Thinking of working for the Pacific Northwest Lab and Richland (Seattle: apartment, rent)

[Jason121]

HomeTeam,

I grew up (ok aged) in Richland. In the past 20 years I've lived 3 years in Seattle, 4 years in Orange County, so I can compare.

Are you single? How old are you?

If you are looking at the sum of your activity requirements to be bars, nightclubs as it seems others here have posted about, well it's certainly not Seattle or OC. But I have a good time when I go out on a weekend and know I won't find much on a Tuesday. So what?

I do not drink much. I ask about the night life because I am a good Salsa dancer and would like to know if there are clubs where there is Salsa night for example and where I can meet young ladies.

Outdoor recreation here has long-existing and active recreational clubs for running, cycling, motorcycling, alpine climbing, snow skiing, baseball, softball, basketball, bass fishing, elk hunting, etc. Lot's of tournaments going on. And lots of golf courses, easy to pro level. The clubs have different levels of skill and everyone I've ever dealt with is happy to see new people.

I don't particularly like to do much of these. For outdoors I can find something. I snowboard and windsurf. I assume either one is more than an hour away (windsurfing in hood river area?) but again these are more than an hour's drive. I can try basketball I guess... fishing I don't get the point. U just sit there and wait for the fish to get caught on your hook.

Some people will say it's a cultural wasteland. Unless you get off your butt and go see the Light Opera, the Symphony, the Players, The East Opera, the tons of very good music groups playing all over the area (try the wineries) of a variety of genre's, the Allied Arts and their sidewalk show, a nationally recognized ballet company here that attracts world-class guest dancers for their performances (some of whom are alumni of the Academy) and on and on. We have Broadway touring companies perform here and big name acts (Disturbed in a few days, Wrestlemania, LeAnn Rhimes on Jan. 31st). Hey, I saw a killer show with Jeff Dunham a few weeks ago.

Now you're talking are these activities in tri-cities? Do musicals play there? so there is a big theatre?

For pro sports we've a WHL hockey club that has sent numerous top players to the NHL (many of these players here are already drafted) who's alumni include Stu Barnes & Olie Kolzig who live here in the off season and now own the team. We have a beautiful baseball stadium hosting a Class A farm club of the Rockies. An Arena2 pro football team is based here.

I do not care for watching sports, but its good for the general atmosphere i guess.

On the weekends during the spring, summer and fall you can tour dozens and dozens of world class wineries in the Columbia Valley, Walla Walla and Yakima.

"tour" and then what? i'll try of course.

We have over 300 days a year of sun.

This is very good for me coming from MI, I would love that!

During the summer I live on the boat. We have three different rivers to play on- the Columbia, Snake and Yakima. I'll go out at 10 and tie up with friends, do a little boarding, and at five we'll dock at Cedars and sit on the deck for rum barrels.

Sounds fun! Where is Cedars? I know how to sail but is there a big lake? A river will need a motor boat, what kind of boat do you have?

During the winter, you can get up on Saturday morning, head out the door at 7am and be skiing or snow boarding by 8:30. There are numerous ski areas from within 1+ hour to 3.

Again I snowboard so this is good but this is more than an hour drive.

If you want to cruise to the big city for the weekend, you can be in either Seattle or Portland within about 3 hours.

I think ill have to do that... I like Portland, a lot of places to Salsa and great arts scene... I think I will have to drive to Portland on the weekends as the air ticket prices seem to be high.

Thanks for the info!

Tcres, you mentioned "floating down the river" what kinf of boat, if any? Thanks to you too!


I was in the area for an interview but didnt have time to check it out enough.

And guys I have another question, if i am to work for the labs (so commuting to and from is taken in consideration), where is a good place to live?

Good = within 20 minutes drive, Liberal (I am not removing my bumperstickers), and with a lot of young professionals living around? Which areas? Anything in Oregon? Or is that too far?


JD

[vette-dude]

Originally Posted by Jason121

Hi,

I have an offer from the labs in Richland, WA and considering it. I am now living in Ann Arbor, MI.

Questions:

1- The area seems remote (more than 3 hours drive to Portland or Seattle). Is there a closer city to which one can drive and get cultural and social activities?

2- If there are not many fun activities around then what is a single young guy to do in Richland for fun? Do you fly to Portland for example every now and then? Is there a nice and not too far university scene? Looking online it seems all you guys can do is go to work and come from work. Are you happy with your life there?

