Questions about Spokane (Tacoma, South Hill, Davenport: vacation, job, health)

[spees5490]

Thanx to all for the great info on Spokane. I am a single Michigan mom trying to find a better economical area for my son and I. I have a few ?'s. Any help you can supply will make things easier for us.

I have read about 7 pages of the info given already, so if I am asking something that has already been discussed, sorry. How is the business environment? I hope to open up a custom drapery business in Spokane. There are enough people, but it does depend on the economy. Is there a lot of building and remodeling going on? I would be working mostly with interior designers. They decide what they want and I make it.

Any ideas?

[KidBlue]

Spokane was sounding like a real possibility to retire to until I read one post that said it routinely goes below 0 degrees in the winter and it was 35 below zero in Cheney. Yipes! The lowest it's ever gotten in Placerville, CA was 8 degrees and we all thought we would freeze to death.

So how cold does it really get, how difficult is it to live with the snow, and how often does it get below 10 degrees?

[WendyK]

It does not go below 10 for very long during the winter. We'll usually get one or two cold snaps that will last for a week and then it warms up again. You might have that happen twice in a normal winter. I've been here since 1998 from FL and the majority of the winters I've experienced have been in the 15-38 degree range. Pretty manageable - the worst is the early dark skies - it gets dark around 4:00 - 4:30 in the afternoon. But ... spring & summer are longer sunny days with daylight until close to 10:00 at night.

[SoupGuru]

I've got plane tickets!

My wife and I are coming to Spokane to check it out April 27-30. We'll have all of Saturday and Sunday and most of Monday to drive around. I'm not sure we're going to come up with any itinerary or if we're just going to wander as the mood strikes us. We'll definitely take some of the suggestions that were mentioned earlier to get an idea of the area.

I'm also interested to see what mes3fils thinks about Spokane after her visit.

[photogoddess]

I am glad to hear you got your tickets soup, and please do report back!
Spring has sprung and Spokane is blooming! Just don't appraise it while on the interstate! It did take me a few visits to really get a good idea of area, so I hope you can combine some of the suggestions mentioned with just driving around to get a good overview of the city.
skitow: thanks for the compliment! I think Washington native was banned, or at the very least he gave up and I think the forum is much more positive now. He belongs on the Spokane craigs list rants and raves section-those people couldn't find a nice thing to say (generally speaking of course) to save their lives-he should fit right in!
I have met my fair share of "interesting" people while visiting, but for the most part everyone seems nice, and hopefully I will like it once I get moved up there perm.
waiting patiently to hear from everyone here who will visit Spokane!!
Good luck and I hope you like it!

[skitow]

Thanks for your reply. Wash N is banned! Seems crazy to get everybody upset. If it makes any diff to anyone, I was born and raised in Spokane. I left at age 20 to work for the airlines. That's where the work was. I know you've heard me say that before. To be honest, I would have never left Spokane if it wasn't for the job. It's been 40 years ago, and I'm sure a lot has changed. Spokane was a great place to live. Always something to do. I wish I could ad some present day info. It,s been too long ago for me to offer current info. I'm looking forward to hear what MES has to say. Should be interesting. Stay safe, skitow.

[lilblondsmurf]

My husband and i have lived in Spokane for 8 yrs now, and previous to that Colville for 6. So we have been in this area for a long time. I want to be honest about this area and hope that will give and future Spokanites some insite.

Restaurants: Of course this is based solely on personal expectations and tastes of food. Yes there are some great places to eat, i have had friends visit from place such as Florida, and Las Vegas and they have often said wow, this is the best place to eat! I have of course taken them to many different restaurants in town, but i have never had a complaint. Try Rock City Grill, Anthony's, Tomato Street, Luigis, i could go on for days, but yes i feel we have plenty of different places. No we are not, Los Angeles, New York, or Seattle, guess what, they are not Spokane. You have to take the good with the bad!

Neighborhoods: I personally have always loved the South Hill, it has this feel of "it's our own little town". We are 5 minutes from the highway, 5 minutes from downtown where there are plenty of places to eat, and shop (great mall downtown), and nightlife for those intersted in that (and we are). It can take anywhere from 5 min to 30 minutes to get where ever it is you want to go anywhere in Spokane. The snow on the South Hill can be interesting, but it is no worse then the snow on the north side or in the valley, more about the drivers than the roads, ie pull your head outta your butt, slow down and keep alert!
We have owned 2 houses in 2 different neighborhoods on the South Hill-though we loved them both, the one we have now is incredible. Nice quite neighborhood, Elementary school is walking distance, JH is biking distance, and High school biking distance. Grocery store less than a mile away, along with other shoping and some smaller restaurants surrounding it. So pretty much anything is walking distance if you choose to do so. We have even walked it in the bitter cold winter weather we get at times.
I hear their are some nice places along Indian Trail, making your drive a bit longer, but they do have some nice places up their. Not for me, they seem to be people who may be nice, but still think they have 'status' because of where they live. They call us 'Snob Hill' but i have met nothing but nice folks up here, not one snob in my book. So i think it has to do with what you know, i know the SH so i love the SH. They know North Side, so they love the NS. Liberty Lake is a rizty sorta area, but it can make for a tough winter drive, freeway the whole way, and folks in Spokane, can't really drive, they seem to think it takes to much time to signal, or be courteous to other drivers. But i am sure you find that anywhere. So i am not complaining, just pointing out my observations. I would stay out of the central areas of Spokane, ALL of them. But that is just my opinion.


