Sandpoint and surrounding areas - Employment, politics, etc???
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I'd love to be able to sit through just one hurricane in my lifetime! ...just to watch the power, the rage and the glory. ..............
For the same experience , but a lot safe and closer to home, you could go winter storm watching on the Oregon coast. The storms can be spectacular and there are hotels overlooking the ocean and some of them have fireplaces in the rooms to add to the atmosphere.
To me, it adds something to be secure that your room isn't going to be blown off its foundation or flooded.
Winter storms in Sandpoint can be spectacular, but you can't see anything through the heavy snowfall.
For the same experience , but a lot safe and closer to home, you could go winter storm watching on the Oregon coast. The storms can be spectacular and there are hotels overlooking the ocean and some of them have fireplaces in the rooms to add to the atmosphere.
To me, it adds something to be secure that your room isn't going to be blown off its foundation or flooded.
Winter storms in Sandpoint can be spectacular, but you can't see anything through the heavy snowfall.
Ohhh...the Oregon Coast? They keep saying that area is due for a seaquake and a wicked tsunami.
Ever here of the Cascadia Subduction Zone?
Yes, I bet the storms coming in there are a sight to behold.
Last edited by kttam186290; 10-10-2018 at 02:18 AM..
I grew up in NJ, and still have fond memories of our experience with a smaller hurricane that came through the Jersey shore when some friends and I happened to be down there one August. We got up in the middle of the night and went out on the beach to experience it first hand. I still remember the wind picking up the sand and scouring our legs.
The storm cleared out pretty quickly - the next day was glorious with the most amazing surf I think I ever experienced there. We were the only people in the water. There was a heck of a rip tide, so we would walk up the beach a ways, head on out to try to catch a wave, and you either caught one or had to swim back in before the tide swept you too far down the beach. On one of my walks back up the beach I passed by the lifeguard and he told me he wanted to trade places.
Dave
I've read "Sudden Sea" by R.A. Scotti about the 1938 Hurricane that clipped NJ and slammed into Long Island.
Scotti goes into great depth in her book to describe the sights and sounds of that storm as described by mariners, ship captains and people caught by surprise on land. She quotes survivors (children at the time) who remember things such as the sky turning a deep yellow and hearing a deep, ominous "siren-like" sound all day before the storm arrived. Others described it as sounding like an organ note, "coming from everywhere, but nowhere, at the same time".
Knowing what we know now about meteorology, I think that must have been the barometric pressure dropping rapidly as the storm was drawing near? Or maybe the distant sound of swirling wind? Or both?
We don't identify with any particular political party...generally we just want to stay out of people's business while they stay out of ours. We...have been talking for the past few years about moving out-of-state for better scenery, privacy, and more land (hoping for 2+ acres). On paper, it has everything we are looking for - access to mountains and lake, beautiful scenery, a nice town, volleyball leagues, slow-pace, etc.
I edited your opening remarks so that they were music to my ears.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tangapika
1) ***What is the employment market like? I currently work as an analyst and have a financial/accounting/administrative background. I currently make $29/hour but am not sure how that will translate in Idaho...I am thinking about $23/hr?...what are your thoughts? I am willing to take a lesser paying, part-time job until I find the perfect fit. I'm not as worried about my husband's job as his employment is very niche and he has explored that a bit already...but I may revisit this.
Finding high paying jobs for your demographic is the most challenging. Try this experiment. Look at salaries of policeman, fireman, and teachers where you live. Compare them to here. My guess is they are double of what they are here. Accordingly, you ought not be surprised to find your job at 50% of what you now make.
SD is a wealthy county. It can afford to pay. There are more companies, more jobs and more opportunity for advancement. You will not find a lot of jobs that pay top dollar. That said, if you are worth it, I am sure your efforts will be recognized in some form.
2) ***How far will I have to commute to find a job? I am willing to drive to Spokane or anywhere in between, or in another direction. Is this possible? What's the commute like in the winter? I have done commutes as long as an hour and 45 minutes in the past, and while it's not desirable it is doable. I would prefer under an hour, though.
Spokane is too far for a regular commute. 1h20-1h45 is much harder to drive than in SD. Much more concentration is needed in winter, with wildlife, without lights, with poor striping of lanes. etc.
Coeur d'Alene is a much better bet for your age demographic. Maybe save to buy a small place in Sandpoint.
3) ***From my limited explanations, do we seem to fit in with the cultural climate of Sandpoint and surrounding areas? I understand the town itself can be a little more left leaning (please correct me if I'm wrong) but as long as it's not being forced down our throats I am fine.
Not really. There are lefties and there are righties. The town itself was almost 50-50 in the last election. Bonner County ex-Sandpoint was about 80+ Trump.
I will get flamed for this, I am sure, but here goes my honest reply...
One thing you will notice here is a split between old timers/long time locals, newcomers from areas with high levels of political testosterone, and the youth.
old timers/long time locals are either Ron Paul Republicans--Small government, small religion, personal freedom, local solutions--or JFK Democrats--harnessing government to do well for the country and its poorest citizens.
newcomers from areas with high levels of political testosterone on the right are dyed-in-the-wool Anti-Democrat to the point of religious zealotry. Many love Trump because he is more anti-Democrat than anyone. While the Ron Paul crowd is more about the content of the politics, Trump-supporters are all about winning and defeating the Democrats. Winning and not losing. I sense they come from areas in which they feel they have been oppressed and suppressed.
newcomers from areas with high levels of political testosterone on the left are dyed-in-the-wool Anti-GOP to the point of religious zealotry.They hate Trump and love the Clinton-Obama connection. They do not seem to care about reason and evidence, calm and open debate, or live and let live, but an impatient drive progressivism. I sense they come from areas in which they feel their communities had won the battle toward more progressivism and see Sandpoint as a place that can share their philosophical bent.
