Is Bend Pretentious or Friendly?

[Oregoncoasty]

As a native Oregonian who remembers driving through Bend and seeing the sign "Bend, population 17,000" (17 something-can't remember exactly), it is with some frustration that I now see what it is becoming. Not that I mind recreationalists or transplants or even particularly what type of houses people prefer to build, but just that I liked it the way it was. I do generally agree with all negative comments about Bend I've read on this forum, they are quite accurate. Some of the positive comments are accurate too-- but--even if individuals are friendly, isn't it the standard of keeping up with the Jones's, the Richie-rich lifestyle and the high cost of living that determine snootiness? I feel that is definitely true of Bend now. From reading your questions and comments, mknouse, maybe you should look at Sisters or other surrounding towns (Prineville, Madras?) You may find 'culture and cowboy mtn. town' fit with those more than Big ol Bend now...

[mknouse]

I grew up in Eastern OR (La Grande) and used to go to Bend for school sports when that sign read "Bend pop 17,000". Then I moved to Portland for 12 years and then most recently to Boise. It is amazing to me how Bend went from small town to mega tourist/retirement transplant capital of Oregon. The same thing is happening in similar locals though. All of the little towns outside of Boise now have sprawling subdivisions with cookie cutter houses. I was just in Bozeman, MT last month and it's a cool town that is now high priced and growing like crazy. I guess the bottom line is that Bend seems to offer a lot for my choice of lifestyle. I love to ski, fish and mountain bike and I love the seasons and the mountains. I also like a some of the amenities such as nicer restaurants, etc. I work from home so I don't need to find a job there and my wife and I want to be closer to our family in Salem and Portland. So Bend seems like a great fit and while the real estate prices are high compared to other smaller towns in Oregon, they aren't that much higher than Portland or Seattle. In fact, Seattle is probably higher. We will most likely rent there while the real estate market settles. I see no need to buy an over priced house going down in value. I'll check out Sisters, Prineville, etc. as well. All I know is that I am happy to be coming back to Oregon where I can still be in a few hours driving distance of the mountains, beach and city. Thanks OregonCoasty for your response!!

[oldsrfr]

We live in Bend, where the good old boys, Gen-X and upscale yuppies are learning to live together in relative harmony. and folks who complain about the traffic must not have ever dealt with real traffic. However, many drivers, especially those in the contractor trucks, can be obnoxious with their complete disregard to right of way and stop signs.

The town itself is wonderful with really fun things to do, and it is surrounded by a whole menu of outdoor recreation.

Jobs are an issue,however. Whereas there are jobs to be had, they usually pay less then you would expect, and the best jobs are few and far apart.

The west side is more trendy and expensive, the SW a mix of pretty nice to no thanks, the E to NE is where all the tracts have been put in, the SE area is quieter then the rest of Bend and has a wide range of homes.

if you like skiing or boarding, Mt. Bachelor is a lot of fun, bike riding is great, fishing in lakes and rivers excellent, as is the hiking and such.

Lot of sun, low's in town can hit the low teens quite frequently in the winter, and get up into the mid 90's a bunch in mid-summer.

[^Numi^]

Bend=Cowboys? NO.
Lakeview=Cowboys? YES.
I don't like cowboys.

[jimg1126]

Bend is god awful in my opinion. It only rains about 13 inches per year. It's a parched desert landscape with lots of volcanic rock and ugly Juniper trees.

The people are mainly materialistic Californicators with massive SUV's. Expect lots of traffic jams, rude people and a high cost of living.

Congratulations Californians.