NorthWest Crossing Blog Moves to northwestcrossing.com

Our blog has moved to our brand new website! Check it out at http://northwestcrossing.com/blog/

Bend, Oregon Neighborhood of NorthWest Crossing Wins Sustainability Award

We were very pleased and excited to receive a Sustainability Award from The Environmental Center at a special ceremony at the Oxford Hotel in downtown Bend last week. The awards honor businesses, organizations and individuals that are leading the way to a sustainable future in Central Oregon. There were four categories for the award program, and NorthWestCrossing was recognized as the top Large Business of the year. First Lady of Oregon, and founder of 3E Strategies, Cynthia Hayes spoke at the event.

The Environmental Center hosts the annual Sustainability Awards as a way of highlighting the determined and persistent change makers—in business, government, nonprofit, and the community—who are essential to achieving a sustainable future.  By showcasing these commitments to a healthy environment, a vibrant economy, and an equitable society, The Environmental Center hopes to inspire even more sustainable action in Central Oregon.

Built on the intrinsically sustainable principles, NorthWest Crossing has won several awards and been featured in national publications for its green practices. Residents benefit from homes built to Earth Advantage and ENERGY STAR standards, connectivity to encourage alternative transportation and neighborhood amenities, such as parks, trails and a community. Several buildings in the commercial area of the neighborhood are LEED certified.

Check out the super cool hand-forged award by a local artist:

Renowned Planner Jeff Speck Speaks in Bend, Oregon

Last night, NorthWest Crossing sponsored a presentation through the Building a BetterBend lecture series, which brings speakers to the region to help educate the community about quality growth and development. Renowned author and lecturer Jeff Speck joined us to talk about  “What Makes Commercial Centers Work:  Getting Planning and Transportation Right”.

Speck shared some great insights from his work around the country promoting smart growth and sustainable design, applying them to the Bend, Oregon community and ways that planners here could take into consideration choices that would impact daily life of its citizens.

He brings solid experience to his lectures - Speck is a city planner and architectural designer who, through writing, lectures, and built work, advocates internationally for smart growth and sustainable design. As Director of Design at the National Endowment for the Arts from 2003 through 2007, he oversaw the Mayors' Institute on City Design and created the Governors' Institute on Community Design, a federal program that helps state governors fight suburban sprawl. Prior to joining the Endowment, Mr. Speck spent ten years as Director of Town Planning at Duany Plater-Zyberk and Co., a leading practitioner of the New Urbanism, where he led or managed more than forty of the firm's projects. He is the co-author of Suburban Nation: The Rise of Sprawl and the Decline of the American Dream as well as the just-released Smart Growth Manual. He serves as a Contributing Editor to Metropolis Magazine, and on the Sustainability Task Force of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

NorthWest Crossing, which has been committed to the smart growth principles since its inception, was happy to support bringing a speaker like Speck to our community!

Bend, Oregon Farmers Market Gears Up For End of Season

The NorthWest Crossing Farmers Market the Bend, Oregon neighborhood of NorthWest Crossing is celebrating the last two Saturdays of the season with some great live music, and a lineup of vendors that will keep you well-stocked in goodies right through the Fall.

This Saturday and next, McKenzie River Farms will be helping to put the "Farm" in Farmers Market with a great selection of produce. According to their site, they'll have every summer produce item imaginable -from tomatoes, cucumbers and strawberries, all the way to August harvested eggplant, garlic and melons.

Couple this with a fabulous selection of delicious specialty foods, wagon rides, a petting zoo and plenty of arts and crafts, and you have a Saturday that screams "SUMMER TIME" in Bend, Oregon. Not to mention the live sounds of Chata Addy (Authentic West African Music) on this Saturday, August 27th and the eclectic folk tunes from Brent Alan and Lino Trio on September 3rd.

See you at the Farmers Market!

NorthWest Crossing's Own Bend, Oregon Brewery: Below Grade Brewing

It's no secret that Bend, Oregon is exploding with craft breweries: the count continues to rise. Here in NorthWest Crossing, we have our own community brewery - Below Grade Brewing. Owned and operated by residents Dean and Bridget Wise, the handcrafted beers from this nano-brewery debuted at the NWX Farmers Market earlier this summer.

Wise built his small brewing "facility" in a corner of his basement, has been home brewing for almost 20 years according to a recent Bulletin article. Wise says that Below Grade is a community brewery that provides fresh, fine ales batch-by-batch to beer enthusiasts. Because each run of each beer differs slightly - expressing the craft of beer making - these enthusiasts become part of the brewing experience.

Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive! Come try a pint for yourself this weekend at the Farmers Market, held on Saturday August 6 from 10am-2pm.

Where to Retire? NorthWest Crossing in Bend, Oregon! That's Where!

Bend has long been recognized as a wonderful place to live - and to retire. In fact, according to a recent article in Where to Retire Magazine, Bend, Oregon is one of the best. Included in that equation is the retirement friendly community of NorthWest Crossing.

The article, which appears in the May/June issue of the magazine, introduces Bend as: "An outdoor haven where pine forests give way to a high desert plateau, Bend offers bountiful recreation year-round, including hiking, fishing, boating, skiing, camping and hunting. A refuge for urbanites weary of the fast lane, its cosmopolitan chic yet has the lure of the wild." Sound romantic? It is!

The in-depth piece goes into all the wonderful things Bend, Oregon has to offer, and then talks about specific places to live, including NorthWest Crossing. "A neotraditional community featuring classic regional architecture, green building mandates and pedestrian-friendly design. A hit with families and empty nesters, the 486-acre, mixed-use development...[has a] recent addition of Discovery Park Lodge, a 53-unit affordable housing complex for those 55 and older."

From paddling the Deschutes River, to trying out some of the area's craft beers, and from attending the many community events to purchasing the right house for retirement....this great article highlights all the greatness our community has to offer.

Structure Development NW Gets Its Build On In NorthWest Crossing

Building in Bend, Oregon's NorthWest Crossing for just about one year, Structure Development NW is currently starting on its second home in the neighborhood. As with all the company's work, these NorthWest Crossing homes display their philosophy of surrounding home buyers with the absolute best products and services - each aspect of the home is chosen with care and thoughtful consideration. 

Owners Dan Goodrich and Scott Houck

According to co-owner Dan Goodrich, he enjoys working in NorthWest Crossing for several reasons: "Utilizing multiple builders to diversify the neighborhood aesthetic, while holding to unique review standards, elevates the end product. In the end, this ultimately benefits not only the home buyers, but the life span and strength of the community." 


Goodrich went on to mention that his team enjoys feeling like part of a long-term collaboration that will benefit Bend, Oregon in the future. "When we drive through this community, we can sense that it will be a great place to live now - and in 10, 20 or 30 years. You can't say that about every newly developed neighborhood in Bend, Oregon." 


He says, "We are thrilled to be a part of the growth here going forward!" And we're thrilled to have you on board.