New Yorker Moving to Pasco (Seattle, Kennewick: real estate, cheap apartment, for rent)

[TextMage]

Not to be any sort of prejudiced here, but unless you are, or were a New Yorker, the title will not say the same thing to you as it says to me; although being a New Yorker is kind of like being a Marine: There are folks who say "There are no ex-New Yorkers." I'm pretty mellow on a New York scale, though.

Anyway, I am moving to Pasco and I can honestly say that with the exception of one American History mention having to do with Lewis and Clark, I never even knew there was a Pasco until three weeks ago.

My Honey, who is also my wife and my Missus, just got her dream job as a bilingual GED educator at some place called Columbia Basin College. I am happy for her, but when I found out I had to live in a nuclear plant, I thought, How bad can it be, Homies? After all I grew up in the Lower East Side?

Well, enough reminiscing. We don't actually have to live at the generating plant, though after watching Homer git away with so much living at the plant might not be too bad. But all that brings me to my actual topic: We have to live somewhere.

Do any of you know where we could find a cheap apartment, or even a house for rent?

My wife wants to be near the college and the 225 bus route, so the area around 20th Avenue, Pearl Street, North Fourth Avenue would be a first preference. We have a car though and even though we would prefer to take public transportation IF you knew of someplace cheap that would be our first consideration because for at least a short time we will be supporting two households.

Crime is no problem: A good restaurant is always a plus, tho! We live next to a city called Binghamton, New York now and Pasco and Binghamton are just about the same when compared for most things.

Thank you for any advice you might give. I am looking forward to meeting at least some of you. RicH

[ProStager]

This will get you started. News, sports and weather for Kennewick, Pasco, Richland, WA | Tri-City Herald & tricityherald.com
Pasco is the least expensive of the 3 cities but you can get most anywhere in the area in about 15 minutes. For more information you might consider contacting a local real estate firm such as Coldwell Banker.

[Hemlock140]

You can buy a brand new house in Pasco for $120,000, about 1/6 of what they are here in the Seattle area. I don't know what homes cost in your part of NY but /Tri-cities is considered one of the most affordable parts of the state.

[TextMage]

Thank you. I went to the Herald site to look at the classified. I have contacted a couple realtors as well, but it is nice to make actual live contact with someone from the area. I spent most of this morning looking at as much of the FaceBook pages from Pasco as I could. I have been looking at Richland and Kennewick and from what I have seen so far there is quite a lot and a nice diversity. I'm looking forward to making new friends and seeing new places. Thankx again and Merry Christmas, RicH

[TextMage]

Hemlock, thank you as well. An expensive house in our little village would probably be about $150,000 to $200,000. Our three bedroom is probably worth around $85,000 or $90,000 now, but a similar house closer to any of our cities would start at $145,000 to $180,000. We have a little equity, but probably couldn't get it back in this market. So we will probably sublet. Most likely to someone we know.

[ckhthankgod]

Pasco has a high Hispanic population, which is something Binghamton doesn't really have. Considering the job your wife is getting, you probably knew that. Cost of living is probably about the same. If you know about the Plume in Endicott, then the Power Plant will probably be no big deal.

[M3 Mitch]

There are a lot of apartment buildings going up on Road 68. Even riding the bus, you could live in Kennewick or Richland, but the bus service here is pretty much one bus every half-hour, if that, and if you have to do a transfer, you can end up with a long, slow ride eating up 45 minutes or an hour. It is what it is. If I wanted to take the bus to work, I would try hard to find a place to stay where a single bus would take me from home to work.

The commercial nuclear plant is Columbia, they have a good safety record, back in the 50's when the Hanford straight-through production reactors were running, there was something to worry about, but not now.

Good luck with your move, you will find the COL to be much lower here.

[schvartzvald]

Lots of inexpensive housing close to CBC (columbia basin college), you and your misses would be in easy bike range in the sea of AHO homes that were built around there.

Not the best quality housing, but affordable & fairly clean.

[pw72]

Tri-Cities is the fastest growing area in the entire Pacific Northwest. I'm not familiar with Binghampton, but I would guess the areas have a similar population. The biggest difference you may find is that NY communities are usually well-established, where the Tri-Cities have really only existed for about a half century, and many don't have roots there. However, it is a great place to live, with mild winters, hot summers, lots of sunshine and a decent cost of living.

[tom99353]

I moved to the Tri-Cities in 1977 from new york, trust me, it's safer living next to the nuclear plant than it is living in new york. You will enjoy an all new freedom of life. Travel is easier and way less traffic.