Best area in Spokane to raise a family (Seattle: crimes, camping)

[Deena160]

Annyoakly, thanks for the school link. I like the fact that CV high schools have a 14-19% better rate of graduation then in Everett. It's dissapointing that nearly 25% of our kids don't make it. :~/ D

[zzzion]

The WSU you drove through is really Eastern Washington University. Many more EWU dollars and students. EWU main campus is 15 miles west, very pretty 11,000 students there. Look into it, it is awesome.

[zzzion]

Wow,

My family has lived here for a hundred years and I've never seen a head louse. People who move to Spokane and get loused obviously have bad hygiene. It is no different from anywhere else. What a riduculus thread.

If your comming from Alaska, I think your right on in terms of Long Lake or the Northern suburbs of Spokane. Spokane can be 38 on a typical January day, Deer Park, 28. If you like more mountains, a cold winter but hot summer, with Alaskan backdrops check into Wenatchee.

[watzitoou]

I lived in Spokane over 20 years... moved back and forth military duties. We have family there, but I don't want to retire there anymore. All the crime there is, I know the gangs, seen them, and everything, the russian and vietnamese mafia, people robbing pharmacy daily now. My experience with russian mafia.. if you go to their auto used shop, they watch you like a hawk, take pic's of you, try and get your info. Next thing you know you are either being followed by them or you see them at your house. They steal cars all the time, repaint them, resell them. There is an underground tunnel, in spokane run by the russians. Police deny it. I have seen shooting, gang shootings.

I have a family and kids now, I don't want to go back there. I would go there for the excellent medical care my kids have received when we went to visit in 2007. Here I was hoping we would get orders to AZ or anywhere but spokane WA. My oldest daughter, 13, is scared to death to live there. She was kidnapped before when little. She is afraid to go to school there, they aren't safe. She is afraid someone is going to find us.

There are sex pred. everywhere in spokane, mostly by schools! My daughter went to Greenacres in 2004, we found out there was a sex. pred. living 2 blocks away, and 1 living across the street from us. I ended up driving and picking her up to/from school daily.

I don't recommend living on west side/browne's addition area. Drug dealers on 2nd and 4th street. When I was single, full time student in college, and working fulltime, living on the 4th st apts. I could lock my doors to find unlocked in morning. Found out my daughter was being molested by some guy on looking for drugs when she was 3yrs old! Everyone had a key to my apt. One day I came home to see my apt ransacked, tv and other things to sell was gone, even our beds! I got slammed to a wall coming home from work, asking for drugs. I moved ASAP.

I have lived on the south hill for over 18years. The Mullan road area use to be a good place to live, I never heard anything really bad. I know its changed alot since then. Very nice area. 16th and Ray there is little crime about break in's there. Its a nice area to live. Ray st is a busy street, heard there is lots of accidents. Down by Grant Elementry school lived there with my Great Grandma several years when Excel was there. Its pretty much drug area, crime, gangs. Down the altamont hill on 5th street and the community center area there lots of crime, drugs, gangs, Albert Reeves Mafia clan.

Up on 5mile and 7mile good place to live, spendy houses tho. The bowl and Pitcher area, I wouldn't call it safe area to be alone at. And by SFCC, the trail by, there have been lots of murdered people there. Raped and killed, mainly at night, sometimes thrown in the Spokane river.

Airway Heights, there is a jail there, sometimes have escapee's, lot of sex peds in that area. I do know 1 house there has a house full of guns loaded. Alot of asian gangs in that area. You do have Casino there and the race track, everyone is always racing out there.

Downtown and North Division/Ruby St. cars always racing, cruising. They were having illegal races in the valley, but I haven't heard anything for awhile since I really don't want to go back there!

Homeless people mostly leave you alone! Unless at DICKS hamburger joint on 3rd st. some do hang there and yes they are hungry too, they do ask for money, but I have always given them a meal. The Homeless in the River Front Park, really don't bother people, unless you act stupid and bother them. I have seen people like that, even high school kids think its funny of them being homeless.

Hookerville - sprague and ??? (I can't remember the street) but yes they do exist there, especially hanging in front of stores and banks! Either looking for drugs or sex.

If we were to go back to Spokane, I rather live in Liberty Lake - out in the valley. The police are very strict and I feel safer there than anywhere in spokane. Other than that I rather live on base at Fairchild. We would never leave the base!

