When visiting other towns, the subject of Bend's growth always comes up. Usually, the local will have heard 'rumors' of Bend, but they almost always follow up with the comment, "We're going through the same thing."

Oh, silly people. They just don't get that Bend is growing and sploding on an Order of Magnitude bigger and faster. And you can't really say that, because it comes out as,
"Sure your dog is big, but my dog is bigger."

I am given to understand that downtown Astoria has undergone a bit of a renaissnace lately, "just like Bend." Maybe -- just like Bend circa 1988. Lots of kitschy shops, more like a less classsy Sisters, or more like Seaside. Many more junky shops than art galleries. Not putting it down, but they just don't get how far they would have to go. The center two blocks are mostly filled, but the two blocks on either side are still half empty. There is a store in the middle, called Just Deals, that is three side by side stores, with a huge basement, filled with nothing but pure junky junk. It was very busy. Just a more casual, funky feel.

I did get through to one store owner when I mentioned rents were 2.50 a foot in Bend. Her mouth just sort of dropped open.

We stopped at a friend's store in Sisters, and I found that her rent was nearly half of mine. We also drove through Longview on the way back, and picked up one of those real estate rags, and my estimate was that housing was about 40% cheaper than Bend. Looked up the population, and saw that it had grown from 31,000 to 34,600 from 1990 to 2000. Sort of like the way Bend used to grow, up until 1990.

Working everyday in Bend, I can start to just accept the way it is, and even begin to think its normal. Seeing other towns is a real antidote to that. We ARE different.