Bend, Oregon

Everything you need to know about Bend Oregon

Living in Bend Oregon is an amazing experience. There is no other city in the country like it. The recreational opportunities that exist here are limitless. From the amazing mountain views of mt. Bachelor and the three sisters, to the weather and the job opportunities, we cover everything in this video.

rp_kay
2y ago
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Bend is ok, it has a lot of the amenities you’ll find in a bigger city but that has come at the cost of more people moving here 🤷‍♂️

Bachelor is ok, it’s pretty big, has pretty good snow most of the time, fun terrain but not a lot of steep stuff.

Back country skiing kinda sucks here. A few places to get to without a sled but most places require one or a long skin in(I have a sled and it’s probably worth it if you BC ski alot) The volcanos are fun to ski but otherwise everything is short, anything with more than 1500ft of vertical gain/drop is rare and I often feel like I’m doing laps of 600-800ft.

Way less avalanche risk here vs Colorado, backcountry skiing in Colorado often feels like skirting death, not so bad here.

The mountain biking is pretty good, its mostly over graded blacks=blue, but it’s flowy and there are miles and miles of trails you can ride off century drive.

Smith has a ton of climbing if that’s your thing and more areas close too bend are getting attention. I just wish we had granite(I’m looking at you California and Washington, why is all the rock in Oregon falling apart)

I think Bend is pretty good overall, it has a lot going for it but it’s not really the best at anything. Good skiing but it’s not the best, good biking but also not the best, good climbing but again not the best. Someone I know once called it B+ Bend and it has kinda stuck with me. It’s pretty good at everything but not the best at anything

tribalboundaries
2y ago
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Living in Bend is great! People are much like the people you'd meet anywhere else; pleasant, open, etc. I am a non-profit employee. Non-profit life here is a bit of a shoestring which shouldnt come as a huge surprise. Some organizations give back to the community, provide necessary services, protect resources, and others are vanity projects. I can't say one is more popular than another. It's good to be circumspect -- there is a lot of money behind NIMBY-ism which allows it to masquerade as conservation. I would note that social services are a little thin in Bend. Its a somewhat older community in a very conservative area. A lot of people move to Bend to play 9 holes as the sun sets and could give a rip about those less fortunate. While this certainly doesn't drive our burgeoning homeless population it does mean that we're shorter on solutions (harm reduction, transitional housing, etc) than similarly sized communities with a different prevailing ethos.

Unfortunately a lot of work-from-home folks have moved to Bend during the pandemic and destabilized the housing and labor markets. This has gutted food/ beverage/ healthcare/ education/ public service, and contributed to deficits in those areas. Its a dynamic afflicting many desirable locales. If you want your wealth managed, a website developed, or a boutique camper van built you wont have any issues. If you want a wound care/ oncology/ ICU/ ED nurse, a pre-K or primary teacher, or decent food without a huge wait you're either out of luck (hospital is collapsing) or you'll have to settle. For some people this is a non-issue. I mentioned in a reply to another comment that no one activity is 10/10 world class, but Bend as a lot to offer. Bachelor is a humble little hill that is fun to explore as long as you maintain a good attitude about lift closures, crowds, and mellow terrain. The mountain biking is a little sandy and flat with little technical challenge, but theres plenty of it. There is climbing, but Smith is the only major crag within many hours. I would ask yourself, "Could I be happy living in Boise?" and "could I afford to spend 525k on a starter home?" If the answer to both is "probably" then I would certainly put Bend on your list.

TailorGlad3272
2y ago
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In my opinion Bend is the best place in the world, and it does not take long to find a community here where you feel welcome. It's full of people who love and care about the city, who want it to be the best place it can be! While the Bend is not without its problems ( mostly housing affordability and other challenges of a place experiencing rapid growth), it is also full of people trying to solve them.

If you're interested in charitable nonprofits, Bend is full of them. Here are some that come to mind: You can volunteer and support groups like Reach, Neighbor Impact, The Bethlehem Inn, and the Family Kitchen if you want to help the houseless community.

The local Habitat for Humanity branch takes volunteers to build affordable housing every day.

If you care about the environment and want to focus on nature, climate change or conservation, there is the Environmental Center, the Central Oregon Trail Alliance, the Deschutes Land Trust, or the Central Oregon Land Watch.

There are advocacy organizations for just about any social issue you care about, like Out Central Oregon, The Father's Group, Mom's Demand Action, Bend Bikes, Bend YIMBY, Envision Bend, and others.There are like 3 rotary branches.

thoughts on moving to Bend Oregon as an early 30s divorcee with no kids?

Bend seems to be an oasis of normalcy, surrounded by conservative wingnuts, here in Central Oregon.

The local demographics are skewed by the hospitality/outdoor recreation businesses. That has drawn a big following of younger poorly paid single people, who bump up against the highly compensated Digital Nomads that have migrated from CA. COVID-19 will force a number of small business closures, that disproportionately impact the poorly paid workforce.

The local social scene is outdoor recreation focused, during all four seasons. You will be building friendships through: skiing, mountain biking, hiking, and possibly the equine community. Good luck, but be patient!