Spokane, what's it like? (Seattle, Airway Heights: transplants, apartments, lofts)

[fracturedman]

In my opinion, Stay away from Spokane, The crime rate is rising, if you have kids....spokane is home to some of the worst sex offenders. They even have their own apartment complex just for them. Drunk Driving is a huge issue. We do have gangs, and they arent organized just wanna be gansters who are more dangerous. The music scene is a mix between hate rap and country. The nightlife sucks, and there is never anything to do if you are one of those people that love adventure(you can only go hiking so many times in this area before it gets old). Traffic here makes no sense, most places are either congested or confusing...spokane is both. The people here have no clue how to drive, especially in winter. They have the mentallity that if you have a truck you rule the road.
Employment rates here suck. The roads are always being worked on becasue they dont know how to build roads. Air is thin. Homeless are everywhere. Neighbors keep to them selves until they have a party then they wont go away. In general the common citizen is spokane is RUDE, DISRESPECTFUL, and EGOTISTICAL.

I could go on and on...but you get the picture.

[Casportsfan]

Originally Posted by fracturedman

In my opinion, Stay away from Spokane, The crime rate is rising, if you have kids....spokane is home to some of the worst sex offenders. They even have their own apartment complex just for them. Drunk Driving is a huge issue. We do have gangs, and they arent organized just wanna be gansters who are more dangerous. The music scene is a mix between hate rap and country. The nightlife sucks, and there is never anything to do if you are one of those people that love adventure(you can only go hiking so many times in this area before it gets old). Traffic here makes no sense, most places are either congested or confusing...spokane is both. The people here have no clue how to drive, especially in winter. They have the mentallity that if you have a truck you rule the road.
Employment rates here suck. The roads are always being worked on becasue they dont know how to build roads. Air is thin. Homeless are everywhere. Neighbors keep to them selves until they have a party then they wont go away. In general the common citizen is spokane is RUDE, DISRESPECTFUL, and EGOTISTICAL.

I could go on and on...but you get the picture.

God I am sick of these types of posts, "the people here are such and such" . . . . I'm no fan of Spokane, but seriously, rude? Egotistical? I've noticed on every single board here there is someone who hated a city they lived in, and everyone there was "rude" or "hard to get to know". How about trying to be a little objective so you don't mislead someone that might like the area?

I lived in Spokane for 9 years, and at that time I liked it. Of course I was in highschool at the time, which took care of my social life completely. When I recently came back, I'd have to agree on some level with what some have posted already on here.

Negatives:

(1) There is zero nightlife.
(2) The downtown area is one of the most ugly and depressing downtowns I've seen in any mid/large sized city . . . Broken down buildings everywere, brick smoke stacks, yuck.
(3) The winters are long and brutal. The city is in a trough, so to drive to many places you have to go up/down hills. This is a nightmare in the winter, expecially with black ice.

Positives:

(1) Plenty of nature in close proximity, lots of lakes within driving distance.
(2) Minimal traffic.
(3) No ethnic diversity whatsoever, and overall extermely conservative mindset, with an anti-growth attitude (See the recent condo building the city shot down because it was "too large", called "the Vox" . . . lol it was only going to be like 28 stories".
(4) Economy sucks there and probably always will.


I'd never even remotely entertain the thought of moving back to that place. Long freezing winters, ugly, ugly (did I mention ugly?) city with poorly pothole filled roads, conservative as hell with no nightlife . . . never . . . But I have to say, I have friends that have never left and still like it up there. They don't mind the winters and like a slower pace of life. They are by and large fairly conservative and like outdoor activities.

It all depends on what you want.

[Casportsfan]

I threw in a couple negatives in the "positives" zone by accident . . . . Lol I guess the positives to me are limited to nature and minimal traffic . . . . The Southill area where I used to live is nice too, with well kept parks (Manito) and decent views along High drive.

[kena]

Deep breath....

