Bend! (Portland, Salem, Hillsboro: ski resort, for rent, Home Depot)

[ClareRubi]

Wrote this to someone on my other forum, but she never replied!
"Hey!
Could you tell me more about Bend? I looked it up a bit and it looks like it would fit my mom and I better than Hillsboro. I have a few questions, if that's okay?
How far is it from Portland and Salem? City-data told me the pop. is around 77,000. My mom said that is pretty small, would we have to drive anywhere to get things we needed (stupid question, sorry)? I know my gramma has to drive an 1 hour to buy cars, big furniture, etc. from where she lives.
What's the weather like? I also read in the summer it doesn't reach the 90's? Which is great because it is currently 95 degrees at almost 11:30 at night.
I got excited because Broken Top Mountain is about 15 miles from Bend, but it turns out this isn't Broken Top. It's Mt. Bachelor.
But anyway, this place is STUNNING. I would have an incredible blast there, especially with Boomer!


How far is Mt. Bachelor from Bend? You said there were lots of cool water places around Bend. Are there any that look like this? lol
Thanks!

Clarissa "

[skinem]

Sorry, I usually came to Bend from the east and northeast--not sure of time to Portland--what, 3 hours? I'm sure someone else can tell you exactly.
You can get anything you need in Bend--77,000 isn't small, certainly by central and eastern Oregon standards.
It'll reach the 90s and then some on occasion, but won't be 95 at 11:30 at night.
You can have a late breakfast at home in Bend, ski all day at Mt. Bachelor and eat supper at home.
There are places that look like the picture--and better.

[Silverfall]

From Salem, it's about two hours to Bend in the summer, three in the winter due to snow.

Bend is VERY different than Hillsboro. Bend is high desert terrain where Hillsboro is in the valley. Bend does get hot, but not like Arizona.

[delta07]

Bend is about 3.5 to 4 from Portland, not sure about Salem. However, you don't have to drive to Portland very often, as you can find pretty much everything you need in Bend. We have Target, Fred Meyers, Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Lowes, Macy's, etc. The population has grown a bit since the city-data info, and is probably around 85,000 now.

The weather in Bend is very nice, all four seasons for sure. We do get a stretch of days in the summer that are in the upper nineties and it sure feels hot, but then it cools off nicely in the evenings. That is one of the best things about Central Oregon. The high desert is dry and can be extremely hot during the day, but it dips down into the 50-60s at night. Currently, we have a cold front that has moved in, and it's actually quite chilly, with a high today of only 70! Just a few weeks ago we were in the high 90s and even a few low 100s. It's very diverse!

There is a mountain called Broken Top that is very close to Bend. Of course, Mt. Bachelor is the ski resort and about 30 minutes from the far eastern side of Bend. The entire Cascade lakes area is full of beautiful scenery like the photo!

The only downfall to Central Oregon right now is the unemployment rate. If you will need a job, I would suggest having one lined up before you move here. Currently, unemployment sits at 17% for Deschutes Co. It can take up to a year to find a job if you come without one, and even if you do, it probably won't pay very well.

[Laur9400]

Bend is about 3 - 3 1/2 hours from Portland. It often does reach in the 90's during the Summer. A couple of weeks ago we had about 10 days of high 90's weather. On average, it is in the 80's for Summer, with hardly any rain. The Winters are cold and we do get snow in town, but the snow usually melts during the day and then snows again at night. The town is about 20 minutes from Mt. Bachelor. Broken Top is up in that general area, along with the Three Sisters, which are beautiful. Bend is a great town- I have lived here 21 years and cannot see myself ever moving. It has grown enormously though during that time. If you are looking for cool mountains, rivers and lakes, we have a lot to see. The housing market was extremely high for awhile, but is tapering off- to go along with the high unemployment. Most of the mom and pop stores are also a dying breed- too bad, as that was one thing that was so special about our town.

[ClareRubi]

Thanks for the info everyone!
What is the desert terrain like there? All of the pictures I've seen of Bend are very green.?

[MMVirden]

My husband wants to move us from Alaska to Bend. I am coming to Bend for the weekend in September. Anything anyone could tell me about Bend before I come would be helpful. My biggest worry is jobs, schools, and housing. I have two boys ages 14 and 10.

[skinem]

Originally Posted by ClareRubi

Thanks for the info everyone!
What is the desert terrain like there? All of the pictures I've seen of Bend are very green.?

High desert--sage, juniper, pine. One of the neat things about the Bend area is the variety of country...not far away you can feel like you are in the desert southwest or in Switzerland...

[ukiyo-e]

Originally Posted by MMVirden

My husband wants to move us from Alaska to Bend. I am coming to Bend for the weekend in September. Anything anyone could tell me about Bend before I come would be helpful. My biggest worry is jobs, schools, and housing. I have two boys ages 14 and 10.

The unemployment rate in Deschutes County is over 17%. Bend is on my short list of potential relocation spots because housing is relatively inexpensive now due to the slack demand, and I'd be telecommuting, so the lack of jobs isn't an issue for me. Delta or another resident would know about the schools.

[Bendite]

Jobs are the biggest issue people coming to Bend should consider. There is a variety of housing available, for now there are some pretty good deals for renting and buying, but if you have a minimum or low wage job and the area recovers (already seeing some property prices holding /increasing rather than falling) then Bend could again become less affordable for many. We have some very good schools here, some a bit better than others.