For People living in Tri-Cities, what do you like best about living there? (Seattle: transplants, crime)

[wilkermoo]

I would love to hear some people talk about all the great things that hey enjoy by living in Tri-Cities. Please, do not reply if you are only going to talk about the negative things you think about the area.

[kangirl]

We work out of our home and could live anywhere we want, but after looking around the country we have decided this is the place for us to stay and raise our family. Here are some reasons: lots of sunshine, hot but dry summer days, easy access to the river for boating, picnics, walks and biking. This is a family friendly place with lots of youth activities. Because of Hanford it draws a highly educated population. Good schools. This seems to be the most affordable city in the NW right now. Even though it is in the middle of nowhere it is an easy drive to get to Portland, Seattle, Spokane, Mt. Rainer (all within 3.5 hours). Traffic is not a problem. People seem friendly here and still small town even though the area is growing. I just hope it stays this way!

[pw72]

I lived in Kennewick from 1990 to 1996.

Some quick impressions:

Affordable, still.

Hottest climate in the N.W.

Conservative for the most part.

Fast growing hispanic population.

Housing prices have risen, but not nearly like the Puget Sound.

Excellent retail and other services. Lots of retirement transplants.

Relatively close to major metros Seattle and Portland.

[M3 Mitch]

Me, mostly I like the climate - the Mediterranian type summer and the tolerable winter, reasonable cost of living, good employment opportunities.

[j_k_k]

I like the peace. No one bothers me. No one inserts his or her nose in my business. There isn't a lot of crime or hoopla; I don't need other people to set up my entertainment for me, so I don't need vast amounts of civic activity and festivals (though we have some that I enjoy).

People are generally polite (oblivious sometimes, but they do not mean to be rude). The overriding ethic of the Tri-Cities is a quiet tolerance, and I like that. The unspoken rule here is: "Whatever your difference is, if you aren't hurting anyone or breaking the law, and you don't wash my face in it, then I'm going to live and let live and I expect the same from you." Which, being a non-Christian non-patriot with a heavy beard whose politics are inimical to both the 75% Republican and 20% Democrat segments of the population, and who becomes very difficult when pushed in even minor ways, I truly value.

There's a lot here I cuss up and down the floor, but no place is a paradise. I like it here. I like the icy windy winters and the hair-dryer summers. I revel in the fact that we must surely be last in the state in tourism, and find it amusing. I love to walk or ride through Columbia Park. But most of all, I like that most anyplace I go, no one means me any harm, and they don't think I mean them any harm. Peace. I'm not a peacenik by any means, but I have lived places where I carried a weapon, and I didn't like it. The only weapon I carry here is a sjambok when walking the dogs, because I've had bad dog experiences and I don't plan to have another one of the same kind.

[tcres]

I love the four distinct seasons and the rivers. I also like watching the area grow. I've lived in much much larger cities but I prefer it here.

[BomberBoy]

The weather. Hardly any rain, sunny days, fairly mild winter.

Boat races!

The rivers.

Car shows.

Antique shows.

[leachz]

Very affordable! And I'm totally diggin' the weather right now ... but I'm not looking forward to the scorching heat! I think there have been a lot of really great improvements to a lot of the parks in the area, too. I actually enjoy taking my kids to the parks because they're nice, shady, pretty well maintained, and the play equipment has been updated in a lot of them. Just a few of the things I like about the TC.

[j_k_k]

Originally Posted by BomberBoy

Antique shows.

The antique shows at the TRAC in particular are exceptionally well managed. I have a good friend who has a booth at them every time, and he raves about the great job the planners do. Like this last time, when there was a (beyond stupid) monster truck competition at the same time. Equally stupid handling: cluck in disdain at the proximity of mass mouth-breathing. Much smarter handling: let the monster truck people into the antique show as well, in hopes that they'll do some shopping. The latter, of course, is what the planners did, and it paid off. They seem to make the right call every time. There aren't as many dealers? Give the ones that do come some extra space, and use the middle for a food, coffee and presentation area since it'd otherwise be empty. Excellent.

The only dealers who do poorly at the show are those who don't tailor the wares they bring to appeal to what people here like to buy; they're the ones who bring the same stuff to every show, everywhere, and hope someone buys it. Smart dealers realize that Tri-Citians want different things than Portlanders or Seattleites, and plan to sell what their customers like.

[BomberBoy]

Originally Posted by j_k_k

The antique shows at the TRAC in particular are exceptionally well managed. I have a good friend who has a booth at them every time, and he raves about the great job the planners do. Like this last time, when there was a (beyond stupid) monster truck competition at the same time. Equally stupid handling: cluck in disdain at the proximity of mass mouth-breathing. Much smarter handling: let the monster truck people into the antique show as well, in hopes that they'll do some shopping. The latter, of course, is what the planners did, and it paid off. They seem to make the right call every time. There aren't as many dealers? Give the ones that do come some extra space, and use the middle for a food, coffee and presentation area since it'd otherwise be empty. Excellent.

The only dealers who do poorly at the show are those who don't tailor the wares they bring to appeal to what people here like to buy; they're the ones who bring the same stuff to every show, everywhere, and hope someone buys it. Smart dealers realize that Tri-Citians want different things than Portlanders or Seattleites, and plan to sell what their customers like.

Yes the one at the TRAC is nice. I really like the one in the fall at the Fairgrounds. Its more than just an "antique show" so much other stuff going on, its fantastic. They also do one in Howard Amon Park in Richland that awesome too. I think that one is in a June, around the 20th.?. I won't miss that one for sure. Best part, its FREE admission! Can't be that! Plus so many cool treasures, live music, food, marketplace fruits and veggies...Way cool!