Photography by Ross Chandler
Location: Bend, Oregon
September 1, 2006
Admit it. we all envy those early adopters, folks who either had the grade-A brains or dumb luck to stumble onto a slice of heaven, whether signing on at a wacky new company called Google or buying a cabin in a run-down mining town called Aspen.
But no need to despair. As crowded and connected as the world has become, there still are opportunities to get ahead of the curve if you know where to look. So here is a tip. Bend, Oregon.
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A Vandevert Ranch house, $3.3
million. Offered by Coldwell Banker. (Click image to enlarge)This city of 70,000 in under-the-radar central Oregon is quickly becoming a magnet for both retirees and telecommuters, who, in the past 18 months, have helped local real estate values increase by 40 percent. Developers have begun pouring into the area, offering new homes on large lots for seven-figure prices that might even make a cashed-out Californian wince.
Why the gold rush mentality? While Bend does not have precious metal in its hills, it does have hills, even soaring mountains (like the Cascade Range, whose star is the U.S. Ski Team training site, Mt. Bachelor) that provide a postcard-worthy backdrop. And the Deschutes River, a proud tributary of the mighty Columbia River, roars through downtown Bend with rafters in tow. Toss in a high-desert climate—Bend sits at 3,625 feet, which means dry heat during the day and crisp climes at night—and you have a certain kind of paradise.
When New Yorker Bill Rosen moved to Bend a decade ago, he was immediately seduced by the town’s laid-back atmosphere and its staggering natural surroundings.
"In the past, most people you’d meet were either waiting tables or working in the mills," says Rosen, who is kept busy these days as a provider of office supplies to the town’s growing business community. "About five years ago, we got discovered—mostly by Californians, but now you’ll see people from all over. It’s still a very cool place, though when you head up to the mountain lakes, it’s tougher to find camping spots these days."
But everything is relative. "I’d say Bend is a bit like Boulder was 15 years ago," says Scott Knox of the city’s Visitor & Convention Bureau, noting that Bend’s median home price is $320,000, pricey for some major U.S. cities, but still a bargain in the eyes of many. "Right now we’re just dealing with those usual issues that pop up when you’re discovered, everything from transportation to housing for a growing service industry."
There is no doubt the pace of the former mill town is picking
up. Some 27 golf courses in and around the city are luring the leisure set,
while a revitalized downtown area is drawing chic retailers and branches of
nationally known brokerage houses. The regional airport has added direct flights
to San Francisco, with Denver and Los Angeles on the way.
City officials have created a task force, dubbed Bend 2030, to
help ensure that the nation’s newfound fascination with the area leads to a
place that down the road is "proud of (its) clean and efficient public
transportation, appropriate mixed-use development and fully connected citywide
trail system."
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