Weather: Okay, here is the worst of it. Summers are incredible, not at all hot, though i have heard some say they get hot, but in my book 90-96 is not all that hot and those are few and far between. Typically the days don't get hotter then the low 90's-and yes occassionally we may hit 100, but that is usually only one or 2 days per YEAR! So hot it is NOT!!! Being form Central California orignally, where it would be 100+ on a regular basis this is nothing! However, being from Cali, also means the winters are HARD. They are long, and cold, which you truly appreciate for the most part after the heat of Cali, but that wears off after a few years! We get varying amounts of snow, and it can be down right freezing in January! If you don't mind cooler temps and snow, than you will be fine. Me however I LOVE HOT weather, the hotter the better!!!

Crime: We have, just like everyone else, a meth issue. No biggy, they usually do petty crimes, like break into my car 3 times in one year! They don't usual get much, and frankly it is just stuff. My safety is more important, and i can get up in the pitch black early morning hours, and take a walk and still feel pretty safe. Just keep your car doors locked, and you will be fine. We don't have gangs, and what punks do run around you can typically ignore. I have found most of the younger generation to be ok for the most part, they are typically polite if you are to them and some have surprised me with me so kind up front, and me needing to check my attitude about them! So not really much crime in my book.

Taxes are high, and continue to rise for ridiculous reasons, and i have always felt that Seattle finds a way to get our money, one way or another this side of the state always gets screwed. But that's the government for you.

All in all Spokane, isn't such a bad place to be. We are moving, hopefully, in the summer time to Phoenix. It's the weather for me, i can't take it anymore. My husband is in the Software bus and has decided he would like to find work (mid-life career change) in the Gaming industry, you know Nintendo and such...some men just never grow up and i love him for it! Spokane, does not offer anything in this field, and i find it very conveinent for me that Phx offers many opportunities for him. Oh the sun, the beautiful sun, i can't wait. So we are outta here in the next few months. Anyone wanna buy my house? 4 bd 2ba 2052 sq ft, 14000 sq ft lot-Rancher, with brick, SH location.

If you have any questions i will be happy to answer them in an honest opinion to the best of my ability. Like i said before, Spokane isn't all that bad, and it depends on where you are coming from and what you are looking for. I am happy to help.

[Balco9]

Originally Posted by lilblondsmurf

My husband and i have lived in Spokane for 8 yrs now, and previous to that Colville for 6. So we have been in this area for a long time. I want to be honest about this area and hope that will give and future Spokanites some insite.

Restaurants: Of course this is based solely on personal expectations and tastes of food. Yes there are some great places to eat, i have had friends visit from place such as Florida, and Las Vegas and they have often said wow, this is the best place to eat! I have of course taken them to many different restaurants in town, but i have never had a complaint. Try Rock City Grill, Anthony's, Tomato Street, Luigis, i could go on for days, but yes i feel we have plenty of different places. No we are not, Los Angeles, New York, or Seattle, guess what, they are not Spokane. You have to take the good with the bad!

Neighborhoods: I personally have always loved the South Hill, it has this feel of "it's our own little town". We are 5 minutes from the highway, 5 minutes from downtown where there are plenty of places to eat, and shop (great mall downtown), and nightlife for those intersted in that (and we are). It can take anywhere from 5 min to 30 minutes to get where ever it is you want to go anywhere in Spokane. The snow on the South Hill can be interesting, but it is no worse then the snow on the north side or in the valley, more about the drivers than the roads, ie pull your head outta your butt, slow down and keep alert!
We have owned 2 houses in 2 different neighborhoods on the South Hill-though we loved them both, the one we have now is incredible. Nice quite neighborhood, Elementary school is walking distance, JH is biking distance, and High school biking distance. Grocery store less than a mile away, along with other shoping and some smaller restaurants surrounding it. So pretty much anything is walking distance if you choose to do so. We have even walked it in the bitter cold winter weather we get at times.
I hear their are some nice places along Indian Trail, making your drive a bit longer, but they do have some nice places up their. Not for me, they seem to be people who may be nice, but still think they have 'status' because of where they live. They call us 'Snob Hill' but i have met nothing but nice folks up here, not one snob in my book. So i think it has to do with what you know, i know the SH so i love the SH. They know North Side, so they love the NS. Liberty Lake is a rizty sorta area, but it can make for a tough winter drive, freeway the whole way, and folks in Spokane, can't really drive, they seem to think it takes to much time to signal, or be courteous to other drivers. But i am sure you find that anywhere. So i am not complaining, just pointing out my observations. I would stay out of the central areas of Spokane, ALL of them. But that is just my opinion.