Fractured is obviously in the wrong place and hopefully he finds what he is looking for. He is entitled to his opinions but the general blanket statements are just largely inaccurate. Anyone so inclined can search (I think this very thread) for the sex offender data I posted showing Spokane compares very favorably to other similar cities in terms of sex offenders. I could be wrong but I'm not sure of a special apartment complex just for them (other than the fact that almost no places rent to sex offenders so I'm sure those that do see a skewed concentration in the number of renters).

I haven't looked up the stats but this is the first I've heard of a 'huge' drunk driving issue.

I disagree with the music scene, locally there is comparatively little to no hardcore rap and very little country. Metal, indie rock, singer songwriter seems much more prevalent. See for example: Buzzworthy - The Inlander's First Ever Local Music Release Party | Inlander

Hiking is by far not the only outdoor activity. There is camping, fishing, skiing, sledding, rafting, boating, rock climbing, hunting, etc. etc.

If anyone is interested (also perhaps on this thread) is the data showing traffic congestion in Spokane to be next to last among all cities where data was taken (i.e. Spokane has very little traffic congestion).

Spokane doesn't offer the nightlife of a truly large city but comparing it to comparable sized cities, I think it holds up pretty well. NIGHTLIFE 2009 - 126 Things to Do After Dark | Inlander

Also a matter of opinion but I don't think Spokane's downtown is ugly and depressing. Sure, I wish 3rd avenue was not fast food row but I don't really consider that downtown. Even 2nd avenue, which has been down for a good while is seeing a real resurgence with great locally owned shops and businesses including wineries, clothing stores, chocolate shop, etc. Not only is downtown proper walkable, clean and safe but Spokane has a magnificent urban park and waterfalls in the heart of the city.

The economy had steadily improved until the recession, which has hit every city hard. I've also posted the elections data showing that Spokane is almost evenly split between R and D in voting (the city proper leans D and the surrounding areas R).

The city council didn't kill the Vox tower. Unfortunately, the developer never had the $ to get it done.

[jessysunshine]

I LOVE Spokane! But then, the regulars on here know that.

Sure there are some negatives. Aren't there in every city? But to me there is no place like Spokane. A city, but not. It's hard to explain. It's very country and friendly and has a lot to offer for most people; yet it's a city with some great "city" type stuff.

Eh, it's hard to explain. You just gotta experience it...with the right attitude and heart.

[jessysunshine]

Originally Posted by Treefriend

Seriously, I know you can't tell much from that Youtube slide show, but
Spokane is not a great place...at least from my point of view.

I used to live in Clarkston and Spokane was the "Big City" but even then
it seemed cold and dirty.

I was there in August and I see they have spruced it up a little, but
it's main drags all look like Aurora Avenue North. Car lots. Fast food joints.

If there are cool things there, they keep them hidden.

Also, it was hotter than he!!.

Here is a picture from !-90 heading east into Spokane from August, 07...

I LOVE this picture! Beauty really is all in the eye of the beholder, isn't it?

(Oh, it won't show the picture in the quote. Hmmm. Well, it's from the first page of this thread if anyone wants to look at it. )

[fracturedman]

My previous post may have been a bit harsh. However, I was born in Minnesota and have lived in spokane for 16 years. I have a different perspective than most in spokane...Yes, there are things in spokane that are good, but in my opinion the bad out ways the good.

For example:

Traffic:
The Bad:
Spokane works on the same roads almost every year, ignoring the outlining roads that need work. This work is done on main routes at the same time...making it hard to navigate. Drivers have no clue how to drive in the winter and plows take forever to get anywhere. To sum it up...drivers should be tested yearly. Drunk driving is a big thing in spokane, especially lately.

The good:
The layout of roads is good, and not to confusing.

The police:
The Bad:
The police stay clear of certain neighborhoods, unless they smell blood. I was robbed at gun point and was asked to come down to the station and file a report, While working in a grocery store one night I went into the bathroom and found a lunch bag full up weed, needles, and credit cards. I was informed to throw it away. They hang around certain areas that aren't in need of it.

