Reviews & Comments
Spokane, WA
Rating Spokane: -
10/26/2010I grew up in Spokane and lived there for 29 years.
The Cons: Crime rate is not what you would think. A good deal of vehicle and home theft, petty crime. Winters are long and cold. In fact, if you are looking for a warm place to live, forget Spokane. It barely gets warm here until after July 4 most years. Not a lot of rain and most years for a city so far North, not a ton of snow, but they can get dumped on some years. Not a good place to start of move up in a career, a much better place to end up or to retire. Mostly caucasian. Not the most diverse place to live, for sure. Little to really see or do here if you are not into the outdoors and outdoor recreation.
The Pros: If you like the four seaons, cold/cool cloudly weather, this is a good place for you. Good schools. Good, diverse colleges. Very nice downtown compliments of Expo 74'. Reasonable cost of living, but not cheap by any means and more on par with the rest of the U.S. in housing costs now. Property Taxes are a bit high, but utilities and other costs are reasonable and no state income tax. Can live in Idaho just across the line and save on property taxes and work in WA to not pay income taxes (Vancouver/Portland scenerio). Good place to raise a family. Great for hunting, fishing, boating, anything to do with water because Spokane has tons and tons of all kinds of water in and around it. Better than it used to be for national events, cycling, skating, has Arena Football, good college sports nearby. Gonzaga BB.
Reno, NV
Pros and Cons of Living in Reno: -
10/26/2010I have lived in the Reno area for 21+ years. Here are the Cons: Downtown is dirty, homeless, bars, casino controlled, not family oriented, adult only community, concentration of crime. State has no idea how to fund or improve primary education- yet. Downtown and core of city has over 2,000 gang members. Currently poor area for jobs, high unemployment, ranks bottom of states in most social criterias. Reno is alpine looking about eight months of the year with about four being brown, brown and not pretty- the summer and early Fall time period. No real hot or real cold.
Here are the Pros: Almost all areas surrounding the city core, including many older and all newer housing subdivisions are excellent places to live, sans Sun Valley area. Low crime in the burbs. No environmental issues to speak of- water and air quality are very good most of the time here. Excellent, top notch recreation. Tahoe Basin 20 minutes from South Reno. Virginia City same time to the SE of Reno. Lassin NP three hour drive. Yosemite NP 1/2 day drive as are many Playgrounds os CA- Napa/Sonoma/Shanandoa Valley/SF/Mendocino/ N CA Coast, etc., etc., etc. Exploding arts scene in Reno. Top notch arts entertainment in SF. Reno has EXCELLENT climate- dry, but with mostly four seasons, some rain and snow, but allows ability to be outside mostly ALL year long. Lots of sun. No state income tax. By the way, HOUSING is AT AN ALL TIME LOW now- median price $169k and dropping. Great for new families to afford now. Great Shopping. Two top notch shopping centers opened in last seven years. Great food city. Great for hiking, best of class skiing, mountain biking. So, you get my drift- Reno city core sucks. Reno burbs and extended surrounding areas are OUTSTANDING. Take the good and leave the bad here.