Give me 10 reasons NOT to move to Bend (Portland, Salem: tech jobs, living in)

[Steve Pickering]

Originally Posted by Snownut

Okay what's for dinner and need directions.

Let's see ... Late evening or night, still cool out. Eating in the dark ....... I say Goolash.

Last house on .... Well let me check with my Brother first.

[kapetrich]

Originally Posted by Snownut

Reminds me I really want to drive out at night and see the stars. No doubt better than the humid light polluted low elevation night sky here in the east. Any observatory's or recommended locations not far from Bend? Hopefully no big wildfires in the region this year.

Honestly, in town you'll be astonished compare to what you're use to (possible not compared to your WV property though...who knows). I was when I first moved here. If you leave town 20 mins or so you can even see the milky way (sometimes very faintly in town too). It's funny, the night sky out here reminds me more of a planetarium than that of a real life starry night. Sad really. :/, but ohhhhh how I am glad to say this is my new reality.

I still need to get out to the ine Mountain Observatory, thanks for brining it up Delta. You've been?....and it's worth it?

Originally Posted by delta07

Don't jinx us! Summer is still months away here....

SO true. I can still remember last year when we had that week or so of 80 degree days in the middle of may and everyone thought that was the end of 'winter-spring'......jokes on them....we still had another month or so left of 'inconsistant' weather.

[whirnot]

We went for a moonlight canoe trip last spring, Don't remember which lake, still pretty chilly, but the stars were gorgeous.

[kosmo65]

Originally Posted by Snownut

Reminds me I really want to drive out at night and see the stars. No doubt better than the humid light polluted low elevation night sky here in the east. Any observatory's or recommended locations not far from Bend? Hopefully no big wildfires in the region this year.

Steve and Kapetrich are right - the stars are amazing in town. Nothing like I've ever seen here in Maryland!

[Soraakuma]

Aloha All,

Hey Bendite, you just described Hawaii aside from number 9. Pretty dam close.

[nevergreener]

People move to Bend after a nice visit and then find:
1. They have spent their savings
2. 10 great snow days at Mt. B aren't worth 6 months of freezing
3. They travel less and take fewer vacations
4. Not many good jobs or opportunities
5. Bend has more than it's share of annoying people and you don't notice it vacationing
6. Insanity in the housing market- so if you move here become a realtor because most of the people that move here buy a house then decide to leave and sell it (you'll get 2 for 1 on commissions
7. Lava and dust are not the Rockies or Sierras
8. Total big city mentality (except for the long timers and natives who are great people )
9. Way too many retired people being here does change day to day life
10. Plenty of people are happy here, just be very careful before you risk your savings, current job and remember human nature may make you too optimistic

[Steve Pickering]

Originally Posted by nevergreener

People move to Bend after a nice visit and then find:
1. They have spent their savings
2. 10 great snow days at Mt. B aren't worth 6 months of freezing
3. They travel less and take fewer vacations
4. Not many good jobs or opportunities
5. Bend has more than it's share of annoying people and you don't notice it vacationing
6. Insanity in the housing market- so if you move here become a realtor because most of the people that move here buy a house then decide to leave and sell it (you'll get 2 for 1 on commissions
7. Lava and dust are not the Rockies or Sierras
8. Total big city mentality (except for the long timers and natives who are great people )
9. Way too many retired people being here does change day to day life
10. Plenty of people are happy here, just be very careful before you risk your savings, current job and remember human nature may make you too optimistic

Well I gotta say, you hit the other side of the coin pretty accurately.

[redguard57]

1. Jobs/economy
2. Overbuilt housing market
3. Remote, Portland is 3+ hours away, Seattle/SF even farther
4. Not super diverse (outdoorsy hipsters, retirees, country folks, and vacation rentals dominate)
5. Traffic is kinda bad for a small town
6. Health care is expensive there due to local monopoly
7. College scene, though improving, is still nothing compared to the actual college towns (Eugene/Corvallis/Ashland/etc.)
8. "300 days of sun" moniker is a myth (though it is definitely less gloomy than the Willamette Valley), and winters can be rough
9. Environmental concerns versus industry/jobs is always a battleground in this region. Latest one that comes to mind is the geothermal project which has potential to generate a lot of energy but is also scaring the daylights out of people for environmental/safety concerns..
10. Seriously, the economy is not good - the biggest job engine is tourism which doesn't produce a lot of high wage jobs, and competition for the good ones is fierce. Times were better during the housing boom (construction industry). OK, I said it twice, but that was for emphasis.

Pretty much accurate. I will stress the most serious - lack of vibrant entertainment, nightlife, arts & culture and jobs/economy. Bend MSA unemployment is in the top 10% of the country.

I grew up in a town that's very similar to Bend in size and scope, but in south Texas. Provincial attitudes, not a lot of cultural diversity (there it's mostly Hispanic), very limited entertainment options, 2 hours from any "real" city and 3.5 hours to the nearest city of any consequence (San Antonio) that has nightlife and first rate entertainment, economy not very good, lots of poverty & high unemployment that's underneath the veneer of tourism. Outdoor activities were abundant - especially because it was near the coast offering fishing, boating, dune buggying, camping, etc....

Trade "icy," "cold and dry," "rough winters" and "forest fires" for "hot and humid," "flash floods" and "hurricanes" and the exact same list could be made.

What a lot of people complain about Bend can be complained about for many places of this size and geographic situation.

Bend would become a great town if some major employer situated here and brought a couple thousand jobs and the OSU expansion was not a train wreck. With a strong employer, all those other problems would become much less serious.

But then, what every town in the USA wants is an employer that brings lots of jobs.

[mrwibble]

Originally Posted by redguard57

But then, what every town in the USA wants is an employer that brings lots of jobs.

The thing is though, what is there to bring such an employer to the area? The infrastructure isn't great, the transportation links are poor and there is a lack of highly skilled people in the local workforce.

[BendLocal]

Originally Posted by mrwibble

...and there is a lack of highly skilled people in the local workforce.

I believe that is a myth. If anything I'd guess Bend has the reverse problem with too many over qualified applicants for each entry level job that is available.

In the News | July 6 | Bend, Oregon Chamber

Jack Shultz, author of Boomtown, USA, was interviewed on his thoughts of the best towns for business in America for the column. He said Bend was chosen not only because it has a step by step guide on starting a business in the city, but it also features a highly educated work force.

When one job draws 273 applicants;

He saw a job opening at the Deschutes County jail last fall, researched it and applied. Mercer was one of 273 to apply.

The job involved classifying where inmates should be housed at the jail, said Personnel Services Manager Debbie Legg.

It was one of three entry-level job openings at the county in the past seven months that drew at least double the number of applications received previously for the same jobs, and those positions drew a more experienced and educated group of applicants, county staff said.

A landfill attendant job opening this spring brought in 381 applications, while a job opening for a building maintenance specialist at the jail resulted in 177 applications. More people apply for these entry-level positions than for specialized jobs that require specific education and experience, county staff said, but the numbers from the past seven months are higher than normal. By comparison, a building maintenance specialist opening in June 2007 had 62 applicants, and a landfill attendant job in August 2007 brought in 123 applications, said Tracy Scott, a human resources analyst and office supervisor for the county.