Is Bend, Oregon still considered small town living? Here’s what to know before moving to Bend.

According to The Oregonian, as of July 1, 2017, Bend, Oregon had a population of 91,122, an increase of 4.9% from a year earlier. This is no surprise and it’s going to continue to grow and change! Great weather, effortless accessibility to outdoor adventure, fantastic public schools, friendly people, a slower paced lifestyle…all leads to an overall better quality of life. In my opinion, this is what truly makes Bend an incredible place to call home.

With rapid growth though, comes rapid change. For some, this is exciting and convenient. For others, it’s disappointing and a reason to move on to smaller pastures. New neighborhoods are emerging daily. New retail and commercial spaces are popping up everywhere. New schools are being built and the city’s rules and regulations are constantly changing to keep up with the boom. So how will an old mill town originally designed for “small town living” manage to explode in population yet keep the attributes that make it endearing? Why has this small town become so popular? Bend is no longer a town, it’s a city and there are a lot of things to consider and know before moving to Bend.

What’s the best way to navigate through the city?

Bend is split into four quadrants (NW, SW, NE, SE). The quadrants are divided East and West by 3rd Street and divided North and South by Highway 20. That’s a great guideline to use when you’re driving around but sometimes getting lost is the best way to explore. If you haven’t been to the top of Pilot Butte yet, getting a 360, bird’s-eye view of the city is also really helpful in getting your bearings.

What neighborhoods are dangerous or unsafe?

I can’t think of a single neighborhood that I would consider dangerous or unsafe, but they are all different. They vary in price, accessibility, age, lot size, demographics, and even weather. Awbrey Butte and the south parts of Bend get a lot more snow than the rest of Bend! I can help you navigate the neighborhoods once you move to Bend.

What’s the best way to acclimate to the community when moving to Bend?

It’s no secret that meeting people and making friends is a lot easier when you have kids. Especially when you have school-aged kids. However, Bend is the friendliest place I have ever lived which makes it so much easier to acclimate to the community. There are groups for just about every pastime imaginable. Meetup Bend and Facebook are great places to start. Visit Bend is a wonderful resource for what’s going on around town and the Parks and Rec in Bend is amazing! There are plenty of activities for everyone in the family.

Has Bend lost its small-town feel?

That’s a hard question to answer because it’s very subjective. Coming from New York City, Bend feels like a small town. Not just geographically but there is also an intimacy in Bend that, regardless of population growth, has managed to stay strong. There is a very “Andy Griffith” feel (I know I’m aging myself) in Bend where everyone knows each other or at least acts like they do. Often times I hear Bend described as living in a bubble and I definitely think there is validity in that.

Bend is the perfect example of what happens when 2018 modernity meets an old school-neighborhood feel. Geographically, there is definitely a difference especially from when I lived here in the ’90s. I remember when the outlets were built south of town and thinking to myself, “who’s going to drive all the way out there to go shopping?” Now that area is basically part of the city grid. There is also “traffic” which transplants always giggle over but for those who have been here for a long time, the “traffic” is real. They aren’t used to waiting in lines, making reservations, or playing bumper boats with hundreds of others as they float the river. For true locals, Bend is becoming unrecognizable and objectively, I can understand why that’s unappealing.

 So why do you need Bend Relocation Services?

As the owner of Bend Relocation Services, I wear several hats. I am the girlfriend you wish you had in Bend, the local resource for trusted referrals, the person who “knows someone” so you can get in faster and find out sooner. Mostly though, I’m the therapist who helps calm your anxieties about moving to Bend and makes sense of the disorganization that happens while moving.

My job is to make your move to Bend, Oregon easier by taking anything and everything I can off of your plate. I can’t help you sell your house, pack up your boxes, or deal with the movers. However, I can find you a rental in the right neighborhood, help you choose the right school, and help you feel connected in the community.  My goal is to have you up and running by the time you arrive so all you need to do is enjoy Bend. You won’t have to look for doctors, orthodontists, hairdressers, dermatologists, piano teachers… by the time you arrive, you have all of those contacts and perhaps even your appointments are already set!

GIve me a call to get started in planning your move to Bend, Oregon. 541.668.5078