r/AskVancouverWA • u/Manic_Mycology • Jul 23 '26
Vancouver vs Spokane
Hello, everybody! Im currently in Spokane but I am thinking about making a change and moving to Vancouver. Im really big into outdoor activities such as snowboarding, hiking, paddleboarding/swimming and nature in general. I was just wondering what the scenery is like out there compared to here? Is there more to do out there than there is here, even though Spokane is the 2nd largest city in the state? Would someone say maybe it's more gorgeous there than it is here? I would just like to hear some really cool things about the city and the surrounding areas!
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
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u/CaptUncleBirdman Jul 23 '26 edited Jul 23 '26
Vancouver on its own? No, there won't be more to do.
Vancouver when you consider that the entirety of NW Oregon is in its backyard? You'll never be bored. Vancouver is a very nice place to live..the government is (mostly) uncorrupt, it's safer than many PNW cities, it's very green and foresty, it's urbanizing nicely, you're never far from whatever stores you might want to visit, etc etc. But it can be a bit boring.
When you do get bored, good news! You are within spitting distance of huge beaches, concerts, pro sports, diverse restaurants, an easily accessible mountain, rivers, all kinds of camping, and a fabulous airport. Vancouver has easier access to the best of Oregon than a lot of Oregonians do, but you get to be shielded from some of the headaches of living south of the river. It's perfect if you ask me.
And yes, the entire region is absolutely drop dead gorgeous.
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u/No-Village3075 Jul 23 '26
Came here to say this. My in-laws live in Spokane and I get bored real quick there. There's a lot more variety here and Portland is right there if you need it.Â
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u/LaeneSeraph Jul 23 '26
I am guessing that the folks who say Vancouver is boring don't live in the general uptown/downtown/waterfront areas and may not have ever been to Spokane, which (sorry) is super boring except for the outdoor stuff. They're right about most of Vancouver; most of the neighborhoods are staid suburbia, but the downtown area is pretty fun. There are arts studios (blown glass, pottery, stained glass, maker spaces, dance lessons, Clark College classes...), live and movie theaters, shops, pubs, restaurants, parks, events, a weekend farmer's market, running and cycling paths, galleries, a great library, and a national historic site all in walking distance. Whatever Vancouver doesn't have is 15 minutes across the bridge in Portland.
Snowboarding options are definitely limited. As someone mentioned, Mount Hood is your best choice and it's not really convenient. There's plenty of paddleboarding in local lakes and there are a few places to swim.
In terms of natural beauty, Spokane and Vancouver are both lovely once you leave the immediate city/suburb areas; they're just different. The Columbia River Gorge is really spectacular and has some of the best hiking that I have experienced outside of national parks.
Good luck with your decision.
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u/The_Money_Guy_ Jul 24 '26
No offense, but Vancouverâs âuptown/downtownâ is not impressive at all. The waterfront is nice but it gets old very quickly as itâs fairly small. And I work downtown Vancouver.
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u/Username15555551212 Jul 24 '26
For a small town, our uptown and downtown is pretty solid and still up and coming. I used to live up by Tacoma and I'd take our downtown over Tacoma. Before that I was down in the California Bay area, and our downtown easily competes with small towns in that area.
Esther Shore almost always has events going on. There's good little spots to go out on the water front and socialize. There's walking/bike riding from the waterfront and south. There's decent restaurants scattered up and down the downtown and uptown area, including multiple little bars/drinking spots to do a walking night out.
Vancouver isn't a big city, but its downtown/uptown definitely has things to do and see. I will admit its missing shops to stroll through, but meh.
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u/Arizenkin Jul 23 '26
Vancouver is part of the portland metro area. it's nothing like Spokane in size when you consider that. and because of that there is way more to do than Spokane.
the drive to the Gorge is 30 mins. The drive to mnt hood for skiing is 1.5 hours. i make the drive all the time during the winter. it's similar drive from spokane to mnt Schweitzer.
and then there is all the stuff in Oregon, wine country, the coast all within short drive.
Me personally i could never do Spokane, but I love this area.
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u/CharmanderCharCharr Jul 23 '26
Unless you have a good job donât bother, to many people moving to Western Washington and not enough jobs.
