Tell me about Spokane

2DaMtns · Oct 29, 2017

There's a chance my better half and I may relocate to Spokane in the semi-near future. For people who live there, have lived there, or have spent enough time there to be familiar with it:

1) What are your favorite things about it?

2) I've read the crime sucks, but we would be living out of town. I've also heard jobs are hard to come by, but we both have jobs in highly specialized careers and that probably wouldn't be an issue. Aside from those, what is the worst thing about the area?

3) How is the hunting and fishing nearby (within an hour or so)?

4) How likely is it to find a place to rent with 10+ acres within 30 minutes of town?

5) How's the scenery and climate? We're from the east, don't mind snow or cold, but hate heat and humidity. We currently live west of the cascades and think it's beautiful. How does the area compare?

slimmer13 · Oct 29, 2017

I hate the city of Spokane. Full retard city council. Explosion of homeless, Californians, tweakers, and panhandlers.

I love the outlying areas. Within an hour of the city, phenomenal hunting, fishing, skiing, hiking, lakes, rivers, off roading, shooting areas, mt biking etc.

Some of the surrounding small towns have great people. The biggest problem is the full control politically by the west side of the state. The certainly do not represent the people of rural E Wa.

If you can get into Id, that would be ideal.

LMK if you have any questions.

Also, I know the city has a ridiculous rental market. Home prices are sky high due to the influx of out of towners. Not sure how the rural market is.

2DaMtns · Nov 9, 2017

Anyone else have input?

Caveman Jim · Nov 9, 2017

2DaMtns said:
Anyone else have input?

Do you like HOT SUMMER WEATHER and COLD WINTERS?

2DaMtns · Nov 9, 2017

Hell no and not really!

Those are two of the biggest reasons I moved away from VA, especially the summers.

Kruel J · Nov 9, 2017

I've been there, and have a friend that was born and raised there. He refers to it as Spo-Compton is that means anything to you.

albin25 · Nov 9, 2017

Sign up on Spokane Gun Trader and ask "them what lives there"... they'll have good, current, input for you.
Or,
Use Google to find a Club for something you're interested in (from needlepoint to wood carving to boating) and check their website see if you can strike up an email connection with a member, you can then talk to a like minded person and get a foot in the door to meet people.

Retiring? or looking to work?

Personally the main thing that prevented me from moving there is the amount of snow they get, We relocated to Lewiston because it has a dryer winter (although last one was a record and I had to shovel the driveway 3 times...with a broom twice and had to borrow a shovel the third time).
Prior to moving here from San Diego 12 years ago I messaged back and forth with the Commodore of the Lewis Clark Sailing Assoc. to get the skinny on local things. To this day his family are still some of our best friends.

Dungannon · Nov 9, 2017

Haven't lived there since 1969, but do agree that north of Spokane is best if you are the outdoors type. Northern Idaho is even better.
Much warmer/drier in the summer and colder/snowier in the winter compared to the westside of Oregon.

You could post your question at http://www.city-data.com/city/Spokane-Washington.html

DenimChicken · Nov 9, 2017

slimer13 said:
I hate the city of Spokane. Full retard city council. Explosion of homeless, Californians, tweakers, and panhandlers.

I love the outlying areas. Within an hour of the city, phenomenal hunting, fishing, skiing, hiking, lakes, rivers, off roading, shooting areas, mt biking etc.

I completely agree with this. I've never lived in Spokane, but I lived about an hour away, and neither my wife or I liked Spokane much. Overall a scummy vibe and lots of panhandlers/hobos/tweaker types. I much preferred the CDA area. While smaller, it offers much nicer amenties and has pretty much everything I could ask for.

Sandaholic · Nov 9, 2017

2DaMtns said:
Hell no and not really!

Those are two of the biggest reasons I moved away from VA, especially the summers.

I agree with everyone else. I have to say though I don't think you grasped that Caveman Jim was being literal and not facetious. Summers are hot and winters are cold. Autumn is very abbreviated.

Idaho might be a better choice in some respects. WA law being one reason to reside over the border. Love the area save for the city itself.

jbett98 · Nov 9, 2017

Papercidal · Nov 9, 2017

If you can't say anything good don't say anything so I have nothing to say about Spokane. He only good thing is it's close enough to Idaho to live across the border if you have to work there.

BBQ Guy · Nov 9, 2017

Spokompton.....

Ramjet12 · Nov 9, 2017

2DaMtns said:
There's a chance my better half and I may relocate to Spokane in the semi-near future. For people who live there, have lived there, or have spent enough time there to be familiar with it:

1) What are your favorite things about it?

2) I've read the crime sucks, but we would be living out of town. I've also heard jobs are hard to come by, but we both have jobs in highly specialized careers and that probably wouldn't be an issue. Aside from those, what is the worst thing about the area?

3) How is the hunting and fishing nearby (within an hour or so)?

4) How likely is it to find a place to rent with 10+ acres within 30 minutes of town?

5) How's the scenery and climate? We're from the east, don't mind snow or cold, but hate heat and humidity. We currently live west of the cascades and think it's beautiful. How does the area compare?

I lived there in 94. The upper south hill is nice. I lived on the lower south hill and it was not that good but not that bad. A lot of people live in the valley. Looking at the map I see it became it's own city finally. Traffic was bad in 94. I can only imagine it's much worse. The north side was nicer but there's only side streets to get up there. Drugs and the ilk that come with drugs were a problem. I'm sure it's the same, probably worse.

It's hot in the summer. Just about every day in August it was at least 90. Cold and snow in the winter. There was one snow storm that dumped 3 feet of snow. They plow it pretty good but it's still not fun to get around in.

Hunting is good. I spent a lot of time taking my shotgun for a walk hunting birds. Moo shu pheasant is really good. The Snake River is about 90 mins away. Fishing is good on the Snake.

The lack of jobs/industry is what was driving the drug/crime problem in 94. Look at Longview. It used to be a nice blue collar town. Timber and aluminum dried up and it became the meth capitol of the NW.

CoastRange57 · Nov 9, 2017

Google Earth, take a virtual tour on street view. See what you see.

Fast Eddie · Nov 9, 2017

The lakes, rivers and mountains are awesome, the ski resorts are as nice or as econimocal as you could wish for. The place is more economical than the west side, especially if you have the job thing licked.

You can own lake front property there for the same price you would pay for a house in Portland and less than a house costs in Seattle.

The place is over-run with dirt bags, live out of town if at all possible. Make sure you own at least one reliable 4WD.

The area is great for all levels of hunting, fishing is good too, silvers, bass Trout etc...

Take your wife to Clinkerdagger's for lunch or dinner. It's on the riverfront, great view, and the food is prepared by a chef. The prices are rediculously low for what you get. The Flour Mill is a cool place to visit, something for the whole family there.