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.
Hello...Which city is more retirement friendly...I am 64 and my wife is also 64. Where are the most affordable homes/condos and is there much opportunity to rent for a while to get used to the change? How about churches as I am a choir director and would like a new choir.We will be up there first week of June so any info by then would be appreciated
Sounds like from the last 2 posts, y'all are trying to sell Spokane or something like that?
Wendy and Scott-
It's great to hear that you two are happy right where you are! I think in a perfect world, that's what we all strive for, isn't it? Internal AND external happiness....of course internal happiness, IMO, is the most important-and if one has no internal happiness, then one will not ever find 'their' utopia in a place to live.
Hello...Which city is more retirement friendly...I am 64 and my wife is also 64. Where are the most affordable homes/condos and is there much opportunity to rent for a while to get used to the change? How about churches as I am a choir director and would like a new choir.We will be up there first week of June so any info by then would be appreciated
I am going by what I have read, heard and actually saw when we just visited Spokane.
I would not say it is a 'retirement community' by any means. The median age is something like 34, and being that I now live in a 'retirement community' per se, I was on the look-out for the amt of retirees when we were in Spokane.
I have to tell you, I did not see that many 'retiree' aged. I did see MANY younger, my age and below. Lots of families w/children. The malls were not that lively but the majority of patrons were I'd say under 40 and then teens were very predominant as well, kind of just 'hanging out'.
I do, however, believe that Coeur D'Alene is attracting retired age ppl, we were talking to one couple while in Spokane that had moved to CDA for that reason....retiring. There is a lot of new construction there in CDA too, and the pace seems even much slower than in Spokane.
You mentioned 'which city is more retirement friendly'...not sure what all cities you are interested in.
Hello All,
New to the list. I've been very interested in the posts about Spokane. I'm planning on retiring next year and am looking for a place to relocate to. I did a lot of "book" work trying to find a place that would meet my needs. We love mountains, oceans, Canada, Montana, Wyoming, four seasons, smaller (we currently live, Austin, TX), cheaper real estate, lower taxes. All my book work took me to the Northwest and ultimately to the Spokane are.
In fact, we visited Spokane last December 2006 in the dead of winter and loved almost everything about it. We liked it so much, we are going back in July to scope it out again.
We found the locals very friendly, outgoing and very helpful. It helped that we knew 2 people who live there, so they were able to show us around a bit and fill in on a few things. They've been there since 1998, having also moved from Texas. One of them a real estate guy. They love it there.
Here is a site of photos I found on the web. You all might enjoy them.
One of the attractive things about Spokane is the real estate. At first when I looked at listings, I thought the houses were really small, but came to realize that houses there are on mulitple levels, most being 2 levels. Taxes on houses there are based on the footprint of the house and not square footage. Real estate taxes here in Austin are astronomical. I have a 2100 sqft 1 level house and the taxes are $6200 a year. A comparable house there would be way more than half that amount. I've seen 3000 sqft houses with taxes around $2500. The decision to move hasn't been absolutely made yet, but I am already fantasizing about sitting on the deck overlooking the valley and gazing at the snow covered mountains. (Mt. Spokane is beautiful).
It seems that downtown is slowing going through a renaissance with new buildings and new restaurants. The Davenport Hotel is amazing. Lots of restaurants in that area. There are blighted areas, but name me a city that doesn't have a few scars. Austin certainly has many.
Another plus for Spokane is its proximity to so many wonderful places. We drove over to Lake Chelan and had a great time there. Also spent a day driving over to CdA and up to Sandpoint ID. Stunning scenery. Drive the same distance here in Texas and you've gone nowhere.
I always felt very safe while in Spokane. I don't want to belabor this at all, but I looked into stats and Austin, this land of paradise where everyone yearns to move to, has a higher crime rate than Spokane. Spokane is lower than any of the bigger cities in Texas. I can't wait to feel safer!
In any case, I'm looking forward to the July trip.
I too must defend Wendy K. She is a wonderful person whom I have formed a friendship with and been fortunate enough to spend time with in Spokane. Yes, she is a realtor, but in no way has she forced her services on anyone. She gave up a whole day to take me around her city and I hadn't even made a decision as to whether to move there! We went out socially and had a fun day, no sales pitch. She is a very nice person and doesn't deserve the dig. Please, let's just stick to asking our questions and leave the emotions out of it. No city is perfect, but let each visitor make their own decisions and not get into the verbal fist fights! Ok, I'm done for now.
"but in no way has she forced her services on anyone."
Who said this about WendyK? I don't remember reading those words? No one said any 'digs' about her, it was a stated fact that you can read for yourself in the forum rules/regs. You all really need to calm down here on this board, you take things way too seriously. It's ridiculous all the attacking of my posts that have gone on. Puts me on the defensive, where I don't like to be. It's just silly, really.
