Spokane: what do you know about it ? is it better for most than Olympia ?

[devosays]

If the OP still is interested, we have a pretty similar objective opinion from the coast vs. Spokane, not really Olympia.


Wife was born and raised north of Seattle, the burbs back then, now just as overrun with folks as anywhere from Arlington to Lakewood and east to Issaquah. We moved to the Midwest 14 years ago and this past summer went back to Seattle and visited Spokane because we decided on a potential move back out west.


We decided that anywhere and I mean anywhere from Olympia to Bellingham was far too close to Seattle and I5 than we wanted to be, love the area, but it was worse than I remember driving during non rush hour. It took us 15 minutes to drive a mile to the grocery story, a half hour to drive from Edmonds to Shoreline and don't get me started about driving from SeaTac to the north end. I can't say enough about how the area has been over populated to the point of looking downright ugly, if Mount Rainier wasn't there one might go crazy looking at people and houses stacked on top of each other. We visited Bellingham and loved it, but the drive up I5 was like rush hour traffic on a weekday mid-afternoon, not bumper to bumper, but a hell of a lot of cars going both ways all the damn time! I can't imagine the Olympia area is going to remain a satellite much longer, it will be sucked into the burbs and with the Socialists in Seattle and the State government in Olympia, watch out, the taxes and prices of everything in Olympia will sky rocket when Seattle lays claim. Rambling on my soap box, sorry about that...


We then left the peace and quiet tranquility of Seattle (JK) and drove Hwy 2 across the state to Spokane for 4 days of exploring and looking at houses. I must say this; I hate interstate driving, 80 mph with every other jack wad on the road trying to get somewhere faster than the next person. The drive on Hwy 2 was probably an hour longer, but well worth it imo, a great upfront view of the landscape changes, the small towns, the dirt devils or whatever they are called and a whole lotta nothing, heaven to me, hell to others. Take I90 if you are in the latter bucket.


We spent those days downtown at one of the Davenport hotels, we are not snobby, but we wanted a clean safe room and a fresh start to our trip with no worries, we had read negative reviews about downtown and were just playing it safe. I was more than a little shocked at the very bad forum posts and general disgust from many on downtown Spokane, it is like many other city centers I have been to, and I have been to hundreds. It surprised me a bit, it was a lot more up and coming than I thought it would be, lots of trendy bars and eateries and shopping if that is your thing. Yes the homeless and the vagrants wandering around near and around the bus stop and on corners near the 90 on/off ramps is something to see, but only once did one of them ever even notice us, and he was a happy go lucky drugged up hippy dude dressed as a pirate running around playing his guitar trying to pinch a buck, those of you who live in Spokane may know of him... lol, Downtown didn't scare us away.


We visited lots of neighborhoods from north to south to east and west of town and really loved most of what we saw outside of the city limits of the Valley and Spokane. Yes, there are ugly parts, mostly retail and industrial hubs that are eye sores or outdated and even quite a few empty old buildings/shacks that should be dealt with if it were hurting someone, but all it hurts is property values and the people that live there don't care enough to mind if you care! So let it be...


We ended up buying a house and now live on the east side part time until we can permanently move out west this summer, I am out quite a bit and when I am, I feel at peace just about everywhere, especially when we get out of town. We really love Idaho too, although I stand by buying in WA for a few reasons I won't get into. I am eagerly awaiting spring and summer, we visited last August and it was 90 and almost 10% humidity, perfect weather imo, too bad about the wildfires and I am glad this winter has brought lots of rain and snow, should give mother nature a good kickoff to spring and with a little luck and some more rain, fires stay away in 2016. I have asthma and didn't need my inhaler when we visited once. FYI...


Thanks for listening, have a good day.

[LePetomane]

If some one were to ask me what is the one thing you liked most about this side of the mountains I would have to say that: It used to be back in the early 80s when we moved over here from the coast, that you could start middle Spokane city center, and drive for 10 minutes in just about any direction, and be out in the country.....really out in the country. Fast forward to today, and it jumps from 10 to maybe 15 minutes to get out of town but not in most directions anymore, some parts would take about 20 minutes. Try and do that in Seattle , and Spokane is a nicer city now than it was then except for the scandalous Hun that did away with Cyrus O'Leary's and a couple other long time favorite eateries, Thank God the Spaghetti factory is still here!


We used to like to visit Seattle, but the moment I descend out of Issaquah on 90 west bound, that old familiar ulcer starts acting up, my skin crawls, and bad words leak out of my mouth, and I wonder what's the deal? But then I remember that someone once told me that Seattle wanted to be the next SanFrancisco in the worst way....seems they succeeded. I'll stay here...forest fires and all.

[devosays]

LOL if you tried that in Seattle you wouldn't make it to the highway entrance in less than 20 minutes unless you live underneath it...

Seattle vs San Francisco, can you imagine the liberal minds exploding over which has more socialists, homosexuals or homeless? No my town has more gays, no my town has more homeless, no my town has higher housing prices. And the left loves to talk about income inequality, no better way to force out the poor than to make living in your town too expensive for anyone but elite government and university douche bags!

[LePetomane]

Well....not sure exactly how to comment on the above...but; I'll say this, that keeping a city's infrastructure updated and modern is a good thing, and it does not need to cost a bazillion smackys either, if a city has good honest management. Spokane does some good things, and then there is city government........Ya know, here's the dealy-o; it seems to me that Common sense has become like a superpower, reason being is because, at least to me it seems like almost no one has it anymore.
It would be nice to see things done that really make good solid sense for everyone, and not just for big business or Government and universities. And I don't really care which side of the political spectrum a person is on, because as Forrest Gumps momma always said..., stupid is as stupid does. And there is way, way too much of that anymore....and seemingly everywhere.