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I'd like to say hullo and introduce myself. I'm a Long Islander who is taking early retirement and I've been researching on City Data Forums for tips and information. I'd like to thank you lively Idaho Forum Folk for sharing your knowledge about your beautiful state, and a big thank you to all the Long Island Forum Folk who have validated my growing concerns about Long Island. I haven't been an active poster, as I've been overwhelmed by this relocation process, but once I'm settled, I'll try and pay it back down the road. Thanks everybody!
So, when any of you Idaho posters have some time, I have a few questions today that I have not been able to find answers to in searches on City Data. Sandpoint/Sagle stands out with an amazing quality of life combining great four season weather and not too high an altitude, superb outdoor activities access, a vibrant town center, with easy access to a bigger city if I feel like driving to Spokane, and great Rail access if I feel like taking the train (Seattle and Vancouver BC to the West, via the Empire Builder Amtrak route). I could literally take all mass transit in visiting Sandpoint next year...walk to the bus, take the bus to the Long Island Rail Road Station at Hicksville, New York, board an off peak train to Penn Station in Manhattan, transfer to Amtrak at Penn, and quicker than I can type "Sleeper Car", I'd be in Sandpoint in a day and a half, two days! This appeals to me; although I'll fly in to Spokane for the first visit, I'll definitely "commute" to and from Sandpoint via the rail in the future!
1. Driving the Speed limit: Here on Long Island, if you don't do at least 10-20 MPH over the speed limit in the slow lanes on the Long Island Expressway or the Parkways, you are going to be tailgated, aggressively, by nuns. So, I'd like to ask if your speed limits are enforced?
2. Do people pass the time of day chatting whilst waiting on line at the supermarket or bank? Long Islanders can be chatty, and I've noticed folk seem taken aback by that sort of behavior.
3. Do kids celebrate Halloween in the more rural areas even if the homes are spread apart on 5-20 acre parcels? Would I expect to have kids come around if I had a 5 acres in Sagle? That would be fun, as I love Halloween!
4. Car Repair places: I've looked up Six Stars Subaru in Sandpoint, and the reviews are very positive. Anyone have their Subies worked on there? Secondly, my Subie gets God awful gas mileage. In the future, I may get a second, three season fair weather car, and I'm researching VW diesels...specifically the Jetta SportWagen 6spd. (with a bullet proof extended warranty). Any thoughts on the JSW and recommendations for VW repairs? I'll put snowies on it in the Winter, and any weather that's too much for FWD with studded snowies , I ain't driving in it.
5. When is the Costco in Coeur D'Alene less crowded? I figure Tuesday - Thursday should be OK.
6. What professional sports teams to you folks cheer for? Seahawks/Mariners, or Vikings, Packers? I'm a NY Giants/Yankees fan. My late Husband was a Jets/Mets fan, so I'm happy the Jets are doing better now that the Giants are Woe-6 (. People won't be off put if I wear a Yankees sweatshirt to the store, right? I may even be nice to a Red Sox fan if I meet one, but I can't guarantee it.
7. How is the parking in Downtown Sandpoint? You Sandpointians pack a lot of action in such a small town!! Do people parallel park? If they do parallel park, is it OK to squeeze in a small space, or is the local parking etiquette different?
Thank you to everyone who may take the time to read through this long post. I look forward to visiting the Great State of Idaho next Spring. I've had a lot of military PCSs/Corporate Relos, but never to Idaho...it has always been on my bucket list! Cheers! Mrs. P
I forgot to mention the most important thing. When I relocate, I am moving to become an Idahoan. It will be hard to leave New York for many reasons, but after researching a lot about Northern Idaho, it will be easy to move to Idaho. I'll then be a former New Yorker (although, as someone on City Data once wrote that they thought New Yorkers were like Marines...one is never really an ex New Yorker...that applies to me)...I think you can love both Idaho and New York, and celebrate them both! But, I am wholeheartedly embracing becoming a Bonner County Resident, citizen of Idaho...I'm even picking out my license plates, too (I'm leaning towards the "Open Range" one!!).
