I'm thinking about moving to the Northwest for a while. I need access to western Canada, but I still want to live in the US. I was also considering northern Montana, so I made a similar post in the Mountain forum, but I was wondering how you guys feel about living in in whichever state you live in.

I don't really even have any idea of a town/city to choose; I just need to get out there. I don't want to live in a really big city, but I also don't want to be the only person for miles. I don't like rain at all, so I've been told I'd get sick of Washington fast, but it does seem like it has a better social scene than the others (no offense to people in ID; I could be wrong).

So if you guys wouldn't mind, would you tell me what you like/dislike about it? How's the cost of living, which cities/towns would you reccomend, etc.

Thanks very much.

 

If you moved to boise you would have a pretty good time. Ive lived here for a long time and really enjoyed the area.

 

Yeah, the Boise area is nice. You can either dive right into town and be in the mix of a few hundred thousand people, or within 20 minutes be on a dirt road in the middle of no where shooting rabbits and riding 4 wheelers. I live in Ontario, but we will be moving some day soon to Meridian, which Boise, Meridian, Eagle, Nampa, Caldwell, Kuna, Star, Middleton are all pretty much just one big city now as most of them have literally grown into each other.

My recommendation, stay out of Caldwell and be selective if you choose to move to Nampa. Granted, all cities have their goods and bads, but man Caldwell is just a wannbe gang banger town, and they are starting to get serious and actually shooting each other. Nampa has some pretty slummy areas as well. Eagle is what I would consider the ritzy town of the area, as most of the homes are newer and commercial property are newer as well. Pretty much the same for Meridian as well. Boise has the old, and the new...very neat town. Traffic in Boise is starting to get a little out of control, but still nothing compared to cities like Portland and Seattle as it is not a huge city, just a big town. Meridian seems to have more housing than businesses, but you can still find pretty much anything there as well. Middleton is your country living town, small stores, country living, but is growing fast and subdivsions having been popping up like crazy the last 5 years, but still definitely a small, country living town. Boise is at the eastern most part of this area, and Middleton on the western most part, and you can go from one end to the other in less than 20 minutes on the freeway.

 

Washington is stupid. The rotary scene is kinda dead. No one road races. The entire state has no clue how to drive in when it's dry. Don't even let me get started on when it rains or snows. The girls are bitchy for some reason... more so than east coast. If I had to pick somwhere in washington, it would be auburn / kent because it's close to Pacific Raceways. Bremerton is getting a nascar track which is bound to have an infield track.

I can't tell you about Oregon, but they seem to have more fun down there.

 

well, i can't speak for dr. ifter. but he needs to get out more often and hang loose. we have a good rotary community that helps each other out. during the spring through summer we have a meet at least once a month not including the monthly meet. yeah it rains too damn much. i'm from cali so the rain buggs me. yet i did move to boise for 3 years and i can handle the rain alot more than the damn SNOW!!!! the first winter we had a high of 9 for a week. yeah i almost left then if it wasn't for my wife. yet boise is nice during the summer. windy though. but all in all western washington is good. good people, mild summers, wet winters, yet it seems to always seem clean. good luck on your decision, i'd ask the rx-8 club the same questions. they have a drive every month.

 

I live up in the Bothell, Mill Creek area. Kinda nice 'small city' feel I guess. I lived in Bellevue for a while and I enjoyed it there, but you gotta have money :-P

I'm from Texas myself and hate hate hate (with a passion) the rain, and no one can drive in the rain either haha.

Scared me the evening driving from work with it all snowing and stuff. I could figure out why I was passing 4x4s on the highway going 35 :-P

Anyhoo in the spring and summer its not so bad up here that is when the rain starts to let loose, but the sun is another question :-P

Seattle itself is only about 2 hours or so from Canada and its a striaght shot up I-5.

Anyhoo let us know what you decide!! :-P

 

i live in Marysville/mill creek area.. and i like it but its kinda boaring sence ive lived here for my 18 years of my life.. but other then that its fun.. there is stuff to do but not sence ive done it all( well at least the stuff that interests me).. but other wise good area.. marysville is WAY better then mill creek though.. not so many (so called ) rich snobs..

 

Stay away from the eastern part of Oregon, unless you are into sagebrush, drinking while 4X4, and shooting rabbits. That's where I am, and all though I do love hitting the hills with some old buddies from school with a our little 22 rifles and a couple cases of beer, it gets boring as that is about all there is to do around here I guess that's why I'm in the Boise, Idaho area all the time.

 

LOL! @ Dr. IfTeR, if you think Washington is bad then you better not move to New York City.

Hey GeaBu88, I been living here in Washington State since Sep 24th 2000. I lived up in the San Juan Island which is 1 hour away from Canada at Orcas Island. I stay there for a while at a beautiful beach house. Then moved to Tukwila which was ok. Then move to Seattle a few block away from the University of Washington. It was fun but way to much Party there and I meet a lot of girls. I can only speak for my self but I find Washington Girls are easier than New York girls. They are nice and they seem to want to be more educated and getting a guy that have a goal plan for their future. Also there are more girls in Washington State than guys a study that was done early 2003.

Beside that, I must agree with Dr. IfTeR in the whole driving situation. Peoples here in Washington State can not drive during snow and rain.

