Re-Locating to the Yakima/Ellensburg area. (Wenatchee, West Valley: cheap apartment, rent, find a job)

[Creepskill]

Hey there, I'm a 25-year old full-time college student majoring in history and i currently live in Massachusetts. i've recently seriously considered moving to Washington and continuing my education there as well for numerous reasons. Last week i took a 10 day vacation to Washington to see what it's like, see the area, and basically see if i'd like it, and i did. I stayed up in the Lake Chelan area, but i'm looking to relocate to the Yakima/Ellensburg area. One of the reasons is because my girlfriend lives in the Yakima area and that was the main reason for coming out there was to visit her, as i havent seen her in 6 months and we both seriously talked about me moving there with her. I love this girl with all my heart and i want nothing more than to be with her and it would make me extremely happy. It would suck at first leaving all my family and adjusting to a new area and new school and job and whatnot, but im sure id get used to it after a while. I'm looking to transfer to Central Washington U and take history there as well, im a junior so i dont have much schooling left. But i was just curious where the best places are price, crime, and location wise in either Yakima, Selah, or Ellensburg area, and what the job situation is like as well. Im a certified Glass installer/Glazier and a certified HVAC technician and also work part time as a bouncer for pocket money, so i didnt know if it'd be easy to find a job in any one of those fields. Im not worried about the price of the apartments or places here as they look pretty cheap to me and im used to paying high rent for places in Massachusetts, being one of the most expensive, if not the most expensive state in the country to live housing wise. Im Just curious as to what the area truly has to offer from the words of locals and people who know the area, how the school is, what the employment situation is like, and how easy it would be to find a semi-cheap apartment in a decent area. Thanks guys!

[j_k_k]

Central isn't an A-list school, but its a good enough one. E-burg is sort of part cowtown and part college town, and kind of interesting that way; I always enjoyed having excuses to go there. Rather a pleasant place. There's probably a lot of work in your fields in Yakima (helps if you speak Spanish), but Crackima is a hole to live in. Selah gets better reviews. E-burg is much smaller than the Yakima metro area, so I have to think there are somewhat fewer job prospects in skilled trades.

As a history major myself many years ago, I wish you success. As you've seen, Washington is a rather different world from New England, and it depends upon one's approach. I have a friend from Connecticut who moved to Wenatchee and she feels totally isolated, but Wenatchee is kind of Bible Belty and I probably would too (and I lived in Washington for thirty-nine years).

[Creepskill]

Yeah i do feel very isolated. the towns and cities arent spread out and far between in new england like they are here. they all sort of run into each other one after another. sorta like one big huge city. Yeah from what ive seen Yakima isnt the nicest place in the world, but its no different than some of the other holes out in new england area, ive lived in those places before and feel comfortable w the risks. I know Central WA isnt a Harvard or Stanford by any means, but its very very similiar in size, education services, and academics as the school i go to now so its basically like im going to the same college just in a different state. and obviously i hafta think about tuition and cost of the school being an out-of-state student. its going to cost me more than twice as much to go to school here than in MA. although i do get some grants and scholarships being of partial Native American descent, so im sure i could get some money for the school. It's deffinetly a much different and unique place to me out here, but im in that point in my life where i want to go out and explore the world and my options and make a change for whats gunna make me the happiest, and i really feel coming here, going to school here, and pursuing a closer relationship w the girl i love is whats best for me and gunna make me happy. Thanks for the insight and info and it sounds like i should have no problem with adjusting and the school and work aspects. Im looking forward to pursuing my options, Thanks!

[heymikey]

My info is 2nd hand, but I have a few friends in Selah who still say it's a world away from Yakima as a place to live. Obviously, it ain't MA, but they say life is more pleasant, crime/gangs are less of a problem, and you're that much closer to E'burg, to which a lot of people commute for school. Plus, Yakima is right next door for shopping. Were I in your situation, that's where I'd head.

Just my 2¢,
HeyMikey

[amerideaf]

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Relax! I happened to be a transplanted resident from the Baltimore-Washington area since March 2012. I am helping you to reduce your cultural shock.


To find the area similar to New England, you could go to check the area that is south of West Lincoln Avenue, west of 16th Street, north of West Tieton Drive and east of 40th Street.


I lived in Selah for first seven months and then West Valley (east of 40th Street and beyond). Selah is pretty close to Ellensburg.


Okay, I live in the most expensive gated apartment complex. My unit is a one-bedroom unit with a full (not half) set of washer and dryer, dishwasher, microwave, air conditioned along an assigned parking spot, a swimming pool and an exercise room with 4 TVs. The cost is only $675. BARGAIN. My daughter came to visit me and said this unit should be $1200 in the Baltimore-Washington area.


One source is that Yakima is ranked fifth in the lowest cost of living in USA.

[Creepskill]

Oh I deffinetly saw that the cost of places is wayyy cheaper out there then here in MA. I currently live in a 1 room apt with a large kitchen and bathroom and it costs me 950 a month. The cost of living out there is about twice as cheap as it is out here so I'm pretty confident I can find a decent place to live for cheap and find a good paying job to pay for school. I have been looking in the West Valley area of Yakima too cuz my gf live in WV off of cottonwood canyon and I like it out in that area, so we'll see what comes up. Thanks guys!

[amerideaf]

Good luck in finding a reasonable place to live.