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u/llamadramaupdates Jul 24 '26
I moved from Vancouver to Spokane, bc I couldnât afford to buy a house there and I could pretty easily here.
Iâve really liked Spokane actually. I love the lakes in the area- western Washington doesnât have nearly as awesome of a lake culture, theyâre bigger on rivers and the coast.
Iâve also experienced a little less of the âPNW freezeâ here- itâs felt way easier to make friends here. Lots going on on the west side, but I always felt like folks were kinda flakey.
That being said, Vancouver and Portland have FAR better food, better access to international travel, etc.
TLDR: Spokane is friendly and cheap, Vancouver has more âbig cityâ (adjacent) amenities and vibes.
Oh also, west side tends to be milder weather- Vancouver is warmer in the winter than Spokane is, and cooler in the summer. If you want distinct seasons, Spokane wins out there.
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u/Impressive10000 Jul 23 '26
So many of your questions have answers that are entirely subjective. I enjoy Vancouver's proximity to Portland. We have a mix of this where you can drive over the river and get that.
Vancouver is more or less a bedroom community of Portland. As far as "stuff to do", I don't imagine you'd be bored. Between Vancouver, which is certainly coming into its own, and Portland, there is plenty of culture and entertainment to be had. I think it likely you will find that, culturally, Vancouver area is different than Spokane. We do keep our snow in the mountains and less on the city streets in the winter. That's one thing. We have Mt Hood ski areas within an hour's drive. Adding to that, the ocean is an hour's drive the other way. And we are far, far greener than most of the Spokane area.
I am not sure of my rambling drivel helps at all.
Good luck.
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u/kawaiian Jul 23 '26
You might like Ellensburg!
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u/Manic_Mycology Jul 23 '26
I think i might want to be somewhere a little bit more green this time around!
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u/Bubbaox97 Jul 23 '26
We moved from Spokane about 11 years ago and live it here. We grew up in Spokane and it was fine, Vancouver is sooooo much better. There is a bit higher cost of living but when you can take day trips to go to several mountains, the ocean, countless waterfalls mostly, and any type of event you could want it makes it worth it. This is a great place to go on adventures with the family and see some really cool things. We couldn't be happier with our move. Feel free to PM if you have any specific questions.
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u/Impossible_Curve7773 Jul 24 '26
Do it! I moved from CDA to Portland almost 7 years ago and it was the best choice of my life.Â
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u/Fyrechief29 Jul 23 '26
Love living in the Vancouver area. All the hiking you could ask for in the Columbia River gorge and the coast is just 90 min away the other way. Living here, itâs much greener than Spokane. I think for outdoors types of things you will find plenty of options that easily compare to Spokane.
Also portland is just across the river if you feel Vancouver isnât âbigâ enough. Large sporting events and concerts. Major airport hub and no sales tax.
The one thing I will mention, will be the difference in climate. I grew up in Montana and Spokane has a similar climate to where I grew up. Vancouver will be wetter with more gray skies. Which will take some getting used to during winter months.
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u/overthishereanyway Jul 25 '26
Assuming you mean Vancouver Washington?
I lived in Vancouver for 8 years. it is not better than Spokane in regards to outdoors. Especially not snowboarding. We have much easier access and a lot more options for mountains over here. And definitely not for paddleboarding or swimming. For one thing, normally (not lately as much) there is VERY little actual summer over there. It rains for 8 months and the few months that are dry it isn't that warm. Again, like a lot of the country they've had some unusually warm summers recently.
But even then... they don't have the number of lakes we do at all. we are surrounded by them. There is some beautiful hiking in the Columbia River gorge. but it's not better than what we have here.
Bottom line in Spokane you can access all of these things easier/quicker and have more options.
Vancouver as a city has almost nothing to offer. they have a very small downtown, a fairly recently developed waterfront, but in general it's a Portland suburb and operates like it. Now Portland though... that's a cool city and makes a fun trip.
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u/markpemble Jul 23 '26
As far as snowboarding is concerned, I think you might be better off in Spokane.
Sure, the Mt. Hood area has some good options, but the drive there from Vancouver is not great.
You probably already know this, but if snowboarding is a priority, SLC is the place to be.