Thinking of moving to Spokane - visiting in mid-Feb (Seattle: for sale, insurance)

[socofam]

Originally Posted by TrafficCory

This isn't the place for you.

And you earn it by being intelligent enough to know that weather changes and three days in February do not define an area year round.

Or perhaps just go somewhere else...sunny all year round is ---------> that way *points to SoCal*

Geez. I am certainly intelligent enough to know that 3 days do not define an area year round. But thanks for that. I have been watching their (your) weather for a couple months now, watching live cams around town to see what it is, and reading about the weather. No, 3 days does not define an area year round. But when the city of Spokane boats over 260 days of sunshine a year, and in speaking with others about the area who say that the whole cloudiness thing is a myth, when I go there for a weekend and it was dark and dreary, YEAH, it gave me pause. But thanks for your helpful comments. I don't need sun year round AT ALL and thank you very much but I do not need to go to any part of Cali.

[Count David]

Originally Posted by socofam

I don't need sun year round AT ALL and thank you very much but I do not need to go to any part of Cali.

To be brutally honest, if you have that attitude about anywhere, you might want to rethink this whole moving out of Colorado thing. If you don't have an open mind, you may have already made your mind up without knowing it.

I don't disagree that Spokane comes off as run-down or drab to most eyes, and that in comparison to Denver (which is a thriving metropolis, and everything Spokane is not) it may not measure up by many respects. When I travel between Spokane and Denver, I have the complete opposite experience. I see Denver as a smog-filled overly-trafficked mess with stunted trees (and not very many of them) and painfully dry air. When I go to Spokane, I have an almost religious experience, like I had just entered the gates of a heavenly land.

As you see, it's subjective, and no place is for everybody.

Signed,
A Californian, a Washingtonian, and a Coloradan (all the same person, me)

[jungleboogie83]

Originally Posted by socofam

I'm really interested to hear what you think of the area when you visit, Jungle. We were there this past weekend for the first time, a kind of introductory visit to get a feel for the place ourselves. We are from Colorado and am considering moving up there. But I have to say, I was disappointed. It didn't help that it's in the dead of winter and Friday and Saturday was overcast and just plain gloomy feeling. Sunday, there was considerable fog in the morning, but that lifted to sunshine, so that did help, but overall, the city just felt kind of run down and dirty to me. It didn't leave that feeling with my husband, so we are now debating it. All I know is when we got out of the airport in Denver, it really overtook me how much nicer it seems here.

Anyway, be sure to report back with your thoughts.

I'll definitely let everyone know my thoughts after visiting! However, I do want to say - I have been to Spokane many times. I have played in Hoop Fest a couple times. I also had a friend that went to EWU so I went to visit pretty often. I am from the Seattle area - so it is not too difficult of a drive. It has been a number of years since I have been there, though. Living in the Seattle area - I'm quite used to gloomy days. One thing that excites me about Spokane is there is at least a possibility of seasons. I want my kids to experience that. When we get 2" of snow in Seattle (once every 3 years) - we cancel everything and try to do everything we can to get the kids outside to enjoy it before it melts in about 2 hours.

I know any city can have parts that are run down and dirty - I mean... Seattle looks like that all over! I'm more curious how it feels in some of the surrounding neighborhoods. The cost of living is about a third of what it is in Seattle - so I don't expect paradise. We just want to take a look around and see if we think it could be a place where our kids can flourish. It won't be our only visit - and our decision is not going to be made from spending 1 weekend in Spokane. That is the nice thing about being able to drive.

[devosays]

I won't get in the middle of the weather debate, we recently bought a home in the area and I find it ironic that we visited for all of three days, well 4 technically, but the 4th day was fly home day. Anyway, we loved it, it was warm and sunny and some will say never choose a place to live by the weather when you visit, or never just visit in summer. But my wife was born and Raised in Seattle and I spent 6 or 7 years there too, so we know that it is a long dreary winter, sometimes with snow or sometimes with rain and cloudy days out number sunny days too, but the views of the mountains we get on the east side are spectacular even when a bit overcast and the fog rolling between the hills and valleys is something special. I love a cloudy day, not 3 weeks in a row, but I do really find the beauty in the rolling clouds of fog too. But boy the spring pops and the summer in the inland NW in my opinion is long and perfect! Low humidity and warm!

I will also comment on this winter, yes November winds and rain, December winds and snow and a lot of it. But funny story, I was out in late December for my monthly 1 week visit and I contemplated buying a snow plow, I found the perfect one near the airport, one of the last 30"+ 300+cc engine blowers left in the whole area... I decided against it at the time, and was that the smooth move, the snow at the house is almost gone and it already is warming up quite a bit in February, your winters are shorter than ours in Wisconsin, we are in single and (-) double digit wind chills this week... Screw that, get me out of here!! We should be full timers in WA here in a few months, cannot wait!

[PS90]

Originally Posted by David Aguilar

To be brutally honest, if you have that attitude about anywhere, you might want to rethink this whole moving out of Colorado thing. If you don't have an open mind, you may have already made your mind up without knowing it.

