Bend? (Portland, Eugene, Jacksonville: best neighborhoods, apartments, foreclosure)

[RiceBeaner]

I will be changing scenery very soon and have to choose between Jacksonville, North Carolina are Bend, Oregon. I will be posting this thread in both cities, but anyone's answer to any of the following questions would really help me out:

1. What to do for fun... no tourist traps please.

2. Best and worst neighborhoods. (safest, most fun, unique character, ability to walk to nearby bars/arts events/woods/rivers/or anything else interesting, coolest/nicest/most interesting neighbors)

3. Is there a big difference between the north and south ends of town, or the east and west... just to get a feel for the area.

4. Anything I need to know about renting in this city? Do most apartments allow dogs? Are there any unusual renting practices, such as paying more money up front, having to pay for a parking spot, or sneaky slumlord ways to nickel and dime you to death?

5. Where can I see some live music?

6. Where are the best spots for camping/fishing/kayaing/water sports?

7. What are the best and worst things about living here?

8. Do I need a car to survive? What are the best, most convenient, safest, and/or most scenic routes to ride a bicycle?

9. How would you describe the people?

That's all I've got for now. Any help at all would be great.

[PNW-type-gal]

You've posted this in the Eugene subforum - so that people who are more familiar with Bend see it, you might DM one of the mods and ask them to move it to the general Oregon forum, where the threads dealing with Bend are.

[delta07]

I just noticed this post, as it's in the Eugene sub-forum. Bend is about 130 east of Eugene and entirely different. I'll try to answer your questions. See my answers in blue.

Originally Posted by RiceBeaner

I will be changing scenery very soon and have to choose between Jacksonville, North Carolina are Bend, Oregon. I will be posting this thread in both cities, but anyone's answer to any of the following questions would really help me out:

1. What to do for fun... no tourist traps please. Bend is an outdoor lovers paradise. As such, most people get outside for fun. In the summer there's plenty of hiking, mountain biking, river rafting/floating/kayaking, etc. In the winter there's Mt. Bachelor for resort skiing, plus unlimited access to the backcountry. You can also easily access areas to cross country, snowshoe, etc. In addition to outdoor activities, Bend hosts several festivals each year, although these tend to be a bit on the touristy side. The Les Shwabb amphitheater in the summer is a great place to see concerts, and there are several free Sunday concerts too. Bend also has something like 9 (I can't keep up, lol) micro-breweries. My favorite is probably Bend Brewing Co., which is one of the least touristy.

2. Best and worst neighborhoods. (safest, most fun, unique character, ability to walk to nearby bars/arts events/woods/rivers/or anything else interesting, coolest/nicest/most interesting neighbors)Based on your criteria for best neighborhoods, you probably want to be on the west side of town, between about Portland ave. on the north and Colorado Ave. on the south. Within that area you will find most of what you're looking for. I'd avoid the far northern, eastern, and southern parts of town, as they are pretty suburban.

3. Is there a big difference between the north and south ends of town, or the east and west... just to get a feel for the area.Yes, see my comment above.

4. Anything I need to know about renting in this city? Do most apartments allow dogs? Are there any unusual renting practices, such as paying more money up front, having to pay for a parking spot, or sneaky slumlord ways to nickel and dime you to death?I've only rented one place in town, but didn't have a problem with my 2 dogs and cat. However, I went through a private landlord, as we had to rent the house sight unseen and most rental agencies don't allow you to do that. I will caution you though, especially right now, that some private landlords are renting out their houses that are going through foreclosure, so you may get very short notice to vacate your property. This happened to my sister. Just be cautious, and if you can, do a little research on your landlord.

5. Where can I see some live music?Bend, for it's size, actually has quite a bit of live music. In the summer, there's the Les Schwabb as I stated. The Athletic club of Bend also hosts a few concerts with some national acts. Drake Park also offers their Munch and Music once a week in the summer. There are several bars/clubs that have music going on almost nightly. McMenamins offers a ton of free music. Silvermoon Brewing has live acts many nights of the week. There's also the Century Center, Domino Room, Midtown Ballroom, and now the Good Life Brewery, which all host occasional acts. I've lived in many towns this size or smaller, and the music scene is pretty vibrant here.

6. Where are the best spots for camping/fishing/kayaing/water sports?This is subjective, but Bend really has all of this within 20-30 minutes of town. If you are into outdoor activities, Bend is paradise!

7. What are the best and worst things about living here?IMO, Best: outdoors, small town; Worst: expensive, long winter

8. Do I need a car to survive? What are the best, most convenient, safest, and/or most scenic routes to ride a bicycle?Well, not to "survive," but Bend is fairly isolated, so if you want to leave or get out of town you'll want one. It's very bicycle friendly though, so you don't need to drive a car much. My husband never drives to work. He rides throughout the year. The west side of town has more conveniences in terms of not wanting to drive. Mid-town is also good. There are plenty of bicycle routes that are safe and scenic.

9. How would you describe the people? Friendly, outdoorsy

That's all I've got for now. Any help at all would be great.