Hi. Welcome to the Idaho Forum. I'm no help with a lot of your questions since I'm still at the beginning phase of getting a house built in Spirit Lake. Hopefully it will be done by next summer so I can finally move up there for CA.
Anyway, I've owned four Subaru models over the years since I used to ski a lot. The first three got pretty poor gas mileage compared to other 4 cylinder cars. I just bought my fourth Subaru earlier this year to get ready for my move to Idaho. It's a Legacy with the 2.5 engine with the CVT transmission. The car has a lot more zip than the earlier models I had and I'm averaging about 31 MPG since I got the car which was surprising. I've driven it up to the CDA area three times this year and it has no problem climbing any of the mountain grades I've encountered which is something new for a 4 cylinder Subaru.
If you're happy with your Subaru except for the gas mileage you might consider a new one with the 2.5 engine and CVT transmission.
The Subie parked in front of my lot in Spirit Lake as my builder and real estate agent look for the best place to put a driveway on a cloudy day about two weeks ago.
Thank you so much for that info on your travels with the newer 4cyl Subaru. 31mpg is definitely a keeper. I never thought it was possible. They are great cars, aren't they? I love mine, but it makes me grind my teeth when I fill up and then do the math on my Mpgs. I think once I'm out of all this traffic here on LI, and I can maintain low RPM highway speeds, it'll help, too!
Thanks again. Best of luck on your relocation plans!! Coffee is on me when we both get up there!!
1. Driving the Speed limit: Here on Long Island, if you don't do at least 10-20 MPH over the speed limit in the slow lanes on the Long Island Expressway or the Parkways, you are going to be tailgated, aggressively, by nuns. So, I'd like to ask if your speed limits are enforced?
Can't offer too much help, Mrs. P, but I can say that on my visits to NID, drivers are extremely courteous and patient. Very much more so that any of my life's previous experiences. It was so refreshing! Really allowed me to relax and I could "feel" the stress leave my body with each courteous encounter with an ID driver.
1. Driving the Speed limit: Here on Long Island, if you don't do at least 10-20 MPH over the speed limit in the slow lanes on the Long Island Expressway or the Parkways, you are going to be tailgated, aggressively, by nuns. So, I'd like to ask if your speed limits are enforced?
Because we have deer that love to dart out in front of us, we tend to not drive too fast nor follow too closely. In daylight hours I usually go between the speed limit and 5 over on Highway 95 between here and CDA (you'll go there for Costco, Best Buy, the Regal 20 stadium cinema, etc). At night I do about 60-65 generally once I get north of Granite Hill. Too many close calls. So I go fast enough not to upset behind me (and there are passing areas), but slow enough to give myself more reaction time than going 70-80 in a 65.
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2. Do people pass the time of day chatting whilst waiting on line at the supermarket or bank? Long Islanders can be chatty, and I've noticed folk seem taken aback by that sort of behavior.
I wouldn't say we're overly chatty, but everyone here is friendly in the stores and such. So yes, we'll often have a conversation with folks in line. If I struck up a conversation and someone was curt, then I'd leave them alone, but that would be an anomaly.
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3. Do kids celebrate Halloween in the more rural areas even if the homes are spread apart on 5-20 acre parcels? Would I expect to have kids come around if I had a 5 acres in Sagle? That would be fun, as I love Halloween!
We live past Round Lake State Park a ways out of Sandpoint. People in our neighborhood all go to Sandpoint to trick or treat, or to the various harvest parties and churches and social organizations.
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4. Car Repair places: I've looked up Six Stars Subaru in Sandpoint, and the reviews are very positive. Anyone have their Subies worked on there? Secondly, my Subie gets God awful gas mileage. In the future, I may get a second, three season fair weather car, and I'm researching VW diesels...specifically the Jetta SportWagen 6spd. (with a bullet proof extended warranty). Any thoughts on the JSW and recommendations for VW repairs? I'll put snowies on it in the Winter, and any weather that's too much for FWD with studded snowies , I ain't driving in it.
I have spend several thousand dollars there. EXCELLENT service. They're Subie specialists and they really know them inside and out. They have always treated me very fairly over the years and they're great guys.
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5. When is the Costco in Coeur D'Alene less crowded? I figure Tuesday - Thursday should be OK.
