Couple looking to leave So. Cal for Spokane. Sounds great in theory, but people make it sound bad? (Bellingham: fit in, neighborhood)

[JS20000]

So, did the OP ever move to Spokane or was he scared away by all the hyperbole? He never responded after the first post.

[lookintomove15]

Originally Posted by Zightning

Greetings everyone! I'm a "new user" to this site, but I've been lurking the forums for a while.

So here's the deal: my girlfriend and I have been living in Apple Valley/Victorville (Southern California) for nearly our entire lives and... well... to put it short, we despise it. The desert sucks. It's dry ALL the time, the two seasons of the year are always dry, and it's either 90-100 degrees or 30-50 degrees. Yep, only extreme summer with drought conditions, or dry cold winter that makes you hate the world. Very little rain, and snow maybe once every two years or so. It's awful. Not to mention that the scum of LA/Compton is being carted here by the dozen and relocated everywhere, so crime is abundant. I mean, multiple homicides, robberies, kidnappings, etc every day. Most people see it if they go to several places on one shopping trip. It's really sad. No jobs too. My girlfriend has applied to places all over the desert for a year, and nobody has offered her a position, yet how hard of a worker she truly is. >.< I've worked several different jobs, and as a result have managed to hold positions because of connections and experience, but without that, I too would have no place to work.

But, what makes NO sense, despite failing economy, CA's excruciatingly high taxes, and lack of a great environment to live (literally, this place has NO perks besides cool looking sunsets. Most people hate it here), rent, food, gas, etc are VERY expensive, moreso expensive than Spokane. We have done extensive research on Spokane and it's pro's and con's, but we can't seem to shake the place's beauty and allure. We LOVE snow. (yes, we are crazy. But we love warming up in cold environments. It's something we enjoy. ) And not to mention the four distinct seasons DEFINITELY has us hooked. We're used to unpleasant extreme weather and we despise it. (dry dry yuck)

What perplexes me is what so many people are saying about the crime there. I mean, we literally live in the ghetto. You can't take two steps without being harassed by someone asking for gas money, or for you to feed their children, if you're not picky about who you sleep with, etc. It's not great. Robberies happen in broad daylight, clubbed to death with their own things in their own homes, shootings abundant (and at most the schools), etc, etc, etc. Is Spokane anything near this? It sounds beautiful and peaceful, exactly what we're looking for. Nothing complicated, nothing crazy, no Hollywood or anything like that. Just a simple town to live in and start our lives peacefully. We love weather and practically worship outdoor activities (camping, fishing, skiing, snowboarding, etc etc) since we can't do much here. We're young but old fashioned, haha.

And jobwise, I currently work as a tech for Staples, but have also worked for Best Buy, a film restoration shop, and a software company. Staples pays decently well, and not to toot my horn, but I am pretty dang good at selling and fixing computers to the point where within only three months I've received two raises and promoted. I've been wondering if I could transfer out there, but I'm not sure. Are there many jobs for technicians? I have a lot of energy and I am very very good with all types of people, and I am also very good at working on all types of computers. And, this is probably hopeless, but is there any chance of starting a business there? I work on high volumes of computers here and earn staples a LOT of money, and my ability to work with people is pretty unparalleled here in the desert. I think it would be nice to run a small shop that people can rely on to have their machines tuned up by someone honest and who wouldn't snoop their data or try to scam them out of their money by making up problems to charge them with. Trust me, honesty sells and makes a lot more in the long run. (which is how I'm so successful there vs. their traditional sharks on the sales floor)

My girlfriend is looking for a job too, and hopes to find one out there, which, despite what I've heard, seems to be a lot better than what it is down here. And with her persistence and hard working demeanor, I have no doubt in my mind that she'd be successful in anything she does.

So anyone have any feedback? We really want to start over and get out of this horrible place. Spokane seriously sounds like the place we want to live. (and remember, we LIKE simplicity)

I hate to say but Spokane is MORE dangerous than Victorville.

Check it....

Victorville violent crime rate: 569.6
Spokane violent crime rate: 645.3

Victorville property crime rate: 3762.0
Spokane property crime rate: 8730.1

Victorville murder rate: 5.1
Spokane murder rate: 6.1

United States cities by crime rate

If you want a safe city I suggest you try Boise, Idaho!

[tickyul]

Washington is VERY liberal.

If you do some sort of property-crime..........well, a slap on the wrist is what you can expect.

Combine Washington's very lefty punishment for theft and property crime....with a very tweaked-out population........and wahlah, you get The spoKOMPTON.

[Yeledaf]

I am totally baffled by all the talk of violent crime in Spokane. I have lived here off and on since 1969, and the only violence I have experienced is a couple of times when some bluehairs ran over my foot while having a drag race in their electric chair-scooters in the parking lot at Rosauers.

Otherwise, it's been quiet as a graveyard. Except for the screams.

[windrunner4484]

I take it this winter wasn't representative of the normal winters in Spokane. Trying to decide to stay or go back to Virginia (which I hate) or stay here and see what happens. But if we buy a house it'll be too late.

