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I like your idea NW Crow. The SW corner of the Kittitas Valley looks a bit more protected, and closer to Ellensburg. Personally, I am not obsessed with trees. I like high desert too. It is just a matter of finding the right combination. It would seem that the Kittitas Valley as a whole allows one to savor the mountains and plains, foothills, depending upon the mood and season. But, then again, one might want to be more protected by the trees.
Well, as a graduate student I first say good luck. I know jobs in academia are hard to come by.
Now, on to the Burg. I spent 2003-07 as an undergrad, and came back as a grad in 2009, finishing this year. I have a family, so I know of what I speak. I will try to answer each of the points in the OP and then add in my own commentary.
You are correct, Ellensburg is a small college town close to the mountains. That is a plus if you like mountains (having lived in the Rockies, on the edge of the Cascades, and the Great Plains, I have fondness for both flatlands and mountains)
Now, I have only driven through Ashland, never live there, but just from a cursory glance at Craigslist, rents seem very similar. If you are looking for cheap, Ellensburg isn't it. Believe it or not, we have lots of commuters to Seattle and that has helped raise rents. Of course, I'm not a homeowner, so Ellensburg could be cheaper on that scale, but I don't know.
I have kids. The Ellensburg School District is probably like many districts. Some great teachers, some terrible ones, some good test scores, some bad. However, with the amount of time I have spent here, I have seen decreases in the quality of schools. The middle school looks like a prison is is ready to fall apart but no one wants it replaced because it has a) an auditorium; and b) historic value or something of that nature. With the state of the economy I do not look for Eburg public schools to get better, and, although i am leaving in the summer for a PhD, I hope for the sale of friends I am leaving that they at [i]least[i] stay at status quo
My backyard is a hayfield that is transferred to the use of a herd of cows after hay season is over. Pretty cool actually, you won't find that in a lot of college towns. But, Ellensburg is really focusing heavy duty on the tourism. The big debate right now is about replacing the welcome signs into town off the freeway exits, and what those signs should be. Summer is all about the tourist dollar, but it enhances the culture of the town as well with events like Jazz in the Valley and the famous Ellensburg Rodeo (as well as the concert season at the Gorge, more on that later).
I feel Ellensburg, politically, has a good mix of liberal and conservative. The university definitely pulls the town from it's conservative roots more toward moderate. Personally, as a middle of the pack kind of dude, I like that. I am not big on right or left wing politics. Again, I have no idea how that compares to Ashland, but I hope it gives you an idea. One of our Poly-Sic profs is the chiar of the country Republican Party, and unfortunately he got into a fight with an ex-mayor of a neighboring town who is a Democrat. And I really mean a fight; fists, biting, etc. Google it, it was a great topic of discussion this past fall along with our brilliant students who OD'd on Four Loko drinks.
Outdoors paradise. Within 10 miles in any direction, sometimes less, you can be in canyons, lakes, mountains. You can bike, hike, fish, swim, boat, off-road, snowmobile, run, etc until your heart is content. One of the huge plusses for the Burg.
I have no idea what your wife does, but jobs are scarce. Teenagers are fighting with college grads for a job at the new Subway. Our Albertson's just closed taking 45 jobs with it. My wife graduated last year with her Bachelor's and can't get a job except volunteer work to pad her resume. Good luck with that. It is possible, but again, I have no idea what her career field is.
Thoughts to share, hmmm...