It seems like it's always crowded on weekends when I go there. Like any other Costco. However, it's not NEARLY as crowded as the Costco stores we used to shop at in SoCal. Weekdays really aren't bad (like a few people in each line)
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6. What professional sports teams to you folks cheer for? Seahawks/Mariners, or Vikings, Packers? I'm a NY Giants/Yankees fan. My late Husband was a Jets/Mets fan, so I'm happy the Jets are doing better now that the Giants are Woe-6 (. People won't be off put if I wear a Yankees sweatshirt to the store, right? I may even be nice to a Red Sox fan if I meet one, but I can't guarantee it.
Since we don't have any pro sports teams, it's 31 flavors. Our closest big football powerhouse is BSU (even though we'd like to see the U of I Vandals do better). Closest hockey is Spokane Chiefs. Spokane Shock arena football is very popular, and our favored basketball team locally is the Gonzaga University Zags (aka Bulldogs). But we also have WSU (Cougars) alumni so you'll see a lot of WSU stuff locally too.
So in actual pro sports, people follow whomever....from the Seahawks to the Steelers, from the Mariners to the Yankees. This area has a lot of Sounders fans (I know folks with season tickets who go over for plenty of matches) but I'd say there are more EPL fans (Chelsea, ManU, Liverpool, Arsenal).
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7. How is the parking in Downtown Sandpoint? You Sandpointians pack a lot of action in such a small town!! Do people parallel park? If they do parallel park, is it OK to squeeze in a small space, or is the local parking etiquette different?
Parking is very busy downtown 9-5. But it's never taken me more than a couple minutes to find a space, and there is a city lot in the center of town that's close to everything. On First Avenue parking is busy down toward the Panida and Mickduffs to the L turn at Cedar Street Bridge pretty much always, but it's not hard to get parking and walk a short block.
Thank you all so much for taking time to welcome me to the Idaho Forum and to answer my long post. I really appreciate it, and your helpful replies make me happy that my research has steered me towards Northern Idaho. As much as I love New York, I'm burned out, and although I'm no spring chicken, as a Long Island Forum member briskly pointed out, I'm not dead. I'm young enough (50's) for a fresh start, and I'm glad I picked Bonner County!!
Sage:
Thanks for the heads up about the Deer/Wildlife issues on the main roads. I have a lead leg, so I'll rein myself in and keep my MPHs in check. I had an Unfortunate Deer Incident on an interstate in Connecticut...Deer Zero, Car Minus Zero (the responding State Police Officer said I was lucky to be alive). I take the risk very seriously.
I'm glad that Six Stars Subaru has earned all the great online reviews. Like I wrote in response to OldAFRetired, I love my Subie!
Thank you again Idaho Forum Folk...I'm sure I'll be around again now that the relo process is in gear. Happy Columbus Day!! Best Regards, Mrs. P
When I saw your handle I immediately thought of Snake Plissken from Escape from LA and you want to Escape from NY. I used to drive the LIE and since I was a young punk I was one of the ones going 20 over and darting in and out. Whole different ballgame here, just take it easy. I go to Costco a bunch and I have yet to figure out the crowds. I know for some weird reason the place would be super crowded on the first day of the new book. I try to go during the week, but have actually have had shorter checkout (more checkers) on weekends. I was there once during the week near a holiday and had the place to myself along with 21 feeding stations, I left stuffed.
I'd like to say hullo and introduce myself. I'm a Long Islander who is taking early retirement and I've been researching on City Data Forums for tips and information. I'd like to thank you lively Idaho Forum Folk for sharing your knowledge about your beautiful state, and a big thank you to all the Long Island Forum Folk who have validated my growing concerns about Long Island. I haven't been an active poster, as I've been overwhelmed by this relocation process, but once I'm settled, I'll try and pay it back down the road. Thanks everybody!