3- Do you worry about pollution from the Hanford site? Where is the best place to live with this in consideration (upwind upstream? where would that be?)

Please be tolerant of my questions and try to help me!
I would appreciate any input especially from young engineers working in the labs and hope for some advice.

Thanks!

JD.

The nearest large city to Tricities is Spokane, 2nd largest city in the
state and almost anything you would enjoy doing for leisure is in Spokane and Spokane Valley...now 2 separate cities..
check out the below link.

Spokane Washington Activities Guide

[MovinOutWest]

Originally Posted by Jason121

And guys I have another question, if i am to work for the labs (so commuting to and from is taken in consideration), where is a good place to live?

Good = within 20 minutes drive, Liberal (I am not removing my bumperstickers), and with a lot of young professionals living around? Which areas? Anything in Oregon? Or is that too far?

JD

The young PNL people that I know live in North Richland, mostly in the Washington Square apartments. It's about a 5 minute commute. There are lots of WSU-TriCities students there too, since that's right up the road. The Timbers apartments are about another 5 minutes away and I know a few people who have lived there as well. But pretty much anywhere in Richland or West Pasco would be within 20 minutes of PNL.

[Jason121]

I was looking at other posts in the area and I came across the bigots in tri-citry area post:

Link to post


Allow me to quote one of the bigots "Ron House":

I like people for who they are no matter what color or political persuasion. Being conservative I disagree strongly with liberal beliefs but would defend their right to their opinions. I want Tri Cities to be a haven of intelligent, friendy, religiouss people who care for each other regardless as to what the activists would have us believe. If you want to go to a place where the minority pushes their opinions on the majority go to San Francisco, L.A> Portland etc. I love it here and hope it changes very little.

WOW! What?! You have such people?! This would be a serious, very serious issue for me. This is a serious issue for America! I am a "white boy" but cannot stand this kind of, mentality. The disaster in that quote is that this, gentleman, thinks he is being tolerant! Read his quote carefully. Thank "G"od we have Obama who today repeated that this is a nation of christians, muslims, hindus, jews and NON BELIEVERS! You guys seem like you have a mini Taliban up there.

By the way j_k_k , good response but useless with these types....


Im still in shock



PS.
TriCityHomeTeam where did your post with the picture go? Thanks for that post anyway!

[tcres]

Originally Posted by Jason121

WOW! What?! You have such people?! This would be a serious, very serious issue for me. This is a serious issue for America! I am a "white boy" but cannot stand this kind of, mentality. The disaster in that quote is that this, gentleman, thinks he is being tolerant! Read his quote carefully. Thank God we have Obama who today repeated that this is a nation of christians, muslims, hindus, jews and NON BELIEVERS! You guys seems like you have a mini Taliban up there. Michigan is segrigated in some areas but nothing like this.

Ummm, you serious? There are people like that all over the US, in every city.

[Jason121]

Yes, agreed, that is why i took it out while you were responding. But also Ann Arbor is not all MI...
But still... It's not good. I think what is striking is that we do have some racism in MI but not anti-atheism...
What can I do? I am "forsaken" and love it! LOL!
In any case... Just wanted to add that to the discussion.

[exit82]

Ok I’ll take a stab at this- I was born and raised in Richland went away to college worked at “the area” for several years got a better offer on the east coast (I still work in nuclear power) and only returned to see family and a few HS reunions. I thought it was a hell hole when I lived there- but now after years of paying $10,000 a year in RE taxes, $20-30 a day to park my car after spending an hour in bumper to bumper traffic on toll roads, $7.00 to cross the bridge into NYC, I am starting to see the appeal of the tri cities- but more as a retirement area. I can’t believe people actually live in apts there when you can buy a nice house or condo for pocket change. Maybe look at it this way, live there for a few years while you enhance your resume, save money like crazy as the cost of living is ridiculously cheap- then go on to greener pastures with your wad of cash if you don’t like it–You’ll be set for life. You seem to be fixated on Salsa dancing-I just can’t speak to that- I have no idea. My kids are young college grads- I wouldn’t send them there………

PS- what’s up with the high air fare from Tri-cities to Seattle/Portland? Even hotels are high (for the area) I don’t understand that.

