The Time has Come...Moving to Bend!

[Jereme.Shelton]

Hey everyone,

My wife and I are considering moving to Bend and were wondering what negative things there are to living in Bend? Everything looks so good so far but moving from Texas to Oregon would be a huge decision and want to know all we can prior to signing on the dotted line so to speak. Any information would be helpful.

[Dry Side]

I really can't think of anything negative about living in Bend. Perfect place for those of us who love nine months of cold weather and spending tons of time in the forest.

[Nell Plotts]

Bend is a great town but I suggest you rent for a year. You will me making a HUGE change of climate and culture.

[kapetrich]

Originally Posted by Nell Plotts

Bend is a great town but I suggest you rent for a year. You will me making a HUGE change of climate and culture.

This couldn't be over stated, especially with a move from Texas.

---

I would say that the weather isn't as good as the city likes to claim. There's more like 220-260 (depends on who you ask) days of sunshine, not 300.

It's not diverse culturally at all.

The economy is not very established nor is it dynamic.

It is hard for many to find jobs.

During peak summer weeks you end up avoiding certain restaurants due to tourists.

Like Dryside said, the winters last a long time, but by no means are they rough. Not much snow, but it will stay cool through spring.

The city doesn't plow the streets very well, imo.

This year the winter snow pack was too deep to climb many of the fun summit hikes, so far, this summer. Even now, anything over 8,400ft has a lot of snow. (This could be a positive if you're a winter sport enthusiast like me!)

---

Others will chime in with their own qualms I'm sure. People who are either on their way out of Bend by choice or people who are stuck here, but want to get out. They will give you a better picture than me. I've been here only one year and LOVE it.

[delta07]

I agree with most of what Kapetrich states about negatives in Bend. The weather (winter/spring especially) is the hardest for me. You might want to use the search function in the Oregon forum and plug Bend in. You will see lots of threads regarding weather, crime (or lack thereof), etc. which can help you.

I would suggest visiting Bend in the colder months to get a feel of what winter is like. Summer is an amazing time in Bend, but it's very short and often gives people the impression that it's always sunny and dry here.

[hamellr]

My biggest problem with Bend is the lack of variety in entertainment. It's gotten much better in recent years, but in many ways - especially outside of tourist season, Bend still goes to bed pretty early.

[pth]

I love the idea of living in bend. I lived in burlington, vt previously and dont feel like weather would be a big issue for me. I just need to get a job there...

right now im looking at portland more, but bend always keeps poppin back into the picture. It was my first choice initially..but lack of jobs/opportunities/isolation scared me off

[OreeGone]

Originally Posted by Jereme.Shelton

Hey everyone,

My wife and I are considering moving to Bend and were wondering what negative things there are to living in Bend? Everything looks so good so far but moving from Texas to Oregon would be a huge decision and want to know all we can prior to signing on the dotted line so to speak. Any information would be helpful.

Too many things to list that will differentiate Bend from anywhere in Texas. But I'll try.

#1, the cold. The winters here aren't bad by any North Dakotans standard, but for AT LEAST 7 months, and sometimes 8 or 9, you will have winter-like weather more often than not. Even when its hot, temps at night dip into the 40s because we're up on a high desert (3500 feet elevation). In winter, highs are in the 30s routinely, lows can dip into the teens and occasionally the single-digits. We have had negative temps, but those don't stick around long. Snow is on the ground for much of winter, with usually 4 or 5 major snowfalls each winter. But the town doesn't close up shop for snow, so get ready to learn to drive in it.

You will love summer weather during the day: warm, without the humidity of Texas.

#2, culture. As in, there ain't much. 90% white, 80,000 people, and a relatively isolated city. If you like the opera, stage productions, etc., you will not find much. Learn to enjoy a few art galleries and a movie theater, with occasionaly B-list musical acts coming to 1 or 2 venues in town. In the summer, it gets better, with some major acts coming to town, and a lot of festivals taking place. After living here longer than 6 months, you will grow to hate slow-driving, slow-walking, loud-talking tourists. Join the club.

#3, the economy. This probably should be #1, but I figure everyone knows about this by now. HAVE. A. JOB. LINED. UP. Or else you will be settling, or looking for more than a year. Unemployment is 12-14%, and no, even a college degree, law degree, Master's won't save you. You'll be looking for work here for a long time. If you have a telecommuting career, bring it with you. Housing market also busted, but that may fall in your favor right now, since you're obviously not selling a home here.

The upsides are: incredibly diverse amount of outdoor recreation, for both summer and winter. Skiing, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, etc. Then in summer it's mtn biking, hiking, running, kayaking, fishing, hunting, golf, etc. You can count on one hand the number of towns in this country that are this close to so many recreational activities. And Bend would still be listed as #1. The only word is "epic." It's why this town exploded from 20,000 people to 80,000 people in about 15 years.

If you move here, and you're young and childless, rent on the west side of town (west of the parkway/3rd streeet). It's where the action is. Otherwise you will be feel even MORE isolated in that desert, east-side microclimate.

If you have a family, the westside is still better, but the east side may have more people with your values in common. Any address with "NW" is the most sought-after: near the Old Mill or Shevlin Park, or Northwest Crossing; all very desirable. Southeast Bend is probably your dead zone, but honestly, it's not that bad anywhere in town.

[Dry Side]

The job news is not improving which will put more downward pressure on home prices..

Central Oregon Unemployment Rates Increase - myCentralOregon.com (http://www.mycentraloregon.com/news/local/1307369/Central-Oregon-Unemployment-Rates-Increase.html - broken link)

[SacEMT]

Originally Posted by northerncalif

Welcome to Bend! I believe you and your wife will really enjoy living here. We relocated to the area from Northern California earlier in the year. I don't think there is sales tax on new vechicle sales as there isn't any sales tax in Oregon. Best part is the low cost to register your car each year. The hiking and mountain biking is awesome up here and like you we fell in love with Bend after a few visits.

Yep. For my little 2002 Hyundai accent: $90s per year OR....what amounts to $43 per year in Oregon. Hmmm...that's a toughie....

I lived most of my life in Oregon, many years 3 hours east of Bend, went to COCC in Bend for two years (yep, did the drive three days a week!). I'm currently in northern CA myself (but getting ready to move to Wasco County) and I defintely miss the lower cost of living...especially now that I'm on a fixed income.