We got in late Friday night or early Saturday morning and got the rental car and checked in to our hotel and crashed. I90 is certainly not in disrepair. The only thing remarkable about it might be the fact that is a bit rough from the texture of the concrete. Oh, the slight ruts you guys have in the lanes are interesting too, I've never seen those before.
Saturday we got up, ate some crappy continental breakfast at the hotel and then went exploring on foot. We wandered through Riverfront Park. Oh my goodness, you guys have such a treasure there. It's so beautiful and so relaxing and so close to downtown. Then we wandered through the mall there and some parts of downtown. That's a pretty nice mall and downtown was a little dead on a Saturday morning. We stopped in at the Heroes and Legends sports bar for lunch and to watch the Red Wings play. We also had a chance to walk through the Davenport. It's such a neat place but what really makes it a great visit is all the photos and documents they have from their history - practically a museum too.
Our afternoon was spent on South Hill just driving around randomly, looking at houses and neighborhoods. We stopped and walked all over Manito Park (definitely weird to hear it pronounced MANito instead of manEETo like I thought it was pronounced). That's a great park too. I love Spokane's commitment to its parks. South Hill is very quiet and relaxed. We kept looking for some street-corner shops but never came across any. There are some gorgeous houses there though.
That evening we walked from our hotel just north of the river to the Steam Plant for dinner. That's quite the place too, a lot of character. We walked back through Riverfront Park. With all that walking downtown at night, I never felt unsafe. There were some characters out but nothing you wouldn't find in any other city and nothing dangerous.
The next day, after another crappy continental breakfast at the hotel, we headed out to Coeur D'Alene. I don't think I can add much to what everyone else was saying about it - it all holds true. It's beautiful, the downtown is quaint and charming with lots of neat shops and cafes, the houses along the lake are beautiful. Some of those larger apartment complexes are little too much for the eyes - they just don't blend in at all.
Then we drove up to Sandpoint and had lunch up there. It's such beautiful country around there. The lakes and the trees and the meadows and the wide open spaces are something I've missed from my time spent in northern New Mexico and I was totally excited to see it in abundance around Spokane. We drove back on US 2 and got lost trying to get up Mt. Spokane but we got to explore some of the outlying areas.
We came back into town and looked around the Garland and Shadle areas. Nothing too remarkable around there from what I could see. On a whim we decided to stop in at Riverside Park and were truly amazed that something so peaceful and beautiful was just a stone's throw from town. We walked across the suspension bridge, of course.
We dined at Clinkerdaggers that evening. Good food, good ambience, great view, great mojitos. Then we went back up to South Hill and found even better parts to drive around - the Cannon Hill area.
The next morning (Monday) we had some mini donuts in Riverfront Park, laid on the grass for a bit in the sun, then revisited the Cannon Hill area to see the neighborhood in the light of day - we jumped out to grab some flyers on the houses for sale. We didn't have anything on the schedule before our flight at 5:30 so we drove out east just a bit then wandered back into town. We stopped for burgers at Dicks - a little overwhelming with all the choices and the mayhem as people were ordering and waiting and the homeless hanging out. We took the burgers back to Riverfront Park and ate on the grass. Then we thought we may as well ride the gondolas while we're here - it provides you with some great views.
That was pretty much it, we drove back to the airport and caught our flight.
Since this post has gone on for quite a bit, let me start another one to give you my thoughts and opinions about what we experienced.
The location of Spokane is very nice. I like the fact that it's right in the foothills of the Rockies. That puts it right in the pondeBullBoxer31 and only a little bit farther into the hills and you get the spruces and I thought I might have seen a few aspens out there too.
Being a mid sized city, Spokane offers all the stores and shops and conveniences that you would expect, but the fact that just outside the city limits puts you right into nature is awesome. I'm tired of the never ending suburbs of socal.
As I already mentioned, I didn't see anything bad about I90. The views from it are not bad at all. I'm not sure what you'd expect to see - interstates are rarely built to give you good views. There were some roads that had a bunch of potholes but nothing remarkable, certainly nothing beyond what you'd find in any other city. Traffic was nonexistent, wow. Oh yeah, a little unnerving not seeing stop signs on South Hill - but we had no issues.
There are too many homeless people in Spokane. It's pretty sad and I wish there were an easy solution to the problem. We were never accosted by them or hassled in any way but they were definitely around. There were some roving bands of youngsters that looked up to no good but nothing that made me want to cross to the other side of the street or anything. They seemed content to go on their way.
There were some parts of town that looked pretty rough. Just north of downtown in particular. I've seen similar neighborhoods in plenty of cities. I'm not sure why Division St. is supposed to be horrible. It's a commercial corridor like every other city has. Ugly, strip malls, chain stores... nothing particularly bad about it even if there isn't much good about it either.
