We are ready for a change, and were thinking that Bend seems nice.. They have a lot of affordable places to live and they are all pretty new and big. I'm not really familiar with the area, so I don't know where we should start looking. We have a 15 month old daughter, so schools aren't a big issue right now, but of course we would want a safe neighborhood.
Any input would be greatly appreciated!
Re: Anyone in Bend? Thinking about moving..
We just moved to Bend in January and we have a 13 almost 14 month old! We live in SW Bend and really like it. There are lots of good neighborhoods I guess it just depends what you are looking for. Do you want to be close to downtown? Is some space more important? Price also varies by location.....westside tends to be more spendy....
Let me know if I can help!
I live in Bend and its a great area but the previous poster is right about the job outlook here. Its pretty rough.
I live in a very nice neighborhood in SE Bend and it IS NOT the ghetto.
There are definately some sketchy areas all over Bend that I would avoid, but they stay in "pockets" and overall there are a lot of nice family friendly areas. I would agree that NE Bend has the biggest pocket of ghetto, but compared to other towns its really not that bad. Definately steer clear of anything off Wilson Ave, or Tucson. Both are pretty run down areas. The Westide of Bend is older, but more expensive so most of the riff raff stear clear of that area, however there are a few large but hidden trailer parks on the West side that I would definately avoid. Your best bet is probably just to come visit the area. When you drive around you'll know the bad areas, they stick out like a sore thumb 
Hope this helps!! My son is only 4 months old but I would love to meet other mommies in the area.
Good luck with your move!!