Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
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.
No, it doesn't. This is near Rockford, about 30 miles south of Spokane. It's all wheat fields and Ponderosa Pine.
Fair enough. I stand corrected.
But those pictures don't look like Spokane or anywhere near it. What I was referring to regarding the Palouse might look more of what you see around and south of Pullman. It "starts" to look like that about 30 miles south of Spokane and as you continue there is are less trees and more prominent hills with wheat on them.
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.
Great post - I agree 100% with everything you've said here.
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.
Haven't been to Spokane, but I was underwhelmed by Asheville.
Part of it is all the hype and good marketing....one is led to believe Asheville is the boulder of the east, full of hipsters, mountains, and breweries.
Which is all somewhat true, but most mountain ACTIVITIES are 45 mins away. The COL is high without the jobs. Lots of bohemian homeless. Ugly art deco buildings in downtown and lots barbed wire encased industrial lots.
Sorry to be harsh, but I think I had too high of expectations
I would never live in the city of Asheville itself (more liberal than I want and pretty expensive). But its suburban counties (Henderson, Haywood, and Madison) are more affordable, not as extreme politically, has access to Asheville's recreational offerings, friendly residents, absolutely beautiful, and has great outdoor recreation. The Asheville metro area has one of the best homeschool organizations and sports programs in NC. I'd personally go with Asheville's suburban counties over Spokane.
Where is the best place to live and raise a family? I worry about the long winters in Spokane but I actually like it as a city. We can afford more/better near Asheville but I find it to be an annoying vibe there. My husband works remotely and we homeschool so our decision is mostly about fun outdoor things to do (we hike, bike, camp and ski), good housing and somewhere our kids will want to stick around and have their own families.
Spokane is much more isolated, though maybe you like that. Asheville is closer to larger cities and airports. Personally, I find that very important.
If you're comparing the two cities themselves, I'd give the edge to Spokane, in terms of airports. More destinations are served from Asheville, but most of them are on Allegiant, which is not a plus in my book. There is only one (!) route served by a mainline carrier, to Atlanta on Delta. Compare this with Spokane, which has mainline service on Alaska, American, Delta, Southwest, and United.
If you're comparing the two cities themselves, I'd give the edge to Spokane, in terms of airports. More destinations are served from Asheville, but most of them are on Allegiant, which is not a plus in my book. There is only one (!) route served by a mainline carrier, to Atlanta on Delta. Compare this with Spokane, which has mainline service on Alaska, American, Delta, Southwest, and United.
How about flight prices from Spokane?
Spokane - Tampa: $300
Spokane - NY: $316
How to fly from Spokane to east coast with such insane prices?
You can fly from Charlotte in case of Asheville at least.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
