Buying a Home in Northwest Bend:
Active Living on Bend’s West Side

For nature lovers and active, outdoor adventurers visiting Bend, Oregon, it doesn’t take long to realize that the west side of Bend combines all of the things that probably attracted you to Central Oregon in the first place.

Activities in Bend, Oregon

Probably the most striking natural feature of Bend is the beautiful Deschutes River, home to numerous parks and wildlife, as well as an extensive collection of hiking and biking trails in the Deschutes River Trails system.

Walk or ride your bike down to the river and then canoe, kayak or raft for a short float surrounded by large pine trees and stunning views of the Cascade Mountains.

Speaking of mountains, skiing at Mt. Bachelor is minutes away. If you only have an afternoon free you can still make it out mountains and back on a beautiful day.

And of course if you like to fish, Northwest Bend is an angler’s paradise, central to many of the greatest fishing rivers in Central Oregon.

Homes on the Deschutes River

If you’re looking to buy a luxury waterfront home with easy access to downtown and the parks, take a look at Drake Park and Mirror Pond. They’re right on the Deschutes River at the heart of Bend, and definitely a gorgeous place to live.

Of course, homes right along the river can easily reach into the millions—if that’s not in your budget you can still be close to the river in one of the many charming cottage and bungalow neighborhoods nearby.

Some of those houses and neighborhoods have history going back to the founding of Bend in the early 1900’s.

Awbrey Butte Homes

Another popular area in Northwest Bend is Awbrey Butte, which has fabulous views of both Bend and the Cascade Mountains, depending on which side you’re on.

On Awbrey Butte you can buy a house ranging from a 1970’s ranch style home to a brand new luxury home. Awbrey Glen and Fairway Heights offer upscale living right next to the Awbrey Glen Golf Club or the public River’s Edge Golf Course.

Central Oregon Community College and an extension of OSU are on the west side of Awbrey Butte. For the active, outdoors-loving college student there really couldn’t be a more ideal place to live.

There are also condos and townhouses available for the savvy investor who wants to get into the college rental market.

Northwest Crossing and Valhalla Heights

For young energetic families the Northwest Crossing neighborhood has a lot to offer as well. New homes that range in style from cottage, prairie, bungalow, colonial and craftsman all surround a large central park with a children’s playground.

High Lakes Elementary School sits right at the edge of the neighborhood, with Summit High School only a few blocks away. There are also retail shops and restaurants surrounding the area.

And if your favorite activity is outdoors gardening you might want to consider the Valhalla Heights neighborhood. Purchase one of these homes built in the 1970’s and 80’s and you’ll get your own large yard that has been well kept up.

For anyone who desire an active lifestyle, the west side of Bend has a bounty of options and is a great place to live.

If you’re interested in buying a home in Central Oregon or selling your current home in Bend, feel free to contact me with any questions.

Kari Kryder is a licensed real estate broker with RE/MAX Equity Group in Bend, Oregon as well as a frequent contributing writer for OHM. Please don't hesitate to contact her with any questions you may have about buying or selling a home in the Bend area.



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