[j_k_k]

Originally Posted by Jason121

Yes, agreed, that is why i took it out while you were responding. But also Ann Arbor is not all MI...
But still... It's not good. I think what is striking is that we do have some racism in MI but not anti-atheism...
What can I do? I am "forsaken" and love it! LOL!
In any case... Just wanted to add that to the discussion.

The sentiments you read from the other poster/thread are slightly extreme for this area. I would say the norm is a little more tolerant than that. The norm might inwardly feel a little like those sentiments, but would rarely blurt them out or let them be a reason not to like someone.

If you really want to take the pulse of this area, read the letter column of the Tricycle Herald for a few days. Setting aside the Anti-Catholic Bias Guy and the Lyndon LaRouche Guy and the daily Evil Liberal Media Guy/Gal (usually got one of those per day, but you can only send them one letter per month, so I mentally considered them all to count as one person) and so on, that'll tell you what people here actually care about enough to write to the paper: the dams, jobs for Hanford, socialism, gays and god. It won't take long to spot the hobbyhorses.

But fair's fair. For example, when Fred Phelps's minions showed up here to do their gig outside a Marine sergeant's memorial service, they had a crowd of maybe two thousand facing them. Fred's people may well thank themselves for the Pasco Police and the Franklin County Sheriff's Deputies. That was something everyone could get together on.

As I'd hoped by throwing in a little provocative phrasing, you got several viewpoints, including some that don't consider my experience valid or representative. I get that here every time I say any of the local non-booster shibboleths (like when I bring up the sundown town business), and that's fine. Fact of the matter: some people love it here (like me) and some do not. Your initial post was almost a textbook example of someone seeking everything that's missing in Richland (which, please remember, is the place you asked about and the area that I was originally talking about). I still think you'd find this area intellectually sclerotic, politically troglodytic, nocturnally narcoleptic, and bereft of anything remotely like the vibrant areas that surround real universities, such as UW or WSU or (I'm assuming) UM. Like most areas, it never questions its fundamental assumptions.

It has grown, and there are rational reasons why. For one thing, real estate is pretty cheap. Normally you have to compromise on amenities to get houses this inexpensive. For another, there was a large building project at Hanford, which they've managed to drag out for several years. The reason we bought out house is that our rent was about to go up $300 as all the real estate companies stepped up to milk the newbies. Traffic jams here are like gay bars: you can find one, but you have to know exactly where to look, and timing counts for something. The other side of our state endures seven months of fairly consistent rain per year; we get 300 days of sunshine. It's a little warmer than the surrounding areas in winter, with little snow most years, and usually isn't the hottest local area in summer. Crime is low. It's big enough to have a bus system and three hospitals.

What you must not do is read the Tri-Cities Craigslist Rants & Raves and take it as representative. That would be where I would draw the line. I assume that every area has a fringe of true morons, and that they all flock to their local CL R&R to vent in the one place where they can get away with saying anything and abusing anyone. I have just about never seen a local behave like the CL R&R people, so I think the whole thing is about five people with real issues and inner demons. The place is like Lemonparty: amusing for a moment, but time you'll never get back and images difficult to banish.

Edit: as for salsa dancing, I have heard of that. It may exist here, but salsa eating is a lot more frequent and mainstream.

[tcres]

They have salsa dancing at the Grizley Bar in Pasco. I went there by accident one time... not my thing. I wouldn't be surprised if they have it at The Jungle in Richland either.

[Moon Waffle]

Jason, I'm a bit late to the game here, but let me give you another perspective.

If you are young, single, and like the city life, I would suggest you avoid Tri-Cities at all costs. Tri-Cities is a place for people whose idea of an exciting weekend is planting a garden or helping their neighbors put up a fence. I'm not joking here. There is amazingly little to offer a single person in this relatively large area. Reasons for this include:

1) No university (small branch campus does not count people)
2) Large retirement population (looking for laid-back atmosphere, peace and quiet)
3) Large conservative population (very family-driven, laid-back, etc.)

Tri-Cities is a great place if you fit this type of mold. If you don't, I can't think of many places worse for you. This is the type of place that does backflips when something like Sonic burger comes to town, but won't dare support the local mom & pop ethnic food joints.

I'm not trying to drive you away, just trying to prepare you for what the reality of the situation is here. I know several co-workers who are 20 and 30 something singles who know the exact amount of time it takes to get to downtown Seattle on a Friday night. When the weekend comes they can't leave fast enough.