Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Washington > Spokane area
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 04-28-2007, 11:56 PM
 
4 posts, read 29,484 times
Reputation: 21

Advertisements

Hi Everyone,

I thought I would start a new Spokane thread since the previous one seems to have gotten personal. No questions really, just throwing out my impressions without wanting to get caught up in any drama. I lived all my life in northern Michigan on Lake Huron or Michigan. I've usually lived in places with populations of about 500, 5,000 to 20,000 people. Definite small town guy. I have a 2 year old and 6 year old. I'm a programmer and work from home and can live just about anywhere with a fast internet connection.


I have been flying out to Spokane on business since December 2006 and stayed there off and on about 90 days over the past 5 months. I usually stay in Liberty Lake, just east of Spokane proper. I generally walk or ride bike everywhere if I can. I may have an offer of being relocated to Spokane so I took a pretty serious look around.


First the environment. I like that Spokane is nice and hilly. It is completely surrounded by mountains and that makes it very easy to orient yourself no matter where you are. It felt very wrong to me not to be in sight of water. There is a very nice river with some very impressive waterfalls right downtown. There an awesome bike trail the "Centennial trail" that goes straight through Spokane through Idaho and further. I've been shown lots of pictures of deer and even moose walking across the trail while people are out biking. The air is clean, the water is clean and tastes very good. The parks and gardens in the South Hill area are really beautiful and closest to what I'm used to.


The people I've met in Spokane / Liberty Lake were very nice everywhere. There are a lot of people at the lower end of the income scale, but they are extremely friendly. It's mostly white / homogeneous looking people, but there's a huge variety in thought. In general people are very conservative and complain a bit about all their taxes going to Seattle area. Everyone is very behind their local sports team the Zags.


I really liked the downtown. It's not to big, it's right next to the river and the hills give it some variety. There are sky walks connecting most of the upstairs 2nd floors of all the buildings downtown are very nice, especially in the winter. There were horse drawn carriage rides available although that could have been a holiday thing. The restaurants were all Very good and the typical blah franchises don't seem to have invaded the downtown at all. There are lots of sculptures downtown and I'm looking forward to summer time when the ones that are fountains get turned on. I did see some people I assume were homeless or perhaps just poor. Also some guys that had some stuff tattooed on their hands but I never felt in danger or anything. I walked around downtown until about 9pm when it was getting dark at about 5pm.


I also noticed that most people were not from Spokane. Everyone moved there within the past 5 years or so. There is a large amount of manufacturing companies in the area creating a constant demand for low skilled / manual labor workers. Everyone raves about the great golf courses in the area but I have no interest in golf. Seriously - I can't count the number of times I've heard people bragging about their favorite golf courses or inviting me to a game in the summer.

Property values are a bit higher then I'm used to, but drop sharply once you leave town. I think this is why it seems very sprawly. It's very cheap to buy some property a few miles away from town and lots of people have done just that. It's a very interesting in that it's a pretty "mixed" area in terms of property. I think it is because it is an old community with lots of recent growth. There are people in the are who have lived here forever and still do. They don't have lots of money and don't place much value on their homes. Then there are people moving here from Seattle or Oregon who come in and buy several houses because they all seem so cheap by comparison.


Liberty Lake is a nice little place but very small. It's pretty much a series of houses right on the lake, surrounded by some obvious developments and golf courses and lots of business and office buildings. There's two stop lights with some fast food places, grocery stores and a large section of apartment buildings.


The schools do concern me a little. My wife has done research and it appears the school your children go to is determined by your address. School is very important to us so our choice in homes is very intimately tied to our choice in schools.


