Have things improved in Longview/Kelso in 2020 (Vancouver, Bellingham: new home, neighborhoods)

[rclooking]

It has been 3 years since there were any threads about the Longview/Kelso area, so I thought I would see if the negative picture from 2017 has improved any in the last 3 years.

Any updated views about the area would be greatly appreciated (good or bad)...

[texasdiver]

Not from what I can see.

There are some Longview teams in my daughter's rec soccer league so we are up there for games a couple of times a season twice a year and it looks utterly unchanged.

You see infrequent articles about Portlanders moving up there to find cheaper housing that they can't afford anymore in the Portland metro. But that is a pretty long commute. It is reasonable if you are driving back to somewhere in north Vancouver like the Salmon Creek area for work. But not all the way into Portland. I expect Woodland to gentrify before Longview as it is closer and prettier.

I do know that my wife's employer (big medical clinic chain) has a hard time keeping people in Longview, even when they offer bonuses for living there.

[StealthRabbit]

Longview will perpetually be the same / similar. (don't wait it out)

Generations of 'like mind / behavior' and excuses.

Close by, I prefer Carrolls and Kalama.

There are still plenty of desirable spots within or near Longview and Kelso.

[rclooking]

What a pity!

Thanks for the updated information. Guess we will be looking elsewhere along the 5 corridor.

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by rclooking

What a pity!

Thanks for the updated information. Guess we will be looking elsewhere along "the 5" corridor.

Many areas will not be welcoming to that!

"the 5"

[AnthonyJ34]

I just moved to Kelso from Southern California in April (‘21), and so far, I like it well enough. I live just outside the city limits, though, out in the country on a large horse property, so I’m not directly in town. It’s very pretty here, and peaceful — except when the trains come through, which is pretty often. I’m close enough that I can walk out to the train tracks in a few minutes from my front door. But it’s actually kind of soothing to hear the passing trains. And the Amtrak trains are rather quiet, unlike the louder freight trains.
But Kelso and Longview are ok enough. They are definitely a bit run down in places, and many of the local residents in both towns are a bit rough around the edges (and that’s putting it mildly in many cases). A sizable chunk of local people look as if they don’t bathe or groom themselves regularly (and I’m not talking about the homeless people, either; I’m referring to the ordinary residents you see in the local shops and stores — many people here simply look a bit dirty and unkept).
My frame of reference, though, is coastal Southern California, an area that is generally more affluent and prosperous than this part of Washington, so it’s obviously comparing two very different locations. I grew up in Cerritos, which is a very well run, fairly affluent, nicely manicured suburban community about 20 miles southeast of Los Angeles, so it’s much different than the tiny and rural by comparison Kelso/Longview area.

[MtnSurfer]

Originally Posted by AnthonyJ34

I just moved to Kelso from Southern California in April (‘21), and so far, I like it well enough. I live just outside the city limits, though, out in the country on a large horse property, so I’m not directly in town. It’s very pretty here, and peaceful — except when the trains come through, which is pretty often. I’m close enough that I can walk out to the train tracks in a few minutes from my front door. But it’s actually kind of soothing to hear the passing trains. And the Amtrak trains are rather quiet, unlike the louder freight trains.
But Kelso and Longview are ok enough. They are definitely a bit run down in places, and many of the local residents in both towns are a bit rough around the edges (and that’s putting it mildly in many cases). A sizable chunk of local people look as if they don’t bathe or groom themselves regularly (and I’m not talking about the homeless people, either; I’m referring to the ordinary residents you see in the local shops and stores — many people here simply look a bit dirty and unkept).
My frame of reference, though, is coastal Southern California, an area that is generally more affluent and prosperous than this part of Washington, so it’s obviously comparing two very different locations. I grew up in Cerritos, which is a very well run, fairly affluent, nicely manicured suburban community about 20 miles southeast of Los Angeles, so it’s much different than the tiny and rural by comparison Kelso/Longview area.

Interesting perspective, Anthony. Thanks for sharing your experiences in your new home. I'm also from SoCal. So, I am very familiar with Cerritos. I grew up in the South Bay (Hermosa, Manhattan Beaches) which are very high end now - too expensive for us. But, yes, that entire area has pretty much every amenity one could ever need and more. That includes excellent, beautiful, well kept beaches, botanical gardens, international cuisine, art, music venues not to mention you were right next to Disneyland. haha. But the crowds, traffic and RE prices have driven many locals to less impacted regions including the PNW.

I've only driven through Longview and Kelso on the way to the coast. And it seems generally very industrial. It kinda reminds me of what a factory or mining town would be like. Not much focus on making things look aesthetically pleasing - more about basic needs. Although you have more beautiful parts toward the outskirts including nice forests.

The one exception I've heard great things about is Lake Sacajawea which supposedly gets amazing fall colors. I think there is Japanese garden there as well. I've seen some nice pics of it. Here one, for example.