The Good:
Aside from a few officers who where probably bullied as children and have something to prove, most officers are nice, respectful, and helpful if you can get them to respond.

Weather:
The Bad:
The air is dry, thin and full of pollen. During winter it is obviously cold and also unpredictable. It probably wouldn't be so bad if people could drive and the streets where clear.

The Good:
It all depends on what you like, Spokane has all four seasons. Spring time brings in a lush birth of various vegetation. Summers are usually warm and mild, but dry. Fall is similar to fall only in the colors brought out by the end of the plants life cycle. Tickets sales for events are cheap.

Culture:
The Bad:
Very little culture, Spokane is purely a business and IT town. The music scene is poor. Unless you want to see local bands, big bands have started avoiding spokane due the size of the only venues in town won't hold much of a crowd. Drinks in bars are more overpriced than most cities.

The Good:
Spokane has hoopfest, bloomsday, and pig out in the park, great events for the family and a few other events.

sports:
The Bad:
Can't complain

The Good:
Baseball, Hockey, soccer, Football, arena football, skateboarding, snowboarding, Hiking, basketball. You name it spokane has it.

Religion:
Its actually pretty diverse, Spokane offers to all religions.

Spokane in itself isn't that bad. Its the people that make it so intolerable to live here. Most people are in such a hurry to die and work, work, work. Spokane is golden choke chain, great a first but it will slowly drain you.

[IMG]file:///C:/Users/Tom/AppData/Local/Temp/moz-screenshot.jpg[/IMG]If you're White, male, and born US citizen and want to start a business good luck. Actually if you match that description your screwed. Spokane is full of immigrants that take advantage of our system and some even commit crimes with it. There is a thing called the "Russian mafia" in spokane. To me they are a joke, but alot of younger Russian kids use this to scare others. There are other gangs in the area that are out of control and are merely wanna bees, which are more dangerous than real ones.

You also might want to make sure your good at asking, "would you like fries with that?" cause unless you have a degree or 10 years experience in a certain field your out of luck. Spokane is slowly becoming a wanna bee New York.

Now this is my opinion. I do not fit into spokane because I am not a robot. I live a very active lifestyle and am trying to start a business. I demand respect from everyone unless I have done something to hurt you I deserve it. Spokane doesn't have any code of honor, Every weekend I go downtown to have a good time and every weekend it is interupted by some guy who thinks it is to hit a woman or hurt someone weaker than them. There are always alot of people around to see it, but none react until I do. Spokanians have turned their backs on each other.

This is my opinion, I am entitled to it. If you don't like it that is too bad, I am not trying to win anyone over. I am purely being realistic.

P.s. There is a few building down town reserved for sex offenders. If you look it up, you can find that spokane is basically a drop off location for drug dealers and sex offenders.

[fracturedman]

Originally Posted by Casportsfan

I threw in a couple negatives in the "positives" zone by accident . . . . Lol I guess the positives to me are limited to nature and minimal traffic . . . . The Southill area where I used to live is nice too, with well kept parks (Manito) and decent views along High drive.

South hill...now I get it...The south hill should be its own city. Probably the nicest place in spokane...and only place with minimal traffic.

[RetiredChef]

WOW,Let me give a little bit different perspective then someone born in Minnesotta, I lived in Los Angeles for over 30 years before we picked Spokane to move to retire to and we looked at the REST of the country and even outside the US. (New Zealand was our second choice but there are immigration problems with semi-retire or retired folks.)

Traffic:

What fricking traffic. A 27 mile commute in LA on a Friday night takes over 2 hours. Most freeways are packed 18 hours a day.

Winter drivers, get over it, have a few raindrops hit the road in LA and watch the demolition derby begin. Road plowing here is actually quite good, compared to New York where I also lived. Besides being from Minnesota you know we don’t get very much snow even with this winter we had no problem getting around.

Drunk driving is everywhere but Spokane and the state of Washington has very low DUI rates, Google it to find the truth.

