkate_m

Here's a little start for you:
http://www.city-data.com/forum/searc...rchid=15847723

Maybe you can hone your questions from that list of threads...?

Everyone here does seem to be extremely nice (I'm a transplant). Good luck on your decision!

Kate

Thanks for the suggestion. I already did a search on Prineville but really didn't see any discussion about it that didn't involve speaking mostly about Bend, so I thought I would ask specifically about that town.

[sarahkate_m]

Does this help?

#3 posts from '07 to '08 - You're right, not much specifically addressing your questions already posed. Sorry!

I think it's kinda in the middle of nowhere & really little. Much of Oregon is slow & laid back, spread out. This is one of the outposts, I guess.

Here's a business article from this month: Jobs Watch: Prineville pines for opportunity - Oregon Business

In which town would your prospective employment be located? Would it be anywhere near Silverton? After reading many posts about that area, I find myself hankering to live in that area.

Kate

[Silverfall]

Silverton is in the mid-valley not in central Oregon.

[PNW-type-gal]

Silverton is on the other side of the Cascades in the Willamette Valley, so, no, it isn't close.

As far as info on Prineville - we're thin on the ground out here on Central and East side, and there aren't many posters. I've only visited Prineville a few times, but the good thing is that it is recognizably a city and has a community feel, rather than just a collection of buildings along a highway, like so many towns on Hwy 97.

[delta07]

Prineville is a very small town and somewhat isolated. The economy in Crook Co. where Prineville is located is very depressed and one of the worst in Oregon. If you are interested at all in nightlife, restaurants, etc. you may find yourself driving to Bend (or possibly Redmond) on a weekly basis. It may be fun at first, but I imagine the novelty of the drive would wear off.

If you love rural living, ranching, country folk, then Prineville would be a good choice. Otherwise you probably will get bored rather quickly.

[Bendite]

Originally Posted by FloridaMD

I have a good lead on a primary care job in the area. A couple weeks ago I drove through Oregon from Eugene over the mountains through Sisters and down through Redmond and Bend, so I got a good feel for those areas. I didn't make it over to Prineville however, but I wanted some opinions on what the town was like.
What do they have in the way of restaurants, movie theaters, shopping, etc? what's the vibe of the area like? Is it upbeat or depressing? Do most residents (would love to hear from locals) like living there or do they feel stuck and want to get out? At least Bend is only about 30 miles away, so that's not TOO far out of the way if I wanted to go for some better eating/entertainment options for an evening.
Most everyone I met in Oregon was extremely nice when I was out there a few weeks ago (big change from what I run into a lot down here in Florida). Hope to move out that way at the beginning of the year next year, but need to find myself a job first and a community that I can really feel at home in.

Prineville is the oldest community in Central Oregon and it sticks to that heritage - people love their rodeo, county fair and outdoor recreation. Prineville is more blue collar and conservative than Bend. Their best restaurant is probably Barney Prine's Steakhouse which gets very good reviews (good as long as you enjoy a big juicy steak). More gourmet fare, more entertainment choices and major shopping will require a trip to Bend, or maybe Redmond can fill some of those needs. The nice people you mention about Oregonians certainly extends to the residents of Prineville.