I have spent a bit of time in Bend and it is a great place, and definitely more affordable than Boulder. The issue I have with it is the 3 hour drive to a city of any size.
But, your blog post about Boulder hit the nail on the head. So far we have dealt with growth by pushing lower income residents to the L cities (Longmont, Louisville, Lafayette) and accepting large amounts of in-commuting.
> The issue I have with it is the 3 hour drive to a city of any size.
Yeah, that's a dealbreaker for some people. I don't mind much - my wife wouldn't mind being a bit closer to somewhere larger.
On the other hand, I live 10 minutes by bike from work and pay 1000 less a month than I would have for something further out from downtown Boulder. So we only have one car, rather than two, resulting in more savings.
I could easily imagine living in Boulder if I were younger and wanted a more outdoorsy alternative to the bay area - there is a lot of tech stuff going on there.
But, your blog post about Boulder hit the nail on the head. So far we have dealt with growth by pushing lower income residents to the L cities (Longmont, Louisville, Lafayette) and accepting large amounts of in-commuting.