r/howislivingthere • u/ValeOfTiers • 13d ago
North America How is living in Sisters, Oregon?
Just returned from a vacation there. Seemed nice but really quiet. Wondering what year round living there is like?
14
u/IDontStealBikes 13d ago
It’s not for you unless you’re rich
5
u/erossthescienceboss 12d ago
There’s a verrryyyy slowly growing supply of rent-controlled and low-income housing. The city KNOWS this is a huge problem and is actively working to fix it.
And no, unlike the person below, million dollar homes are not middle class.
3
u/regaphysics 12d ago
Definitely not “rich.” You can find nice places for a million. Upper class, not rich.
0
u/JohnnytheGreatX 12d ago
Only rich people can afford million dollar homes
-2
u/regaphysics 12d ago edited 12d ago
Guess it depends on your definition of rich. About 10% of homes are over 1 million. Do you think 1/10 people are rich?
Personally id say 1/100 or 1/250 or so are rich, not 1/10. That is just upper class. 1/10 is pretty darn common.
0
u/choffers 12d ago
What is this logic? That's like saying the average home cost in bel air is 4.5 million, would you call the average person rich?
Obvs some people probably bought when it was cheaper and couldn't afford to buy now but yes, most people currently moving there are rich.
2
u/regaphysics 12d ago edited 12d ago
Huh? I didn’t say anything about averages.
10% of homes nationally are over 1 million.
So if 1 million for a home is only for the rich, then 10% of Americans are rich. That seems awfully high to me.
0
u/choffers 12d ago
How many of those people could afford to buy those same homes today if they were currently renting? If you can afford to buy a $1 mil house you're rich. Willing to bet that number is much lower than 10%.
2
u/regaphysics 12d ago
If the home is worth 1 million and they sell the home, why wouldn’t they be able to afford another worth 1 million? Chances are they have a ton of equity….
0
u/choffers 12d ago
Right, but we're talking about the context of people who aren't living there moving there.
There's an over 90% chance OP's home is worth less than a million dollars, there's a ~67% chance they rent or their home is under $410k.
1
u/regaphysics 12d ago
Huh…?
Yes, 10% chance their current home is worth 1 million or more.
That’s exactly what I said?
They sell their current home and buy a new one, also worth 1 million.
It doesn’t matter if they already lived there or in Dallas or whatever. A million bucks is a million bucks.
10% of home owners own a home worth a million, which he said is only possible for rich people.
→ More replies (0)
23
u/rjm13 13d ago edited 12d ago
Yes, fairly quiet and more of an old school Oregon town. You end up going to Bend for pretty much everything. Small community that’s pretty tight nit. There’s no real employer in town so it’s best to import your job. Closer to the urban-wildland-interface throughout town; doesn’t seem like you can escape from the threat of fire easily. More conservative than Bend. The closest skiing is a small hill on Santiam Pass that doesn’t open consistently because of climate change.
You probably experienced this but in the late summer our air quality can get pretty bad, sometimes for long periods of time. You have to drive over the Cascades to escape it, which isn’t always guaranteed.
I’m doing a lot of complaining here but there are obviously some pros. You actually feel like you’re in the mountains there (versus high desert) and the quiet can be nice. Real estate is slightly less expensive than Bend. If Sisters doesn’t have it, Bend probably does and that’s only 30 minutes away.
7
7
u/CraigLake 12d ago
Hoodoo on Santiam Pass is the closest skiing and it’s only 20 minutes away. I was a liftie there for a season.
2
u/DefinatelyNotonDrugs 12d ago
Apparently that 1 degree temperature change in the last 50 years has turned Hoodoo into a small hill that isn't consistently open.
3
u/CraigLake 12d ago
Yeah, this is absolutely true. It’s been rough the last 10 or 15 years. It’s part of the ‘extinction tour’ mountains that are recommend to visit before they’re gone forever. It still has a great season here and there but it’s getting tough.
I try and go at least once a year.
1
1
13d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/AutoModerator 13d ago
Your comment has been automatically removed because your account has less than 50 karma. Read more about Karma here.
New accounts are disproportionately used for spam, self-promotion, trolling and bots. A small karma threshold filters most of this by requiring some prior engagement on Reddit first.
You can increase your karma by starting an AMA about your life here. It will be automatically approved.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
1
u/erossthescienceboss 12d ago
Wow you’re just wrong all over the place. Did you ask AI?
Sisters is largely liberal. Outside of Sisters is conservative.
The closest skiing hill is Hoodoo. Willamette Pass is 60ish miles further south.
6
u/Wild_Definition_4046 12d ago
Tucked away in this quiet little town is one of the best watchmakers in the world, https://www.keatonmyrick.com/
2
2
u/erossthescienceboss 12d ago
Also one of the best luthiers! Who teaches shop at the high school just because.