It's late and I don't really have any specific questions just thought I would share my thoughts and see what everyone thinks.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 04-30-2007, 11:48 AM
 
Location: My heart is in Wyoming, my body is soon to follow.....
745 posts, read 4,052,363 times
Reputation: 332
Thank You for the unbiased view of the area, we are also considering Liberty Lake. It's nice to hear an outsiders point of view. Is there anything else you could tell me about Liberty Lake, did it seem like there was lot of building going on? New houses and such?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 04-30-2007, 12:41 PM
 
54 posts, read 223,353 times
Reputation: 31
Default this is good

I hope I can add a few things here too. The other thread did seem a bit confrontational at times, but I hope this thread can be a bit more easy going!
As for the schools, I hear that Mead is the most sought after district, and from the schools in district 81 (spokane school district) Lewis and Clark and Ferris HS are good, although L&C is the biggest in population and it serves a wide area. I hear that Shadle is good-which I am hoping is true since my kid will be going to Shadle Park High school.
I too would like to hear from someone who has experience with Shadle schools. I have asked before in the other thread, but no luck yet!
It has been my experience too that the school is determined by the address, and some schools are more popular than others. We originally looked at South Hill as an option, but I felt that L&C was not really for us even with the good reviews. I don't like the fact that it is so close to I-90 and downtown, but that is just a personal preference. I can only really talk about the High schools since that is what I am concerned with.
I approached this in the other thread too, but Spokane does seem a little rough around the edges as far as looks go, but once you get into a neighborhood, things look better. There are plenty of people that do take pride in their houses, and plenty that don't or are not able to care for the outside.
There are beautiful places within a few minutes drive and some really great unique stores, and places to eat. I really do think Spokane suffers from the growth a bit and seems to want to maintain a small town attitude, but it is not working, so it seems jumbled-majestic houses next to run down shacks.
I will be calling Spokane my home for a few years at least and I want to be able to enjoy all the good things it has to offer. I don't think this is narrow minded thinking because I am fully aware of Spokane's downfalls, but I CHOOSE to focus on the positive, while trying to do my part in changing the negative aspects.
I would love to hear about all those places and things that are good about Spokane, enough time and energy has been spent on the negative. Of course, if there is somewhere that I should avoid, I would like to know that too! (I like to be prepared)
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-13-2007, 09:06 PM
 
4 posts, read 29,484 times
Reputation: 21
Earniefan - my thoughts on Liberty Lake:

I was there for about 6 months off and on. I didn't notice much new construction at all. I think the housing market has peaked. If you look at google maps or similar satellite photos with an arial view you'll get a good idea of the area. There is a small original lake front community... maybe 2 or 3 blocks deep. Then golf courses and basic suburban houses merging into apartment buildings, franchises and grocery stores. It's very small and ... well planned feel.

The houses were built almost all at the same time but I was impressed by how nice they were and how they were not the same four house plans over and over. People obviously care for their homes and try to make them stand our from each other.

There is a large amount of businesses - professional office buildings and factories in the area within easy walking distance of anywhere you would call "Liberty Lake". If you get a job at one of these businesses you can comfortably walk to work even in winter. There are side walks everywhere in good condition. Bike Lanes exist but a lot of people just don't seem to SEE bikes so you have to be extra careful.

Liberty Lake does NOT have it's own school but they really want to build one. Everyone I met wanted to live in Liberty Lake but few could afford it. This is all relative, but the place to be seemed to be...

1 - South Hill but Manitou Drive - gorgeous old trees, parks and incredible view and homes
2 - Liberty Lake - a short drive but very much a small town to itself that happens to be located to Spokane.
3 - South Valley - The compromise place. Very pleasant and not expensive. Most people suggested I live there because houses are affordable and it's more or less comparable although it's close to everything but really doesn't have much by itself. You have to drive everywhere.


The one disjointed thing - for me - about Liberty Lake is there is no Main Street. No small shops right next to the side walk. It's nice homes, nice businesses, nice franchises.

I can't recall any real parks or downtown to make it what I would call complete. There are playgrounds scattered around but not many benches or places where people can just sit and talk or socialize if they are not paying money.

People are often out at night walking their dogs or just walking on the sidewalk. Maybe there is a place people go but if so I never found it. When ever I asked what people do for fun they usually said "leave" or something involving CDA/Cordelane.

There is one park now that I think of it down by the lake, but that's the "old" Liberty Lake homes, not the new developments that have wrapped around it.

All in all a very nice place to live but lacks a true center from my POV.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-14-2007, 12:44 AM
 
8 posts, read 46,209 times
Reputation: 16
GreatLakesGuy,

You did a good job describing Liberty Lake, I've always thought of it as a suburb that's 5 miles away from its city. I have friends who live and work there...and they do walk or bike to work and enjoy that. But they have to leave to do almost anything else. There are a few restaurants and their kids travel to go to school in the now-overcrowded (in large part because of Liberty Lake) Central Valley school district.