[ceteague]

search on city data crime spokane. the average crime rate nation wide is around 300, spokane is double that,
boise is in the 200s. Oakland and baltimore are in the 1000s last time I looked. Look at the trulia web sites and drill down to see the crime blurbs, dates etc.
Believe what people say. Get corroberation from at least 2 locals (not real estate agents or sellers). And Do not believe anything anyone in Reno says at all because there are many lawsuits grinding away and many people are trapped in their homes by uncontrolled Hoas and slow sales. Look out for barking dogs. if you hear them once you can count hearing them daily.

[PS90]

Originally Posted by tickyul

Washington is VERY liberal.

If you do some sort of property-crime..........well, a slap on the wrist is what you can expect.

Combine Washington's very lefty punishment for theft and property crime....with a very tweaked-out population........and wahlah, you get The spoKOMPTON.

Have you guys seen this on Facebook? I don't know the accuracy of this, but it supports ticky's comment - I highly doubt that our state's dubious #1 attribute is due to Spokane alone, considering that 3/4 of the state's population is on the other side.

Distractify | This Map Will Let You Know What Your State Can Cheer "We're #1!" About

[jem22]

Originally Posted by JS20000

So, did the OP ever move to Spokane or was he scared away by all the hyperbole? He never responded after the first post.

I got your "hyperbole." Nice term you profiteers have come up with to characterize posters who voice the truth as opposed to realtors trying to lure unsuspecting folk to this area with their rose-colored lies or tongue-in-cheek BS. I spent the winter in Newman Lake-- a bedroom community of Spokane. Never again. The place was in a perpetual cloud of damp (yes---DAMP), dank gray cloud and mist…part of the miserable snow belt that stretches from Athol, Idaho to Newman Lake and all parts in between for months on end. These dangerous conditions lessen on descent to the Valley; however, there is always WIND making it feel even colder than it already is. It's now Spring, and still there is chronic WIND that puts a serious damper on my ability to enjoy outdoor pursuits….like walking. I regularly experience uncomfortably windy conditions in South Hill, Newman Lake, Liberty Lake, Otis Orchards, Riverfront Park, and Spokane Valley. I was in Couer d'Alene on a particularly windy day and it was just as bad there--if not worse--which kinda surprised me.

Where crime is concerned I've experienced more in Spokane County than anywhere I've ever lived. I've personally had two cars broken into and my current car has a dent in the passenger door that wasn't there when I bought it. Two hours prior to this posting I heard a gun shot (I'm in a residential area). Spokane is repeatedly referred to as the biggest little hick town west of the Mississippi and Spokomton for a reason. The white-trash element permeates much of the County and is evident in everything from corrupt local government to barking pit-bulls. People from more civilized parts of the country are often aghast at the prevalence and acceptance here of ignorance as a lifestyle choice.

You will pay a premium and drive a fair distance to escape this demographic.

[Walkaboutcda]

Originally Posted by jem22

I got your "hyperbole." Nice term you profiteers have come up with to characterize posters who voice the truth as opposed to realtors trying to lure unsuspecting folk to this area with their rose-colored lies or tongue-in-cheek BS. I spent the winter in Newman Lake-- a bedroom community of Spokane. Never again. The place was in a perpetual cloud of damp (yes---DAMP), dank gray cloud and mist…part of the miserable snow belt that stretches from Athol, Idaho to Newman Lake and all parts in between for months on end. These dangerous conditions lessen on descent to the Valley; however, there is always WIND making it feel even colder than it already is. It's now Spring, and still there is chronic WIND that puts a serious damper on my ability to enjoy outdoor pursuits….like walking. I regularly experience uncomfortably windy conditions in South Hill, Newman Lake, Liberty Lake, Otis Orchards, Riverfront Park, and Spokane Valley. I was in Couer d'Alene on a particularly windy day and it was just as bad there--if not worse--which kinda surprised me.

Where crime is concerned I've experienced more in Spokane County than anywhere I've ever lived. I've personally had two cars broken into and my current car has a dent in the passenger door that wasn't there when I bought it. Two hours prior to this posting I heard a gun shot (I'm in a residential area). Spokane is repeatedly referred to as the biggest little hick town west of the Mississippi and Spokomton for a reason. The white-trash element permeates much of the County and is evident in everything from corrupt local government to barking pit-bulls. People from more civilized parts of the country are often aghast at the prevalence and acceptance here of ignorance as a lifestyle choice.

You will pay a premium and drive a fair distance to escape this demographic.

Not everyone will like living in the Spokane/Coeur d'Alene area, many may not like the weather. But it not a secret that Spokane is only a short drive away from Canada, a country known for cold winters. There is no "miserable snow belt" as you put it. All of Eastern WA and North Idaho can experience fairly severe winter weather. What's the big deal? If it is winter in the northern hemisphere is it shocking that it might get cold, snowy, and a bit dreary? I have only experienced dangerous conditions once. Ice Storm of 1996, trees were falling everywhere and the roads were a sheet of ice.

The wind this time of year is typical for the change of seasons. I actually enjoyed walking in the wind along the lake, it was invigorating.

I have lived in Spokane and have friends and relatives there, no one that I know of has experienced the rampant crime so often described here. Also, Spokane hasn't cornered the market on ignorance, the national news assures me of that.

[ShadoAngel]

I have lived in Spokane and have friends and relatives there, no one that I know of has experienced the rampant crime so often described here.

I have extended family and friends of the family in the city as well... never heard a peep about the raging crime and drug scene from them either.