If you mind your own business, have no friends, you will be fine! Sorry thats all the info I can think of right now!! lol

[K.Dud]

I've lived in Spokane pretty much my entire life. The only time I lived away from Spokane was when I was in college--and even then I lived only two hours away. One of the perks of graduating from college and moving back to Spokane was, among many other things, more mountain biking.

See, where I went to college wasn't a mountain biker's dream city. Simply put, there were no mountains! Spokane is different. There are many hills and mountains to explore on a mountain bike. I haven't tried it, but I believe you could go to Riverside State Park and ride a different route through the hills and on the trails every day of the year. The Centennial Trail is perfect for bike riders, too.

But enough about the mountain biking. What else makes Spokane great? Thanks for asking. For starters, I enjoy the short commute to my downtown office. My house is on the edge of the city limits, and it still takes me 15-20 minutes to get downtown. If I lived at the edge of the city limits in Seattle, Portland, or any other bigger city, my commute would be 40 minutes on a good day.

Spokane's cost of living is well below that of other metros--and that doesn't just mean housing costs. Our utility costs are among the lowest in the nation. Our small, locally-owned businesses help keep our economy from fainting.

I've often found that the crime in Spokane is centered, mainly, in certain locations. That's not to say nice neighborhoods are immune to crime. It often comes down to who you hang out with, how much you take care of yourself and your family, and what choices you make. The public can't rely on the city alone to keep the neighborhoods safe. The residents should step up as well--and they often do.

Overall, Spokane is the best "biggest little city" in America. You'll never find yourself trapped downtown with a 40-mintue commute just to get away from the big buildings. You can do that in five minutes here. You won't find corrupt politicians with big heads, either. I've found that almost all of our local politicians--whether you agree with them or not--are truly thinking about the city first, and then themselves.

Of course, not many people know this, but if it wasn't for the World's Fair in 1974 here in Spokane, this city probably wouldn't be what it is today. Whoever made the decision to bring Expo '74 to Spokane should have a statue of them erected in Riverfront Park.

If Spokane was such a bad city, people, businesses and movie directors would stop coming here to live, do business or shoot a movie. So far, that hasn't happened

[Jey K]

There are Russian and Asian gangs in Spokane?!?!? I find that hard to believe considering the demographic breakdown in Spokane.

[j belisle]

dont forget to look at spokane valley, about 2-3 miles south of the interstate, about schools, I found one mom that did the best job. she visited the schools , sat in the hallways, listened to the classes from the hall, listened to how the kids treated each other in the classroom and in the halls, investigated the school areas that were important to her kids ( soccer, band, academics, etc) and visited with the teachers. when she found the best schools for her kids, they then looked for housing in that area

[Anders15]

What about coming from the east coast? I see you all are comparing Washington's cities but what if you're from the east coast, what should my standards be?

[Count David]

Originally Posted by Anders15

What about coming from the east coast? I see you all are comparing Washington's cities but what if you're from the east coast, what should my standards be?

You should be prepared for the West to be quite a bit different from the East. For better or worse.

[Deena160]

Originally Posted by Anders15

What about coming from the east coast? I see you all are comparing Washington's cities but what if you're from the east coast, what should my standards be?

Your standards are your standards. Whether you raise or lower them is up to you. People rarely find a perfect place to live. There's always going to be something wrong with it, but if you're lucky you'll find a pretty good fit.
What sort of person are you? Fast paced or slow going? Do you need to be entertained like someone who needs Broadway shows, theme parks, or a hectic, varied night-life? Spokane does get shows/concerts and Silverwood theme park is less then an hour away. If you need the occassional big-city fix, Seattle's about 5 hours. The varied night-life part might be a problem...
Are you the sort who makes their own entertainment maybe in the outdoors with camping, skiing, hiking, or fishing/hunting every weekend? Plenty of that in and around Spokane. It's an outdoorsman's paradise.
Of course, you could be low maintenance (like myself) and be happy with these things once in a while, but generally just living is exciting enough.
IMO Spokane probably mostly suits the last two. If you're the kind of person who needs constant entertainment (and that's not a bad thing) then Spokane mightn't be for you.
If you've got a few hours to blow just reading through this forum you'll probably figure out that for some people Spokane is too slow and layed back, too conservative, too family oriented, too small town, etc... They are bored to tears and just want out(or have gotten out). Others would complain that it's not enough of these things and that it's changed too much in recent years. Plenty have decided that it's exactly what they're looking for and they're trying desperately to get there(or get back to like David and Jessy)! Many have been there a while and they wouldn't want to be anywhere else. :~) D