Nice video about Moscow, ID.

[nwprof65]

Thanks for calling me on my imbalanced reviews. I appreciated your comments.

Regarding service, I guess because Moscow has more national chains like UPS and other mall stores, I expect service people to be better trained. But because students do not have a vested interest in their temporary, part time jobs, there is no reason for them to meet or exceed expectations and no reason for the business owners to invest in training.

In Orofino, there is peer pressure to take care of customers. The Hallmark store owner has a local employee and she has lived here all her life and maybe she takes better care of her customers because she knows them and their families, as a example of why service here may be better here.

As to medical, we went to Spokane for a bit and established ourselves with a major hospital, where we will go for annual and if necessary, for health reasons, we will move there to be treated for a life threatening illness. I have been watching the Lewiston Hospital making some positive strides to position itself for advanced care and we may transfer there, when the time comes.

You are right; the natural beauty of this valley is captivating and maybe I do ignore more serious problems because of it. I know some people love the rolling hills of wheat farms, outside of Moscow and the changing light is great for photography but we live across the street from the river; we experience the smell and taste of it and feel closer to nature. A family of deer graze in our backyard and walk around Orofino streets; a partridge family also appears in our yard and wolves and elk and cougar live just a few miles outside of town.

It's hard to find a nice rental in Moscow and the same is true for Orofino. Here, most people with money, own property in the surrounding hills and build custom homes. I see Moscow surrounded by large farm parcels and not too many rentals or building sites outside of town and certainly, no wildlife. We were lucky that we were wanted here and a nice little restored house was made available to us.

Moscow (because of it's higher elevation) gets more snow and is about 10 degrees colder than Paradise/Lewis & Clark Valleys. However, ice on Highway 12 is a problem and if we need to travel, we'll get on the Appaloosa Express and for $2. will ride in a heavier vehicle on a clear winter day to Lewiston With a transfer, we can ride the Lewiston or Asotin bus free. We cannot get to Moscow, unless we take the Appaloosa to N. Lewiston Shell and wait 2 hours for the Northwest Trailways to Moscow and that's a little expensive.

Moscow has excellent bus service for free but stopped it's route to Pullman a year ago last spring. Being dependent on public transportation, I felt somewhat trapped in Moscow, although there is a once a day Northwest Trailways bus.

Moscow has more college partying; Orofino has 3 in town beer bars, in addition to the VFW and Brass Rail and The Edge watering holes and 2 liquor stores; that many seems like overkill for a town with 3,100 people. I suspect there are too many drunks on the road around here and since we rarely drink, we know it's going to be a challenge to create a social life.

As for schools, we are retired and not doing any research into schools but I will take your word for the quality of schools being better in Moscow. If I were a parent with school aged children, I would home school them anyway to avoid their exposure to drugs.

Downtown Moscow is noisy during school months; downtown Orofino is very quiet all the time.

Downtown Moscow stores are more successful but some restaurants close or go out of business in the summer, with a lower population. Orofino has many vacant storefronts with and "iffy" future.

Whereas we could not drink water from the tap in Moscow, we relish the good tasting water in Orofino; for us, clean drinkable water from the faucet is much preferred.

Moscow is 4 times more populated and has more shopping opportunities. We are not mall or big box store junkies and I would rather shop online; it's less tiring. But I remember the Moscow Mall being a place to people watch and sit in a massage chair for a pedicure.

Thanks for reading this. I would like your comments about your comparisons and if we need to open a new thread...ok with me.

[Keim]

I agree with most of what you said above. Orofino really is a nice little town. I could easily picture myself living there.

I think you will find the economy a bit rockier than Moscow. Orofino does have a diversified economy, but it is still largely ag. Moscow, of course, is very dependent on the U of I. That steady (ish!) income means our economy tends to be more stable.

I agree that most people in Orofino with money build a home out of town. The quality of homes in town there struck me as very poor and/or old. I have seen nice ones on the hills. Moscow has decent diversity in housing opportunities in town. The U does keep rents high. A small apt. will go for $500 or more per month. However, there is a good amount of housing tucked in the beautiful Palouse hills and on Moscow Mtn. Probably more than you realize.

Orofino does have more wildlife in its immediate environs. But Moscow doesn't lack here. I have seen elk, deer, turkey, moose, etc a few miles out of town. We even had a moose in town a few months ago. I suspect you see more in Orofino due to your proximity to the river.

City-Data shows Orofino to have a substantially higher crime rate (though both are below the national average).

It is unfortunate you didn't experience the "good" well in Moscow. Water from my tap is very good.

Long story short: I like them both!

[joryjim]

NWPROF is one of those people who find fault with everything and like to do nothing but complain. Moscow is better because NWProf isn't there.

[Keim]

Whaddya know... Moscow was just listed as one of the best places to raise kids in 2013 by Businessweek: The Best Places to Raise Kids 2013 - Finding the Best in Small Towns - Businessweek