The Good: Close to the Gorge for summer concerts. I have seen some great acts there, and it's only 30-45 minutes way. That's nice for a town of this size. Next, the outdoors are awesome. The community is pretty tight knit, but like most college towns, if you hang around long enough you can squeeze your way in ;-) As far as schools, the great teachers really are great. many of them graduated from CWU and are dedicated to working hard for the kids of this town. When they are bad, they are really, really, really, really bad. Close enough to Seattle to get away when you are feeling like it, unless the pass is bad. Close enough to Yakima to do real shopping, which is good 'cause you aren't getting real shopping here. The Bad: Well, let's start with shopping. As mentioned, the Albertson's closed, so we are down to Safeway, Super 1, and Fred Meyer. I swear the Fred Meyer here charges more than FM's I've seen west of the Cascades. Clothes at our FM go for the same cost as clothes at Macy's (and according to my wife, the expert online shopper Bloomingdale's). That's another thing, get used to online shopping. For all the "shop local" tripe they feed us ere, you would think that they would give us more to shop from than antique shops and niche stores. Yakima has the Target, the Wal Mart, the Lowe's and Home Depot, the Costco, the ShopKo, the crappy mall (for a real mall, go to Seattle area). This will not change. There is no foresight in the city council to change it. This is the constant in all my years here. Yakima is 33 miles away over three ridges, which aren't too bad except in the worst weather.
The crime rate isn't getting better. Last year it was a serial car prowler. He got into mine, it was locked. But, luckily, I don't keep anything of value in my car, which, at the time, was pretty beat up. I have since upgraded to include alarm features. Yesterday, my co-worker witnessed a burglary to her neighbor's apartment...in broad daylight. Drugs are getting worse. Several HS students have been busted this year for all kinds of drugs, not just pot.
Culture is...meh. We have a multiplex. We have one music venue that isn't all that great. Lots of bars. Drinking is the main culture here, for students, townies, and profs.
CWU quality is iffy as well. As a grad student who teaches classes, I am seriously disappointed in many many students. Because of the economy it seems like they are letting anyone with a pulse and a D- average in for the tuition dollars. However, most of the faculty is great and cares about what they do. The students, not so much. But, every now and then, a few of them surprise me and I feel good about life again. The university was pretty good, but has now slipped into the "party school" category for many many Westsiders. Hopefully, that will change. The Ugly Wind. Let's go through the seasons starting with Winter. It is cold, snowy. And then, the snow stops. But it is still cold. You are in a valley, you get ice fog, for days on end. No wind to clear out the valley, just ice fog, and snow slowly turning into mini glaciers. Then, in March the sun starts coming out again. You rejoice. But, it is a tease, because the sun brings the wind. Howling wind 5 out of every 7 days from March through June. And not warm southerly winds, cold west or north-west, or even north winds off of the Cascades. After months of gloomy winter gray you are ready to play in the sun. But, you cannot, because once you walk out the door your toddler is blown away. If this sounds like exaggerating, well somewhat. But, I have lived in Wyoming and Oklahoma, both no strangers to the winds, and this is the worst place I have ever lived for wind. Maybe it is because it comes when it i supposed to be nice and warm, I don't know. All I know is that Ellensburg wind has turned me against Spring. Summer comes and the wind stops for heat waves that are broken only by...you guessed it, more wind. Fall is beautiful, it truly is. September is the BEST month to be in Ellensburg. Winter comes, and the cycle starts again.
Sorry I wrote a book, but I wanted to put my two cent as it were, into the discussion. I do wish you luck, and like all places, Ellensburg is what you make it to be. I have had some great times, some good times, and some bad times here. But, I wouldn't trade the good and great for anything in the world. I do, however, wish I knew some of this info before I moved here. But, even knowing in, I left in 2007 only to come back in 2009. The place grows on you, it gets into your veins. It's alright, but I hope for the sake of the community some things change, and soon. Again, good luck, and feel free to PM me if you have any other questions.
I really do appreciate all of it, especially your personal impressions. I'll make sure my wife reads it too! I like the sound of Ellensburg a lot in some ways. We have been spoiled here in Ashland, with the Pacific Crest Trail 20 miles away and, like E-burg, great hiking in all directions. I am not sure what I would think about that wind. Perhaps I would adjust or not.
You are right that any academic job is a very long shot, at least 50 to 1, sometimes 250 to 1 (seriously). I will have to see if anything happens, then see if my wife can find anything. I would hate for her to be isolated and out of work. She would not be happy.
