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Review Wenatchee
Don't Visit Here. Period.
0.5
rating
By
Anonymous (
May 19, 2019)
This town is beyond boring, if you are in your late 70's this is the place for you. Nothing to do here but weed and alchohol. You wanna go golf? We got em. You wanna walk in our mile long stretch of rundown business that we claim is our walk of the Vegas strip? We got em. You wan ...Read More
na build ramps and ride bikes on them? We don't got them because Mayor Drew refuses to allow us to do such. You wanna visit our copy and paste parks? We got em. You wanna have an extremely boring birthday. We got em! Don't come! Wish I could give a 0 star.
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Wenatchee can be the right fit for a lot of people
4
rating
By
escapedfromseattle (
Feb 18, 2016)
I grew up in the Seattle area, so I am one of those "westsiders" who has found life to the east of the Cascades to be much better. Wenatchee is the right fit for me and for anyone who wants a recreational paradise. I am not kidding. This place can rival the big name outdoor citie ...Read More
s with its offerings. The cost of living here compared to a place like Bend, Oregon is pretty good, though not so cheap compared to Spokane or Boise. If you do not like being outside then this place probably will not fit you. Nightlife and downtown shopping does not draw a crowd, but I think it is moving in the right direction in a slow way. Craft breweries are popping up and there is a relatively large group of outdoor enthusiasts and organizations that are very successful. It is hard to be single here, though. The city sits between mountains and foothills to the west and the Columbia river to the east. It is only at about 650 feet of altitude, but you can get up to close to 7k feet at the top of the nearby ski resort. I am not really into boating, fishing, hunting, or trucking around, but there are plenty of those kinds of opportunities here. There are also opportunities for golf, wine tasting at estate wineries, and you are pretty close to Chelan and Leavenworth if you like the touristy places. What I like about the recreation here comes down to the easy access to the trails in the foothills and nearby Cascades. I can ride my mountain bike from my house in central Wenatchee up four thousand feet of elevation on forest trails. Some days I see no one. The mountain biking here is top-notch and a local organization plans to build a lot more single track in the future. Road biking opportunities exist as well on some of the most beautiful routes you can find in the country. In the summer I ride up to the Stemilt area south of town on quiet country roads with few cars and incredible views of orchards and the river. Glacier Peak stands out on the horizon. Trail running can be done here almost 10 months or more out of the year. Nearby Leavenworth (22 miles away) has access to the famed Enchantments and the whole Alpine Lakes wilderness area. In the spring you can whitewater raft down the Wenatchee and Methow rivers and a few more options exist for hardcore kayakers. SUPing is becoming popular on the Columbia and the entire shoreline down there is a great place to hang out. A paved trail allows cyclists, runners, and walkers to loop from Wenatchee to East Wenatchee for a total of about 11 miles plus 8 or so more on extensions. This is a safe place for families with all kinds of access to sports fields and natural landscapes for bird watching. In the winter you can downhill ski at Mission Ridge. The annual pass is very affordable and there really are no lift lines. They have snow-making capabilities and a lot of opportunities for expansion. It's drier snow by Washington standards. Most of this is within a 10 mile radius of downtown. On the downside, Wenatchee probably does not have a lot of economic opportunities. You'll need to have a job lined up. A lot of surgeons and nurses move here just because of the recreation. There is a decent sized hospital and the tourist industry is growing. I do not have kids but I hear the local schools are mediocre. There is a community college in town with a lot of well-qualified faculty members (check out the directory) with graduate degrees from well-known institutions. I imagine a lot of them work here for the recreation. If kids do not get challenged at the K-12 level they can probably get well prepared there. The valley needs to attract creative folks who can expand business opportunities beyond agriculture and tourism. As far as infrastructure goes, I think Wenatchee is slowly moving in the right direction. It is no Bend or Whitefish, but the downtown area has a rather unpretentious historic feel to it. I love old brick buildings and older houses, so I am attracted to this kind of town. With a little urban improvement this place could really turn around. So, if you can find work and want to play a lot outside, Wenatchee might be a better option than Bend or Boulder. Way less expensive with very few people actually taking advantage of the recreation relative to the size of the place. It is sunny and dry except for some brutal parts of winter. And Seattle is only 2 and half hours away if you need a day in the big city.
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Family friendlyPublic transit is accessibleWalkable to grocery storesYards are well-keptLots of parksWalkable to restaurantsFriendly neighbors Safe at night Pet friendly Streets have sidewalksA quiet areaSense of community
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Compare Wenatchee, WA Livability
B
Amenities
Are there many local amenities in
Wenatchee?
Yes, there are some amenities close to this location.
Parks
Washington Park
Pennsylvania Park
Chase Park
Memorial Park
Triangle Park
Centennial Park
Riverfront Park
Lewis and Clark Park
Entertainment
Paul Thomas Baseball Stadium
Liberty Theatre
Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center
Kaos Bar and Nightclub
Great Northern Steam Locomotive
Eastmont Lanes
Gateway Cinema
Apple Visitor Center
Food & Drink
SS Subshop
Papa Murphy's
Jack in the Box
Tastebuds Coffee & Wine
Jimmy John's
The Beer Shop
Trav's Restaurant Lounge
McDonald's
F
Commute
Is public transit available in Wenatchee?
Of all people who commute,
0.5% take public transportation in
Wenatchee.