So, when any of you Idaho posters have some time, I have a few questions today that I have not been able to find answers to in searches on City Data. Sandpoint/Sagle stands out with an amazing quality of life combining great four season weather and not too high an altitude, superb outdoor activities access, a vibrant town center, with easy access to a bigger city if I feel like driving to Spokane, and great Rail access if I feel like taking the train (Seattle and Vancouver BC to the West, via the Empire Builder Amtrak route). I could literally take all mass transit in visiting Sandpoint next year...walk to the bus, take the bus to the Long Island Rail Road Station at Hicksville, New York, board an off peak train to Penn Station in Manhattan, transfer to Amtrak at Penn, and quicker than I can type "Sleeper Car", I'd be in Sandpoint in a day and a half, two days! This appeals to me; although I'll fly in to Spokane for the first visit, I'll definitely "commute" to and from Sandpoint via the rail in the future!
1. Driving the Speed limit: Here on Long Island, if you don't do at least 10-20 MPH over the speed limit in the slow lanes on the Long Island Expressway or the Parkways, you are going to be tailgated, aggressively, by nuns. So, I'd like to ask if your speed limits are enforced?
2. Do people pass the time of day chatting whilst waiting on line at the supermarket or bank? Long Islanders can be chatty, and I've noticed folk seem taken aback by that sort of behavior.
3. Do kids celebrate Halloween in the more rural areas even if the homes are spread apart on 5-20 acre parcels? Would I expect to have kids come around if I had a 5 acres in Sagle? That would be fun, as I love Halloween!
4. Car Repair places: I've looked up Six Stars Subaru in Sandpoint, and the reviews are very positive. Anyone have their Subies worked on there? Secondly, my Subie gets God awful gas mileage. In the future, I may get a second, three season fair weather car, and I'm researching VW diesels...specifically the Jetta SportWagen 6spd. (with a bullet proof extended warranty). Any thoughts on the JSW and recommendations for VW repairs? I'll put snowies on it in the Winter, and any weather that's too much for FWD with studded snowies , I ain't driving in it.
5. When is the Costco in Coeur D'Alene less crowded? I figure Tuesday - Thursday should be OK.
6. What professional sports teams to you folks cheer for? Seahawks/Mariners, or Vikings, Packers? I'm a NY Giants/Yankees fan. My late Husband was a Jets/Mets fan, so I'm happy the Jets are doing better now that the Giants are Woe-6 (. People won't be off put if I wear a Yankees sweatshirt to the store, right? I may even be nice to a Red Sox fan if I meet one, but I can't guarantee it.
7. How is the parking in Downtown Sandpoint? You Sandpointians pack a lot of action in such a small town!! Do people parallel park? If they do parallel park, is it OK to squeeze in a small space, or is the local parking etiquette different?
Thank you to everyone who may take the time to read through this long post. I look forward to visiting the Great State of Idaho next Spring. I've had a lot of military PCSs/Corporate Relos, but never to Idaho...it has always been on my bucket list! Cheers! Mrs. P
Speed limits are enforced, more in some areas than others. You never know where you will find a policeman. Usually is you are 5 miles over that is ok, but about that you can get a ticket.
Sometimes people chat in lines and sometimes they don't. It just depends on if you happen to have someone around you that is chatty. I don't personally start conversations, so if someone doesn't say something to me, I don't say anything.
If there are long spaces between homes in rural areas you usually do not have children come over unless it is someone you happen to know personally that brings their kids by. When we lived in the woods outside of Clark Fork we drove our kids to a few people that we knew in the woods and then went on into Clark Fork where they could walk from home to home.
I would guess like you that Costco might be less busy on Tues.-Thurs. especially mornings.
As far as parking in downtown Sandpoint if you want to park on 1st Ave, the main street it can be crowded depending on the day and time and yes, people often parallel park. Just don't park so close to the people in front of you or behind you that they cannot get out. The parking is better there now that we have the bypass though. It gets crowded as the holiday season approaches and in the summer with the tourists.
I was in the middle of replying/asking more questions & and KABOOM the Hurricane Sandy damaged neighborhood electric grid transformer EXPLODED...AGAIN in a shower of sparks. So no power...again.
How is that as a Sign from the Gods that relo'ing off Long Island is the right choice for me!! I can't believe it!!!
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(. People won't be off put if I wear a Yankees sweatshirt to the store, right? I may even be nice to a Red Sox fan if I meet one, but I can't guarantee it.
31 mpg Subie? Outstanding!
