Relo to PNW (Seattle, Spokane, Vancouver: fit in, job market, high school)

[Mee&Kee]

Our family moved to SE Va ( this place is the Trifecta of Hell! ) from Central OR.

Desperately looking to get back to PNW within the next year or two. We liked Bend a lot but found it more than a bit snobby. If you weren't "in" with the "in-crowd" you were not in, period. We loved the weather (dry & sunny), active outdoor lifestyle year-round, etc. Smaller town is preferable. We have a little one now so schools are a big concern and we travel a lot so w/i two hrs of Seattle/Spokane would be good.

Thanks for your thoughts!

[scirocco22]

Ellensburg, Walla Walla? How small a town are you referring to?

[Mee&Kee]

small(ish) town . . . not too picky on this point. 50K would be great but up to 500K would be OK too.

More important would be clean water, clean air, open minded folks, and good educational system. We have none of the above where I am.

[scirocco22]

Oh, ok, Ellensburg or Walla Walla would be too small then.

Spokane, or Tri-Cities? Those would be the only places that would fit into that population range on the east side of the state.

Obviously, you'd want to be on the east side of the mountains because that's where you'll see the most sun and dryness.

[AzDreamer]

I have always liked Wenatchee. There's plenty of outdoor activities. Don't know much about the job market but it's probably ok.

[scirocco22]

Originally Posted by AzDreamer

I have always liked Wenatchee. There's plenty of outdoor activities. Don't know much about the job market but it's probably ok.

Oh, Wenatchee is a good suggestion! Yes, not quite at 50,000 population but with the surrounding area, pretty close.

I think the only other place that is above 50,000 on the east side of the mountains is Yakima but I'd be hesitant in recommending the Yakima area.

[StealthRabbit]

Troutlake, WA is really small, but great schools, and 1.5 hrs from PDX (much easier airport to use than SEA and cheaper in most cases.)

Is work / employment a requirement? That will limit your choices, but... if you can handle the rain draw a circle around Portland Airport and start your search there.

Hood River would have been great but is suffering "growth" with no place to grow. It is similar to Bend, but the residents don't have quite the 'tude' that the Bend crew has gotten. OR typically has worse school funding issues than WA. Might look to Goldendale, but jobs tough to find unless you can do 'wind-power'. If you can do high-tech mechanical try this place. Insitu, Inc. - ScanEagleâ„¢, Integratorâ„¢, Insightâ„¢ Unmanned Aircraft Systems: UAV + ISR + C4I (White Salmon / Bingen)

Stevenson, WA is nice too (and they have a GREAT indoor swimming pool at the high school). It would be 'commute' distance to Vancouver / Portland (~ 40 min)