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It’s close for me. I think I would enjoy the culture in Asheville more, but the outdoors in Spokane might be slightly better for my tastes, just because the Cascades are way prettier than the Appalachians in my book.
However, I think I would still go with Asheville by a hair.
Spokane is actually closer to the Northern Rockies and Selkirks. Technically the mountains just outside of Spokane is part of the Rockies.
Spokane feels and looks very blue collar. There are some nice parts though. Winters are harsh compared to Asheville. It is also in the middle of nowhere being an equal distance between Calgary and Seattle.
Its basically barren, mountainous or hilly in many areas, and mostly a cold desert
This is basically what Eastern WA looks like. I took these while driving there for the first time.
I really think the OP meant Olympia and confused the towns. I dont see Spokane being able to stand to Asheville.
Quote:
Originally Posted by eddie gein
Those are pictures of the Palouse. Spokane is on the edge of the Palouse but isn't actually in it. Spokane has some mountains around it and has some forest and trees. Doesn't look anything like those pictures.
Nope those pics aren't the Palouse. The first one is on US-395 near Plymouth crossing the Columbia river. The second one is on I-82 in the lower Yakima valley, Third one is I-82 between Yakima and Selah.
Quote:
Originally Posted by eddie gein
Thirty or so miles south of Spokane it looks like the pictures you posted.
No, it doesn't. This is near Rockford, about 30 miles south of Spokane. It's all wheat fields and Ponderosa Pine.
Asheville. One of my favorite cities to visit. I homeschooled my kids up through 10th grade and NC is very homeschool friendly. Asheville had a very large, active homeschool group. One of the best homeschool sports programs in the state as well. The city of Asheville itself has really high housing costs. Buying Power isn't good. But Henderson, Haywood, and Madison Counties are more affordable and in are in the Asheville metro. You'll get more bank for your buck.
Asheville is more progressive and much more hippie-ish. Spokane is very blue collar and Midwest feeling. If you somehow transported Spokane to the middle of Iowa, culturally it wouldn't feel that out of place.
How so? Can you share some observations, feedback, etc.?
Maybe it has to do with expectations. Lots of praise here and elsewhere and it underwhelmed. It has more poverty than I expected. Lots of small homes that are poorly maintained. Lots of property crime. It's somewhat scenic in ways that are very reminiscent of towns in PA, but when you factor in location, it's like "what's the point?". It's ok at best. If I were to move to the PNW, I wouldn't consider Spokane.
Maybe it has to do with expectations. Lots of praise here and elsewhere and it underwhelmed. It has more poverty than I expected. Lots of small homes that are poorly maintained. Lots of property crime. It's somewhat scenic in ways that are very reminiscent of towns in PA, but when you factor in location, it's like "what's the point?". It's ok at best. If I were to move to the PNW, I wouldn't consider Spokane.
I totally agree that it's all about expectations. If you visited Spokane after years of people referring to it as "Spokompton" and expected nothing but methheads and trailer parks, you may be pleasantly surprised. If you were expecting Santa Cruz or today's Asheville, well, not so much.
The only thing I disagree with you about is the appeal of the location, though that's of course a very subjective thing. A lot of people like the look and feel of the Intermountain West, and there just aren't many decent-sized metros in the region. So, Spokane/CDA as a metro offers a lot (relatively) of urban amenities in a sparse corner of the country. It's close to Cascades, Canadian Rockies, American Rockies, Okanogan region, and other interesting landforms, from near desert to the Palouse.
In terms of look and feel, it's a lot better than it was. When we moved from CO to WA, I was insistent with my wife that Spokane would be a solid place to buy a house or two, investment-wise. It has surprisingly good bones and character, and being an important old railroad town, had a good high inventory of reasonable homes. We passed, as it "wasn't there yet" in my wife's eyes, and she was right the time, but I knew that when people were priced out of the bigger markets, it would start gentrifying rapidly. I was right, and it's now among the hottest markets in the country, along with Coeur d'Alene.
Back to the comparison, it's really like apples to oranges between these two, with quite different flavors. We left CO seeking something that reminded me of Asheville (I used to live in Western NC), and found Bellingham to be far more of a kindred spirit than Spokane. That said, given the OP's stated preference, I actually think Spokane may be more to their liking, but it's a haul. I'd suggest they give serious consideration to Roanoke, Knoxville, Greenville (SC), or Chattanooga.
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