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Old 02-19-2014, 03:13 PM
 
1 posts, read 1,783 times
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I would really like to move to Spokane from San Diego, CA. However, I have never lived anywhere else in my entire life. Born and raised here. Also, I'm 21 years old.
I was hoping to maybe penpal someone from Spokane or even someone who has relocated there from SD.
Moving out of state is a huge decision, I just want to make sure it's the right one. (I wanna make sure all those beautiful Spokane pictures and awesome housing costs don't mislead me.)
Here are some questions:

-I'm a pastry chef. How many hospitality industry jobs are available? Are there many restaurants in town? Bakeries? Hotels and resorts?
-What neighborhoods are best? I don't really want to live in a downtown area, but also don't want to live in the suburbs where all houses look alike. I want middle ground. (Somewhere within walking distance to parks and small shops and restaurants.)
-Other than outdoors activities (which seem to dominate here), what other stuff can I find? (Theater, concerts, festivals, amusement parks, museums, etc...)
-What's the food like? Here is SD we have tons of farmers markets, lots of variety when it comes to types of food, and so much type of produce available here.
-Also, what's the tax situation?
-I have a car, so public transportation isn't a big deal. But do most people here have cars? Or are they more of a hassle? Is it hard to maintain a car because of the weather (snow and such)?


I just want to know if this city is a right fit. I'm young but I'm looking to settle into a place that really fits my personality a little better. I'm a lot more calm than most people my age.
My intention to move to Spokane would be to find a more affordable place to live and to settle down a bit with my long term boyfriend. (Although night life is welcome every now and then...) We'd be looking into buying property as well.
Bear in mind, that I've always lived in a city with near perfect weather also. (I didn't touch snow until I was 18 and didn't know what a mud room was till I was 20.) Any input on how to deal with that would also be great.
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Old 02-19-2014, 03:43 PM
 
Location: Spokane, WA
1,989 posts, read 2,522,561 times
Reputation: 2363
[quote=KarlaJudithZ;33544696]-I'm a pastry chef. How many hospitality industry jobs are available? Are there many restaurants in town? Bakeries? Hotels and resorts? - I used to work for Red Lion Hotels. They're headquartered here in Spokane. It's a medium sized hotel chain. The Hotel at the Park would be your best bet to look for Pastry Chef jobs. There are also some other Hotels in the downtown area that you could look into as well. The Davenport is a historic hotel in downtown Spokane. Along with Doubletree Hilton in downtown basically in Riverfront Park right across the river from the Red Lion Hotel.
-What neighborhoods are best? I don't really want to live in a downtown area, but also don't want to live in the suburbs where all houses look alike. I want middle ground. (Somewhere within walking distance to parks and small shops and restaurants.) - I live in Indian Trail, lots of walking and local parks. Very safe, easy commute downtown. The South Hill area is also very nice, with parks for walking and safety. There is a lot of property crime in Spokane (way above average), but it is mitigated based on neighborhood choice and personal decisions (i.e safe mindset).
-Other than outdoors activities (which seem to dominate here), what other stuff can I find? (Theater, concerts, festivals, amusement parks, museums, etc...) - The closest amusement park is about 1.5 hours away (maybe less) called Silverwood. It's actually a prett good park. For concerts we get some decent ones here on town, but for the really good ones we go to the Gorge at George, WA. Consistently voted as one of the best outdoor concert venues in the states. We have good local theater here, my sister manages some plays. Last year me and my wife went to their production of the Producers, it was hilarious and pretty well done.
-What's the food like? Here is SD we have tons of farmers markets, lots of variety when it comes to types of food, and so much type of produce available here - I'm by no means a foodie. I like mainly chain places. There's a newer place called Clover down by Gonzaga University that we ate at last year and I had the best steak and my wife had a stuffed chicken breast. It was one of the best meals I ever ate! They had this sauce made form gorgonzola cheese and horseradish it was awesome. Check out the Inlander website. Its a local rag here in town and they have good write ups and reviews of the local food scene. We have a couple of farmers markets here as well. Good one downtown, plus some very local ones up here on the northside where I live. Heading over to central Washington will net you some amazing fruit and vegetables. Well worth the drive if you stock up. Definately get some Asparagus.
-Also, what's the tax situation - Sales tax is very high at over 8%, but there is no state income tax. Having lived in California myself, I can tell you that real estate taxes here are slight compared to where you are at.
-I have a car, so public transportation isn't a big deal. But do most people here have cars? Or are they more of a hassle? Is it hard to maintain a car because of the weather (snow and such)? - Having a car makes life easier. There are some amazing places to discover up in this area, lakes, mountains, rivers, glaciers, etc. You'll want a car. Get some snow tires they help during the winters here. You are almost to Canada so don't be surprised by the winters here. We get snow and it gets cold. Not the worst ever but certainly not like down in SoCal.[/QUOTE]

Good luck with your move!
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