The kids are remarkably apolitical. I found them very supportive of one another and far more willing to judge based on the content of character and by actions taken. They are vulnerable to the two groups above, but thus far have not taken the bait as they have in larger cities.
I think the balance of all this works as long as two newcomer groups above can chill out and realize their wars in the past need not apply here.
Sandpointian - Truthfully, I've lost count, but I have feeling that if Ron Paul had received a vote for every time you have said "Sandpoint is Ron Paul county" he would have been President and we might have avoided the last decade of political insanity. ;-)
I pray he is right. Unfortunately, I suspect, if Idaho is like every other state, you have red, blue, and clueless. With a lot of clueless reds and blues. Blind party loyalty is the death knell of liberty and the mortal enemy of any decent candidate.
I had a front row seat to the Republican party marginalizing Paul and ramrodding Romney into the nominees slot, even breaking their own convention rules to make it happen. In truth, the most wonderful thing about watching the Trump campaign was seeing him grab the Republican Party by the beard, slap their jaws, and make them make him the nominee. They had been earning that for a long time.
Hi Everyone, I am new to this forum and this is my first post!
I'd like to start by asking that you not judge me for being from California; I promise I am not planning to move to your beautiful state to change it. My husband and I are attracted to Idaho for what it offers and as an opportunity to flee the political and cultural climate we are surrounded by.
I'll try to keep this short...haha
I am 29 and my husband is 39, and we currently live in the northern part of the County of San Diego (not to be confused with the City). We moved to North County (in a red city) to get away from the heavy liberal bigotry near the City of San Diego. We don't identify with any particular political party, but our views lean right...generally we just want to stay out of people's business while they stay out of ours. We love this particular town but have been talking for the past few years about moving out-of-state for better scenery, privacy, and more land (hoping for 2+ acres).
Now over the past months, I have done many broad searches of Idaho to get a feel for the housing market, and from there narrowed it down to areas near Sandpoint - I have explored Dover, Sagle, Bayview, etc and all seem like good options, but again this is all online research. On paper, it has everything we are looking for - access to mountains and lake, beautiful scenery, a nice town, volleyball leagues, slow-pace, etc.
We will be visiting in September 2019 to check out the area. Assuming we fall in love with it, we want to move by the end of 2020. We plan to rent out our home in Oceanside, rent a home to live in Sandpoint or a surrounding area until we find jobs, sell our Oceanside house, then buy in area. PERFECT! ...hmmm...sounds too good.
1) ***What is the employment market like? I currently work as an analyst and have a financial/accounting/administrative background. I currently make $29/hour but am not sure how that will translate in Idaho...I am thinking about $23/hr?...what are your thoughts? I am willing to take a lesser paying, part-time job until I find the perfect fit. I'm not as worried about my husband's job as his employment is very niche and he has explored that a bit already...but I may revisit this.
2) ***How far will I have to commute to find a job? I am willing to drive to Spokane or anywhere in between, or in another direction. Is this possible? What's the commute like in the winter? I have done commutes as long as an hour and 45 minutes in the past, and while it's not desirable it is doable. I would prefer under an hour, though.
3) ***From my limited explanations, do we seem to fit in with the cultural climate of Sandpoint and surrounding areas? I understand the town itself can be a little more left leaning (please correct me if I'm wrong) but as long as it's not being forced down our throats I am fine.
4) ***Do you have other areas to suggest (other side of the lake, etc)? We really would love to be immersed in the trees and be able to see the lake from our home with a max of 15 minutes drive from town (so live in a private setting with easy access to towns amenities..)
5) ***Anything else?
Thank you so much!!
Hello,
Not sure if you're still considering Sandpoint, as this thread is about a year old. I have similar background: Late 30's, accounting/finance background. Grew up in SoCal: Inland Empire. Moved to Klamath Falls, OR in 2015 and Sandpoint in April 2019. Took me over 2 years to find a job in North Idaho, found one in Sandpoint. Job market nothing like CA. Only been here a few months but from what I can see, you can find lower paying jobs easily ($11-12/hour) in Sandpoint. The company I work for is constantly looking for these types of workers. But accounting/finance related job are hard to come by, it took me over 2 years. I currently make close to what you're thinking above, of course, a lot of it depends on your experience and negotiating skills. Litehouse is probably the biggest employer in town. Check out Indeed, this is where I found my current job.
One thing that I found is that it's hard to find rentals in Sandpoint. We are currently renting at approx. $900/month on a 2 bed/1 bath apartment. We just barely found a place and did not have to stay in hotel when we moved but we were prepared to do so. My employer gave us 4 weeks to move so we had to find a place quickly. The property management wants us to physically view the apartment before signing contract, so I had to fly to Sandpoint two weeks before we moved to secure the apt or we would be staying in hotel/motel for a few weeks waiting for a place to open up. Of course, if you're willing to pay the money, there are rentals available for $1200+ per month, but anything under that go very quickly.
So far, we're loving this place. Looking forward to our first winter in NID. Thankfully, 4 years in Klamath Falls prepared us.
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