The race scene is not that great since Washington State have this Speeding Law enforce hard due to peoples trying to race and drift like Initial D with no idea of what they are doing. Causing accidents and endangering other drivers in the road.

Overall, I give NW Washington State Two Thumbs-Up. A great place to live and it dosen't rain as much as people think. Actually it rains a lot less than New York City. It is that the winter are a bit long with the whole misty rain but you get nice beautiful sunny days and summers.

I almost forgot the cost is not so bad, apartments raging from $500-750 for 1 bed room. Studios from $400-650 and Houses from $1200-1800 or so per month. Not so bad at all, better than NYC and a lot cheaper.

Hope this helps!

Good Luck!

 

i have lived in the seattle area, and now in spokane, people on the west side of the cascades have trouble driving in inclement weather east of the cascades is a totally different area, smaller cities, nicer people, better drivers in the ice and snow, but you lose the advantages of a large city. i.e. stuff to do.

isaac

 

That seems like it's a fun area, and I'd probably strongly consider it if it wasn't so far south. I want to be closer to SE British Columbia (Family there), and also want some water nearby so I can jet ski. The only place I can find in ID that's close to Canada, with water, along with any sort of active population whatsoever is Bonners Ferry (Kootenai River and ~2,500 people). Do you guys in ID have any opinions on it?

Rather than quote all of you guys in Washington, I'll just ask for your help on finding some kind of town. Like I said, I need to be close to SE BC (Maybe like ~2-2.5 hours). The Columbia and Okanogan are nearby to that area, so good stretches of water aren't at a shortage, but every place seems so deserted. I've found Oroville (which is right on the Osoyoo lake, which I hear is awesome) and Kettle Falls, both of which have about 1500 people. Is that about as good as it gets, or can you guys think of another place?

Also, I asked the same question in my MT thread: how does crossing the border via water work? The Columbia River, the Kootenai River, and the Osoyoo Lake all span both sides of the line. Is there a border check like on land, or do they patrol the waters and pull you over for I.D. when they see you, or do you just ride over hassle free, or what? I'm curious, because I'd love to take some extra fuel and make a day of exploring SE BC by water.

Thanks again; I really appreciate all the help and input.

 

if you even considered kettle falls, then just move to spokane. i grew up about 30 mi north of KF and there is nothing there, its a beautiful area, but empty. spokane is about 1.5 hrs away and isnt too bad. and ive crossed the border by water many times in human powered craft, i dont know about motorized craft :P


isaac

 

Is Kettle Falls really that deserted? Spokane's honestly starting to look better and better, even though I'd like to be farther north.

And for the water, do you mean a kayak or something to that effect? Was it on one of the smaller rivers, or something bigger like the Columbia? And was there any interference?

 

If you're tired of doing your girlfriend send her my way

It's really not so bad here if you don't have a problem with people who don't know how to drive regardless of the weather and you don't mind NEVER driving the speed limit... The rain really isn't THAT bad once you get used to it and it does make for EASY drifting. A good bit of racing goes on here if you are close enough to the tracks to participate. Or if you wanna hang out on the streets there's plenty of that too.

I really liked the Boise area when I was over there visiting my sister a few years back. The nightlife seemed to be pretty active and it looks like there are some fun areas to drive. Not sure about the car scene....

And I'm Canadien so obviously Canada HAS to be cool... haha Ok I'm not really Canadien, and it's really not the greatest unless you're 19 and go up there specifically to get wasted "legally".

 

Weve got a local club down here that meets every month, or whenever you want to call some folk up. www.idahorotary.com is the address you wanna look up. Theres a pretty good scene here I think. Although I do wish we could go on more drives in the club, haha. There are some amazing roads up here to run the paces. I love it.

 

And eastern WA is the dry side of the state in the summer.

 

I'd live in Bellingham if I were you then... I moved to Toronto from Seattle.. and believe me.. it's one of the best cities in the world.. I'll be moving back (possibly portland) within the next month

 

yeah spokane and Tri-cities are the only real decent size cities in Eastern,WA that are pretty fun...i live in tri-cities but im up in spokane alot...well...and seattle.....and vancouver...hell...im all over this state..lol but tri-cities has a few rotaries driving around....still have yet to get em all together...:P

 

[QUOTE=DJAngelicon]
Beside that, I must agree with Dr. IfTeR in the whole driving situation. Peoples here in Washington State can not drive during snow and rain.
-That because all these California people are moving up.....oops I am one of them!

Overall, I give NW Washington State Two Thumbs-Up. A great place to live and it dosen't rain as much as people think. Actually it rains a lot less than New York City. It is that the winter are a bit long with the whole misty rain but you get nice beautiful sunny days and summers.
-Agreed!

QUOTE]

 

ive gone up the kettle river and the columbia, they are both pretty nice(dont eat the fish out of the columbia) on kayaks and canoes. and yes, kettle falls is that desolate, go for spokane, its a nice city, big enough but not to big, or tri cities.

if you want, shoot me a pm and ill send you some pics of the area, and of the kettle falls area.


isaac

 

^^I sent you one.

 

come to wenatchee wa little town no rain, beautiful women 45 minutes away
um wait................... hondas
no you shouldnt come here

 

aah we should get all the tri cities rx-7s together! a massive auto-x competition or something.