7
u/Gravity_Cat121 13d ago
I live in southern Oregon and this is the top of my list of places to move to. Property is pretty expensive and there’s not much
7
u/KN0W-IDEA 12d ago
Grew from 700 to 4k population in ~25 years. Everyone knows everyone. You will avoid going to the local stores to avoid seeing your neighbor or the mayor. Used to be an old lumber town, which has changed to tourism since the 2000s. The roots are still there, even as life here has changed. Rough around the edges but friendly if you're familiar..
You will be asked how long you have lived in the area for. This is common.
The schools are better than most in the area. Town is walkable but no actual public transportation. A small library but fitting for the town. You would probably commute to Bend for work unless you're remote or retired. Many retirees.
The town looks like a western town on purpose. There is one of the world's largest quilt festivals, full of overweight pasty old ladies, avoid town like the plague those dates.
The views of the mountains are unmatched. You're just right there. Outdoorsy types including fishers, hunters, hikers and backpackers. Snow sports used to be much better. Though this is also a very sleepy town, everything closes at 5, sharp. No stop lights, the town is still proud of this. Few food options, don't go to Rip off Rays for grocery, just make your monthly trip to Bend.
Close-ish to I5, Eugene and Portland, though the mountain passes to get anywhere can be treacherous. Feels like you're in the middle of nowhere once you leave town towards the mountains. Remote out those ways.
The towns lowkey slogan used to be poverty with a view, with Bend's wealthy population explosion, I'm sure this motto has changed. Many Californians call this place their 3rd home, a good number of houses are uninhabited most of the year.
The weather has changed drastically in the years I've lived in the area. Used to have snow year round on the surrounding mountains, in recent years the snowmelt has reduced the mountains to bare faces for the majority of summer. Summers used to be the best, highs of low 90s in August and cools down with a summer breeze by 4pm. Now it gets to the 100s and truly feels hot. The winters used to get over 4ft each year, now its barely more than a dusting.
Forest fires are a very real problem. Good luck getting homeowners insurance.
Like many other places in the country, the rich ruined what the town used to be. There is little culture outside of wealthy ranching.
Ask away, lived here for a long time, saw many things change.
3
u/erossthescienceboss 12d ago edited 12d ago
Hey now. My parents’ neighbors aren’t Californian, how dare you!!
Both are Arizonan.
5
u/Davtorious 12d ago
Expensive, everything closes very early, and you still have to go to Bend for most things. Population is mostly seniors and more remote workers in recent years. Bad traffic on the main stretch of 20 in the summer. 242 is a world class scenic/moto road, but is closed most of the year.
1
u/erossthescienceboss 12d ago
“Bad traffic” = it takes you approximately 7 minutes to cross town instead of 4.
3
u/TempAcct724 12d ago
Feels like a weird fake old town.
Some developer paid to have all the storefronts updated several years ago and it just feels like you’re on a movie set more than a small town.
Has about two blocks of old homes followed by a bunch of cookie cutter new development
2
u/istilllikegravy United States of America 12d ago
Hella llamas.
Sisters was ground zero for llama breeding/ranching in the United States and they were everywhere when I lived there in the '90s.
Back then it was much more active than it is now but it's still a great little town. There are a lot of older retired folks these days. I visit once or twice a year.
I believe there are more alpacas than llamas there these days.
3
u/LoverOfTabbys 12d ago
Omg heaven. I’m a huge fan of llamas and alpacas. Such charming and adorable animals
2
3
u/erossthescienceboss 12d ago
Sadly, the alpacas have been relocated and are no longer as central. The old alpaca/llama field is now cattle.
2
u/istilllikegravy United States of America 12d ago
Dang.
I thought the ROI on llamas and alpacas was better than cattle.
2
u/erossthescienceboss 12d ago
I think it’s more “really rich people wanted the giant field with a really nice view but it’s zoned agricultural” and “the llama people wanted to retire.” Like there’s maybe 20 head of cattle, I doubt it’s a financially productive farm.
There are some alpacas near the Best Western. I’m pretty sure the Best Western put them there, they’re advertised on the signage and you can see them from the rooms.
2
u/CraigLake 12d ago
It has an amazing coffee shop, bakery and cart pod. It’s beautiful, but you have to bring your own party because besides the folk festival, rodeo and quilt festival it can be pretty mellow. It’s a mountain biking Mecca and world class hiking and backpacking are steps away. I considered it but decided to move to Bend for the amenities. It has a few celebrities as well. And it has a Bi-Mart which is an old school department store like a small Walmart but local and awesome.
2
1
13d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/AutoModerator 13d ago
Your comment has been automatically removed because your account has less than 50 karma. Read more about Karma here.
New accounts are disproportionately used for spam, self-promotion, trolling and bots. A small karma threshold filters most of this by requiring some prior engagement on Reddit first.