Autumn Glory, Longview

Derek

[AnthonyJ34]

Originally Posted by MtnSurfer

Interesting perspective, Anthony. Thanks for sharing your experiences in your new home. I'm also from SoCal. So, I am very familiar with Cerritos. I grew up in the South Bay (Hermosa, Manhattan Beaches) which are very high end now - too expensive for us. But, yes, that entire area has pretty much every amenity one could ever need and more. That includes excellent, beautiful, well kept beaches, botanical gardens, international cuisine, art, music venues not to mention you were right next to Disneyland. haha. But the crowds, traffic and RE prices have driven many locals to less impacted regions including the PNW.

I've only driven through Longview and Kelso on the way to the coast. And it seems generally very industrial. It kinda reminds me of what a factory or mining town would be like. Not much focus on making things look aesthetically pleasing - more about basic needs. Although you have more beautiful parts toward the outskirts including nice forests.

The one exception I've heard great things about is Lake Sacajawea which supposedly gets amazing fall colors. I think there is Japanese garden there as well. I've seen some nice pics of it. Here one, for example.

Autumn Glory, Longview

Derek

Hi Derek,

I enjoyed reading your post. Yes, Southern California has a lot to offer as you said. Any and every possible amenity can be found pretty much anywhere in the Southland. It’s basically a smorgasbord of options. I also agree that there are some really nice areas in So Cal as well. My favorite areas are the local mountains, specifically Idyllwild and Lake Hemet up in the San Jacinto mountains east of Riverside, but the local beaches are nice as well.
The entire LA Basin though is so densely populated and developed that it’s just way too crowded nowadays. Plus, there’s very little nature left anywhere; it’s basically a giant concrete jungle from the sea to the mountains — and that’s a big negative in my view, because I value nature and wide open spaces so much. So for a nature person like me, living in such a large metro area is not ideal.

Having said that, however I’m not quite sure if the Pacific Northwest is right for me. It’s a pretty area up here, and I love all the greenery and the trees and the rivers and such. But I’m still sort of just checking out the area and trying to get a better feel for what life would be like up here. I moved to Kelso basically on a trial basis; I figured I would live here for 3-6 months perhaps and then make a decision at the end of that timeframe. And like I said, I love the nature up here. But the people are a bit different from what I’m used to — and these smaller towns are a bit hit and miss as far as finding a place that fits me (or, I should say, finding a place in which I would feel comfortable enough living long term).

Furthermore, I haven’t completely ruled out California. It’s a big state that offers much more than just So. Cal and the Bay Area and San Diego. And I’ve also seriously considered Northwest Arkansas, Eastern Tennessee, and Northern Arizona as potential relocation spots. So I’m not completely sure about Washington as of now. But it’s nice enough.

[Withinpines]

Hi Anthony, I'm from San Jose and also lived in Hermosa Beach. I'm not used to the lack of hygiene, obesity or yards with blue tarps and garbage I see in the PNW. Meth/heroin are also prevalent in rural communities.

Checking city stats for education and income levels, drug use etc should let you know your comfort level. Some of those places on your list may be no different than where you're currently living. Good luck with your search.

[texasdiver]

Originally Posted by Withinpines

Hi Anthony, I'm from San Jose and also lived in Hermosa Beach. I'm not used to the lack of hygiene, obesity or yards with blue tarps and garbage I see in the PNW. Meth/heroin are also prevalent in rural communities.

Checking city stats for education and income levels, drug use etc should let you know your comfort level. Some of those places on your list may be no different than where you're currently living. Good luck with your search.

Many parts of rural PNW are truly poor. As poor as parts of Appalachia. What makes Oregon different from say...Arkansas is that it has larger more prosperous cities and suburban areas. But the rural areas are pretty much the same.

Many of them are actually the same people. The PNW was actually settled by different waves of people. There were the more prosperous New Englander types and Nordic immigrants who came around by boat with money and settled in the cities which they made in their own image. So tidy prosperous cities that look like Yankee New England cities. But much of the rural PNW was settled by dirt poor immigrants spreading across via land, and often southern and Appalachian folks fleeing the south in the aftermath of the Civil War. Coming to homestead, but also to work in timber, mining, and other resource extraction industries. That is why rural PNW towns often feel a lot like rural AR or KY towns.

If you want to avoid the poor downscale parts of the PNW then focus on the larger cities, government towns (Salem, Olympia) college towns (Eugene, Corvallis, Bellingham, Ashland) or upscale tourist meccas (Bend, Wenatchee, San Juans, etc.). Stay away from the declining mill towns like Longview, Albany, Aberdeen, etc. They are basically the PNW version of the rust belt. Moving to Longview is more or less the equivalent of moving to Youngstown Ohio or Scranton PA. Sure you might find nice neighborhoods and good people there. But the city as a whole is in decline and not likely to be reversed on your efforts alone.