Spokane, Washington. (Seattle, Orchards, West Valley: low income, rent, crime)

[Stonecoldharbours]

We are currently looking into the possibilty of moving to this area, we have lived in the East most of our lives but wanted to experience the NW and its beauty. I am sorta of scared of drug homes, and bad areas, would someone direct me as to where to avoid or where to go? Both preferable, and email would work fine as well.

We are searching for a nice home 200 or less as we live on one income. I have young child in elementary school and so a good school is very very important. I would prefer a scenic view in the suburbs, not too rural but not in the city either, a neighborhood with an old warm charm of my native home, in Pgh, Pa, if possible, something with soul.

We are a middle class conservative family and we want to find a enviroment we would feel comfortable in and blend into well, thanks for all your help in advance!

Blessings,
PaNative

[commstar]

Stay out of the City limits of Spokane itself. Spokane is a low income pit. It is dirty, downtown sucks with homeless and bad roads. The only exception would be on the south hill south of 14th avenue and then look carefully. The good news is that there is little (if any reason to go to downtown Spokane unless you really want to- everything is available somewhere else.

The City of Spokane Valley (which is a separate and distinct city; is somewhat better but look carefully).

It is a buyer market right now. That will change in April when the locals put their homes on the market for the summer selling season. April thru september is moving season and January is u-haul season for all the californians moving out due to the winter.

There is plenty of charm that can be had here for cheap but be advised the people that live there tend not restore these houses. There are tons of cheap old houses here but they are in older often downward declining neighborhoods that show no sign of being anything else.

For a vast overreaching generalization: there are two type of people in this area. The haves and the have nots. The haves are the professionals and the have nots are the labor. Spokane is a traditional service based economy with and old established power structure.

There are not alot of very affluent people here. There are alot of 'working stiffs' here though. Most people are right there- in the middle. People here are
not overly friendly or accepting of 'outsiders'. People here are not progressive or sophisticated like in Seattle or San Francisco. They are common-sense labor based democrat types.

As for your not too rural or city, East Farms, Otis Orchards, Newman Lake, Cheney, Medical Lake, Chattaroy all come to mind.

Spokane is a mid-sized town but yet a small town at the same time. I have heard the rule of six degress espoused a couple of times meaning about every six people you meet, there will be a connection between them.

I do not know what you consider scenic but this place is pretty. If you want to overlook a lake or be on top of a mountain, get out your checkbook. A picturesque forested view is not hard or too expensive to find. Unfortunately, just about everyone moving here from somewhere else wants what you do so there is competition especially in the summer moving season. Be advised ,the west side of the state is prettier, but it is crazy liberal in all respects. Spokane is cheaper and more conservative generally.


Schools:
District 81 (Spokane City Schools) Avoid- not good and getting more urban all the time. Urba to me means worse.
Mead Schools- GREAT Schools, just make sure you check on the school levy that will come in your property taxes before you buy or you could be in for a shock.
West Valley School District- Decent but nothing wonderful
Central Valley School District- Good schools but very crowded.
East Valley School District- Good Schools - the further east the school, the better as a rule in this district.
Dont know anything derogatory about the palouse schools.
Rockford & Freeman Schools are well regarded but that does not meet your criteria for housing. These are nice smaller communities outside of Spokane.

Oh yeah, property taxes are a real concern here. When stuff was free here then taxes were reasonable but with the pop in the market here taxes are a real concern for many, they vary by city fire district and school district so make sure you know before you buy. There is no income tax here (yet- bill introduced in the state house last month though) but they get you on property taxes. There was a voter intiative a few years ago I-747 i think that was voted in by the citizens but the cities naturally (they work for us) have tied it up in litigation for the ensuing years. Many feel that the voters will prevail and then the state will introduce an income tax.

Have you looked a couer d'alene Idaho?


Post more question if I can help anymore.

[commstar]

Oh yeah, having to do over again, I would rent here for a year or so before I bought with my finances in order to move quickly and have a look around. Lots of options here.

[Stonecoldharbours]

Thanks for your post, it is very much appreciated. I will print this out for future reference, thanks for being straightforward, I really really appreciate that! Take care...Native

[KidBlue]

Commstar, you made me laugh at the Californians moving out in the winter. They must be from southern Cal. Northern Cal. is closer to Tahoe--we can handle the cold much better.

