Best area in Spokane to raise a family (Seattle, Everett: safe area, high schools)

[kena]

Originally Posted by Deena160

Rocking in the fetal position here...what area of Spokane/Valley are you talking about? :~( D

I know Darko and Coffe's posts are somewhat troubling but it is clear they have had very, very different experiences than I have or anyone else I can think of (including friends that live in all parts of Spokane (still can't really help you much with the valley), including some of the not too nice neighborhoods)). I've never had to have someone wait in the car when I park it somewhere to ensure that it wasn't stolen. I've also never been physically or verbally assaulted by homeless people downtown. Sure, you'll occassionally be asked for money and occassionally see homeless people but I'm never been to a city of any size where that wansn't the case. I'm not saying nothing bad ever happens in Spokane because such things happen everywhere. On the other hand, most people I know view Spokane as a pretty safe place and a nice place to rasie a family.

[Deena160]

I feel paranoid because I'm still not 100% sure about this move, but I think I'll be okay. We lived in North Everett for a few years and it was on the upswing as the old people died off and young families moved in. Still, meth labs were being busted, there were a couple of murders, and someone was beaten and left for dead at the end of my street. I felt fine going to the store at night. My friends mentioned the prostitutes out front of Safeway's, but I never saw them. Blinders? Maybe. I choose to feel safe. I keep my head up and my eyes open. Of course there is random crime and violence, but a large percentage of bad things happen when people make poor choices as to their lifestyles and who they hang around with. I'm an old married lady with 3 kids--I don't get into too much trouble. My kids on the other hand...okay I can be paranoid about them still! :~) D

[chiaroscuro]

Originally Posted by Deena160

I feel paranoid because I'm still not 100% sure about this move, but I think I'll be okay. We lived in North Everett for a few years and it was on the upswing as the old people died off and young families moved in. Still, meth labs were being busted, there were a couple of murders, and someone was beaten and left for dead at the end of my street. I felt fine going to the store at night. My friends mentioned the prostitutes out front of Safeway's, but I never saw them. Blinders? Maybe. I choose to feel safe. I keep my head up and my eyes open. Of course there is random crime and violence, but a large percentage of bad things happen when people make poor choices as to their lifestyles and who they hang around with. I'm an old married lady with 3 kids--I don't get into too much trouble. My kids on the other hand...okay I can be paranoid about them still! :~) D

Ok, to deena and everyone else... Just look at the rates of the Spokane forum posters who have positive experiences with little crime, to those who practically got shot at every day. There is like........ TWO people so far since I've been prowling this forum, who had horrible experiences with the crime (Some of which seems to be created in their own minds!) Who in spokane ever had to have someone wait in their car while they went in?? I've never heard of such a thing, unless it was west central late at night. Even then, just park your car up close. As for all this gang activity that these TWO people mention.. Just what the hell? I know tons of people that live everywhere around spokane, and yes I must admit many of my friends are friends in low places. I've never heard of massive gang activity, and when I hear about crime, it's petty crime or theft or yes even a car broken into. Gang activity does not have the opportunity to grow to a large scale in spokane. Maybe when spokane triples in size it will. You know what, I would like to start seeing some valid links and articles about gangs running blocks in spokane. Gangs don't run blocks here, and if they do they get shut down. It's still a small-town mentality here, and until that changes, the police are still not afraid to drive through any single neighborhood in Spokane. Other cities have areas where the police have a good chance of being shot simply for being there, Spokane does not. It's a clue.

Homeless people: They exist in every city. I drive around downtown, I bike around downtown, I have never had a violent or aggressive homeless person come up to me. I've had people ask for money or food, but I've never felt threatened or like it was an epidemic.

If you notice, Darko is not a frequent poster on this board. He has... ONE post. So it's hard to take him at his word, could just be a troll. Coffee has several posts, and many of them actually have valid links to real websites you can visit. He seems to care a lot about pollution, and if you are wondering about that, read his posts. However he also seems to have invented a scary world in his mind which causes him to freak out while walking through the walmart parking lot. Seriously, almost all of us shop at walmart sometimes. I would think if it was a major problem there would be a whole thread called "How many times have you been mugged in a walmart parking lot??" But there isn't.

Yeledaf makes a good point that people sometimes try to hype up spokane even though it is not a utopia. Fine. But it's also not an area that has a major violent crime problem. If you feel you need to carry a concealed weapon, and take karate lessons, and wear a bulletproof vest, and have someone wait in the car while you buy cigarettes, that's totally your call. But don't act like everyone in this city is on Red Alert like you are.

