Anyone From Kennewick/Pasco/Richland, WA?

[Turquesa]

DH is interviewing for a job in the Tri-Cities.  Rumor has it that this isn’t a super crunchy area of the state.  But I’ve been doing some investigating and have learned that there’s a midwifery practice there, the largest farmer’s market in the area in Pasco, and a decent selection of natural foods store.

First, I’m a breastfeeding, SAH, AP mom due to have another baby in the spring.  Is there an active LLL group?  Are there opportunities to meet and mingle with other AP moms?

Also, could somebody recommend a good homebirth (or FSBC) midwife in the area?  It looks like there’s a good selection, and I’ll definitely interview everyone if we end up moving there.  But it would be nice to hear from anyone with personal experience!

Do you know of any vax-friendly family docs or peds in the area?  What about a naturopath?  We’re selective vaxers and will be seeing one of the latter at least annually in order to comply with the state’s new vax law.

Which of the tri-cities is the most preferable for living?  Which areas are best?  (We'll be renting at first, then buying).  What else can you tell me about the area?  What do you like/not like about living there?

Thanks in advance.

[sigurroster]

I'm from the Tri Cities but no longer live there. A friend of mine had a homebirth in Richland, so I know there are midwives there who will do it. The only midwifery clinic I know of there is the one in Pasco that you found, they do deliveries there. I believe there is an LLL group too.

Overall your impression is right. The area is not crunchy, most people will look at you like you are weird for doing a lot of crunchy things. Not that many people breastfeed, no one cloth diapers and you will see lots of kids being ignored in carseats and strollers, especially if you go to the mall. Its kind of difficult to watch

Unfortunately I can't help on naturopaths or vax friendly peds, my pediatrician group (3 rivers family medicine) was not vax friendly.

Richland is the "richest" of the towns, has the best schools etc but is the most expensive. Kennewick is kind of a mixture. Pasco is by far the poorest town, and highly immigrant / lots of gang activity in eastern Pasco. Western Pasco has a huge new housing development - we lived there for a couple years and it was pretty nice. I'm not sure I'd want to put kids in the Pasco school district though.

It gets very hot (110) in the summers and very cold in the winters. Its dry there, there are lots of tumbleweeds and duststorms. But if you love sun and heat you will like it there. The rivers are beautiful and there are lots of big parks along the rivers.

What is WA state's new vax law??? I live on the west side of the state now and haven't heard a single thing about this. My kids are selective / delayed and I refuse to be forced to catch up. In general we are pretty friendly, you can sign a waiver for "personal reasons" to exempt your kids from getting them for school. No one has ever questioned us.

[Turquesa]

Thanks for replying! 

Here's a government-sponsored clip on the new law: http://www.doh.wa.gov/Publicat/2011_news/11-071.htm  You now have to go get a doctor's signature on your exemption as proof that you were informed of the "risks and benefits of vaccinating."  The law fortunately allows for a naturopathic doctor to sign, which is why I was asking about them. 

I live in Southwest Idaho, so the weather will be nothing new to me.

DH and I had a long talk about this.  He also has some job prospects in Seattle.  We'd much, much rather live in a smaller city, but I don't know the point of moving to one where I don't feel like I fit in.  We haven't totally ruled it out, but it looks like we'd have to work hard to carve out a community of like-minded people.  If there's LLL and a birthing center, we can't be *completely* along!  Thanks for the helpful info!       

[swedishmaiden]

I went to school in Walla Walla for three years (a small town an hour outside of Tri-Cities) and then lived there for a year while my husband was attending WSU in 2009. As much as I dislike the city (we live outside of Spokane now), I would lean toward Seattle over Tri-Cities. (Unless we're talking right in Seattle, versus the outskirts) Tri-Cities is extremely hot in the summer and extremely cold in the winter without much snow. There are very few areas with shade in the summer and there isn't much to do outside. My husband and I like hiking, but the only place to go was Badger Mountain (a large hill with sagebrush on it) or walking at the park along the Columbia, which often crowded and dirty. I didn't want to get in the water either, because of Hanford, and now that I have kids, I especially wouldn't want them in it!

I was working for CPS while we lived there and ended up seeing a lot of the area, so I would also recommend Richland the most. It is the oldest and most well developed. There are nice houses in West Pasco, but they are new housing developments without many trees. And Kennewick is in-between - some ok areas, some run-down.

On the plus side, I absolutely loved the agricultural element of living there. Each city has a farmer's market (Richland was my favorite) and I got cheap fresh produce all summer long. The area is big enough to have a mall, but it's not a huge city. I also appreciated the fact that a lot of people are bilingual; that's a great things for kids to grow up around.