Police:

I have only had one occasion to deal with the police and that was some hunters who were shooting in a prohibited area by my house and refused to leave. Response time in a rural part of Spokane was less then 5 minutes and the officer was awesome.

Weather:

I travel to Tucson regularly on business and pleasure, if you think the air is dry here try going down there. If you want humidity move to Florida.

Thin air????? I used to climb mountains perhaps you are talking about top of Mt. Rainier.

Pollen, any place that has 4 seasons has an explosion of pollen in the spring, that is to be fully expected.

Culture:

For the size of Spokane we have a wonderfully diverse culture. We are the smallest city to have a full blown symphony and they are very good. We have a multitude of playhouses and a vibrant history with many historical buildings. As you have stated before Spokane has a growing immigrant population that also brings in the various cultures.

As far as big bands passing by Spokane, that is the cost of living in a small city, if you want a large scale urban setting then move to one. We have traveled several times to Seattle to see shows; commuter hops are less then $200 RT or make it a fun evening and drive and spend the night.

Some of your other comments are nonsensical from our perspective.

The people up here are laid back, there is no cutthroat work culture and they seem to be more interested on recreation then work. Try getting a plumber during elk season, most are ‘busy’. Actually we have had the exact problem, getting people to work, they always have something better to do, your comment is so absolutely wrong from our perspective it really got me chuckling. Try living in LA or NYC and you will see the extreme difference.

As far as getting work in Spokane I have found the exact opposite of your experience, most employers are suspicious of overly educated and highly experienced workers, preferring to higher the middle of the road. That fits with the culture up here, laid back, not to pushy don’t rock the boat.

You are also extremely lucky to be living in a economic bubble from the rest of the country, we have very low unemployment and the housing prices have hardly retreated. Try getting a job in Phoenix, Las Vegas, LA, in some of those areas unemployment is topping 18%.

Now onto my psychoanalysis of your comments

>>>I demand respect from everyone unless I have done something to hurt you I deserve it.

Respect is earned and not something you demand. I don’t know you and I have no reason to respect you. If you demand that I do I will only lose that starting point of respect that I came in with.Think about that – is it your attitude.

>>>Spokane doesn't have any code of honor,

Neither does any other city that I am aware of.

>>>Every weekend I go downtown to have a good time and every weekend it is interupted by some guy who thinks it is to hit a woman or hurt someone weaker than them.

You must go to some pretty low life places to see this occurring, I’m not excusing these actions, but these are the dregs of society that you can find anywhere. My suggestion is to change your surroundings, in the almost 5 years we have lived here and we have a pretty active social life, I have never encountered any of this.

>>>There are always alot of people around to see it, but none react until I do. Spokanians have turned their backs on each other.

WOW - again the exact opposite experience. I see people helping complete strangers each and everyday. My wife had a flat tire and started to call AAA, before she had completed the call three people stopped to help. This weekend a guy had a LARGE load of plywood slide of his truck 6 different people stopped to help reload it.

These actions are unheard of in LA or other big cities.

You talk about neighbors, we had a problem with our well when I was gone, one neighbor went around and gathered 900’ (yes 900’) of hoses from all of the neighbors, he hooked it up to his garden spigot, went to the hardware store bought parts and pressurized our house. Another neighbor built a wood ramp so the hoses didn’t get crushed on the gravel road and a third brought down cones to place around the wood ramp alerting other drivers.

A typical response in LA would have been “That sucks dude, glad it isn’t me.”

Maybe it’s all perspective, you mentioned gangs, try living in LA for a year then move back here, you might get a chuckle reading what you wrote.

Spokane is truly a little gem, however if you decide to judge it by the worst of everything that you can find then so be it. But you can do that everywhere including places in Minnesota.

[RetiredChef]

Originally Posted by fracturedman

South hill...now I get it...and only place with minimal traffic.

HUH, One of the biggest turnoff we had of the South Hill was it was crowded and congested, if there is a traffic problem, especially in the winter the South Hill would be the place.