No worries. Best of luck to you in your job search. I hope I didn't sound to negative or down on Ellensburg. It's got good and bad, ups and downs, just like everywhere. Keep us updated.
The Seattle commute from Ellensburg interests me. I'm assuming much of it has to do with lower housing costs, but could be related to lifestyle as well. That commute would be hellish in the winter, with frequent snowstorms over Snoqualmie, and many closures every winter. I'd like to see some stats on how many commute, as E-burg could be the new Seattle-east. Heck, they even beam in Seattle TV stations to Ellensburg!
As for the weather, E-burg doesn't have quite the gloom as west of the Cascades, and is only significantly colder from November through mid-March. You'll get more sunshine in the late spring, summer and early fall, with summer daytime temps just a few degrees cooler than Ashland, yet 5-8 degrees warmer than Seattle.
The Seattle commute from Ellensburg interests me. I'm assuming much of it has to do with lower housing costs, but could be related to lifestyle as well. That commute would be hellish in the winter, with frequent snowstorms over Snoqualmie, and many closures every winter. I'd like to see some stats on how many commute, as E-burg could be the new Seattle-east. Heck, they even beam in Seattle TV stations to Ellensburg!
As for the weather, E-burg doesn't have quite the gloom as west of the Cascades, and is only significantly colder from November through mid-March. You'll get more sunshine in the late spring, summer and early fall, with summer daytime temps just a few degrees cooler than Ashland, yet 5-8 degrees warmer than Seattle.
Sounds like an absurd commute to me. But for a person who can work at home most of the time, it might work.
As it turns out, I have another application in to Corvallis, Oregon. And after this week of sog and gloom in Ashland, I am really reconsidering it. I lived in Corvallis for several years, and I think I just do not like the endless sog of the westside, at least north of Eugene. I suspect E-burg is like Ashland, with plenty of clouds in midwinter, and some fog, I would suspect it feels quite a bit drier, with at least a few starry nights each week for most of the year. I love the Northwest, but I guess I like the drier edges best. Like Bend or Ashland, Oregon, I would suspect beautiful westside forests are pretty close but the day to day is quite a bit drier.
The Seattle commute from Ellensburg interests me. I'm assuming much of it has to do with lower housing costs, but could be related to lifestyle as well. That commute would be hellish in the winter, with frequent snowstorms over Snoqualmie, and many closures every winter. I'd like to see some stats on how many commute, as E-burg could be the new Seattle-east. Heck, they even beam in Seattle TV stations to Ellensburg!
Most of the people I know who do the commute stay the week in Seattle, and the weekend in Ellensburg. The kids and stay at home parent (mom or dad) stay in the Burg during the week, work if they can find a job, etc. The whole "I want a country estate" thing going on there maybe
Of course, in the summer when the sun is out until 9, and there is light until almost 10 the commute wouldn't be so bad I suppose. As far as cost of living, yes it is lower than Seattle, but it is still quite a bit considering that we have very little work except for the university and hay.
I live in Ashland. I have applied for a job in Ellensburg. My wife is not too happy.
Here is what I know:
Both towns are small college towns close to mountains.
Ashland is more woodsy, the mountains near Ellensburg are higher.
Ashland is very gentrified, with very expensive housing.
Ellensburg is more affordable.
Both have good schools.
Ellensburg has more cows. Ashland has more ex-Californians.
Both are near agriculture,but Ashland is bigger on tourism.
Ashland is more liberal, Ellensburg more conservative.
Both have great outdoor recreation in all directions.
The job for me might be pretty good (teaching at CWU), but I would be looking for something for my wife too.
Any thoughts to share?
Thanks, FH
I love the ex-Californians comment (being from Cali myself). I guess we can sort of be the counterpart to cows. ha!.
I see that this post was from a handful of years ago. I wonder if you ever moved to ellensburg? Did you take the teaching gig? I am considering a position at CWU also and am curious about living in Ellensburg. What do you think?
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Ellensburg from my perspective
