curious about Bend from Portland perspective (Redmond: crime, tech job, living)

[Sprightly]

I've been having thoughts of Bend - thinking about how the sun is probably shining over there often. Yep, the lightbox might not be enough...I spoke to soon. Today, a real sunny day felt like a revelation.

Still there are so many things I love about Portland that I'd hate to give up, like:
- the liberal climate
- the generally educated people
- the friendliness
- the TREES
- the green
- the many cities that blend into a huge metro area giving lots of shopping and living choices

About Bend I'd ask:
- does it feel like a small town or a city? Would I find what I wanted there or would I always be making road trips somewhere else for anything beyond the basics? If I wanted some 2nd flush Darjeeling tea how hard would that be to find for example?
- how sunny is it?
- how green is it? (green as in lush plantlife, or more desertlike)
- how green is it as in how progressive is it?
- how friendly is it?
- does it have much of a high tech job base?

(This is in the Portland thread because I'm curious about how people who choose to live in the Portland area experience Bend)

Thanks!

[BLAZER PROPHET]

Originally Posted by Sprightly

I've been having thoughts of Bend - thinking about how the sun is probably shining over there often. Yep, the lightbox might not be enough...I spoke to soon. Today, a real sunny day felt like a revelation.

Still there are so many things I love about Portland that I'd hate to give up, like:
- the liberal climate
- the generally educated people
- the friendliness
- the TREES
- the green
- the many cities that blend into a huge metro area giving lots of shopping and living choices

About Bend I'd ask:
- does it feel like a small town or a city? Would I find what I wanted there or would I always be making road trips somewhere else for anything beyond the basics? If I wanted some 2nd flush Darjeeling tea how hard would that be to find for example?
- how sunny is it?
- how green is it? (green as in lush plantlife, or more desertlike)
- how green is it as in how progressive is it?
- how friendly is it?
- does it have much of a high tech job base?

(This is in the Portland thread because I'm curious about how people who choose to live in the Portland area experience Bend)

Thanks!

So many questions! From one so young and naive!

Trust me when I say this- Bend may be choked full o' nuts, but there's more intelligent life there than all of megalopolis.

As to green, they do have trees. Big, beautiful trees. However, they smell funny as there's not enough pollution to wash out the smell of tree.

As to being friendly, it's a hard adjustment. You'll miss being accosted 28 times per block when walking downtown. You'll miss the non stop jerk drivers, flipping you off or waving a gun at you as they blitz by you on the shoulder of the road 40 mph over the speed limit. And how can ANYONE leave gang shootings and other assorted menu style crime behind???

As for leaving behind the liberalness of Portland, Bend has its share of pure kooks, but overall the political climate is moderate. I'd suggest stop rear ending people with McCain bumper stickers and then suing them and trying to get everyone to believe they actually backed into you. If you can, you may possibly adjust to Bend.

Yes, Bend. You might be surprised to know that from Sunriver to Redmond is by & large one continuous city with some real country (uh, country, that's areas where natural grasses, fauna and the like still grow) in between. Last time I checked they did have a few stores. There was ol' Dan's Trading Post, Sweet Lou's fillin' station, and the hardware store now carries hammers. How 'bout them apples!

OK, but seriously, Bend and Portland are clearly two completely different places. I would hope that's friggin obvious. If you're expecting Bend to be a sort of mini Portland, I dout you'd like it.

Chill

bp




PS- Nothing personal. Just having some fun at my keyboard tonight.

[Sprightly]

LOL Blazer, I am not so young or naive but always in a quest for knowledge with fresh eyes which occasionally gives that impression

So let me interpret here....so Bend is politically moderate, safer and with less homeless, has more real open land (I like that!), and a good bit of civilization. Hmmm...but can I get my fancy liberal tea there to drink after I rear-end the McCain people?

Smell of trees - excellent.

[BLAZER PROPHET]

Originally Posted by Sprightly

Hmmm...but can I get my fancy liberal tea here to drink after I rear-end the McCain people?.

You're a good sport and have a good sense of humor.

"Fancy liberal tea", eh?

And I'm thinking................................. no. Bend strikes me as more of a high octane power drink or flavored water type place.

[karlsch]

Originally Posted by Sprightly

...but can I get my fancy liberal tea there to drink after I rear-end the McCain people?

In places like Bend, 2nd flush is the thing you have to do since water saving toilets were mandated. For the tea, you’ll probably have to go to eBay:
Castleton Darjeeling Estate 2nd Flush Loose Tea 1/2 lb - eBay (item 270262312741 end time Feb-02-09 15:00:00 PST)

Also:
#13 Tea « Stuff White People Like

[ukiyo-e]

Originally Posted by Sprightly

can I get my fancy liberal tea there to drink after I rear-end the McCain people?

The Tao of Tea in Southeast Portland ships anywhere. So does Adagio Teas, located out of Fresno, which is my favorite tea company.

[Sprightly]

Thanks for the tea advice and toilet warnings, lol! Do they have a water shortage in Bend? I'd imagine it's pretty dry there.

[BLAZER PROPHET]

Originally Posted by Sprightly

Thanks for the tea advice and toilet warnings, lol! Do they have a water shortage in Bend? I'd imagine it's pretty dry there.

That's an interesting question. There is so much over population in that area that the water table has dropped to critical levels. To be sure, in the near future there will be some changes & water restrictions (or so I read).

On the other hand, Bend is a place of money. Serious money. And there, money rules, so it will be interesting how it all plays out as the people with the money will be taken care of and the rest will pay the price.