Pros and Cons of Yakima (Seattle, Spokane: homeowners insurance, sex offender, violent crime)

[mctinmd]

I just registered for city-data for the sole purpose of responding to this thread on Yakima. I was born raised and spent 18 years in the city. My mother and some aunts and uncles still live there so I have been back occasionally for school reunions and to visit family. Every time I have been back it has been for less than a few days at a time because I can't stand being there any more time. I grew up in the poor side of town in the streets section and eventually we were able to move to the avenue section and even eventually up past 16th to the better part of town. In most cities I've been in there are pockets of poverty and crime. In Yakima it is cross sections. The people who were saying anything below 16th is bad and above 16th is good are absolutely correct. My uncle used to live in a decent neighborhood on 14th and he sold his house and bought one on 26th with the primary intent to better his neighborhood. Its amazing how much difference less than a mile can have. Anyway, I could never move back to Yakima as there are zero jobs for systems engineers and virtually nothing tech to begin with.

If however you are going to move to Yakima I would still recommend the hill off of 40th and fruitvale type area. The houses are huge with great views of yakima. Of course you'll need to fork out some good cash to get up there but if you are moving from a large city your selling price may get you up there. Whenever I go to yakima and see the other areas I am just amazed at how horrible the conditions are. I'm used to neighborhoods where trees are pruned, lawns are mowed, and houses are painted. There are too few areas in yakima where people actually care about the home they live in because it matches every other home in the area.

As for the area and weather they are great and these are the only reasons I would think about being in that city again. Mt. Rainier and just about anything up White or Chinook pass are great and the trip to seattle is such a nice drive that 2 hours goes by so quickly. If you don't like rain it is a great place to be though as you rarely need to watch the weather report.

I have heard much better things about the tri-cities and they have the weather yet have more to offer then yakima I'm afraid ever will.

[missyM]

Speaking as someone who has lived here for too long, a lot of the problem has to do with the stranglehold that farming has on the economy. With so many undocumenteds, it keeps a lot of the other wages artificially depressed. My DH is working in Utah making 1400/wk, whereas if he were to do something comparable here, the pay would be minimum or less.

[JDTD]

Originally Posted by Corsica2147

I just accepted a job offer at Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital and will be moving out a month from now. I would like to know the pros and cons of living in Yakima. I read some articles about the high crime rate in Yakima and also illegal immigrant issue. But I am not exactly sure to what extend the crime is. If anyone would provide any insight about Yakima like things to do, where to live, etc would be greatly appreciate. Thank you.

Yakvegas is like 30 (something) in the country for most violent cities I believe (look it up though). There was an article an article in both the Seattle PI and Everett Herald today. Lot's of WA cities seem to be making the list these days. Seattle did drop a little I believe.

It's just special. Ahhhh...the trees, the water, the mountains and...another guy with a gun!

[70Ford]

First day in Yakima, I get there with the Uhaul and the car in tow. Check in at the Days Inn. Ask if it's cool if I park my truck out back. Get told "Better park it under the lights." Ok.

Walk over to the little store by Days Inn. There's about 10 hispanic guys hanging there...just sitting by the payphone, drinking beer. As I'm buying a bottle of wine, a youngish feller comes in and says "Hey, do you have a video camera outside?" The lady inside says, "Why?" He says ""Cuz I got robbed at gunpoint just now, and did you get it on film...' - Strike one. I had to walk back the the hotel after that..... oh boy.....

Second day - different gas station, same street. I'm getting gas for the car, There's a lady standing on the store corner. I go in and buy some cookies. I come outside and she says "Can you give me a ride?" I say "Where to?" and she says "I don't care, where ever you want to go." I say, "Cant, married, have a nice night."

Hmmm...buy cookies, get gas.... and instant prostitute. Nice. - Strike two.

Got an apartment from www.yakima-homes.com/for_rent (broken link)
Peach Tree Lane & Plum Lane West Valley, Yakima = $1,100

Same apartment still for rent there, I guess. Seen this same advertisement for a year now. Good looking place, too. Lost of light, planted trees, only one 4X4 mud bogging pick up out front.

I was out of town on business and had a package delivered by the post office the same day. There was no one home. They put it out on the curb. 12 hours later, I have no package and the post office said "We deliver if you're not home or not." I ask, "So what's my recourse here?" The post office lady tells me "Looks like you'll have to file a police report for a stolen package." Mmmm... Good stuff, eh? - Strike 3.

Yakima is a desert. Yakima has a lot of undocumented, low paid workers. Workers, who do a lot of crank (methamphetime) to bide the time. Gangs sell the crank. People can't afford the crank. People steal your crap to buy the crank. Women sell themselves to get the crank. People hold you up at gunpoint to get the crank. Hrmmm....

The apartment above, has a nice view of a huge mountain of dirt. With radio towers on top. I'd call it a hill. Of dirt. N-i-i-ice.

Yakima is a d-e-s-e-r-t. It has desert weather and desert ambiance. If you like scrub - think sagebrush, tumbleweeds, and dirt - you'll love it. Yakima is cold as crap in the winter and hot as hell in the summer. And no one has mentioned the wind. How can they not mention the wind? It's Freaky windy, sometimes. FREAKY. Nothing like driving along and OMG the car! Must! Fight! Wind! Must! Not! Drive off road!