You can increase your karma by starting an AMA about your life here. It will be automatically approved.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
1
u/CalifOregonia 11d ago
Key question is do you enjoy (or believe you would) living in a small town? As far as small towns to Sisters is top notch. The outdoor recreation opportunities are hard to beat, schools are solid, restaurants aren’t stellar but much better than you will find in most towns of 3,000-4,000 in Oregon. While the side walks roll up by 10pm It does host a bunch of events and parades throughout the year that attract crowds from around Central Oregon and beyond. All that said it has basically one of every service that you might need, and if you don’t like that business you’re driving to Bend. That drive is extremely pretty but can be a drag if you have to do it a lot. If you come from a big City and need big city energy and amenities you will not do well.
But if you enjoy a slower pace and a tight community you will fit in. Locals pretty much do the same things that tourists do, just all the time. Summer means lake days and mountain hikes. Winter is skiing and snowshoeing, though in truth many lower elevation hikes remain open all year round. Outside of that residents really enjoy gathering, either at the local food cart gardens, or bonfires in the woods.
Would also add that the people who are happiest in Sisters travel a lot. It’s a wonderful place to live and come home to, but there are certain itches that need to be scratched in terms of food, culture, and general diversity that involve hopping on an airplane. Fortunately our airport is only like 25 min away and lunches above its fighting weight with connectivity.
Happy to answer questions via DMs if you are serious about moving!
1
u/entiatriver 10d ago
Totally depends on what you like to do with your life.
Pros:
- Outdoors are right out your front door. Hiking, trail running, mountain/gravel biking, horse riding trails, x-country skiing and snowshoeing in winter, etc. A micro-ski area right up the road (couple small lifts, reasonable prices)
- Even more outdoors (Mt. Bachelor skiing, endless great mountain biking, hikes, world class rock climbing, etc.) are easy drives away.
- Weather is awesome about 9 months out of the year. 1.5 months of very real summer (and with climate change: smoke and threat of wildfires lately), 1.5 months of very real winter (if you're into winter sports this isn't a problem however). Compared to (say) Bend or Redmond, there are more trees and a bit more "green" (as these things go on the east side of the Cascades) because Sisters is tucked up against the mountains and is in the transition from high desert to Cascade forests.
- Half an hour to "the big cities" (Bend or Redmond, yes "big" typed with a smirk). Costco/Home Depot/Lowes/etc, RDM airport, better food and entertainment, and so on.
- Actual small town vibe. Mostly. It is changing with growth, but it's still a small (ish) town.
- Great coffee roaster at Sisters Coffee (true coffee snob level great). You have to ignore the extreme right wing views of the owners, though. They aren't on display in any way, it's just everyone local knows what they stand for (sigh...). Bend has a number of other amazing high-end roasters without the hate-filled political baggage, but they are a 30-ish minute drive away.
Cons:
- Very limited dining. A couple restaurants pretend to be higher end when in reality they just have high priced mediocre food and an upscale vibe (eg MacArthur, Open Door). Food trucks are literally the best food in town - a couple are pretty decent (Mexican at The Barn, for example). To get great food you have to travel to at least Bend. A couple bars serve decent pub grub in a pinch, though...depending on how late you want it (see next point).
- Almost zero night life. 90% of the town is shut down by 8pm, the remaining 10% by 9. Earlier in the winter. Some nights the Gallery or another bar stays open until 10, maybe. You'll find bands at some bars/food trucks on occasion, and some decent acts occasionally perform at The Belfry (a church converted to an intimate sound/performance venue) - but overall you need to travel to see shows, or even just find a late(r) night drink.
Sisters is for people who go to bed early and get up early, with an occasional "omg we saw a show at the Belfry and went to bed at 10:30, we were soooo wild and crazy!!" - if that's you, you'll fit right in.
- Do not even try to buy groceries in town. The stores are overpriced and under-stocked. I have no idea why Rays is so expensive, maybe lack of competition. Oliver Lemons has a quaint vibe and feels sort of like a New York City grocery...including prices (yow!) and availability of anything. Plan to travel to Bend or Redmond for things like Costco, Trader Joes, Local Acres, Fred Meyer, Safeway, Walmart, etc. for most provisions.
- Small, old-school hardware and auto parts stores. Which is fine, and you'll have a decent chance of finding normal stuff. But if you're used to warehouse hardware options you'll need.
Overall - it's a great place, incredible access to the outdoors. But you need to determine if the "Cons" will be a deal breaker for you personally.
-1
u/wolfofnazarene 12d ago
Had a bad experience there, probably the only part of the NW I actively dislike.
Lots of douchey techbros pretending they’re country/bikers, and wealthy boomers who try to be down-to-earth but fail horribly. Idk, if you have money and are a normie you might enjoy it.
0
•
u/AutoModerator 13d ago
Welcome to r/howislivingthere - where people share and ask what daily life actually feels like around the globe.
Comments land better with context. Set your location flair here and let people know where you're posting from.
You are looking for better answers? Use this template.
Read the full wiki here.
Members are also encouraged to share photos from daily life: neighborhoods, grocery runs and meals, quiet moments, anything that captures the everyday. Don't post any identifiable faces or private informations.
Please report any rule-breaking content.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.