Wenatchee Questions (Seattle, Yakima, Richland: fit in, real estate, rentals)

[azlizm]

Hi,

We're thinking of moving to Wenatchee. Is there anyone out there that can give us their thoughts on the city?

We used to live (most of our lives) in the Puget Sound area and are now coming back to WA. from Arizona. We don't want a lot of rain so thougt Wenatchee would be a good fit.

I posted a message yesterday but no replys so thought I'd try again.

Thanks,
Liz

[magic unicorn]

Hi Liz,

My dad and his family was born and raised in Cashmere which is right near to Wenachee. Him and my mother live now live in Wapato close to Yakima which is on the other side of the mountains which is where my mother was born and raised. My husband and I will hopefully be relocating back to Washington in the Yakima area ourselves by the end of the year from California. If you would like some information about Wenachee maybe I can e-mail my dad and he would probably be happy to give you some information on Wenachee. I always enjoyed visiting there when my grandparents were alive but don't get up there too often. If you are interested, email me at unicorn1magic@yahoo.com

Thanks, Jackie

[mobilemindstationaryreality]

All I've been told by a college friend who grew up there is that it's a nice town and very family oriented but can also be kinda stiffling if you don't fit the norm. She's a lesbian and let's just say she can't always be herself there.

[kenbushey]

Liz,
My wife, Pat, Hannah (our Aussie), and I recently flew our Cessna 182 to Wenatchee from UC Davis, CA. What a beautiful flight. Coming into Wenatchee, we saw the Columbia River winding through the valley with Mt. Ranier, the snow capped hills to the west, and the sprawling desert to the east. The airport was an easy landing site, with great Budget Rental people.
We spent the weekend checking out the town of Wenatchee and East Wenatchee. Still a small town feel, friendly people, and good local food.

We ended up purchasing a newer (2004) house in East Wenatchee. We stained the back deck and front porch, had the inside like new, checked out the landscape, added some plants and a maple tree. We sat in the large back yard looking out over the western mountains, and enjoyed the sunsets.

We have the house up for rent now as an investment, but we are so in love with the clean air, sunsets, views, apple orchards, wineries, golf course, airport, Columbia River and the parks, that we are thinking about just using it for a vacation home.

He forgot to mention the nearby town of Leavenworth - a cute Belgium-type small town. Fun to visit! And of course, beautiful scenery!

Hope you enjoy Wenatchee as we are...
Ken and Pat

[yohanna]

Hi there, my husband and I also live in California and want to relocate to Washington. We love Leavenworth, but wonder about employment. My husband works in construction and is the only provider at this time. Can you help with any information about Wenatchee, especially home rentals and employment. We would truly appreciate it.
THANK YOU!

[ochoco]

Wenatchee is a nice town. Lots of good shopping, friendly people, a dry climate, and lots to do in the vicinity. I live in Cashmere, about 10 miles west. I've lived on and off in the Wenatchee Valley for the past 30 years, so I know it quite well.
Years ago Wenatchee wasn't as nice as it is now. The entire downtown was completely renovated several years ago, and it's quite pretty now. The power company (Chelan County PUD) has built one of the nicest and most beautiful urban park systems I've ever seen. There is a trail that follows both sides of the Columbia river for 11 miles and crosses 2 bridges: the Loop Trail is beautiful! The parks encompass East Wenatchee as well.
I go to Wenatchee for shopping at least once a week: Target, Fred Meyer, Shopko, Walmart, JC Penney, many grocery stores, Macy's, Ross, etc. It's a great area for shopping! Jobs are not prevalent unless you're in a specialized field. You can always go online to wenatcheeworld.com for job listings, real estate, rentals, etc. Each time I go to Wenatchee I stop at E-Z's drive-in for the BEST garlic french fries I've ever had!

[janakl62]

I was born and raised in the apple capital of the world. I grew up in Sunnyslope from "62" - "77", It was a wonderful place and I still miss it 32 years later. My best friend from child hood still lives there. I had to go to Seattle this spring to care for my dying brother, and I made a point to go back through Wenatchee both coming and going. The second I got into the valley I felt that I was home again. My husband who is a die hard Texan fell in love with it. (believe me he tried to resist it, but Wenatchee won out.) Unfortunately my husband has been diagnosed with terminal liver cancer, and he won't be with me much longer, so I 've decided come hell or high water that I am going to move back home to Wenatchee, after everything is settled here. I do need to add one more thing, my brother who was gay, left Wenatchee at 17, when he graduated, and avoided it like the plague the rest of his life. So one coin; two separate faces. I hope if you move to Wenatchee that you love it as much as I do. Good luck!

[jennybean64]

I am a transplant from Montana. Have lived here since 1997, seen lots of changes. We really like it here because of all the opportunities for outdoor activities. How many people can go golfing and boating all in the same day? Or go water skiing and snow skiing all in the same day, like my crazy husband! It was a great place to bring up our three children. I will say I worked in the school district for 10 years and when it came time for my youngest to go to school, he and my daughter who was a senior at the time, chose to go to Cashmere. Great school system there and very proud to say my son and daughter are Cashmere graduates!!! If you want to raise a family and live a clean wholesome life, Wenatchee is your place.

[ChappyWhiteGuy]

Wenatchee is nice, but some people who live there/lived there tell me it can be hard to fit in. It's kind of remote, and there is a limited number of things to do there. Have you looked into the Tri-Cities? West Pasco and South Richland have some nice neighborhoods, and there is a little more to do there.

[NWbyNW]

If you can live with more limited choices, Wenatchee should be fine. Living in the Puget Sound, there are always multiple chain stores of the same types every few miles. In Wenatchee, you might get two of the same stores at the most. So if you can live with that, then thats great. If you can feel okay about living in one town all by itself, away from other major centers, you should be okay.

They have major hospitals and many schools. Downtown is very nice, and a good waterfront park system. A modest sized mall is across the river in East Wenatchee, which is a different county. It is a fairly safe community, with both municipal and county sheriff headquarters there. You are also nearby to many recreation opportunities like mountains, rivers, lakes. You got Leavenworth, Cashmere, and Chelan all nearby.

Weather is nice in Wenatchee, drier, and in the rain shadow, so less cloudy days.