Spokane vs. Tri-Cities vs. Walla Walla (Seattle, Vancouver: cliquey, job outlook, theater)

[travelbug1993]

Hey y'all,

I know these moving threads are a dime a dozen, but every person and their lifestyle is different, so I wanted to see what you'd recommend for me. I'm considering a move in the next few years to either Washington or Colorado.

Some background: My husband and I are 23 and 21, but we're not big "partiers". Nightlife isn't a huge deal, as long as there's at least a pub or two where we could relax on a Sat. night. We're avid hikers and do almost all of our hobbies outdoors, hence our draw to the Western U.S. We're not planning on kids, so schools don't matter. I live in a town in the Midwest of about 60,000 and it feels about right to me, though I'm more than fine with smaller. I'm intimidated by bigger and I know Spokane is huge which is why I thought maybe Spokane Valley would be a better idea for me. We also have dogs and it's VERY important for me to live in a town that is pit-bull friendly. I'm pretty liberal but don't mind living in a conservative area as long as the people are friendly.

Oh, also I'm a Registered Nurse so I am hoping that jobs won't be an issue in any of those areas, but who knows. Pretty much every state has higher cost of living than my own, so I don't really care about that.

So what do y'all think? I really like the idea of the TC/Walla Walla areas but would love to hear some input.

Thanks !!

[Upthewazzu]

Walla Walla is really nice, IMO. The wineries have brought a ton of money into the area. It's got a great little downtown area with bars, restaurants, and wineries. It was originally built to be the "big" city in eastern washington, but the railroads choose Spokane because of the mining nearby and the rest is history.

Spokane is ok, but may be too big for you if 60k is your sweet spot (It's not "huge" by any stretch). IMO, you'd be bored to tears in TC. I know I was when I lived there for a year and a half as a 25 year old. It's all urban sprawl, with a bunch of folks that work at Hanford.

[travelbug1993]

Yeah, I've done a lot of reading on Walla Walla and it seems to be a really nice area. The most common complaints I've heard about it are that the wineries have driven up housing prices (which kind of sucks if accurate) and that people there can be cliquey. But I think people anywhere can be cliquey, there are definitely some people like that in my town.

So even though TC is big there's not a lot of entertainment around?

And not sure how Spokane would feel to me, my town Lafayette is 60,000, but combined with West Lafayette (which is like 10 miles away and pretty much right here) it's 100,000. So maybe it wouldn't feel too big.

Also a side question: I'm a nurse, but my husband works at a local Planet Fitness and is hoping to become a trainer. Is there any job outlook for trainers in eastern WA? If not that's cool, he's fine with working retail/restaurant/whatever also.

[ShadoAngel]

OP, what do you find 'intimidating' about a larger city? How far do you want to travel to engage in your hobbies?

I am outdoor enthusiast and I have extended family in the Spokane area (mostly west of there) - so I've been to and through Spokane many times and through the Tri-Cities a couple of times as well. IMO, there isn't a better bang for your buck in the western US when it comes to combining cost of living, basic urban amenities, and access to outdoor activities. Walla Walla is right at the base of the Blue Mountains so they are very convenient, but that's pretty much your only option unless you really enjoy dry/desert canyon type hiking or you're willing to drive. Palouse Falls is maybe an hour and 20 or 30 from Walla Walla. Columbia River Gorge is 3+ hours. About that far to Snoqualmie Pass as well.

Spokane has many local and state parks in and around the city and it's a short drive to a lot of other places as well. A lot of places to hike and cycle and tons of water up there too if you're into paddle-sports or boating. Depending on what you're unsure about regarding larger cities, there are lots of smaller ones a short drive from Spokane that could be an option for you.

[Tall Traveler]

Spokane Valley is nice but keep I mind wages in Spokane are pretty depressed especially compared to Tri Cities. It's colder and gets more snow than TC or WW. However, it's prettier due to enough rain and snow to have a pine forest.


TC to me has the strongest economy and has been growing the fastest for some time. The Columbia and Snake rivers go through the area as well as the Yakima so there's plenty of water recreation. Good biking trails and reasonable cost of living.


Walla Walla is a cute little town and just too small for me but otherwise, nothing about it I dislike.

Both TC & WW have nice wineries nearby.

[Jane917]

I love Walla Walla, but have only been there to visit and have fun. I have known a few people who have lived there, and they all did not like it. It has a nice downtown area, and lots of activity geared to wineries, but is very tourist focused. It is a long ways away from other cities, and no major roads to get you out of there. It is a long drive to the nearest major airport (Spokane).

I have commuted to the Tri-Cities area for work for a few years. It is large urban sprawl. There is some beautiful scenery along the river, also lots of brown hills surrounding it.

