Compare Bend to Eugene on these two topics: (moving, liberal)

[poochcol]

Originally Posted by redguard57

I've lived in Bend for 5 years and recently have been going back and forth from Eugene. I'm still not sure what you mean by "the people?"

Elaborate on the extent of your interactions with people in Eugene? And, the temperament of the people compared to each other.

If nothing else, because once winter hits, homelessness is pretty miserable in central Oregon.

I read a comment elsewhere of someone saying they were told by some homeless themselves that they preferred bitter cold to rain since the former is just a matter of wearing more layers. I want to ask some of them myself about this as I want to be where I can be of the most help.

Neither community does much good for them.

There is probably a high incidence of homelessness beyond what most metros handle in both places, to be fair. I read a study finding warm winters to be a somewhat strong positive predictor in homelessness (at least applies in Eugene), and both areas have great scenery.

In terms of who needs more help - probably Bend, because they're more hidden and thus not getting much help at all. I went out with NeighborImpact one time (a local charity) one time and was amazed at the tent cities out in the woods the homeless are living in. In Eugene there's at least more recognition and some intervention for the problem.

Can you talk a little more about why you feel that Bend's homeless has it worse? Conversations you had with them, conversations with charitable employees/volunteers, and knowledge of statistics would be helpful, for instance. Thanks!

[poochcol]

Originally Posted by BendLocal

Eugene's liberal non-conformist culture doesn't feel anything like Bend to me.

Can you tell me more about what Bend locals are like? The more detail the better.

Originally Posted by Yankeemama

I mean extreme in that there seem to be affluent outsiders who seem like they are part of a certain club and then there seems to be long time residents.

What's the 'extreme' part about this?

Thanks in advance, again.

[Yankeemama]

Originally Posted by poochcol

Can you tell me more about what Bend locals are like? The more detail the better.

What's the 'extreme' part about this?

Thanks in advance, again.

Bend is in a rural area and has grown rapidly and has become very expensive, without a strong economy to support the high housing costs. As a tourist I have enjoyed Bend but I wouldn't want to be a resident knowing that most long timers and families are really struggling, not benefiting from the popularity that Bend has experienced. It's nice to visit.

[BendLocal]

I doubt there are more than a bakers dozen of conservatives in Eugene.

[poochcol]

Originally Posted by Yankeemama

Bend is in a rural area and has grown rapidly and has become very expensive, without a strong economy to support the high housing costs. As a tourist I have enjoyed Bend but I wouldn't want to be a resident knowing that most long timers and families are really struggling, not benefiting from the popularity that Bend has experienced. It's nice to visit.

Oh okay, my original request was just inquiring about the nature of the people and the homeless (information that I can't quickly Google). I already looked up basic financial information on City-Data, revealing that Bend's average income and home costs are slightly higher.

[Yankeemama]

Originally Posted by poochcol

Oh okay, my original request was just inquiring about the nature of the people and the homeless (information that I can't quickly Google). I already looked up basic financial information on City-Data, revealing that Bend's average income and home costs are slightly higher.

I wasn't just saying the homes are higher priced than I think they should be. I was speaking about the people in that here seems to be either newbie yuppies or very long time locals. I was trying to be polite but I guess they got lost in my explanation.

[poochcol]

Originally Posted by Yankeemama

I wasn't just saying the homes are higher priced than I think they should be. I was speaking about the people in that here seems to be either newbie yuppies or very long time locals. I was trying to be polite but I guess they got lost in my explanation.

Aww okay, that answer's useful. Thanks. Have an upvote.

[redguard57]

Originally Posted by poochcol

Elaborate on the extent of your interactions with people in Eugene? And, the temperament of the people compared to each other.

I read a comment elsewhere of someone saying they were told by some homeless themselves that they preferred bitter cold to rain since the former is just a matter of wearing more layers. I want to ask some of them myself about this as I want to be where I can be of the most help.

There is probably a high incidence of homelessness beyond what most metros handle in both places, to be fair. I read a study finding warm winters to be a somewhat strong positive predictor in homelessness (at least applies in Eugene), and both areas have great scenery.

Can you talk a little more about why you feel that Bend's homeless has it worse? Conversations you had with them, conversations with charitable employees/volunteers, and knowledge of statistics would be helpful, for instance. Thanks!

Eugene is a bigger town with more responsive government. Bend is a medium sized town whose government and more established residents that still think it's a small town. So private charities are pretty much it for homeless intervention, since the city can't or won't deal with road maintenance, snow removal, or pretty much anything other than marketing for tourists, much less homeless.

So I say that in Bend they need more help because they're getting less help. Eugene has some programs in place... although as we've said, they have a lot higher homeless population so the net effect may be neutral.

[redguard57]

Originally Posted by Yankeemama

I mean extreme in that there seem to be affluent outsiders who seem like they are part of a certain club and then there seems to be long time residents. The fact that there isn't an economy that is bringing jobs to most long time residents is evident. So it is kind of a touristy ski resort type town amongst an area that has some impoverished areas around it. I don't have solutions but it isn't a place I would want to live.

Central Oregon does have the dynamic you describe there.

However, there does exist a middle class in Bend, but the way the city and area's laid out, if you don't look for it you won't find it. Most of the tourist area is oriented around precisely where those yuppie outsiders buy property.

Redmond is rapidly becoming to Bend what Springfield is to Eugene... just 13 miles more distance between them and a smaller starting point. Drive the weekday morning and afternoon traffic between the two on Hwy 97 and you see it - so there are people working in the economy. The east side of Bend where little touristy stuff exists also sprawls around in deceptively large and dense manner.

There is an economy building....very....slowly.... But for the long-time residents it is really hard. The difference in unemployment rate between Bend proper and the larger 3-county region is immense. There simply is not an easy answer for the loss of all those wood jobs. We're 20 years out from the wood industry's collapse and a lot of people still haven't recovered. Back in their day, those jobs paid the equivalent of 50k a year for moxie and hard work, little to no education needed. The education infrastructure is very poor as a result and is only just ramping up (the new OSU branch, etc...).

[Yankeemama]

Originally Posted by redguard57

Central Oregon does have the dynamic you describe there.

However, there does exist a middle class in Bend, but the way the city and area's laid out, if you don't look for it you won't find it. Most of the tourist area is oriented around precisely where those yuppie outsiders buy property.

Redmond is rapidly becoming to Bend what Springfield is to Eugene... just 13 miles more distance between them and a smaller starting point. Drive the weekday morning and afternoon traffic between the two on Hwy 97 and you see it - so there are people working in the economy. The east side of Bend where little touristy stuff exists also sprawls around in deceptively large and dense manner.

There is an economy building....very....slowly.... But for the long-time residents it is really hard. The difference in unemployment rate between Bend proper and the larger 3-county region is immense. There simply is not an easy answer for the loss of all those wood jobs. We're 20 years out from the wood industry's collapse and a lot of people still haven't recovered. Back in their day, those jobs paid the equivalent of 50k a year for moxie and hard work, little to no education needed. The education infrastructure is very poor as a result and is only just ramping up (the new OSU branch, etc...).

Wow! I had no idea the wood jobs were so high paying so it makes more sense to me now how a town like Bend can be so negatively affected by the loss of those jobs. I noticed Bend was very isolated and so unlike other parts of the state where residents can commute, at least, to get to employment, Bend is very far away. I sometimes forget that there was industry in the "boonie" places in Oregon so when I go to visit it's not always understood that there used to be an economy there.