Moving to Tri Cities (Seattle, Spokane: best city, apartment, rental homes)

[dhoward24]

I am being transfered from Boise, Idaho to the Tri Cities area. Just looking for a little info. Which city seems to be the best? Any ideas on where to find good rental homes? Thanks for your responses I appreciate it.

[j_k_k]

Originally Posted by dhoward24

I am being transfered from Boise, Idaho to the Tri Cities area. Just looking for a little info. Which city seems to be the best? Any ideas on where to find good rental homes? Thanks for your responses I appreciate it.

Which city is the best depends on what you like, with the understanding that each city is very long with very different areas. You could find white bread neighborhoods in all, and white trash neighborhoods in all. So only a few general guidelines can really apply.

If civic spirit and diversity are important to you, pick Pasco.

If you are Christian, strongly conservative or both, probably pick Richland.

If you are going to be working at Hanford, pick Richland, West Richland or West Pasco. It would be really dumb to commute there from south Kennewick.

If you don't care about civic spirit and mainly want peace and quiet, pick Kennewick.

If shopping convenience is important, pick west Kennewick.

If you cook meth, pick east Kennewick for ease of obtaining supplies and pro-tips.

If you are LDS, probably pick Richland or Kennewick. (This is the softest gig ever for LDS missionaries. Some get sent to Mauretania where they have to subsist on whatever it is they eat in Mauretania. Others get sent here within easy walking distance of all the Jello they could desire. One wonders how the church decides who has to go eat cassava and sleep in a hut, and who gets to sleep in a warm bed and eat Old Country Buffet.)

If you are non-Caucasian, statistically you'll stand out less in Pasco.

If you must have a McMansion and homeowner's association Gestapo to monitor your neighbors' grass blade lengths and house color, pick west Pasco, south Richland or south Kennewick.

If you can't tolerate brain-dead driving, ask your company to reconsider the transfer. If it has four wheels and can obstruct or tailgate you in the TC, it will do so.

If you enjoy a rural lifestyle pick Burbank, Finley, West Richland or Benton City. Although some parts of Kennewick are pretty Cletus, too.

If you can't tolerate mediocrity in city government, don't pick Kennewick.

If you can't tolerate sanctimony in city government, don't pick Richland.

If you can't tolerate self-delusion in city government, don't pick Pasco.

That should help. As far as rental houses, Richland has a lot of duplexes and quadruplexes, and Kennewick is apartmentville, but you are foolish if you rent for any length of time. Housing here is fairly cheap to buy. Unless your credit rating is mud, or you plan to be gone in a year, renting here makes little sense.

Enjoy the Tri-Cities. I like it here. You may too, if you enjoy doing the things that are here to do, and you like the people who are here to meet. I do, even though I'm a bearded non-Christian non-patriot non-conservative non-conformist non-busybody, simply because people in the TC tend not to shove their views on me.

[suzannewright]

This is hiliarious j_k_k

[dhoward24]

Good Stuff I appreciate it! Its a relief to hear that people might actually have a sense of humor there. Problem with buying is I just bought a house here in Idaho 4 months ago and........ well we all know that selling isnt the best option at this time. Take care and thanks again.

[j_k_k]

Originally Posted by dhoward24

Good Stuff I appreciate it! Its a relief to hear that people might actually have a sense of humor there. Problem with buying is I just bought a house here in Idaho 4 months ago and........ well we all know that selling isnt the best option at this time. Take care and thanks again.

Don't be taken in. I'm the only one here with a sense of humor, and even then only on my better days, for example when I have just survived a Tri-City parking lot full of nimrods whose neck injuries (no doubt sustained in accidents in Tri-City parking lots) do not allow their heads to turn and look in either direction to see if anyone else might be coming. The same accidents seem to disable the ability to maneuver the right foot onto the brake pedal, but mysteriously do not impede accelerator use at all, which helps keep the accident cycle going, and good civic spirit and tradition intact.

[Moon Waffle]

I know the Boise area really well (my second home). You will find Tri-Cities a bit warmer, a bit safer, a bit more "diverse", with a lot more water and a whole lot less to do.

Don't get me wrong, it is a great place to raise a family. But in my opinion you are moving away from the best city in the country.

[suzannewright]

Originally Posted by Moon Waffle

I know the Boise area really well (my second home). You will find Tri-Cities a bit warmer, a bit safer, a bit more "diverse", with a lot more water and a whole lot less to do.

Don't get me wrong, it is a great place to raise a family. But in my opinion you are moving away from the best city in the country.

I agree w/moon waffle...I think Boise is waaaaaayyyyy better than the Tricities. We were stationed in Mt Home and spent every waking moment in Boise and LOVED it there. It's not bad here, but not much too do around these parts. I think Boise area has a lot more to offer. The only reason we are here is for my hubby's job...if he could transfer to Boise w/same pay and benefits (or more), I think we'd go back in a heart beat (atleast I would). But, for the most part, we are happy here. Kids are in good schools, we both have great jobs and the crime is good in our part of town. We own 2 houses here and since neither of us can sell...maybe we can just trade!!!

[dhoward24]

We are both really sad about moving out of this area. You have everything here a little city life, outdoors at your finger tips. We also would love to stay, but in this economy I would be a fool to pass up a promotion. Boise is the hidden gem of the west no doubt.

[suzannewright]

Originally Posted by dhoward24

We are both really sad about moving out of this area. You have everything here a little city life, outdoors at your finger tips. We also would love to stay, but in this economy I would be a fool to pass up a promotion. Boise is the hidden gem of the west no doubt.

Well, I think TC will be what you make of it. There are places we have been that I NEVER wanted to live, but once we got there...we always loved it. I don't care where I am as long as I have my family with me...and a promotion should make the move a little easier.

[vette-dude]

I originally lived many years near Seattle and actually never even heard much of Tricities through the years, heard of Yakima and Spokane not due to crime but for various activities, and picking apples in the summers in Yakima years past...Last year after visiting a family member in W-Richland, we drove around looking at some homes on the market and especially liked the many golf communities in the area and after a few mths purchased a home @ Horn Rapids in North part of Richland....nice community, for shopping, the mall is in Kennewick...if you enjoy the beauty of trees, this surely will not be of interest, it's a desert climate very hot summers, with minimal to no shade... ..