# Bend, Oregon??



## Outlaw (Mar 8, 2010)

Hi, 

If I happen to be lucky in my career prospects, I may have an opportunity to have a good job in Bend, Oregon. If you have any comments about Bend, positive or negative, I would very grateful to hear them. I've heard it's a recreational paradise, but Mt. Bachelor looks like only a bachelor could afford to ski it. Are there other good ski resorts that are less expensive and advanced in the area? How is the town culturally? Whitewater opportunities? Cost of living? I'm all ears, or rather eyes in this case. Thanks in advance!


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## GAtoCSU (Apr 18, 2005)

Not to piggyback on this thread, but I have the same opportunity right now about Portland, OR and I'm trying to figure out if I should head there or stay in the SE in a place like Charlotte.

What's the avg COL out there in Portland? I've sorta looked into real estate in the SE and NW districts. How's the SW? NW? I would need to be close to OHSU to make it work.


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## tallboy (Apr 20, 2006)

Outlaw said:


> Hi,
> 
> If I happen to be lucky in my career prospects, I may have an opportunity to have a good job in Bend, Oregon. If you have any comments about Bend, positive or negative, I would very grateful to hear them. I've heard it's a recreational paradise, but Mt. Bachelor looks like only a bachelor could afford to ski it. Are there other good ski resorts that are less expensive and advanced in the area? How is the town culturally? Whitewater opportunities? Cost of living? I'm all ears, or rather eyes in this case. Thanks in advance!


Mt Bachelor isn't that expensive...if you live in Bend you will probably ski there every weekend at least. For $829 for the season it is worth it and you said you will have a good job in Bend. Some things are worth your hard earned money so you can stress less and enjoy your free time. Where I live in Telluride passes are $1098, well worth it even though it is hard to shell out that much cash. It is like a 5 month gym membership...damn that's any expensive gym!!!


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## TriBri1 (Nov 15, 2011)

@Outlaw, Bend is a nice place, there is a good selection of breweries and it seems like more opening everyday it seems. The town still goes to bed around 9pm though. If you are a single guy it is kinda like any other resort town, you will have a lot of single guy friends taking turns on the same few single women. The outdoor activity are great, lots of mountain biking, climbing, hiking, etc. The rivers in town are limited, but within a two hour drive you can get to the gorge or many of the runs in the cascades. The friends I know that live out there absolutely love it.

@GAtoCSU, if you would be working at OHSU it does not matter were you live, there is a ton of public transit going to that area, free valet bike parking, etc. Unless you end up way out in NE someplace the ride is pretty easy. COL is all over the board. If you are doing the roommate thing you would typically be paying $300-500 a month for a room. You can still get PBR for $1-2 at many bars and micros for $3-4. My house (3 bedroom ranch style about 10 minutes outside of Portland in SW) would sell for around $200k. Search for Portland or Hood River and you will see tons of threads on river activities.


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## mrett (Feb 17, 2012)

Both Places are great places to live !! Bend has the Deschutes and Crooked River Seasonal Class 4, with everything the Gorge has to offer within striking distance. Idaho gourmet water is constantly calling. Tough to beat...$.02

PDX is the spot for the Gorge, Cascades & Cali goodness, Washington has tons of great water as well. Too many rivers ....... For people with jobs !!!!


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## jimr (Sep 8, 2007)

If you are able to get a good job in bend take it and bring a girl place is awesome! Great boating, fishing, climbing, skiing and back country. Don't worry about a ski pass there is sick back country to do laps on all day and its super safe. Like said above bring a girl the night life is pretty weak.


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## BilloutWest (Jan 25, 2013)

*meeting*

Bend has some downside.
Because it is a popular scenic active community it costs more to live there.
Bend has moved away from regular middle class to Upper Middle Class/Wealthy with a service worker population. Lots of second homes used every third weekend keep things quiet with a decent selection of restaurants but bars minimal. Hence the Microbreweries do well serving food with craft.

One needs to emphasize the Mountain Bike and Road Bike communities. The Mountain Bike group is particularly active and there is a very good network of forest trails in the Pondo close in on Bend's Westside. 
There are I think better hiking trails than close by river opportunities such as the PCT through the Three Sisters Wilderness.
The National Forest with car camping is fine and fly fishermen have three very nice spots that are hi-lights for those coming here.

For easy river stuff on the Eastside Bend does well with one tank of gas round trip including shuttle. The local label is The High Desert, really the great American steppe, so think limited spring runs on the eastside except where damed. Sorry to say that. 
Lots of fun family rivers. Think Class III more than IV. Three of the more commonly spoken of Class IV's are on a Deschutes stretch near Maupin and are fairly easy for IV's. One quick drop and plenty of recovery. Its about the best place to teach beginning Class IV you could find.

============

Meeting women is done in Hot Yoga classes or on a Mountain Bike trail. That Maupin stretch has a lot of people come over from Portland and do it twice in a day of no camping but intoxication. It may present a meeting opportunity on occasion. 

Bend is popular, dry AND sunny, becoming a city, has wonderful drinking water from an almost limitless aquifer, good medical for its size, good mountain scenery that'll brighten your day and absolutely splendid pale ales to explore the depths of.


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## BryanS. (Jun 22, 2012)

Bend has a ww park in the works. I like the central location. You can be anywhere in OR, south WA and north CA in 3-4 hrs. That includes the OR coast. It also has a sweet class 4 fall/winter run, Riverhouse. Meadowcamp in the summer. Both on the Deschutes and much closer than Maupin. Portland area is great, if you like city life. The Columbia gorge is close.


