What Prescott doesn't have (move to, food, desert)

[reluctantcackalackian]

Originally Posted by YetiMan

you couldn't be more right about Bend. We are selling our property south of Bend right now.

Wow! I have read so many good things about Bend. Tell me what has gone wrong with it. I was considering a visit there but I am afraid of the "dreary" weather.

[k2rider]

Originally Posted by reluctantcackalackian

Wow! I have read so many good things about Bend. Tell me what has gone wrong with it. I was considering a visit there but I am afraid of the "dreary" weather.

YetiMan will have more insight that I would but as a *visitor*, you'll probably have a great time, especially if you're a trendy "foodie" and/or enjoy the IPA/craft beer scene. The surrounding area is beautiful as is the downtown area where the rivers runs through it. They've done a great job with the parks along the river and added in white-water park for kayaking a couple years back...though it's had problems both times I've been there since it opened.

As somebody looking to move there to experience the "small(er) town feel" after living in megatropolis' all my life, I wasn't impressed. The traffic was ridiculous and to be honest, flowed much worse than than my daily drives around San Diego (rush hour on the freeways aside). It was taking me 2-3 cycles to get thru every intersection. The powers that be thought they found the solution with traffic c circles but people are idiots and don't know how to use them so even they come to a standstill. As a non-foodie, I **DESPISE** the trendy food scene there where they want you to be impressed that your omelette uses eggs from cage free chickens and the spinach is organic....price of omelette $16. Yes, SIXTEEN DOLLARS for a 2 egg omelette.

So you have traffic, traffic and more traffic. A ridiculous trendy food scene and over the last 10 years, they've started to develop like California. Lots are being sub-divided to put 4+ houses on lots that used to have one. The good news is you can open a window and hand a cup of milk to your next door neighbor....all for near California pricing to boot.

[YetiMan]

Originally Posted by k2rider

YetiMan will have more insight that I would but as a *visitor*, you'll probably have a great time, especially if you're a trendy "foodie" and/or enjoy the IPA/craft beer scene. The surrounding area is beautiful as is the downtown area where the rivers runs through it. They've done a great job with the parks along the river and added in white-water park for kayaking a couple years back...though it's had problems both times I've been there since it opened.

As somebody looking to move there to experience the "small(er) town feel" after living in megatropolis' all my life, I wasn't impressed. The traffic was ridiculous and to be honest, flowed much worse than than my daily drives around San Diego (rush hour on the freeways aside). It was taking me 2-3 cycles to get thru every intersection. The powers that be thought they found the solution with traffic c circles but people are idiots and don't know how to use them so even they come to a standstill. As a non-foodie, I **DESPISE** the trendy food scene there where they want you to be impressed that your omelette uses eggs from cage free chickens and the spinach is organic....price of omelette $16. Yes, SIXTEEN DOLLARS for a 2 egg omelette.

So you have traffic, traffic and more traffic. A ridiculous trendy food scene and over the last 10 years, they've started to develop like California. Lots are being sub-divided to put 4+ houses on lots that used to have one. The good news is you can open a window and hand a cup of milk to your next door neighbor....all for near California pricing to boot.

K2 covered everything pretty well. I would add if you like the outdoors, fishing, hunting, hiking, MTB, outdoor motor sports, skiing, rivers ( I really miss these) Etc. Bend might still be for you, if you don't mind Californian attitudes and prices. Paying too much for most things. Long winters with several feet of snow often. Putting a coat on in the evening in July so that you can watch the concerts at Les Schwab amphitheater next to the river ( which is a great venue) check it out still. Really its a beautiful area and I have a few regrets leaving, but Prescott has its advantages and charms also. Oh one other thing Bend is still a conservative town in Oregon, rare. It just feels liberal.
Also I am selling 2.5 acres south of Bend FYI. Sorry for the shameful plug.

[Pretzelogik]

Please POTUS Trump.... build that wall....between Cali. and AZ.

[bigdogmom13]

Not that I'm a huge fast food fan, but how about a Tokyo Joe's, a Café Rio, and/or a Raising Cane's?

[Hschlick84]

More suggestions of non-hamburger or diner restaurants

- Sweet Tomatoes
- HuHot Mongolian Grill
- Modern Market
- Potbelly Sandwich Shop
- Noodles & Company
- Tokyo Joe's
- Famous Dave's
- Costa Vida Mexican Grill
- Qdoba
- Old Chicago
- Yard House
- The Keg Steakhouse

[Hschlick84]

Originally Posted by YetiMan

K2 covered everything pretty well. I would add if you like the outdoors, fishing, hunting, hiking, MTB, outdoor motor sports, skiing, rivers ( I really miss these) Etc. Bend might still be for you, if you don't mind Californian attitudes and prices. Paying too much for most things. Long winters with several feet of snow often. Putting a coat on in the evening in July so that you can watch the concerts at Les Schwab amphitheater next to the river ( which is a great venue) check it out still. Really its a beautiful area and I have a few regrets leaving, but Prescott has its advantages and charms also. Oh one other thing Bend is still a conservative town in Oregon, rare. It just feels liberal.
Also I am selling 2.5 acres south of Bend FYI. Sorry for the shameful plug.

Grand Junction CO has just about all of those minus the California attitudes and prices of housing. It's more conservative and doesn't get as much snow.

I remember driving thru Bend, OR back in 2011 while making a trip to Crater Lake National Park (beautiful park by the way). Bend felt like a liberal small city regardless how Deschutes County voted in 2016.

[keninaz]

I see that Maricopa County just gained more in population than all other counties in the US.
AZ is getting popular, and so the prices will go with whatever the market bares of course.

[bigdogmom13]

Originally Posted by Hschlick84

More suggestions of non-hamburger or diner restaurants

- Sweet Tomatoes
- HuHot Mongolian Grill
- Modern Market
- Potbelly Sandwich Shop
- Noodles & Company
- Tokyo Joe's
- Famous Dave's
- Costa Vida Mexican Grill
- Qdoba
- Old Chicago
- Yard House
- The Keg Steakhouse

Yard House would be awesome!! Sweet Tomatoes (at least the one near me in Aurora) has gone waaaaayyyy downhill, though.

[k2rider]

Grand Junction & Fruita are great except for the lack of trees, at least for me. It can also get brutal cold in the Winter and scorching hot in the Summer. However, it's 90 miles to Moab, a couple hours from great skiing and 4 hours to Durango so I could survive there. When I made my 1st trip there in May 2011, the 3DR/2BA 1500 sq ft house we stayed in was for sale for $160K. That same exact model in now selling for $280K. I tried to get my wife to buy one as a rental back then but as usual, she was non-committal and the opportunity passed.

I have a high school friend that is a high end real estate agent in Phoenix and she is killing it out there. She's sold houses to several Phoenix Suns. She's always posting her listings on FB and nothing is less than $650K and most is over $800K.

Yard House would be great but I don't thing Prescott/PV have the demographics to make it work.