Wenatchee--is there anything negative about it?? (Seattle, Olympia: 2015, apartment, lease)

[Jagermann]

I would not move to Wenatchee if I were you. I lived there for about a year and was glad to leave. I had a job there, but like most jobs in Wenatchee it did not pay very well. Finding anything better was next to impossible. I know people that work three jobs there and still don't manage to get 40 hours. Most employers in Wenatchee will only give you one or two days of work max.

There is no such thing as affordable housing or apartments either. The land value already skyrocketed to outrageous prices and is not likely to go up any more than it already has. The summer's are hot and dry and the winters are extremely cold and can bring large amounts of snow. Traffic becomes a serious problem in the winter. There is no where to put all the snow so it gets piled in the middle lanes meaning less lanes for the traffic to use. Hour waits are not uncommon when a semi-truck gets stuck in the snow berm trying to make a turn at a street light or when two cars slide on the ice and start a pile up in the intersection. And no there is no such thing as a snow day. Wenatchee would be in hibernation for half of the year if they allowed snow days.

Judging by all the police in Wenatchee you would think it is a prison or high crime city, but I never noticed that much crime. It is mostly just fear tactics by the police and sheriff's department to get more money and put even more cops on the streets. It is basically a police state. I have never seen so many cops anywhere in my life. During festivals such as Apple Blossom there are about 5 cops per every one civilian roaming the streets. This is no exaggeration. If you have a clean driving record then don't expect to keep it long living in Wenatchee. They will ticket you for having a license plate light out or even crossing the white line while making a turn. And if you are moving from a state that doesn't require a license plate in the front of your vehicle, well expect to get a ticket for that too.

[trent2424]

I was raised there and to be honest it is full of alot of wanna be gang bangers. my moms boss at her work told her that if she catches anyone stealing from her work, just let them go because the the Mexicans don't have legal papers to live in the US and the police there don't want to deal with them. One of my best friends growing up there was Mexican though and the gang banger thing does not speak for all of them, but I am telling you that there is ALOT of them. I moved away because I felt I could not do anything if I stayed in that hole. I am so glad I did. I guess if you plan on buying one of those bigger houses on the hills then you don't have to worry that much but I grew up on Methow st. its a older part of wenacthee and highly populated with mexicans. growing up I got into alot of fights with them just because I was walking on "Their" street or in "Their" park. gangs are stupid, and if I could drop a bomb anywhere on anyone, it would be there.

[NCWmark]

Originally Posted by Jagermann

I would not move to Wenatchee if I were you. I lived there for about a year and was glad to leave. I had a job there, but like most jobs in Wenatchee it did not pay very well. Finding anything better was next to impossible. I know people that work three jobs there and still don't manage to get 40 hours. Most employers in Wenatchee will only give you one or two days of work max.

This post made me laugh. Whether its Wenatchee, Spokane, Vancouver, or anywhere else... I doubt one city's collective employers and policemen act THAT MUCH different than any other.

Pretty funny though.

There is no such thing as affordable housing or apartments either. The land value already skyrocketed to outrageous prices and is not likely to go up any more than it already has.

I'd partly agree with that, though like everywhere its started to or has come down already so its a little more realistic now and will be even more so in the near future.

The summer's are hot and dry and the winters are extremely cold and can bring large amounts of snow. Traffic becomes a serious problem in the winter.

Welcome to Eastern Washington, enjoy your stay.

There is no where to put all the snow so it gets piled in the middle lanes meaning less lanes for the traffic to use.

True, in the three lane one way they do often push the snow to the center lane so that the road can be in as good of condition as possible. They then go load it up and remove it at night. It has stayed for days at times in the past, but it would take an exceptionally bad driver to not be able to navigate there way through town.

Hour waits are not uncommon when a semi-truck gets stuck in the snow berm trying to make a turn at a street light or when two cars slide on the ice and start a pile up in the intersection.

Hour waits? In Wenatchee? Never seen it happen in my life... there just isn't that much traffic and the town just isn't that big.

Judging by all the police in Wenatchee you would think it is a prison or high crime city, but I never noticed that much crime. It is mostly just fear tactics by the police and sheriff's department to get more money and put even more cops on the streets. It is basically a police state. I have never seen so many cops anywhere in my life.

