Is Spokane a good fit? (South Hill, Colville: fit in, apartment complexes, rentals)

[movingoutofFL82]

Hi there.

We are a couple in our early 30's, no kids, love outdoor recreation, individual coffee shops, hiking, etc. We are moving from the Tampa Bay area (which we really are not fond of at all). We are basically looking for the polar opposite - more cloudy days, snow would be nice, more individual shops and restaurants, less of a suburban feel, less chains, more interesting road trips, more interesting architecture etc. We rarely go out to restaurants unless it's a special occasion. In terms of restaurants, those offering gluten-free options would be nice. We are more likely to walk around a quaint downtown and get a cup of coffee. And we definitely are not interested in having access to malls and chains restaurants. A Whole Foods/Trader Joe's within an hour and a half or so is good enough for us.

We are originally from Massachusetts, which we love but unfortunately can not move back to right now for personal reasons. We like the quaint small towns in New England, rocky coast beaches with seaglass, perfect 4 season weather, rural housing, absence of chains and apartment complexes everywhere like Tampa, people keeping to themselves more, great local coffee shops and restaurants, access to wonderful road trips, ease of access in getting to both cities and rural towns without ever feeling like it is too populated, and wonderful bike paths and hiking options basically everywhere.

Snow is definitely not a problem. In fact, the thought of going through another winter with no snow and sunny skies everyday is a truly depressing thought! Although many hate the snow, I see it as a time of the year when everything quiets down a bit and there are in general less people around and less noise! Plus, we love snowshoeing, cross country skiing, and ice skating. Proximity to all 3 of these activities is a bonus.

We work from home and can afford about 2000 a month in rent. We are looking to rent a house, far away from any family friendly suburban style neighborhood.

Never been to Washington area, although we have lived in Idaho. Liked certain areas in Idaho (Boise was great in some aspects (great bike path, lots of events, nice people) and bad in others (too suburban, ugly scenery). I've been researching the Spokane area and it seems like it could possibly be a good fit in many areas, although the rentals on Craigslist and Zillow all seem to be in suburban neighborhoods. Is Spokane too much of a cookie cutter area? Are there any rural house rentals available? If not, can you recommend any other areas nearby? Thanks for your help and I look forward to your suggestions.

[Count David]

The first half of your post screams the South Hill in Spokane, north of 29th, probably the further west the better. You also might like the older part of Coeur d'Alene near the lake, but I'd venture you'd detest anything outside of that immediate area.

The second half of your post screams northern Spokane County, Newport/Pend Oreille County, Chewelah and Colville in Stevens County, Rathdrum, or Sandpoint/Bonner County.

Stay away from Post Falls, Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake, etc. You will not like them.

Good luck!

[movingoutofFL82]

Originally Posted by David Aguilar

The first half of your post screams the South Hill in Spokane, north of 29th, probably the further west the better. You also might like the older part of Coeur d'Alene near the lake, but I'd venture you'd detest anything outside of that immediate area.

The second half of your post screams northern Spokane County, Newport/Pend Oreille County, Chewelah and Colville in Stevens County, Rathdrum, or Sandpoint/Bonner County.

Stay away from Post Falls, Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake, etc. You will not like them.

Good luck!

Thanks for the advice! I will look into the areas mentioned. Not even sure if we are choosing the PNW, but it's always a good idea to have several options.