Moving to Spokane! (apartments, rental homes, crime)

[tazzled]

I got the job that I had interviewed for (YAY!) and I relocate next month. I'm really excited about it, and also nervous.

I have been looking at neighborhoods as best as I can, and I'm thinking of settling downtown. Does anyone have experience with renting apartments downtown? Do they tend to be pet friendly? I have a cat, and myself - so obviously I wouldn't need something huge, but I also don't want a closet.

I know that my current city is rife with slumlords (unfortunately), and there are certain ones that are notorious. Are there any known slumlords that I should avoid during my apartment search?

Thanks a ton for your help!

[WendyK]

My daughter really likes the Browne's Addition area that's close to downtown. Mostly older homes that have been converted to apartments and some old apartment buildings. You should be able to find someone who will let you keep a cat, might have to pay an extra pet deposit. I don't know anything about any Spokane slumlords. It's kind of a small town and most people want to keep a decent reputation. You can find a decent 1 bd. apartment for about $400-500/month.

[tazzled]

Originally Posted by WendyK

My daughter really likes the Browne's Addition area that's close to downtown. Mostly older homes that have been converted to apartments and some old apartment buildings. You should be able to find someone who will let you keep a cat, might have to pay an extra pet deposit. I don't know anything about any Spokane slumlords. It's kind of a small town and most people want to keep a decent reputation. You can find a decent 1 bd. apartment for about $400-500/month.

Thanks!

The $400-500 range is what I have been seeing a lot of. I am absolutely astounded by how cheap the rent there is. I've been looking mostly in Downtown, Browne's Addition, Riverview, and Logan.

There is pretty much an added pet deposit, which is fine - I just don't want to have to pay both a deposit and a monthly fee. I've been really lucky in my current area to have never had to pay either.

[tazzled]

Does anyone know anything about the Chief Garry Park neighborhood?

[buyandsell509]

There are a lot of rental homes and duplex/triplexes in that area. That neighborhood is very close to the gonzaga area and everything downtown. I think location is good. There aren't many slumlords that I know of in Spokane, and none come to mind in this neighborhood. In regard to crime and other negative attributes, I think this area is similar to many immediately surrounding the downtown area. Brown's probably has slightly better statistics in that regard, but check out a crime heat map to make sure. Very good info there. Hope that helps.

[tazzled]

Originally Posted by buyandsell509

There are a lot of rental homes and duplex/triplexes in that area. That neighborhood is very close to the gonzaga area and everything downtown. I think location is good. There aren't many slumlords that I know of in Spokane, and none come to mind in this neighborhood. In regard to crime and other negative attributes, I think this area is similar to many immediately surrounding the downtown area. Brown's probably has slightly better statistics in that regard, but check out a crime heat map to make sure. Very good info there. Hope that helps.

That helps immensely, thank you.

[Yeledaf]

If your choices are Browne's addition vs East Mission/Chief Garry, it's a no-brainer -- especially for a younger person. Go with Browne's addition. It's hip (by Spokane standards) and there are little cafes and bars scattered here and there. The Garry Park area is in transition, and the movement is down, not up.

A related factor might be the location of your job. Browne's addition is within an easy walk of downtown; the Gary Park area, not so much.

You also mentioned the Logan neighborhood. That's Gonzaga University, which means drunken college kids every weekend, and grumpy oldsters who really dislike having their yards trashed and cleaning up vomit from their back alleys. Unless you're looking for that kind of action, I'd avoid it.

Browne's addition, definitely. You won't get as big a place for your money, but you'll appreciate the location once you get settled in.