Live the Bend Lifestyle

“My ultimate goal is to help you live the life you really want. To do that, you need a great home and a great community with year-round recreation and a healthy job market. Bend offers all of that and more.”
– Nicolette Rice

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Live in Central Oregon

Come for the Lifestyle, Stay for the Possibilities

Work/Life Balance isn’t just a catchphrase in Central Oregon — it’s what this town was built for. It’s why businesses and start-ups are flocking here and bringing plenty of jobs with them. We’re also seeing a boom in remote employees who just need a laptop and WiFi signal to enjoy the lifestyle and keep their current job in a larger city. From tech, medical, and pharmaceutical professionals to tradespeople and hospitality specialists, there’s plenty of work to be had and plenty places to play when the clock strikes quittin’ time.

Surrounded by the Cascade Mountains, Mt Bachelor, and endless lakes to the south and west, authentic Badlands to the east, and urban amenities just a few hours north in Portland, Bend is the heart of Oregon’s lifestyle and outdoor recreation scenes. It’s where possibility lives — and you can live, work, and play here, too.

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Every Season is Festival Season

Festivals in Bend, OR, are fun for people of all ages and interests. There’s the Bend Film Festival, Winter Fest, Summer Fest, Brew Fest, Oktoberfest, outdoor summer concerts and free summer-Sunday music at Les Schwab Amphitheater, Munch n’ Music every summer Thursday in Drake Park, the weekly farmer’s market, and a wealth of arts and culture events year round.

Visit the City of Bend events calendar to explore a full list of upcoming concerts, races, festivals, and more!

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Adventure All Year Long

Central Oregon is an all-seasons mecca for outdoor recreation and play. World-class skiing and snowboarding at Mt Bachelor are only 20 minutes from town, with chairs typically running November through Memorial Day weekend. When the snow melts away, it reveals epic mountain biking trails accessible by chair lift. That same snow fills the Cascade Lakes with crystal clear water that’s perfect for paddling and swimming away the long summer days.

The City of Bend is also home to nearly 20 golf courses, ranging from novice to expert levels. And don’t forget about climbing at Smith Rock, where novices and experts can escape to get a grip. There’s also the annual Pole Pedal Paddle race, world-class cycling events, triathlons, marathons, and charity runs just about every weekend!

Live. Play. Work.

In that order! When you live in Central Oregon, you can live your life and build the career of your dreams, and I can help make sure you have the right home base for all your adventures. It’s all here and ready for the taking. All you need to do is reach out and grab it.

Major Employers
  • Bend La Pine School District
  • Bend Memorial Clinic
  • Lonza
  • Central Oregon Community College
  • G5
  • Les Schwab
  • Oregon State University – Cascades Campus
  • St. Charles Medical Center
Bend Breweries
  • Atlas Cider Co.
  • 10 Barrel Brewing
  • Bend Brewing Company
  • Boneyard Beer Co.
  • Cascade Lakes Brewery
  • Craft
  • Crux Fermentation Project
  • Deschutes Brewery
  • GoodLife Brewing Co.
  • Immersion Brewing
  • McMenamins Old Saint Francis
  • RiverBend Brewing Company
  • Silver Moon
  • Sunriver Brewing – Galveston Pub
  • Tranquilo MSA
  • Worthy Brewing Co.
Annual Festivals & Events
  • Art in the High Desert
  • Balloons Over Bend
  • Bend Brewfest
  • Bend Summer Festival
  • Deschutes County Fair
  • NorthWest Crossing Saturday Farmers Market
  • Pickin’ & Paddlin’
  • Oregon WinterFest
Cafes & Coffee
  • Backporch Coffee Roaster
  • Bad Wolf Bistro
  • Bend Mountain Coffee
  • Bluebird Coffee Company
  • Crow’s Feet Commons
  • Fearless Baking
  • La Magie
  • Lone Pine Coffee Roasters
  • Looney Bean Bend
  • Megaphone Coffee Co.
  • Nancy P’s
  • PALATE A Coffee Bar
  • Sparrow Bakery
  • Spoken Moto
  • Strictly Organic
  • Thump Coffee
The Great Outdoors
  • Cascade Lakes 
  • Elk Lake Resort
  • Deschutes River
  • Drake Park
  • Mt. Bachelor Ski Resort
  • Phil’s Trail Complex
  • Shevlin Park
  • Smith Rock State Park
  • South Sister
Where to Eat
  • 5 Fusion & Sushi Bar
  • Ariana
  • Baldy’s BBQ
  • Barrio
  • Brother Jon’s Public House
  • Croutons
  • Joolz Restaurant
  • Kebaba
  • Mantra Indian Kitchen
  • McKay Cottage Restaurant
  • Parilla Grill
  • Spork
  • Washington Dining & Cocktails
  • Wild Rose Northern Thai Eats
  • Dang’s Vietnamese Restaurant
  • Zydeco

Bend, OR, Neighborhoods

If you’re new to the area, or just looking for your next home, take a look at our helpful neighborhood guide to learn more about where to buy a home in Central Oregon. From up-and-coming, affordable neighborhoods in Bend to vacation destinations and gated communities in Bend, The High Desert has something to offer just about everyone.

Up + Coming

Everyone from first-time buyers to savvy investors and fixer-upper aficionados love to get in on the ground floor of an up-and-coming neighborhood. Here are a few of the best places to get a great deal on a home in Bend and Central Oregon. 

  • Midtown
  • The Orchard District 
  • Larkspur
  • Mountain View
  • Southeast Bend
  • Southern Crossing
  • Old Farm District
  • Deschutes River Woods
  • La Pine, Oregon
  • Redmond, Oregon

Most Walkable

Walk, bike, skate, or ski (yes, Central Oregonians have been known to x-country ski to work on a snowy day), these neighborhoods are the most pedestrian friendly in the area. 

  • Westside
  • Historic Downtown
  • Midtown
  • NW Crossing
  • Old Mill District
  • Downtown Sisters, Oregon
  • Downtown Redmond, Oregon

Best Views

Some mountains are actually buttes, but not all buttes are actually mountains — like the famous Mt Bachelor, which is actually Bachelor Butte, FYI. You’ll want to know this when you’re talking about the breathtaking views from these elevated neighborhoods. 

  • Awbrey Butte
  • Powell Butte
  • Black Butte Ranch
  • Sisters, Oregon
  • Old Mill District
  • Crooked River Ranch
  • Camp Sherman

Farms + Acreage

What was once a booming logging town surrounded by pastoral acreage is now a booming tech and outdoor mecca, but it’s still surrounded by stunning farms with acreage. Check out these farm-friendly neighborhoods in Central Oregon. 

  • Sisters, Oregon
  • Powell Butte, Oregon
  • Terrebonne, Oregon
  • Cimarron City, Oregon
  • La Pine, Oregon
  • Tumalo, Oregon

Private + Golf Club Communities 

Resort living meets Oregon-style adventuring and recreation in these private and gated communities with homes for sale in Bend. 

  • Shevlin Commons
  • Broken Top 
  • Tetherow
  • Awbrey Glen
  • Brasada Ranch
  • Black Butte Ranch
  • Eagle Crest
  • Pronghorn
  • Caldera
  • Awbrey Glen

Top Vacation Homes

Living the Bend life is a year-round experience, so even if you can’t make Central Oregon your full-time home just yet, you can buy a vacation home in some of the areas most desirable destinations like these. 

  • Mt Bachelor Village
  • Widgi Creek
  • Sunriver, Oregon
  • Sisters, Oregon
  • Black Butte Ranch

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Find the Home You Need to Live the Bend Lifestyle