[coffeepotbend]

First off.....I am a "she", not a "he".

Hi, I didn't completely agree with Darko.......I saw some graffiti, but never actually saw all these gangs in Spokane. I sure read about them though. Here's a link:


SR.com: Street fight

Russian Mafia (not gangs), really do run the chop shops and really do shop at parking lots. I really did see them. Plus, I have inside info. I'm still trying to find some proof......so far unsuccessful.

When I was there. Robert Yates the serial killer rapist had not been caught (but he was caught before I left). Even though he targeted prostitutes, every women was worried.

Before that we had the south hill rapist. We were still nervous about that. A link:

KXLY920 | South Hill rapist trial pushed back

We had a problem with "flashers" on the trails of Riverside State park. I don't know if that's still a problem.

We had a man abducting women from the northtown shopping mall parking lot, fondling them, then releasing them. We had frequent muggings also. Has this all stopped? Has Spokane become safer?

Walking through downtown was bad at night. You never walked past the Otis. which housed the sex offenders. I read that they closed it, plus 2 other low income hotel/apartments downtown. The mission and the crowd it attracted was located across the street from riverfront park, where that homeless crowd lived. They moved the mission East before I left.

Women were advised to have an escort when leaving stores or going to there cars in any parking lot at night. I, headed this advise. Sacred heart Hosp. required female employees to be escorted to their vehicles after dark. Which was a pain for the male employees, but it was done...it was mandatory.

Houses that had meth labs really is a problem....not just in Spokane. You should find out if the house had ever been used as a meth lab....it'd toxic!!! I left in 2002. The problem was huge then. Is it better now? Has the meth problem dwindled? Back then It was part of the meth trail between Canada and California and Mexico. With Mexican gangs leading the way. Here is a "proof" link. The second article was published in 2008. So, I guess the problem still exists.

Spokane-area meth 'epidemic' is overwhelming cops


SpokesmanReview.com - No easy way to curtail meth abuse

Spokane Journal of Business - The Business Newspaper For The Inland Northwest

I've seen crazed meth addicts looking for Sudafed in Safeway late ate night after work on Francis. Scared the crap out of me!!!!! The parking lot was empty, except for the crazed guys crazed friends crammed in a junky vehicle staring at me suspiciously. Again.......scared the crap outa me!!!! they left me alone.....I didn't ask for an escort that time because it appeared to be only one male employee..and a couple of females, who were also scared to death. I left quietly and quickly. With my hand on my concealed weapon, under my shirt....just in case.

I'll type more later. I need to go to work now. I do want to add that it is true that the environment is my biggest concern. A person can try to avoid crime, and try to avoid being a victim. You just have to be educated and have your eyes wide open. Also, the crime really didn't bug me to much.....until I had kids. Now, I worry about them in Spokane. Does anyone remember back in 2002 when they had a pervert touching kids under water at the Shadle park swimming pool? I never heard if they caught that guy.

Anyway......I'm not sure what you mean by "troll". But I don't believe I am one. All I have is my personal experiences......and some news links and my opinion. However, I feel bad that someone is scared of Spokane. I don't think fear is good, but awareness is. It's not all sunshine there. After work, I'll start a thread about what I love about Spokane, it will be longer than the hate section. I promise!

And remember- Chiaroscuro is a man. Men don't get bothered or targeted like us women!!!!!!

[coffeepotbend]

Also, the posted sex offender stats are skewed because they aren't including the unincorporated areas of Spokane, or the Valley, or the county. The count for Spokane sex offenders is much much higher.

[kena]

While the sex offender data may not include unincorporated Spokane county or the Valley, the same is then true of the other cities listed. Unless there was a disproportionate amount of sex offenders living in unincorporated Spokane or the Valley (or all of another city's sex offenders were living within the city proper), neither of which, without doing further research, seems likely, the ratios shouldn't change much.

Reading the 'gang' article, it does note that gang activity has increased from the mid 80's but it also quotes people directly invovled in that scene as saying that Spokane isn't a real gang town and that it is less dangerous than other cities with more established gangs. The article states there were about 900 real gang members identified by the police. That is less than one half of one percent of the population for the city of Spokane. Granted, I'm glad the police are placing an increased emphasis on stopping gang activity and think 900 members are 900 too many. The reality, however, is that unless you live in a small town (and even then there is no guaranty) gangs and crime will be present. On the whole, I still feel safe from gang activity of any kind in Spokane and feel the same way for my family.