The homes are mostly newer and though they're not all alike, it all seems kind of Stepfordish to me, street after street after street of very similar, newly landscaped homes. I suppose in 20 years when the trees have grown it will be more attractive. Until then, living in the South Valley or Otis Orchards would have more appeal to me.

And I suppose my views are also colored by my memories of Liberty Lake when it was just that little strip of houses on the lake with a few beaches those of us without lake places used to hang out at on summer afternoons.

Progress, I guess...
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-14-2007, 12:51 PM
 
Location: My heart is in Wyoming, my body is soon to follow.....
745 posts, read 4,052,363 times
Reputation: 332
Greatlakesguy,

Thanks for the info on Liberty Lake, you've saved us some legwork on our trip. I didn't realize it wasn't a town within itself, for the size it is I'm shocked they don't have their own school district. Thanks again.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-14-2007, 03:38 PM
 
Location: Happiness is found inside your smile :)
3,176 posts, read 14,658,501 times
Reputation: 1313
Wow we were looking at moving there - because we can get a bigger house in Spokane for HALF the price of our house here in Seattle

We thought it was CHEAP over there!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 03-28-2008, 04:42 PM
 
5 posts, read 29,443 times
Reputation: 14
Talking Liberty Lake in Central Valley School District

Hi prospective Spokanites,

We moved here in 1997 and love every aspect of Spokane. I have taught in the Mead School District, West Valley School District and Central Valley School district. Yes, Mead has the highest taxes. Are they the best schools? I don't think so and it is hard to stay number one since you begin to rest on your laurals as evidenced by the words you posted here. Central Valley is the only one growning and it has great services for special needs students and students who need a boost in reading. It is also a place where teachers want to work and live.

Liberty Lake Elementary School could not be the great place that it is without two elements:
1. The students who come to us from supportive families and
2. The support of a larger School District, Central Valley.

Check us out, the compare us with Colbert Elementary in Mead School District or Shiloh Hills School District. These are the two Mead elementary schools closest to Liberty Lake Elementary school. Any unbiased site will give you the test scores and school "Report Card." This is required by state funding. You can get all results on www.k12.wa.edu (broken link) as well.

mod cut: specific recommendation removed

Beware of Northside or any realtor who recommends a school district. This is agains the law. Just the facts are to be represented.

I applaud you on your research.

Best Regards,
kathy, M Ed.
Special Education
University of AZ

P.S. The "real" Liberty Lake is an old turn of the century second home area around the lake. It is south of the golf course and on the SW side of the lake predominately. There are also horseback riding trails out of the park all the way to Idaho. Maybe your bicycles did not take you that far. You might try it when the mud dries. It is an entirely different/real Liberty Lake.

Last edited by scirocco22; 03-28-2008 at 06:29 PM.. Reason: feel free to use DM. Thanks.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 03-28-2008, 07:34 PM
 
231 posts, read 1,079,146 times
Reputation: 138
For those who are interested Google Street View is now up for most of Spokane. If you go to Google Maps and click on Street View you can tour the streets of Spokane as if you were driving around in your own car. This is a great way to get a feel for different parts of town.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 03-30-2008, 03:07 AM
 
Location: Northwest Limbo
438 posts, read 1,790,574 times
Reputation: 184
Default Thank you, Ms. Johnson!

Thank you SO MUCH for your info on the Central Valley School District. As a parent of special need kids(2 with IEP's and one with a 504) who is interested in moving to the Spokane area, I was thankful for a little positive input on special services in your district. It's been hard to find information.
We're still being pulled toward the Valley. The more I find out, the better the fit seems for my family. You just helped put one more little weight on my scales!

About Liberty Lake: My sister's in-laws lived there and they loved the feeling of a close-knit community. I also seem to remember a comment about "lots of golf carts..."
It sounds lovely. How long do you think it takes to get to the airport? :~) D
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Settings
X
Data:
Loading data...
Based on 2000-2020 data
Loading data...

123
Hide US histogram

Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Washington > Spokane area
Similar Threads

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top