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## gilles (Sep 2, 2010)

Don't forget about the world class climbing at Smith Rock, you'll also find women there looking for belay partners


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## DRL River Gypsies (May 19, 2010)

I think the hardest part of Bend for most residents is affording to live there. There are jobs in Bend, but few GOOD jobs. If you've got that part taken care of, then you're a giant step ahead of the rest. I think Bend was one of the hardest hit in the real estate market. I know there were some smoking deals snatched up over the last few years. There's probably still some around, but it won't be long before they'll be back to pre-recession prices.

Good boating, great skiing, mountain biking, pretty much anything outdoor ect....... If you can afford to live there, you won't be disappointed. My $.02


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## BilloutWest (Jan 25, 2013)

*What they said*

Regarding Portland.
Like Seattle but not as wet or as many people.
Drug of choice - coffee also.
More micro brews than Bend and boy are they good.

If you can handle the rain and drizzle plus the people and traffic its about as nice a place that big anywhere. Tremendous forested parks, every shade of green, exercise mania usually in the form of some foot race in the rain almost every weekend. Nike spoken.

What gets one about most of what is Portland is intelligence.

The Willamette hasn't really been cleaned up enough to interest boaters that are low in the water.

The Pacific in Oregon isn't inviting waters but it is inspirational. Northern Oregon Coast is overdeveloped but its 1-2 hours away and you can go on short notice based on tomorrows weather report.

The rivers nearby get used a lot by all kinds and one seems to have yearly drowning festivals. By drinkers or kids, not boaters.

With Portland, if you're a river runner think a little more gas.

On the way south on I-5 to the Umpqua for Steelhead/Salmon fishing or the Rogue and Illinois for good/serious rafting you could stop at one of the well over 200 Oregon wineries off to the side. Think about a good dry suit for the Oregon Westside for mentioned and other streams.


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## Learch (Jul 12, 2010)

*Bend*

Bend is the most diverse city East of Portland. They have the most retail, food, medical care, and housing of anyone East of the Cascade Range. Keep in mind, it's a berg. Salem is 2 hours away, and Portland is 3 hours away. You don't have much in the way of towns and people within an hour of Bend. You get snow in town in the winter, pretty good thunder, and beautiful Summer weather. There is a lot of outdoor activity with the mountains and desert nearby, and even climbing. My Mom lives in Prineville, about 20 miles away. That town is slowly dying. 
I live near Portland, and I typically go there if I have to. I am not a city person. I go there to pick people up, go to the raft store, maybe do something at the Rose Garden Arena. Other than that, I am not a fan. I like the southern Suburbs of Portland, like Tigard, Wilsonville, and Tualatin. I live about 45 minutes south of downtown Portland, so the coast is 60 miles away from my doorstep.
So it takes me about an hour to be sitting on my favorite beach, or an hour to be rigging a raft to hit one of my favorite rivers, the Upper Clackamas. Vancouver is a great option to live in, then you are close to work in Portland but life is more Suburban over there.


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## Flohotter (Jun 22, 2010)

My brother-in-law lives in Bend. We are there a bunch and based off our experiences and his "local beta".....the whole area is exceptionally overrated. Most of locals are great, especially the lesbians, but the abundance of richies is overwhelming and exceptionally annoying, especially at the ghetto Albertsons and Safeways. 

There is an ton of recreational activities if you don't mind fighting for them/sharing them with the Californians. 

As mentioned. Great Brewery's exist. Most are overrun with the types mentioned above. Believe it or not, the bowling ally in Bend is great, "Lava Lanes".. It has a full bar & grill and a superb wait staff, which is rare..

I would pick somewhere other than Bend in the mountain/river country if I had my choice, unless your a looking for a home in a "smell your fart" / ******* ass community!


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## Outlaw (Mar 8, 2010)

Thanks for all the comments! The last one regarding the "smell your own farts" cracks me up. Bend sounds a little like Boulder. I hope they don't have the same beliefs when it comes to dogs. I've had to pay approximately $2000 in dog fees in that despicable town! I don't ever plan on taking my pooch to see a doggy therapist again! What a bunch of nutcases!


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## BryanS. (Jun 22, 2012)

Bend is about as far from ******* as you can get and everyone owns a dog, but I don't know for fact that they don't inhale anal vapor, recreationally or otherwise.


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## BilloutWest (Jan 25, 2013)

BryanS. said:


> Bend is about as far from ******* as you can get and everyone owns a dog, but I don't know for fact that they don't inhale anal vapor, recreationally or otherwise.


I'd suggest that Bend is a decent mix of liberal and conservative for most of the people that live there. What isn't that attractive is the people that don't live there but have a second home or vacation there in style.


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## BryanS. (Jun 22, 2012)

I know a few people there, but they are all transplants. I live in a small town about thirty miles from there. If you wanna see ********, just come here. can't speak for the people of Bend, but the area is awesome. So much to do in such a short distance. Its central location is perfect for exploring OR, WA, CA and ID. Best part: its always sunny in the warm months. Something like 300 days of sunshine a year; ) Close to the water, but you don't have to live in a perpetual rainshower. Its a little big for my taste, but I wouldn't mind living on the outskirts or in Sisters or Tumalo near by.


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