Seriously funny. Complaining about too many cops... that's a new one.

During festivals such as Apple Blossom there are about 5 cops per every one civilian roaming the streets. This is no exaggeration.

Another LOL! No exageration, 5 cops per one civilian during Apple Blossom. Well, let's do the math. They say Apple Blossom brings 10,000 people to town. For our estimate, we'll cut that in half and say 5,000 just to be safe. So... you really think there are 25,000 police officers in town during Apple Blossom? TWENTY-FIVE THOUSAND?!?!?!?

If you have a clean driving record then don't expect to keep it long living in Wenatchee. They will ticket you for having a license plate light out or even crossing the white line while making a turn. And if you are moving from a state that doesn't require a license plate in the front of your vehicle, well expect to get a ticket for that too.

Newsflash! Police officer writes ticket. Film at 11.

Thanks for the laugh.

[ZACH75]

Originally Posted by 509

Couple of comments on previous posts:

Gang activity in the schools. It is not a big issue from the adults point of view. It is a big issue from the kids going to school. Yes, on an urban scale Wenatchee's gang problems are minor. On a small town scale, they are unacceptable. It is a real split between the Mexican kids and the white kids, but culture, aspirations, economics play a more important role than ethnic background.

Racism. Wenatchee is probably the least racist area I have lived in the country and that includes the SF Bay Area. There is anti-illegal sentiment but it is directed towards the Federal government and their policies. The attitude is hate the sin, but help the sinner. The community has bent over backwards to accomodate the illegals. And it has helped. The area has done much, much better than any other community that has become 30% Mexican in less 15 years. Rapid cultural change is always difficult to deal with, but your not going to find a town that has addressed the issue better than Wenatchee.

I'm sorry about your kids, but many kids are just downright mean when it comes these issues. I grew up as an immigrant kid, with parent that did not speak English. It always is difficult for the kids since your trapped between two cultures.....neither of which you clearly identify with.

Economic development. Wenatchee just does not have flat ground for large industrial development. It does have a very high tech infrastructure that is not available even in urban areas. Someday, that will be recognized and you will see growth in those areas. It is just starting.

Downsides: Cloudy weather in winter. So plan on taking winter vacations. Highest appreciation in home prices in the United States for the past couple of years. I suspect that will continue and my personal prediction is that in five years home prices in Wenatchee will be higher than in Seattle. People will always pay premium for a quality environment.

Least racist town??? I doubt that you actually live here, I have lived here for 8 years and racism, especially against illegal aliens and Hispanics has gotten much worse over the past 2 years, gang violence is ripe over here as gangs move into Wenatchee from Yakima, Tri Cities, Walla Walla etc. Gangs are getting worse and worse and these gangs are Hispanic. Alot of the hospitable views toward Hispanics and illegals in the past had come from them working the fields and orchards as it was just a way of life, but with illegal immigration getting worse people are starting to speak up and at times you can feel the tensions. I feel the same way, I love Wenatchee but the illegals (Hispanics) seem to be taking over, they don't even try to assimilate, speak English, and the reality is, with more illegals crime has gotten worse and gangs are and will eventually take over. I would hate to see Wenatchee turn into the next Yakima or Walla Walla, sad but true.

[allserene]

I moved here 4 summers ago from England via Florida/Milwaukee. There are excellent jobs here if you can read and write and you are not covered in tatts and piercings and don't do drugs. I have never had the slightest problem with the Hispanic population. In England I used to feel sick with humidity at 72 degrees - in Wenatchee I can mow the lawn in 95% and the 15% humidity means I don't even sweat ! The winter snow is very light and powdery and I use a leaf blower to clear the occassional flurry. I have a Camry with worn standard tires - no problem. It is infested with Police that is true and I did get a ticket in the first hour here 4 years ago - non since because I drive at the speed limit now. It is misty and drizzly in March/April but the rest of the year is great. Much better than Florida (Clearwater) or Wisconsin (Milwaukee) where I have lived. The airport is very unreliable and the mountain passes are a pain in winter so I fly to Seattle ($50) the night before my big flight to the UK.
All in all I am always glad to get home to Wenatchee as it has every facility (dozens of dentists and 2 big hospitals and 5 gun shops and lots of shopping) and life is easy and the climate is among the best in the USA. House prices are so high because its a great place to live - doesn't take much figuring does it ? High prices = nice place. Low prices = rat hole.
I have been all over the world and I have the papers to live anywhere from Hawaii to Crete - but I like Wenatchee.

