Possible move to Grandview, WA (Yakima, Pasco: for rent, crime, houses)

[eeyore3305]

Looking for any info anyone can give on Grandview, WA and or the surrounding area. We may possibly be moving to the area for my husbands work. We have two small children so would also like info on parks, preschools, dance classes....anything fun. Also interested to know about crime and safety in the area as well prices for rent or cost of living~ thanks in advance!

[M3 Mitch]

Grandview is a fairly nice little town, we live about 5 miles away from it. Several good restaurants, old but decent downtown area, newly remodeled Safeway, couple of other grocery stores. I don't know anything about schools. There are a couple of parks in town.

Plenty of houses out on acrages outside of town.

Grandview is close to I-82, one exit on each end of town, and about halfway between Prosser and Sunnyside.

There is a decent gym in Prosser, they have aerobic dance classes if that's what you are asking about.

[eeyore3305]

Thanks for the info. We have know been looking at Grandview, Prosser or Sunnyside....are they all about the same size wise? From the sites we have looked at it seems schools in Prosser did better than Grandview....but some times you never know where they get the stats. Does anyone know if any of these towns have dance class for kids? My daughter is currently in a tap/ballet class and loves it so I would like to find something similar. Thanks again for any & all info.

[M3 Mitch]

Prosser is the Benton County seat, it's a bit more upscale than Grandview or Sunnyside. Sunnyside is the biggest, Grandview and Prosser are about equal. Sunnyside has a Wal-Mart, a Bi-Mart, etc. I do most of my shopping in Sunnyside or Tri-Cities (where I work). IMHO it's a better deal to live outside of town, cheaper taxes and all that.

If at all possible make a trip out here and take a look. Each town has it's own personality and it's hard to say which you would like best. Delta frequently has specials on flights from Salt Lake to Pasco (one of the Tri-Cities), you can rent a car from there and all 3 towns are then about 1 hour's drive to the west.

[eeyore3305]

Thanks again! Waiting to get a little more info on the job front for my husband and if all still looks good I am sure we will come out and take a look around. I was a little unsure at first but starting to feel a little better about it all!

[wingedmonkeygirl]

Of the three choices , Grandview , Sunnyside , Prosser - Prosser wins by a landslide . It is a far safer, cleaner and all around more desireable area . I am from the West side of the mtns but lived in Prosser for 10 years . I still have numerous friends throughout the valley . I cannot emphasize enough the importance of actually visiting all three areas before making a choice .
Good luck !

[mizmmmama]

I grew up in the valley and lived in both Prosser and Sunnyside. I moved away about a year ago but still own a home in Sunnyside which I am currently selling.
As to which town I would want to raise a family in? Prosser would be my choice hands down. All you have to do is drive through the commercial districts of each town and it becomes obvious. Prosser is a clean, vibrant, busy little town with streets full of shops and and people doing business. It has good schools, beautiful huge oak trees that line the streets and strong community pride. It has reinvented itself to enhance the developing wine industry that surrounds the area and has secured its future.
If you go to either Grandview or Sunnyside you will see a dirty, empty commercial area and you can drive up and down those streets and not see a soul. This is particularly true in Grandview. It's sad because when I was growning up, Sunnyside used to be "the" place to go shopping if you couldn't get up to Yakima. Now there are 2 Chambers of Commerce in Sunnyside to support and improve the city but they can't get togther because they literaly don't speak the same language and neither seems willing to budge. The demographics in the lower valley is changing rapidly so you might want to check into that as well.
I'm not saying there aren't beautiful, clean, well kept areas reflecting pride of ownership in all these cities, but if you're looking for a home with a future for your family I would without hesitation pick Prosser out of the three or perhaps the rural area around Prosser.
As for your daughter's classes you may have to go to the Tri-Cities for that. Prosser is the closest to there at about 35 miles or so on the freeway.

Best of Luck!

[eeyore3305]

Thanks so much for your input. We have decided to wait until next summer to make a final decision on a move....I was a little worried after reading on the schools and the ratings. Since school and everything has started for this year, gonna hold off. I think moves are hard enough on kids I don't want to change while school is in. If we still end up heading that way, I do believe Prosser is where we will be looking. Thanks again for all your information!