Weather: Okay, here is the worst of it. Summers are incredible, not at all hot, though i have heard some say they get hot, but in my book 90-96 is not all that hot and those are few and far between. Typically the days don't get hotter then the low 90's-and yes occassionally we may hit 100, but that is usually only one or 2 days per YEAR! So hot it is NOT!!! Being form Central California orignally, where it would be 100+ on a regular basis this is nothing! However, being from Cali, also means the winters are HARD. They are long, and cold, which you truly appreciate for the most part after the heat of Cali, but that wears off after a few years! We get varying amounts of snow, and it can be down right freezing in January! If you don't mind cooler temps and snow, than you will be fine. Me however I LOVE HOT weather, the hotter the better!!!

Crime: We have, just like everyone else, a meth issue. No biggy, they usually do petty crimes, like break into my car 3 times in one year! They don't usual get much, and frankly it is just stuff. My safety is more important, and i can get up in the pitch black early morning hours, and take a walk and still feel pretty safe. Just keep your car doors locked, and you will be fine. We don't have gangs, and what punks do run around you can typically ignore. I have found most of the younger generation to be ok for the most part, they are typically polite if you are to them and some have surprised me with me so kind up front, and me needing to check my attitude about them! So not really much crime in my book.

Taxes are high, and continue to rise for ridiculous reasons, and i have always felt that Seattle finds a way to get our money, one way or another this side of the state always gets screwed. But that's the government for you.

All in all Spokane, isn't such a bad place to be. We are moving, hopefully, in the summer time to Phoenix. It's the weather for me, i can't take it anymore. My husband is in the Software bus and has decided he would like to find work (mid-life career change) in the Gaming industry, you know Nintendo and such...some men just never grow up and i love him for it! Spokane, does not offer anything in this field, and i find it very conveinent for me that Phx offers many opportunities for him. Oh the sun, the beautiful sun, i can't wait. So we are outta here in the next few months. Anyone wanna buy my house? 4 bd 2ba 2052 sq ft, 14000 sq ft lot-Rancher, with brick, SH location.

If you have any questions i will be happy to answer them in an honest opinion to the best of my ability. Like i said before, Spokane isn't all that bad, and it depends on where you are coming from and what you are looking for. I am happy to help.

Give it 1-2 years and you'll wanting to move back to Spokane. The only thing that is green in Phoenix is golf courses and landscaped homes. Scorpions everywhere, termites, spiders, and coyotas. If you like 115 for four months out of the year you'll fit right. It is also very congested. Good luck to you.

[lilblondsmurf]

Originally Posted by Balco9

Give it 1-2 years and you'll wanting to move back to Spokane. The only thing that is green in Phoenix is golf courses and landscaped homes. Scorpions everywhere, termites, spiders, and coyotas. If you like 115 for four months out of the year you'll fit right. It is also very congested. Good luck to you.

Are you from Phx? I do love the heat, and have lived in the Desert, the Mojave Desert to be exact and i am originally from Central Cali where it is regularly well over 100.
Heat is great, Sun is great. Yes, i have enjoyed Spokane, but we have critters of different kinds here as well. So i am just trading one for another. And honeslty if i never have to mow another lawn again,i am okie dokie with it. Green is fine, but warm is better. All a matter of personal opinion.
Thanks for the info anyway.

[Balco9]

Originally Posted by lilblondsmurf

Are you from Phx? I do love the heat, and have lived in the Desert, the Mojave Desert to be exact and i am originally from Central Cali where it is regularly well over 100.
Heat is great, Sun is great. Yes, i have enjoyed Spokane, but we have critters of different kinds here as well. So i am just trading one for another. And honeslty if i never have to mow another lawn again,i am okie dokie with it. Green is fine, but warm is better. All a matter of personal opinion.
Thanks for the info anyway.

Never lived in Phoenix and never will. I am family there and lived in 29 Palms, CA for 3 years. I know what it is like in those climates. Have you checked out the Phoenix forum, most are negative and Spokane is mostly positive. What critters live in Spokane. I have considered Phoenix in the past, but too many negatives for me. I like the woods, lakes, lots of green, with 4 seasons. It doesn't get that cold in Spokane, if it does it usually last for 2-3 weeks and then it warms up again. Thank you.