[Lowdown_in_hoTown]

What's a high class pimp like you doing in a town like Spokane, we be lik'in it down here! we-bee-low class fools I guess right Bro?

You my friend are a 'outsider' who seems to be not so overly friendly or accepting of us locals here. I would assume that you don't have the cash to move to a high class area, and are stuck here in a po-dunk town. I love Spokane, it's home, and it's people like you that talk smack about how thinks shoud be, move ass-wipe! get out of town. It must be a Bee-youch to live in an area that you really don't like. You seem to be ph~ck~ing hung up on "Income" and "working stiffs" what do you do BossMan?

Have you looked at couer d'alene Idaho? <----Hummm! Or Hayden Lake?
Oh now I understan the contex.

Geeze....What a frickin dink!

Eric Chase,
120ft. Lake Front, Liberty Lake, WA.
Negroids for Browns Addition!

Originally Posted by commstar

Stay out of the City limits of Spokane itself. Spokane is a low income pit. It is dirty, downtown sucks with homeless and bad roads. The only exception would be on the south hill south of 14th avenue and then look carefully. The good news is that there is little (if any reason to go to downtown Spokane unless you really want to- everything is available somewhere else.

The City of Spokane Valley (which is a separate and distinct city; is somewhat better but look carefully).

It is a buyer market right now. That will change in April when the locals put their homes on the market for the summer selling season. April thru september is moving season and January is u-haul season for all the californians moving out due to the winter.

There is plenty of charm that can be had here for cheap but be advised the people that live there tend not restore these houses. There are tons of cheap old houses here but they are in older often downward declining neighborhoods that show no sign of being anything else.

For a vast overreaching generalization: there are two type of people in this area. The haves and the have nots. The haves are the professionals and the have nots are the labor. Spokane is a traditional service based economy with and old established power structure.

There are not alot of very affluent people here. There are alot of 'working stiffs' here though. Most people are right there- in the middle. People here are
not overly friendly or accepting of 'outsiders'. People here are not progressive or sophisticated like in Seattle or San Francisco. They are common-sense labor based democrat types.

As for your not too rural or city, East Farms, Otis Orchards, Newman Lake, Cheney, Medical Lake, Chattaroy all come to mind.

Spokane is a mid-sized town but yet a small town at the same time. I have heard the rule of six degress espoused a couple of times meaning about every six people you meet, there will be a connection between them.

I do not know what you consider scenic but this place is pretty. If you want to overlook a lake or be on top of a mountain, get out your checkbook. A picturesque forested view is not hard or too expensive to find. Unfortunately, just about everyone moving here from somewhere else wants what you do so there is competition especially in the summer moving season. Be advised ,the west side of the state is prettier, but it is crazy liberal in all respects. Spokane is cheaper and more conservative generally.


Schools:
District 81 (Spokane City Schools) Avoid- not good and getting more urban all the time. Urba to me means worse.
Mead Schools- GREAT Schools, just make sure you check on the school levy that will come in your property taxes before you buy or you could be in for a shock.
West Valley School District- Decent but nothing wonderful
Central Valley School District- Good schools but very crowded.
East Valley School District- Good Schools - the further east the school, the better as a rule in this district.
Dont know anything derogatory about the palouse schools.
Rockford & Freeman Schools are well regarded but that does not meet your criteria for housing. These are nice smaller communities outside of Spokane.

Oh yeah, property taxes are a real concern here. When stuff was free here then taxes were reasonable but with the pop in the market here taxes are a real concern for many, they vary by city fire district and school district so make sure you know before you buy. There is no income tax here (yet- bill introduced in the state house last month though) but they get you on property taxes. There was a voter intiative a few years ago I-747 i think that was voted in by the citizens but the cities naturally (they work for us) have tied it up in litigation for the ensuing years. Many feel that the voters will prevail and then the state will introduce an income tax.

Have you looked a couer d'alene Idaho?

Hope this helped; Look at a good local FSBO site
www.spokanebyowner.com

Post more question if I can help anymore.

