What is life like living in Ellensburg, WA? (Seattle, Yakima: apartments, rent)

[estherg4re]

We are looking at Ellensburg, WA for my daughter to move to after she graduates from High School. We currently live in San Jose, CA. She would attend the University there in 2016. I read that Ellensburg is a College town, but what exactly does that mean? Does it mean it's a party town? A friend of my daughter in-law lives there and goes to College there and loves it. My daughter has been bitten by the equine bug since she was little and wants to take her equine with her to college. I read that you can do that too. I would buy or rent a small place with a couple of acres for her. Is it equine friendly? Would she be able to get a job working with equines?

So I want to hear from people that either live there or know about what it's like to live Ellensburg, WA.
It would be great to hear from people that attend the college and what that is like too.

Thanks!

[Prple]

Its a friendly small college town with a laid back country vibe. I love the weather there as it is sunny yr round and experiences the four seasons. It is very windy though. Imo, there is a fair amount of partying that goes on among the college students. I'm guessing that there would be plenty of oportunities to work with equines but idk for sure.
Ellensburg has a farmers market, and plenty of stores and restraunts etc, even though it is a small town.

[PS90]

Ellensburg is the home of the Ellensburg rodeo, which is the biggest in the state. Happens every Labor Day weekend.

Because of the rodeo, Ellensburg is home to tons of stock contractors, rodeo cowboys, and horse people. I can't say how much dressage and jumping and other English-related disciplines are available around there, if your daughter is into that stuff, but I would assume that, simply due to the horse concentration in that area, she would be able to find plenty of equine stuff to do.

Outside of the rodeo, Ellensburg is a nice little college town, with a slightly liberal vibe due to Central, but otherwise a little mostly-conservative "western" town with decent weather. It is higher in elevation than, say, Wenatchee or Yakima (also in central WA), and is therefore slightly colder. And, as the last poster mentioned, it is pretty windy, but you get used to that.

[CrazyDonkey]

There are stables and riding ranches in the Ellensburg area where she could board her horse - that could be less expensive than buying a house/acreage with a stable, and allow her to spend more time on school and less on horse-tending.

https://www.google.com/maps/search/h.../data=!3m1!4b1

[PS90]

Originally Posted by sabino1

Central used to have a college rodeo in the spring but I dont think they have one anymore. Ellensburg and Kittitas County is pretty "horsey" once you get outside of town. I have often thought there are more horses than people in the rural areas. For quite a few years the John Wayne Trail running through the county has been an attraction for riders. Some will do multi-day rides along the old Milwaukee Road trail which is about 200 miles long. In September the Rodeo and Parade bring summer to a close. The parade is really something with all the horses and different clubs. My favorite might be the Yakama Nation. Every year a number of their riders will travel with their horses more than 50 miles over the hills from their Reservation to Ellensburg.

The biggest attraction now for riders involved in competition is the Washington State Horse Park which stays busy from May through September with various events and competitions. Its not in Ellenburg though but 22 miles away in Cle Elum.

Central would be comparable to some of the second tier schools in California like Humboldt State or Chico although a little rougher around the edges. Ellensburg is a college town but doesnt really feel like one.

The wind is something else. A clue is the 200 wind generators dotting the hillsides. There would be more but they have excess generating power as it now stands. The only escape from the wind is living downtown Ellensburg.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sahQZ8IU2cA#t=98

When did the Horse Park get done? I guess I'm out of the loop, since it was just an idea and some torn-up ground for years. Good to hear that it's being used now, though.

[estherg4re]

Thank you everyone with all the helpful information. We will definitely take a trip to visit.

[spiritbear928]

I have some perspective as I have lived in many places and have been in Ellensburg for nearly 3 years now. Lived in Seattle for a while before that but originally from the midwest

1) Ellensburg is very much a small town. It feels bigger than it is due to CWU but in the summer you will see how small it really is. I dont know California much to compare it too but I now see Wenatchee and Yakima as big cities

2) We have real winters but not like the midwest. The wind is what people talk about but what i have noticed is wind in the spring and air stagnation in the winter. Generally pleasant weather. A bit hot in the summer

3) The Seattle freeze extends over the Cascades. Like the rest of the NW, people here seem friendly yet standoffish and introverted. To me that is OK. I still have not found a circle of close friends yet I get along with many people. In many ways I believe this is due to our proximity to Seattle and the fear among the locals that this will become a suburb of Seattle (though that is unlikely due to a substantial mountain pass in the way)

4) I feel very very safe here. I did not in Seattle (which is safe for a big city) This seems like a good place to raise a family.

5) Ellensburg is a politically bipolar town with conservative leanings but does not seem to have a lot of moderates. Hard core lefties due to the college and tea party level righties (multi generation ranchers). Its a weird place where college and cowboys collide

6) The rodeo is a big deal and you better at least pretend to like it.

7) If you want to anger people here, go around telling everyone how great the "We(s)t side is:" Major rivalry

8) Seattle is two hours away, Yakima a city of 80k is 45 min. But in the winter you can get isolated due to mountains. They do keep the highways decent but in a storm that pass is scary.

9) If you do move here, be wary of apartments near CWU unless you like parties and lots of them.

10) Its Its beautiful here. Mountains, desert, forest, we got it all

Having said everything, I love this place. Just know what you are getting into

[elkotronics]

I dare say that that was the best summarization of Ellensburg I have ever read!

[PS90]

Originally Posted by spiritbear928

7) If you want to anger people here, go around telling everyone how great the "We(s)t side is:" Major rivalry

Ain't this the truth. And it's pretty much everywhere in Eastern WA. I have now lived in Eastern WA for 40+ years. I did, however, live in Western WA for 4 years, and it has been over 7 years since I moved back to the east side of the Cascades. But all my friends still try to irritate me by calling me a Coastie or Westsider. They're almost dirty words over here.

[elkotronics]

PS90 my wife and I are moving to Moses Lake in early February. I was born in Seattle and raised in Edmonds but have been living away from Washington since May of 2003. Interested in seeing what Moses Lake living is all about. Might have ta buy a kayak and hitch it to the top of my Kia Soul and find a good place ta dump it in the lake.