[pw72]

Well, this four year old thread has been resurrected! More power to it.

I would simply like to ask those in the know how the great recession has effected Wenatchee. How is the real estate market? Any new jobs moving into the area? I am not trying to lead with any of these questions, just curious.

I still maintain, as in California, LA moon-suburbs (suburbs that are like a moon away...) will eventually do well in the Seattle area. Of course the Cascades are a formidable moat, but I think towns like Wenatchee will do well mostly due to the seepage of disgruntled Puget Sound residents. The recession has slowed this, but could likely pickup if we get out of this mess.

[allserene]

House prices have been affected as everywhere, but the houses seem to sell in a month or so on my street. Similarly the good jobs are slow as everyone is sitting tight in every country. The good jobs do exist though - for instance the Columbia River provides employment on it's own as the vast hydro electric schemes provide employment both directly and indirectly by firms like Alcoa who can smelt aluminum cheaply - the dams actually pay Alcoa to take electricity when they have surplus. My house is all electric and my bill is $38 even during the hot months when I am using a lot of a/c 24 hours a day. I like to travel a lot so the one big drawback is the trip to Seatac airport. Apart from that, the low traffic flow, the wide open spaces and the scenery plus the facilities in the city are really nice. Politically it's somewhere right of Genghis Khan which will suit the oppressed minority in Seattle I am sure - and yes people retire here from 'the other side' - I have several neighbors who have done just that.
Many people I speak to have never been to 'the other side' - I think they mean Seattle and not the spirit world.
Some of the reports above probably were written by people who lived in the ghetto area in the South end - every city has one. It feels very safe here to me and the 'nice' areas don't get penetrated by the ragamuffins from the south end. There are great paths and huge riverside parks with lots of joggers and walkers... and of course Leavenworth is 20 miles away and its always packed with West siders and people from Canada and all over the world. I go there almost every other weekend so I dont get too inward looking in Wenatchee.

[ChappyWhiteGuy]

Isolated mountain town in Eastern Washington dominated by agriculture, with a large hispanic population. Hispanic and Eastern Washington means gangs, but Wenatchee is not as bad as Yakima or Moses Hole. Wenatchee is a place of extremes: Wealthy ex-westsider whites up on the that Hill. wealthy old money agricultural types, and then extremely poor hispanics and whites who make up the bulk of the population. If you want a flavor for this place, go drive in Wenatchee on a Saturday night. I can see how somebody from a big city in the Eastern half of the country would find it attractive, but it aint that great a place. Really spend time checking this place out before you make a move.

[allserene]

I agree with Chappie but only insofar as that applies to virtually every town and city in the Western World at least. Everywhere had a seedy area and if you cruise down there on a Saturday night at 2am you will be see the drunks and drugs and hookers that you see everywhere else.
We all live in sub cultures, and I would suggest that the type of person who reads city data will not be gang members and hookers looking for a new territory - more like middle class people who will never cruise a seedy area at 2am on a Saturday night. To the middle class, what matters is the climate and the facilities and parks and the standard of the jobs etc and how their likely residential areas are - and these are good in Wenatchee. I live in a nice area but it isn't with the millionaires on Sunnyside. I did visit Yakima once and it felt pretty seedy all over and I wouldn't live there. On the West side, Seatac around the airport is a battle zone - the taxi driver there told me kids were leaning out of cars and firing AK 47's at each other. But nobody reads city data and then moves to Seatac so these bad areas of every city just don't figure in middle class lives - it's just something that happens to other people.

[ChappyWhiteGuy]

Just go check out Wenatchee next Saturday evening, 6 pm to 8 pm. It will give you a taste of that Wenatchee flavor. You may like it, you may not. Check it out, and don't just listen to online booster people. Many people love Wenatchee, many people think it a hooterville dump.