[Stonecoldharbours]

Thank you for ruining my thread

[Symi81]

Originally Posted by PghPaNative

We are currently looking into the possibilty of moving to this area, we have lived in the East most of our lives but wanted to experience the NW and its beauty. I am sorta of scared of drug homes, and bad areas, would someone direct me as to where to avoid or where to go? Both preferable, and email would work fine as well.

We are searching for a nice home 200 or less as we live on one income. I have young child in elementary school and so a good school is very very important. I would prefer a scenic view in the suburbs, not too rural but not in the city either, a neighborhood with an old warm charm of my native home, in Pgh, Pa, if possible, something with soul.

We are a middle class conservative family and we want to find a enviroment we would feel comfortable in and blend into well, thanks for all your help in advance!

Blessings,
PaNative

Hi, I saw your post regarding Spokane. From the description you provided as to what you are looking for, I think Spokane might be a great fit.

I noticed somebody who replied to your post who wasn't too hot on the city of Spokane and especially downtown. I beg to differ. There has been, and continues to be, a ton of money being poured into downtown development. Riverfront Park and The Davenport Hotel and surrounding district are the prime examples. Downtown Spokane offers the best restaurants, hotels, arts, culture, bars, etc of anywhere in the entire Spokane region, no other area is even remotely close. Downtown Spokane is perfectly safe. Like all American cities, Spokane has failed to deal effectively with the downtrodden and homeless. The more neglected east side of downtown has some sketchy people and is the area you are most likely to find "scary" people, although this area is showing signs of life too and will likely improve dramatically in the near future.

The thing I LOVE about Spokane are the neighborhoods adjacent to downtown which offer traditional, American grid-style neighborhoods, mature street trees, with many historic early 20th-Century homes. Neighborhoods like Browns Addition, West Central and Peacefull Valley offer SUPER EASY access to downtown, but are also literally on the edge of the city with easy access to recreation like golf, natural area, parks and the Spokane River. These kind of neighborhoods are ideal for somebody looking for traditional American neighborhoods but also near downtown and near recreation/country/rural setting, etc. These neighborhoods have the traditional small-town feel that made pre-freeway America great.

The ignorant among us may refer to West Central as being ghetto or otherwise not desirable, I strongly disagree. West Central has been rediscovered with many new, young families and singles moving there due to the amenities I mentioned above and its affordability. West Central is the largest designated residential historic district in the state of Washington. If you're thinking about Spokane, do yourself a favor and research West Central, Browns Addition, Peacefully Valley, and other close-in neighborhoods. For a killer view, check out the Rimrock/Palisades area immediatly west of the Spokane but also close to downtown.

Areas outside the Spokane core are dominated by suburban sprawl and were built with little to no planning. Consequently, they lack character. No neighborhood business districts, completely 100% car-oriented, crappy to no sidewalks, big-box stores, strip malls, wide multi-lane arterials that eliminate the possibility of pedestrian activity, crappy restaurants, absolutely no arts and culturally void. Ironically, many people live in areas like this to escape the city when in fact, the urban neighborhoods I discussed above have a more rural small-town feel than the sprawling suburban developments outside the city core.

Hope this helps, feel free to hit me up with any questions.

Peace!

[WendyK]

Perfectly stated, Symi. I agree with all you've said, especially about people needing to reconsider the West Central area - it's got a lot going for it and is only going to get better when Kendall Yards gets underway. For people who want to be close to town, like older style architecture, be close to neighbors and have it all at a lower price than the outlying areas, it's the place to be.

[Earniefan]

Lowdown,

Could you tell me about liberty lake?? I've posted a thread before but no one would respond. When we leave Wyoming in a few years we want to live on a lake, and Liberty is one of our options. We're coming through in July so we'll get to see first hand but it's always good to get an insiders point of view. Also, someone on another thread was talking about crime in Spokane and they were saying how bad it is, my concern is going into Spokane for shopping alone with my daughter, do I need to worry?? I can't imagine it's like that, I've never heard of Spokane talked about like that before but a lot of the people on that thread were saying how bad it is. Anyway thanks so much in advance for any info you can give me on Liberty Lake. Also, is there building going on in that area?

Kristi