Moving to Spokane, WA

[e30austin]

Your best bet is to go ask over on NWBMWForums. Mainly SPO guys over there.

[brokenbimmer533]

Starting to look at specific apartments around the area. Trying to stay around Spokane Valley and Liberty Lake. Any opinions on the following places?
Deer Creek
Eagle Rock
The Reserve
Big Trout Lodge
Country Vista
The Reserve is kinda expensive but the attached garage would be really nice. Or if you would recommend any other places to live? Im planning on flying out early May to look at a few places. Trying to get it narrowed down to a few apartments.
Nate

[Def30]

The valley is a lot better than downtown I would say. Liberty Lake is a great area, more of a small town near spokane type atmosphere, only downside is its about 15 minutes on the highway to get downtown.

Schweitzer is only an hour and a half away and a great snowboard area. If you're a student its only $10 to nightski on weekends as well, its a great deal and a great place. Mt. Spokane isn't very good but if you're in a pinch and don't want to drive as far it works.

^This is right on the money. Valley area is definitely the best (If liberty lake is a little bit out of your price range). Otherwise Mt. Spokane is fairly small so you will get bored really fast. Schweitzer in Sandpoint, ID is where its at. Like 318is said, its only 1.25 hours from Spokane Valley.

[camip]

I live like an hour west of Spocompton we get less snow but I've been alright with all seasons just gotta watch out for snow plow run off.

[318isbmw]

Another question, e30 feasible for Washington winter? Living in Nebraska I'm no stranger to snow/ice and I get around just fine in my e30 which has studded snows in the rear and regular snows in the front. Just wondering if most of you drive your e30s year round or have a 4wd/awd vehicle for the winters.
Thanks guys
Nate

I ran mine in spokane winters with no issues. I lifted the coilovers and it worked great. I know several people that run e36s as winter cars no problem.

[Earendil]

I went to School in Spokane, and I intentionally moved out :)

But I'd rather live in Spokane than in the midwest, so I'm sure it'll be fine for 2-3 years.

I can't speak too much on where to live, as I always lived near campus, but if I moved back there it would be north of downtown, as that is the direction that all the colleges are located in.

Gonzaga University is located a stones throw north of downtown, and has about 7000 students. Whitworth University is 7 miles north of downtown, and has about 2700 students. Small schools, but it means you'll run into more young people at coffee shops and the like. Spokane its self isn't such a happening place that lots of young people are eager to move there. But it's a decent sized city, so it has its range of demographics. Fair warning, both schools are joked about as having a single bar and single bowling ally that they each go to, and otherwise everyone stays on campus. It's not quite true, but both schools have great campus and campus life, so the students tend to stay within their bounds more than I lot of schools I think.

If you end up on the north side, I can suggest some awesome drives. I grew up in the Mountains and continue to live close to them, but some of the drives up north of Spokane are hella fun. And I don't mean scenic, I mean drive them at 2am ;-)

Also, Spokane is NOTHING like the west side of the state. Spokane is a desert. Makes for some beautiful sunny winter days, but if you get outside the irrigated areas and away from rivers and lakes it isn't nearly as green. Wikipedia pegs the annual rainfall at 17inches (Seattle has 37). Wikipedia also says "Extremes range from 108 °F (42 °C) to −30 °F (−34 °C), but temperatures of more than 100 °F (38 °C) and less than −10 °F (−23 °C) are rare." There was certainly a time of year that we enjoyed at school, it was spring time when sweatshirts came off and you remembered that there is indeed a physical difference between men and women ;-)

I only ever hit of Mt. Spokane a few times. It's really hard to say personally, since I grew up in the NW around much better places. It's certainly not a destination location, and if you have a weekend to burn, you might opt to spend a half day traveling to some finer locations. That said, it's no crappy bunny slope, and should entertain you for a day/night run depending on your ability.

Spokane also has a great BMW scene, with a track that the PRO3 group races at every so often.

If anything I've said spurs additional questions, feel free to ask. As I said I spent 4 years there, though as a student so my feel for the area as a whole is somewhat muted by campus and homework :)

[DrJosh]

Tukwilla sucks too. Your lucky you made it out alive.

[devon.818]

i lived in WA for a year, in tukwilla, 15min from seatle.
i wouldn't go back, ever. just sayin'

[Keith M]

You should be fine with the winter tires you have. Never lived in Spokane but visited numerous times. Great track if that's your thing. Coeur d'Alene, lake Pend Oreille nearby, Glacier Nat Park, etc..

[DrJosh]

Good luck out in spokanistan. Keep your head down.

[Farbin Kaiber]

PNW Conspiracy.

[brokenbimmer533]

Another question, e30 feasible for Washington winter? Living in Nebraska I'm no stranger to snow/ice and I get around just fine in my e30 which has studded snows in the rear and regular snows in the front. Just wondering if most of you drive your e30s year round or have a 4wd/awd vehicle for the winters.
Thanks guys
Nate

[318isbmw]

Believe me, anything is better than Nebraska. I know I grew up in Iowa. Spokane has a lively BMW scene there too, NWBMW. Lots of good guys, enjoy it.

+1 They're a group of great guys, one of them will be one my groomsman in a few months.

[Alpine30 Wolf]

CWP and a 45... BOOM

[mshimon]

Believe me, anything is better than Nebraska. I know I grew up in Iowa. Spokane has a lively BMW scene there too, NWBMW. Lots of good guys, enjoy it.