If I don't like Seattle - will I like Spokane? (Vancouver: fit in, real estate)

[CityGirl72]

I'm from Calif - I moved to Seattle three years ago (those who have seen my posts know my back story)

In my husband efforts to not move us back to CAlif, he's now looking at Spokane (I like allot of heat , but I lived in snow too, I'm okay as long as it sunny)

Seattle is too cold and blah for too long, I'd like some changes of seasons

I'd also like FLATNESS, I not into feeling so closed in with all these hills

But I don't know If I'll feel isolated in Spokane...and the jobs? We can easily afford a house out there....

I'm already feel too far away from my parents (Palm Springs ) and my friends (Sacramento)

I'm afraid I'll feel even more lost

[CityGirl72]

Not really the answers I was looking for - maybe some Spokane (of calif replants?) people can give me their take?

[escapetacoma]

Originally Posted by CityGirl72

Seattle is too cold and blah for too long, I'd like some changes of seasons

You mean Nasty and Nastier aren't sufficient changes?

I'd also like FLATNESS, I not into feeling so closed in with all these hills

Spokane is flatter but that's not saying much. It's still not really flat but I like the mix.[/quote]

I'm already feel too far away from my parents (Palm Springs ) and my friends (Sacramento)

I'm afraid I'll feel even more lost

ExpressJet direct to Sacramento, Alaska direct to Palm Springs. Really it's hard for anyone to say how you'll feel about the move. If you get outside more (more sun) then you're likely to feel less isolated in general, but you really won't be any closer to friends and family.

[scirocco22]

Man, it's weird, CityGirl. I know exactly how you feel.

It's the first time I've heard somebody say they felt closed in with the hills. That's the way I felt. I like to see a lot of sky. I love vistas where you can see way off in the distance ...the feeling of openness. Plus there's so many trees that cover the sky in western Washington. That's why I like a lot of places in the desert. The last place I lived in the Seattle area, I saw very little sky at all and that was depressing to me. That, on top of all the gray days.

But yeah, I feel Spokane has a lot more openness than Seattle. Spokane itself isn't quite a flat as some of the surrounding areas to the west of the city but not real bad either.

And you're right, the cost of real estate is quite a bit less.

Yes, you will see more of the sesonal changes there. It's definitely drier than Seattle with more sunny days. You are going to get some bone chilling weather in the winter though. Although I've never actually lived in Spokane, I remember visiting friends there one winter and remarking that temperatures near zero is not something that I'd want on a steady diet. Luckily it doesn't get that cold often but something that you'll have to keep in mind. Everybody seems to get around well in the snow there though, not like the Seattle area. It's a dry snow and that combined with less hills makes it much easier to drive in.

Spokane is a little more to the right politically than Seattle and much less diverse in its demographics but I don't know if that's a factor for you.

Keep us informed on your decisions! It will be interesting to see what you decide.


Thanks.

--'rocco

[Dangerouskurvz]

I am from California, and my parents retired in Spokane. I have been there several times to visit. Yes it snows and gets very very cold in the winter, but summer is warm and dry. There are lots of lakes so you still have water access...but stuff is pretty spread out ( compared to california)

I have read many of your previous posts. You might like it there..it is not as humid as I believe Seattle to be.

I wont live there because I dont want to deal with a lot of snow...I dont think Seattle has as much as Spokane..and the heat makes me miserable.

[99203]

CityGirl, It sounds like your question has 2 parts, will you like Spokane and would that make you feel better about being away from family and friends.

I moved back to Spokane after several decades in CA, so I knew what I was getting into. I'm really happy here, it's physically very pretty, open feeling, and the people are warm. I love the seasons, the winters aren't too bad and the spring, summer and fall are wonderful. People are much more conservative than I am used to, but I've met a lot of liberal people too, especially on the South Hill where I live.

But I moved back partially because my family is here and I realize how important that is. I'd be willing to bet you would feel isolated here too. It takes a while to make new friends, having a connection right away helps you get through that.

[Evlevo]

I lived in Sacramento for about 2 years, and I also lived in Pullman, WA (home of Washington State University) for about 2 years. Pullman is about 70 miles south of Spokane and has similar weather (but more hills); I would also frequently visit friends in Spokane (also, it is the only city with a permanant population above 10,000 for about 200 miles). I also spent quite alot of time in Yakima, Wa for the USMC reserve (Yakima is halfway between the two, but similar weather since it is east of the mountains).

As soon as you cross the Cascade Mountains, the weather will change drastically. There is a lot less rain, and a lot more sun. I would say that the sun/rain level is very similar to Sacramento, if you had less flooding in the winter and the occasional rain shower in the summer. You also will not have nearly as many "foggy/cloudy all day but no rain" days that tend to get people depressed (again, similar to Sac).

Being away from all the water of Puget sound will give you a wider seasonal temperature range (i.e. colder winters and hotter summers). For the most part you will have normal seasonal ranges, but occasionally it will have a drastic change (like a -30 degree cold snap in the winter, or snow in June). The "oddball" stuff is fairly rare though, and when it hits it passes quickly (1/2 a day to maybe 3 days).

The biggest difference is going to be the population/city amenities. Spokane will have pretty much everything that you need (retail stores, medical svcs, etc) and even a decient amount of "luxuries" like fancy restaunts and country clubs (the city was even host to a "World's Fair" in the 70's - and I believe it is the smallest city to have hosted the fair), but it lacks some of the "big ticket" items like professional sports (or even major college sports), an international airport (outside of a puddle-jump flight to neighboring British Columbia) or a large arts/theater community.

Essentially Spokane is 1/2 the size of Sacramento, and with no surrounding suburbs. It will allow you experience much of the "Montana/Wyoming" type of lifestyle that has been portrayed in movies reciently, but with all of the modern amenities nearby in a city of 200,000. Politically, it is to the right, but in more of a farmer/truck driver sort of way. I only say that to make the distinction that even though they may vote the same party as Orange County, they are certainly not the same.

I hope that I was able to help!

[Andrew Andrews]

If you like heat you’d definantly like our summers, just don’t mind it if it goes from summer to winter to spring in one day, that’s just how it is around here (and has spawned a saying in my family, “you’re being more indecisive than Spokane in the springtime” [because the “season days” are more common in the spring], sadly I’m the only one who uses it much these days)

[509]

I lived in Vancouver, BC for one winter and vowed never to live west of the Cascades ever again.


Unfortunately, I moved to the Spokane-CDA area in 1978 for almost a decade. The weather there is better than Seattle, but not by much.



In the summer, we would take mini-vacations to the Tri-Cities to find warm weather. In those days, Tri-Cities was a great area to visit.



Like all of eastern Washington it is no longer as nice as it once was, but the at least the weather has not changed....much. Both winter and spring are shifted about a month later.


Particularly for Seattle and California folks Tri-Cities these days is almost heaven. Lots of corporate stores like Costco. Brand new subdivisions with golf courses. Lots of corporate restaurants. Even many of the wineries now are corporate owned.



These days it really is King County and southern California without the trash. And most of the people you meet will be from home so it will be easy to fit in.

[Shredding_Gnar78]

what part of Tri-Cities are you referring to? I heard nothing but bad things on this forum about that area. then again, WA forums are mostly grumpy