Oh, we did see police around. I don't really think it matters one way or the other, but I thought I'd mention it. Interesting note: on our flight back to Seattle we sat next to Spokane's police chief. What an odd little lady...
We visited two malls. They were neither bustling nor dead. Just in between which is just fine for me. I'm tired of having to fight for personal space.
The people are very friendly. They're totally willing to chat with you about whatever.
Spokane just seems so relaxing. All the beautiful parks to wander around, all the hills and forests right there, the clean air... I could definitely see myself outside a lot more and it seems like the people that live there take advantage of it as well.
Downtown seems pretty nice. They need a few more shops and bars and coffee shops and they'll be a destination for people. I think downtown is overshadowed by Riverfront Park, and why not, it's a great place too.
Overall I had a really positive impression of Spokane. Negatives: homeless, not-quite-there-yet downtown. Positives: parks, relaxing, friendly, near so many outdoorsy things.
Hooray - interesting to read about the recent trips to Spokane! I'm happy that the negatives have been fairly few, but disappointed nobody has visited Corbin Park! It's quite lovely this time of year (oh gee, I think I say that every time of year!). I took my dog for a stroll around the park at midnight last night and it was smelling all of blossoming trees. Mmmm! I can't wait until the lilacs are out in full force.
Just thought I'd comment on the homeless again: about the suggestion to carry pepper-spray, I have thought about that and I do have a giant canister of grizzly bear spray from my Montana hiking days that I have considered toting around when I go out. I just wasn't sure if pepper-spraying people was even allowed. I agree with the previous points that the homeless here seem more aggressive than in other cities I've visited (LA, Seattle, Portland, NY, DC, Atlanta). I've seen them about in other places, but before moving here I haven't felt *coerced* or *accosted* by them as I have here in Spokane. There have been occasions where I developed involuntary tears in my eyes, I was so frightened. I don't run into them so much downtown, but more on the perimeters (there's a Perkins on Division near the bridge where, without exception, I have been confronted whenever I've attempted to enter or leave that establishment). I already do not make eye contact with them, so that suggestion unfortunately doesn't help much. Lately I just avoid places where I've had problems (which is easy to do ... Perkins Schmerkins) and only walk through those certain areas with my brave German Shepherd, or I stick to going out with a friend since they seem to pick on me only when I'm all alone.
I think the ruts on I-90 are actually pretty bad, at least when you first encounter them and aren't expecting them. I believe these are caused from studded tires used during the winter, since I seem to recall seeing warning signs on the interstate calling attention to it.
It's interesting to read the different perspectives on the city. Of particular interest to me are all the comments about Spokane being so quiet and unpopulated (ie "where are all the people?"), because to me Spokane is quite hustling and bustling, with people everywhere. But that's my small-town roots shining through, I suppose. And I still don't understand the criticism of the downtown, since from my perspective it is quite full of character and aesthetics, offering a blending of nature (lots of ponderosa and basalt) with "industrial-chic" urban. I love the old brick buildings, and the old painted-on advertisements like the Sprite mural next to the visitor's info center. To each their own, eh?
Oh ... I hesitate to tell this tale of my stupidity, but recently I went out of town for almost two weeks and forgot to lock up my house. Oops. In my defense, this is the first town I've lived in that necessitated locking one's doors, but I've been trying to improve on my Rebecca-of-Sunnybrook habits. When I got home, the door was blown open (good thing I turned off the heat), and who knows how long it was just open to the world like that, saying "Step right up! Transients, meth-addicts, makers-of-mischief -- come on in!" Of course, hearing how unsafe Spokane can be and stories about crime rates and car thefts, I was certain I had been burglered. Luckily, not even a stray cat had crossed my threshold and everything was in order. I was pretty surprised that no one had at least stolen a couple of bicycles and/or a beer. Nonetheless, I will be more diligent about locking up.
I'm not necessarily saying there aren't any people out. In fact, I'd say I saw quite a few people out and about. Lots of joggers and bike riders and people just generally enjoying a walk through the parks or hitting a couple of shops in the mall. But it's not to the crowding point which is great. Even with all those people out and about, there's still room for one or two more without feeling crowded.
Downtown has a lot of character. Those old buildings are great - I couldn't agree with you more there. I'm pretty spoiled now with San Diego's Gaslamp District and I think Spokane could achieve something similar. Put enough shops and bars and clubs and restaurants that people could spend their entire Saturday nights there just walking from place to place. I don't think it's bad as it is but I think it could be better. For all I know, there could be a few more of those places hiding in the nooks and crannies there. After all, I just stopped by for the weekend and obviously didn't get to see everything.
I'll put Corbin Park on my list of places to visit next time I'm there, for sure!
Last edited by SoupGuru; 05-01-2007 at 02:55 PM..
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.
interesting 2 last posts...
I love the old brick buildings, and the old painted-on advertisements like the Sprite mural next to the visitor's info center. To each their own, eh?