Seattle is 2 hours away or so. Lots of cops on that road. Lots of crazy people on that road. Lots of snow on that road in wintertime. Get some chains for the pass. It gets a bit crowded up there when it snows.

Might want to get some energy bars too, in case there's another 60 car pileup.
Snow causes major accident at Snoqualmie Pass (http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/305499_pass28ww.html?source=mypi - broken link)


I hope you like mexican food. I hope you like mexican grocery stores. My wife is Japanese. Yakima don't do Asian too good.

Yakima reminds me of a town that is dieing. Google it. You'll see stories like MALL CAN'T SURVIVE! YAKIMA MAYOR LOOKING FOR OPTIONS!!! CRIME!CRIME! OMG! OMG! OMG! CRIME!

I took a job in Seattle. More traffic, some crime (King county) and it's green. Overcast, but so green. All those Christmas trees (firs) standing proud. I like Seattle. More expensive, but better for your family, I think.

I'm so glad I don't live in Yakima anymore. So glad. All I kept seeing in my minds eye was my wife being carjacked/accosted, my kids exposed to drugs at an early age, or myself being screwed with. I'm a big guy, but you can't fight 10 gang members on meth. That would just be stupid. Just give them the wallet and car keys, and hope they don't knife you for fun.

Lots of luck to you, if you move there.

[Rickers]

I was a vendor at a craft show on the Yakima Rez once, (not in the town of Yakima though) I will never be back. Lost money doing that show due to lots of customers with no money. The worst thing was having to just about sit on my jewelry case to keep armed gangbangers from running off with it. They were casing my booth like crazy and I had to strap on my Ruger 357 magnum on and wear it in view before they would back off.

[ol'gfromeastsideyakima]

i was raised and lived in yakima in the 70's-80's raised on the east side i'm irish/mexican dark skined was not much of a problem a fue fights with the black kids by no more than white on white fights the 70's and early 80's were great and then the hole developed in yakima lower east side and naches ave area went down fast by the early 90's they had pushed most of the action to around the fair ground area i heard thats about when i flew away not to return till 2000-2001 visited a couple times and noticed all the old places where tore down to put up target walmart and other money grabbers (wal-mart is worse than any mexican selling coke at stockmans on front street or ***** at the book store) sorry my opion only, but all I seen the last time I was in yakima I stayed in selah for three weeks and went to yakima and union gap were my older brother still has a gift/furniture store all i saw all the way down north 1st street all the way to the end of main st union gap was car-lots mexican stores and south of the border mexicans who don't try to learn before driving down yakima streets, i think i was right moving to kansas in 1991 and will never let the streets of any town take me down with it. I'm very proud of my background thoe it was not all good or legal but i rose above that. I''m also proud of all of the old hole homimes who made it out alive. Also heres to all thoes whom ran the ave and hung out at the mall in the 80's the jolly joker ran by Ken-burger chef how about gilbert the guard he was cool. thoes were the days. post me if ya know me or if you remember the mall the ave cruising. where's mike holmes smith-ufford-morehead's-rabbit-oz-joe cool-gomez-bowers-dunn-black johnie-(indain cory G was killed in seattle over .30 cents) all my old homies from grade school castlevale garfield barge lincoln- franklin- washington- O.I.C Classes-adult ed. **** theos guys and all the girls boy the 80's were great there if you were there you were cool too. any how back to today avoid yakima's east side move to the west selah e-burg seattle any where far from yakima it's a sitz-pool to be kind. If your livin in yakavegas i tip my cup to you if your's was'nt taken in a home invasion or stole by your crack/meth addicidted family members tip your and keep the faith don't smoke an 1/8. reply later. Ol'G from east-side yakima

[petereberle]

It's a pretty nice place to live. If your looking for a decent place to live I would look into homesourceyakima.com, they have upper end homes and duplexes to rent with 8 month leases. I found my house through them and was very pleased. Good Luck!:

[Balco9]

I read today in the Seattle business magazine that Yakima is suppose to be the next Bend, Oregon...
A lot of Californian and Western Washington Investors are snatching up land to develop...

[JDTD]

Originally Posted by Balco9

I read today in the Seattle business magazine that Yakima is suppose to be the next Bend, Oregon...
A lot of Californian and Western Washington Investors are snatching up land to develop...

Sweet! Hopefully the Western WA investors are going to sell it to the Californians.

[jessie16]

I do not live in Yakima, but I have to say I am not very comfortable shopping there is it is after dark. I really wanted to speak to Yakima Valley Hospital...Good luck, I worked there and it was the worst experience of my life. I am not sure where you are coming from but it is a whole new world here. The hospital really good give a rip less if you are happy or succeed or not, they feel you should be delighted just to be employed..They have it pretty much set up so you do as they want. Watch what you sign and make sure you read all the fine print, for they are really good at changing up what they promised (get it in writing) and letting people go at any time for any reason. It is also not easy to break in to the hospital group as a new comer because there is a huge threat factor that you may make someone look bad...Be very aware.