Why I love the Pacific North West

It wasn’t very long ago that I received a call from a friend asking if Spokane was a “good” place to live.  She had recently graduated college and was surveying different parts of the country before deciding where she wanted to settle down and start her future.  Even after a quick Google search, she was still coming up empty as far as information.  It made me wonder, while I know what I think of this great little segment of the US, what did others have to say about our often forgotten little spot in this big United States.

Frequently called the “Heartbeat of the Inland NW”, Spokane is a wonderful big-little city meaning that it has a great deal to offer in size and population but has been able to retain that “small town” feeling.  With residents being able to enjoy a cost of living that is lower than the national average, people are able to get more bang for their buck in housing, entertainment and other aspects of life making the family budget stretch just a little further!

So if you’re looking at relocating to the Spokane, WA area, here is a list of my favorite things about living in the city that boasts the title “Near Nature, near Perfect!”

• OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES APLENTY!

Whether it’s waterskiing, snow skiing, biking, hiking, fishing, hunting or just being able to enjoy the fresh air, you will never suffer from a lack of outdoor activities here in the greater Spokane area.  Spokane has over 75 lakes and 5 national parks all within easy driving distance where you can plan a weekend of fun or even just a day trip to enjoy the sunshine.

For snow skiing you can choose from 49° North Mountain Resort, Silver Mountain Resort, Schweitzer Mountain Resort, Mt. Spokane Ski & Snowboard Park and Lookout Pass Ski Area to be hitting the slopes and enjoying gorgeous views all within a 1-2 hour drive.

If watersports are more your thing, you can be diving into Lake Coeur d’Alene, Deer Lake, Newman Lake, LIBERTY LAKE, Hayden Lake, Lake Roosevelt after a short drive.  Unlike many more populous areas, the local beaches tend to be much cleaner and not as crowded leading to a much more enjoyable time!  The area lakes also offer great fishing and both the lakes and ski resorts even have some great hiking trails.

One of my favorite things about living in this area is the accessibility of numerous road races, fun runs and triathlons!  Spokane is home to the famous Bloomsday which is one of the largest road races in the US that takes place during the gorgeous Lilac Festival every May.

If basketball is your sport, you would be able to participate in the largest 3 on 3 outdoor basketball tournament in the world during Hoopfest.  More than just a basketball tournament, attendees will find live music, food and other vendors during the weekend event.

The list of outdoor activities in Spokane wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Riverfront Park.  This gorgeous center of the city occupies 100 acres of land with attractions such as carrousel rides, gondola, IMAX theatre, ice skating and a mini amusement park.  The historic clock tower still remains from the original area that came upon the hosting of the World’s Fair in 1974.

• BREW PUBS & WINERIES GALORE!

in the last few years, Spokane’s brewery and winery culture has blown up.  New breweries and wineries have continued to pop up all over the city offering more options for wine tasting or pub crawls than one person can take advantage of!  Whether it’s the Scotch Ale at PERRY STREET BREWING CO on the South Hill, the Head Butt IPA at the Iron Goat Brewing, a Wiggly Butt IPA at the ENGLISH SETTER BREWING CO in the Spokane Valley,  or the Copper Donkey at No-Li Brew House, beer lovers are sure to find their favorite mug of suds at one of the areas many new brew houses.

But if wine is more your style, not to worry!  Within the last few years, local vintners have developed the “Cork District” in the core of downtown Spokane where you will find fifteen award-winning winery tasting  rooms that are all within convenient walking distance not only to each other but to fabulous shopping, dining and entertainment.

• FESTIVALS

From FIRST NIGHT on New Year’s Eve to the spring time Torchlight Parade during the LILAC FESTIVAL or PIG OUT IN THE PARK at the end of summer, Spokanites have endless options of festivals and community events to enjoy during any time of the year.  One of my best childhood memories is waiting hours along the Lilac Parade route for the floats and school bands to start parading through downtown then running out to grab the candy that was thrown from the beautiful floats!

• SCHOOLS

One thing parents of kids at all education levels with love is the education system in the Spokane area.  Consistently ranked as high performers, many of our area schools boast award winning staff and higher than national average college attendance and graduation rates.  Many of our local schools are able to maintain smaller class sizes that are desirable to parents and lend to a more personal learning experience for the student.  At almost any time you can find one or more schools in the area adding to their floor plan or modernizing their facility to continually enrich their pupils’ opportunities for learning.  I was astonished at the grand total of scholarships awarded to my nieces graduating class of Mead High School 2015 and know that experience has been shared by many friends and families throughout the area.

So the next time someone asks, “How do you like living in Spokane?” you can tell them all the reasons why you love this “Little – Big City” we call home here in the heartbeat of the pacific northwest!

If you or someone you know would like to start looking for your next dream home in the Spokane area and need some guidance on neighborhoods, you know where to find us!  When you’re ready to start viewing properties, we’re just a click away…  WWW.HARDIEGROUP.COM

If you or someone you know is in the market for buying, selling or investing in a home please visit www.HomesinSpokane.com to use our state of the art home search.