Spokane is a nice sized city with all major conveniences. However, Spokane likes to think of itself as small town. It is the major hub of eastern Washington, so you have medical centers, recreation, good restaurants, adequate theater events, festivals, etc. Due to all the hospitals, I would think you would have no problem finding a nursing job.

Eastern WA is more conservative than Western WA for sure, but Spokane is large enough to be a good fit for all, at least IMHO. There are many smaller communities near Spokane than are within easy commuting distance.

Right now Spokane is recovering very slowly from a big storm last week. There are still thousands without power and schools have been closed over a week. They will not open until after Thanksgiving. This is a rare occurrence in Spokane, but a major storm seems to happen every few years.

I live in western WA, just north of Vancouver. We used to live on the eastside, but moved west of the mountain to be closer to kids and grandkids. Washington has many many lovely places to live. Of your choices, it would be Spokane for me.

[travelbug1993]

Thanks for the replies ! I suppose I should rephrase. I like the smaller town feel, and the cities I've had experience with (Indianapolis and Chicago are the closest to me) people are so cold and unfriendly. I like living in friendlier slower pace of life places, cities are usually too hectic and busy for me to enjoy. Unless Spokane has a different feel? I've heard western cities are more laid back than in the Midwest and east.

I'm not against living out and driving in. There's enough to do in my town but if I need anything more Indy is am hour away which isn't far.

[Smitty211]

Walla Walla sounds like it would fit like a glove; I'm a 23-year-old lifelong WW resident and while people here can indeed be cliquish, they also are far from cold/unfriendly. I'm on my way out, but that's mainly because there are no real job opportunities in my field here.

While much of downtown WW is very tourist-driven, that doesn't mean locals can't enjoy it too. The town is certainly losing some of its perception as a backwoods-podunk place, but without becoming overly touristy. It very much has its own character aside from the wine/tourism aspects.

I can't speak for the availability of jobs in your field; we do have two hospitals here, and there's a good chance you could find employment there.

And yes, there is the relative isolation from major cities, but the main drawback of WW in my opinion? The lack of big-box retailers and family-style chain restaurants. The powers-that-be treat them as if they're evil incarnate, and have done everything to keep them out. In short, no Target/Best Buy/Burlington/Sports Authority/Red Robin/Red Lobster/etc. Your dining options are very limited, aside from the relatively-spendy downtown locales, and you'll need to go to the Tri-Cities an hour away for any shopping need greater than Wal-Mart/Shopko, essentially. My family has had to make monthly trips to TC for Costco and all that TC has to offer because WW is just so dang stubborn. Bottom line though: since that's one of WW's main problems (IMHO), life's not too bad here.

All that being said, I would choose WW in a heartbeat (homerism aside), given your criteria. You can get all of your basic shopping done here. Folks are nice. Scenery and outdoor activities are better than those of Spokane and TC, and while housing prices are going up somewhat, they're never going to be anywhere near those in Seattle.

[Count David]

Spokane doesn't sound like it's quite for you, however, I will add that I found the people there to be incredibly friendly. It is not like Chicago or Indianapolis, it is more like Fort Wayne or South Bend.

Tri-Cities and Walla Walla hold no appeal for me, and in theory could fit for you, but they aren't ringing bells for me (for you). Perhaps Moscow/Pullman, Fort Collins CO, Laramie WY, Casper WY, Summit County CO, or Glenwood Springs CO are more up your alley.

[atchn]

Based on your interests I would suggest Spokane or Wallla Walla.

Hiking

Walla Walla is surrounded by agricultural fields and the area immediately surround is not super attractive. However, you are very close to the Blue Mountains, which are very underrated in my opinion. You are probably two hours from the Wallowa Mountains in NE Oregon, which are very very stunning.

I am less familiar with hiking around Spokane, but my impression is that there are a lot of variety fairly close into town. You will be close to Northern Idaho if nothing else.

As far as I can tell, the Tri-Cities is further from the mountains than anywhere else in Washington State. The are desert hiking opportunities (the Hanford Reach is beautiful in the Spring), but elevation change is generally minimal. If you want to get into the "real mountains" it will be about 1.5 hours of driving to hiking locations in the Blue Mountains.

Stuff to do in town.

Spokane is big enough that you can find something to do. Walla Walla is a college/tourist town with an active downtown.

I am 39 year old man with a family and even I think the Tri-Cities is lame; imaging myself living here when I was in my early 20s is nightmarish.

Work

Spokane is health care center for E. Washington, N. Idaho and W. Montana. I think that you will have more opportunities for work there and just based on the size alone I assume that Spokane would have more work for a personal trainer.

If hiking is really important to you, I would also consider Yakima or Wenatchee. They both have excellent access to both the Cascades and the desert. It is hard to beat either of them as far as location goes.