I don't disagree that Spokane comes off as run-down or drab to most eyes, and that in comparison to Denver (which is a thriving metropolis, and everything Spokane is not) it may not measure up by many respects. When I travel between Spokane and Denver, I have the complete opposite experience. I see Denver as a smog-filled overly-trafficked mess with stunted trees (and not very many of them) and painfully dry air. When I go to Spokane, I have an almost religious experience, like I had just entered the gates of a heavenly land.

As you see, it's subjective, and no place is for everybody.

Signed,
A Californian, a Washingtonian, and a Coloradan (all the same person, me)

Awesome post.

Originally Posted by jungleboogie83

I am from the Seattle area - so it is not too difficult of a drive. It has been a number of years since I have been there, though. Living in the Seattle area - I'm quite used to gloomy days. One thing that excites me about Spokane is there is at least a possibility of seasons. I want my kids to experience that. When we get 2" of snow in Seattle (once every 3 years) - we cancel everything and try to do everything we can to get the kids outside to enjoy it before it melts in about 2 hours.

Totally, agree. Compared to Western Washington's weather, Eastern Washington is paradise - four seasons, minimal drizzle-y days, lots of hot days and quite a few cold, snowy, clear days. But compared to the Southwest (CO included) there is a ton of overcast, gray, gloomy days in the winter. That doesn't just happen in Spokane - the overcast winter days are true of pretty much all of WA, most of ID, most of Western MT, and most of OR.

[mistyriver]

Originally Posted by David Aguilar

To be brutally honest, if you have that attitude about anywhere, you might want to rethink this whole moving out of Colorado thing. If you don't have an open mind, you may have already made your mind up without knowing it.

I don't disagree that Spokane comes off as run-down or drab to most eyes, and that in comparison to Denver (which is a thriving metropolis, and everything Spokane is not) it may not measure up by many respects. When I travel between Spokane and Denver, I have the complete opposite experience. I see Denver as a smog-filled overly-trafficked mess with stunted trees (and not very many of them) and painfully dry air. When I go to Spokane, I have an almost religious experience, like I had just entered the gates of a heavenly land.

As you see, it's subjective, and no place is for everybody.

Signed,
A Californian, a Washingtonian, and a Coloradan (all the same person, me)

My son-in-law agrees with you and he's a native Coloradan. He and my daughter chose to live on the South Hill

I've lived in a lot of major cities or outside of them in my life, and I have yet to see any city that is beautiful everywhere or that doesn't have a lot of a grimy underbelly, and it's usually along the freeway.

Not sure if looking anywhere other than maybe Arizona or Florida in February is a really good idea or a really bad idea. I can tell you that house hunting on the South Hill in full autumn is a pretty breathtaking experience, especially for a former northeastern who misses the fall colors. Some of the same streets with gorgeous old homes under brilliant fall leaves look pretty depressing on a dreary winter day.

[devosays]

Originally Posted by David Aguilar

When I go to Spokane, I have an almost religious experience, like I had just entered the gates of a heavenly land.

As you see, it's subjective, and no place is for everybody.

Signed,
A Californian, a Washingtonian, and a Coloradan (all the same person, me)

Totally agree, I get giddy when flying in and when I am heading east out of town I get damn straight peace and tranquility flowing through me. If you cannot see past the inner city to the beautiful inland NW and all it has to offer, stay away!

I have been to Denver quite a few times, I hated it. I think most of the town and North, East and South look like the moon, no trees and rolling hills that gave me vertigo.... Sorry, but Spokane (Valley) with even its ugly areas of Industry and run down houses and abandoned retail is easy to stomach, just look up, North South or East and you see Mountains and trees.... Just my two cents.

[TrafficCory]

Originally Posted by socofam

Geez. I am certainly intelligent enough to know that 3 days do not define an area year round. But thanks for that. I have been watching their (your) weather for a couple months now, watching live cams around town to see what it is, and reading about the weather. No, 3 days does not define an area year round. But when the city of Spokane boats over 260 days of sunshine a year, and in speaking with others about the area who say that the whole cloudiness thing is a myth, when I go there for a weekend and it was dark and dreary, YEAH, it gave me pause. But thanks for your helpful comments. I don't need sun year round AT ALL and thank you very much but I do not need to go to any part of Cali.

Um, my apologies I re-read my post and do come off as a dick..so again, I apologize.

[elkotronics]

Um, my apologies I re-read my post and do come off as a dick..so again, I apologize.

Perhaps you just feel passionate about your views or opinions sometimes. Nothing wrong with that, I mean, it's just one reason everyone loves Barbara Walters, right? Hee-hee. Right.


No, TrafficCory, I'm not comparing your writing style ta Bawbwa Wah Wah, either.

[ssincity]

boogie you say your wife does INS. Mine does also mainly P&C and we are and have been looking to relocate to PNW Spokane area. If you would msg me and let us know how the INS job market is out there.

Side note to PS90 hey man my shop just got in about 50K of ss 197 and 30k of ss 198 gotta love it!