Questions about Spokane (Seattle, Tacoma, South Hill: relocating, real estate, condos)

[kseo]

I disagree with the last post...
North Spokane is the place to live with nice neighborhoods,
best schools, and the safest part of town with mostly
white's yes...
Spokane Valley which is South Spokane is white trash, meth city,
and subpar schools...

[Dan6200alt]

Okay, I'm confused now. I haven't been there in a while, but as I remember it, Spokanian is right on in describing Spokane. Granted, I never lived there, only spent 2 or 3 days at a time there, but thats what I took away in my visits. I'll say that I never went too far north, generally stuck around downtown and the south side and would stay in CDA. So theres a good chance Im oblivious to whats going on in the 'north' side.

Will you talk some more on the southside, including schools. Thanks

[WendyK]

Sounds like the civil war of Spokane from these last couple posts! First of all, there are some trashy parts of town ALL over Spokane - north, south, valley - not only in one area. Believe me, I've seen some of them. But there are beautiful neighborhoods in all areas, too. It really depends on how much you can afford to spend for a house or for rent. You can buy in a nice neighborhood for $150,000 and up. You can get into a nice rental for $900/mo and up - you could also find something for less that's smaller, if you don't need a huge house. There are good schools in all areas, but again some of them are going to include some of the trashier areas, so if you don't want your kids hanging out with the kids in the trashier areas, you'll need to live in a different neighborhood. Whether you choose north, south or valley depends on what type of terrain you prefer, what style and age of house you prefer, how large a lot, and where you'll need to be close to for work. SOme people like a longer commute and some people want to be 5 minutes from work. I like to show people all parts of town when they're considering a relocation so they can make the decision on what feels best to them. All families are different and obviously people are living in all of these parts of Spokane, so there's nothing really "wrong" with any particular part of town - just preferences on what people like.

[Dan6200alt]

Thanks Wendy. I just did a bit more research on some of the neighborhoods and I still think the South Hill area is for us, but sparked a little interest in Summit Blvd area and Corbin Park area on the northside. This based sorely on a few pictures of homes there, which doesn't tell much. Would you mind comparing these areas to SH based on the following.

We want to be close to the hospitals (wife is in healthcare, I work from home, travel some, but location doesn't matter for my job), really like the feel of South Hill w/ older, achitecturally pleasing homes, trees, parks, etc. We don't want to have to spend alot of time driving. Walkability, biking, running are pretty important. I want to be able to head straight out the door to do that. Preferably with easy access to the trail systems. Need good schools. Our kids are currently in an K-7 charter school. We want them to be able to walk/bike home from school. Daily shopping like the grocery store; would like a nicer one to go to, w/o much of a drive. Unless we're going to the mountains or lakes, we just don't want to spend much time driving. We commute way too much-tired of it.

Thanks

[WendyK]

If you have young kids, you will probably be better off on the South Hill for the older style homes close to schools. The Summit Blvd./Corbin Park area is still a little edgy for families, although it's improving greatly. There is a big development planned along the river in West Central area called Kendall Yards but this area has always been known as "felony flats", so even though the potential is good, I wouldn't want to raise my kids there unless I had to. There are plenty of good neighborhoods on the South Hill that have the charm and character you seem to want, and will be within close distance to the hospitals, schools and shopping. I would stick to the neighborhoods closest to the parks and not go too far east on the South Hill. These areas are very popular, hold their value and tend to sell quicker than other parts of south Spokane. Of course the prices tend to be higher, too, but you get what you pay for.

[kseo]

Just remember that North Metro area has a better school district than South Hill or the Valley. South Hill makes for tough snow driving with all the hillls.

[Binx]

I should have been more clear on the energy bills..in the winter it gets very
cold and it costs a fortune to heat your home. Our bills were around $150-$200 per month from Avista for gas and electric. Gas used to be the heat source of choice but gas rates took a jump and now is about the same as electric. Also, watch which water district you end up in. Just to water your lawn during the summer, which is the only season you keep your lawn green,
also is costly. Be prepared for long winters and plan a trip south then. The north-south freeway is underway on the northside, I think
it will be completed in about 8-10 years. It's cutting through existing neighborhoods and vacated railroad properties. Spokanian is correct about the housing. But on the northside you have to go at least 8 miles north until the nicer homes kick in.

[lrfuchs]

I agree with the revitalized downtown being great and there are a ton of restaurants here. I have two children 3 and 8 and have had a great experience with district 81 school district. There are also a ton of quality Catholic schools and other christian schools in the area. The weather is great and allows you to enjoy a lot of summer and winter sports in the immediate area. I don't think Spokane is a very "bike friendly town" if you compare us to places like Portland but I think we are getting better. If you have employment I say take the risk. Employment is competitive in some areas because there are a lot of college graduates in the area due to Gonzaga, Eastern, Whitworth and WSU being so close.

[mes3fils]

Spokanian,
Can you be more specific about this quote...'While houses are expensive here...' What is your definition of expensive?

We are coming to Spokane in April, are we going to leave there with a 'bad' taste in our mouth about moving to the area? Some of your posts give some real pessimistic views of the area.

Do the teens walk around town/school there with their shorts hanging down to their knees and their boxers hanging way out? Just curious as thats what is prevalent here.

[Dan6200alt]

Anyone there in Spokane with a camera willing to post some photos? I think it would be very helpful to us interested in Spokane to have some images other than stock photos of Riverfront park. More day to day things like intersections, city landscaping, buildings/architecture (good and bad), neighborhoods (good and bad), construction zones, new projects, alleys, etc. I for one find these things more interesting than 'sunset' photos. Thank you thank you thank you to anyone who will spend the time doing this.