On the meth question, I would say that meth is a problem in Spokane just as it is in pretty much every city in the northwest (if not the country). The key is that the problem in Spokane isn't somehow wildly disproportionate to other places. The recent April article speaks about combatting the problem in a northwest-wide manner. Just a few months ago, the Portland Tribune had a front page article on meth problems in and around Portland. I may be wrong but if I recall correctly, I believe Rolling Stone selected a rural town in western washington as the meth capital of the country. No doubt, meth is a terrible drug. Hopefully with increasaed treatment and legal measures the problem will lessen everywhere.

Bottom line is you will find most of the problems in Spokane you'll find in other cities of any size, including crime, drugs and sex offenders. Compared to many other places, however, my opinion is that those problems are less than or comparable to many other cities and, on the whole, Spokane is a great place to live and raise a family.

[coffeepotbend]

Kena- good point on the sex offenders....hadn't thought of it that way....maybe there's hope for me after all!!!!! You know, everyone down here in florida thinks that it's sex offender alley here too. Our local newspaper has a new story every single day about some sex offense!!! Every day!!! Here is my local paper. The new offense isn't always on the front page though. Also, the comments are the funniest!! After we move, I'll still be reading this paper!!!

Northwest Florida Daily News

And by the way....if you ever need a good laugh, read our local paper......FUNNY southern stuff!!!!!!!! Especially the police blotter section. Our paper regularly makes the drudge reports!!! DRUDGE REPORT 2008®

Anyway......I hope it's better in Spokane than it was when we left. Do you want me to turn over a new leaf and be positive? I have a lot of great info on Spokane as well as the dirt that I first brought to the table.


Also, if I were to base my whole reality on the news reports of the area I live now......I would be in a tizzy here as well!!! But, I think this area is fine for raising children. The schools are great. The crime is out there.........but I rarely see it...So thank you everyone for the reality check. I did some soul searching, and it's time to be positive!!!

[kena]

It is good to be aware of what is going on in your community (or future community) and to make informed decisions about where you live. Spokane certainly isn't problem free. At the same time, news media (everywhere) tends to focus on negative things like drugs, gangs, and sex offenders (not that they aren't important or newsworthy) but it can certainly create an inaccurate view of how things really are in a given place. I remember the first time I visited New York City being apprehensive about getting pickpocketed, mugged, riding on the subway, etc. in large part because what you get from TV and movies and the news is generally all the stories of bad things happening along those lines. Of course after I got there and realized it was really a pretty safe city I had a good time and used the subway all the time to get places. Sure, you still have to be aware of your surroundings but I'm glad I didn't let those earlier views keep me from enjoying my time there.

[chiaroscuro]

Originally Posted by coffeepotbend

And remember- Chiaroscuro is a man. Men don't get bothered or targeted like us women!!!!!!

That's absolutely true, but I do have female relatives like my mom, sister, etc. Basically you shouldn't put yourself in a position where it would be easy to rape or murder you. Not that it's a huge problem here, but if you are the unlucky one who is in the wrong place at the wrong time when one of these losers does crop up, you'll probably wish you had been more careful.

[Annyoakly]

Originally Posted by Balco9

We are relocating to Spokane from Tacoma to get away from the rain and expensive housing. How bad are the winter's there and what are the best school districts. Thank you.
Kevin

Dea Kevin,

This has been the worst - longest - winter we have experienced but we came right after ice storm. Our brother-in-law lives in Showlow, AZ and he did a weather study for us before we moved here. Spokane and Showlow are virtually the same. It was hot, hot Saturday and beautiful again Sunday and today where I work in Central Valley which is the best place I've ever been blessed to work with students. I have worked at West Valley which is land-locked and not growing just like South Hill or anyplace in Spokane or District 81. Mead has the highest taxes and was favored especially by realtors who are not suppose to recommend district/s. Go to Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and see all our test scores and Report cards. The school in which I work is 600+ students and over 790 are readers! We all love the school and I have been treated best in Central Valley. I worked at Mead for four years and never had a classroom to call my own. Some good things happened there, but I find Central Valley best. So, there is your view from within from a 35 year veteran teacher. Washington has a great education system and all teachers are paid on the same scale regardless of the town or cost of living of the town in which the teacher resides. So, East is best!!! Not East Valley, thought. Being land-locked it has been having its problems, too!
Welcome and bring the kids (especially to the Valley.)
Kathy