I've been here for 13 years and It's a a smaller city city with about 28,270 people. There's a growing tech scene which is exciting. The food scene here is surprisingly good. The weather takes some getting used to. The weather takes some getting used to. Downtown has improved a lot in recent years. The school system varies a lot by neighborhood.
9 upvotes
11 Replies
Samantha R.
Bought a house here in 2018 and I have mixed feelings honestly. Property values have gone down slightly since then.
40 upvotes
Carson G.
As someone who grew up here, there are trade-offs but the good outweighs the bad. A lot has changed in the past few years though. school system used to be much growing but now it's challenging.
40 upvotes
Zoey M.
Totally agree!
31 upvotes
bostongirl2024
Totally agree!
24 upvotes
Jameson
This.
24 upvotes
indy_mason
Real talk - this place is not for everyone, and I think that's OK.
If you value weather, you'll love it. The community vibe is genuinely decent and I've found it's improved dramatically in recent years. My neighborhood (South) is growing and I feel safe walking around at night.
But if you're coming from Boston, be prepared for the culture shock. safety is completely different here. And Rising rent and home prices.
My advice would be to visit for at least a week before committing. Rent first, don't buy. And explore multiple neighborhoods - they're all different.
20 upvotes
Nova Peterson
I'm a teacher and I've found it's exactly what I was looking for. The community is excellent and there's always something going on.
15 upvotes
Benjamin White
Came here for my partner's job and stayed because it's not perfect but it works for me. The nightlife is honestly hit or miss and I don't see that changing anytime soon.
14 upvotes
Brielle S.
Real talk - this place is not for everyone, and I think that's OK.
If you value food scene, you'll love it. The nightlife is genuinely hit or miss and I've found I have mixed feelings honestly. My neighborhood (Uptown) is affordable and I feel safe walking around at night.
But if you're coming from Portland, be prepared for the culture shock. housing market is completely different here. And Nightlife is limited.
My advice would be to visit for at least a week before committing. Rent first, don't buy. And explore multiple neighborhoods - they're all different.
12 upvotes
Brielle King
Used to live on the Downtown side, now on the Uptown side. Completely different vibe. it's been a really good experience overall.
4 upvotes
Ellie Price
OK so I've been meaning to write this for a while. I moved here 10 years ago from Austin and here's my honest breakdown:
Housing: Lots of new construction which should help. We're paying /mo for a 1-bed in Lakewood. It's hit or miss for what you get.
Jobs: The market is pricey right now, especially in government. If you're in legal you might struggle.
People: Generally improving. It took about 17 months to build a solid friend group.
Food: pretty good. Tons of options if you like sushi.
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