Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Our family of 4 has been looking for a home (remotely) and we've mostly focused on Salmon Creek/Felida as that's both close to work and seemed like a good fit when we visited.
Some homes in Hockinson have recently caught our eye in part due to the larger lot sizes and the good schools. Most of our hobbies are outdoor recreation focused - hiking, skiing, and water related.
We know living in Hockinson means 10+ minute drives to stores and that's livable for us. However, some local contacts have mentioned that Hockinson is very conservative politically+socially relative to Salmon Creek and that the area is not as 'neighborly' (e.g., less likely to have BBQ with neighbors).
We have 2 kids under the age of 3 and we're looking for a community we can all be a part of, even with our left-leaning political views. We aren't religious so we are hoping to build our community through our neighborhood and activities. To those who know the area - does Hockinson seem like a poor fit?
The further out you go the redder it gets both here in Clark County and pretty much everywhere. Salmon Creek is more traditional suburban subdivision neighborhoods. Hockinson is more exurban with larger lots and people more spread out. More the kind of place where people have horses, ride ATVs and such. Although there are more and more regular subdivisions going in out here too.
The New York Times made a very detailed precinct-by-precinct map of the 2020 election that will give you a better flavor of the politics of various areas than anything anecdotal you'll get here. I find it pretty useful. You can zoom into any street in Salmon Creek or Hockinson and see how people voted. At first glance, Salmon Creek went for Biden by 16 points (57% to 40%) while Hockinson went for Trump by 26 points (61% to 36%) so yes they are quite different politically.
From what you describe I would think that Salmon Creek/Felida might suit you better. The schools there are good too. I would also explore East Vancouver in the Fishers Landing area if the geography suits. Also perhaps the west edge of Camas along 192nd that borders East Vancouver if that also works for your commutes. Both of those areas are very community and school oriented. The reverse commutes are not bad. I commuted from Camas to Ridgefield for two years and it was about 25 min each way. As long as you don't get caught in the sea of Portland-bound commuter traffic on I-5 or I-205 and the feeder roads for those bridges it is not bad.
Last edited by texasdiver; 03-12-2021 at 12:39 PM..
Thanks texasdiver - both for your thoughts and the NYT link.
People warned us that heading west on the 14 from Camas can be rough if it's rush hour - maybe that was overblown?
I was teaching in Ridgefield and would usually leave pre-rush hour, around 6:30 am. What happens on 14 is that 90% of the west-bound traffic is Portland-bound so they get into the right lane to turn right onto the bridge at the I-205 junction. This messes things up for commuters who are trying to get onto I-205 north which is usually clear because you get stuck in the same turn lane as those going for the southbound exit which is right after it.
Those who are continuing on 14 towards downtown Vancouver stay in the left lane and usually have smooth sailing. Sometimes there are a-holes who stay in the left lane all the way and then try to squeeze in to the right turn exit to 205 at the very last moment to everyone's huge annoyance.
I would say based on my pre-pandemic experience that it usually starts getting congested between 6:30 and 7 am so it really depends on how early you go to work.
My wife uses 14 every day to commute to her job in Orchards and always has smooth sailing but then she also leaves very early as well. If she is going in later she will often take 164th all the way up towards Hockinson and then cut west on SR500 (4th Plain) which is surface streets with traffic lights but usually pretty fast.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,711 posts, read 58,042,598 times
Reputation: 46182
Hockinson is a bit heavy populated by Apostolic Lutheran and LDS. They are welcoming and will likely not give you grief about your political views, but... you might not be 'best friends' / chummy. Many families have been there for decades, maybe generations.
Camas / Evergreen / Salmon Creek is a bit more mixed social views, as the vast majority are transplants anyway.
West coast is quite tolerant in general of political and social views.
Felida can be quite nice & if close to work, I would choose that area. Good friend (now-deceased) and fellow fruit farmer, Vinton Erickson has developed most of his farm into houses. There is a lot of stuff nearby, and easy to travel North or South quite quickly. Several coworkers bought or built in Felida during the 1980's most are still there.
Thanks StealthRabbit. Felida seems great - unfortunately no one seems to want to move away! We'll probably keep waiting for some houses there to get listed. If you know of any local homeowners groups where we can beg folks to sell please let me know!
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,711 posts, read 58,042,598 times
Reputation: 46182
Quote:
Originally Posted by Volkl1
Thanks StealthRabbit. Felida seems great - unfortunately no one seems to want to move away! We'll probably keep waiting for some houses there to get listed. If you know of any local homeowners groups where we can beg folks to sell please let me know!
Yeah, if you wait for something to be posted For Sale, you are out of luck, thrown to the wolfs with thousands of other buyers. I could find something available in Felida in a couple days, it is a pretty big market. (Lots of homes). I have a few friends there, one who added separate living space for their parents. I'll ask them since they are approaching 90 yo, they will have a long list of friends who have died, or are about to. That frees up houses. 2 Friends only left there because they were sick of the rain and company offered a severance package.
Many more friends in Hockinson, but I really dislike their commute. I'm spoiled with 20 min and no stoplights until Airport exit (and it is a right turn...) When living in Hazel Dell, I worked nights to void traffic / traffic lights.
Thanks StealthRabbit. Felida seems great - unfortunately no one seems to want to move away! We'll probably keep waiting for some houses there to get listed. If you know of any local homeowners groups where we can beg folks to sell please let me know!
Hi Volkl1, we actually live in the Hockinson school district, so I can speak from experience living in the area. We also have relatives who have lived in the same district and raised their kids here from early childhood. They all loved going to school in Hockinson. So, that encouraged us to move here and give it a try.
Notice I said Hockinson 'School District' which is really a variety of separate neighborhoods types. This ranges from more country living where folks have small farms and ranches on larger lots to suburbia quickly expanding outward from Vancouver. These are actually quite a bit different. I think what has been characterized so far is more of the former. We live in the latter which is probably what you're looking as well vs. the country farm home type neighborhoods. These newer developments are actually really nice with families closer together, roads with sidewalks, good places for kids to ride their bikes and play vs. the narrow country roads where you cannot walk or ride a bike without taking your life into your hands. Caveat to say our relatives raised their kids in the country and they loved it which included learning how to ride horses and raise different types of animals. They played on their property, basically, instead of their neighborhood streets. Its just different from suburban living.
That was an interesting website TexasDiver provided on voting by neighborhood. I'd never seen it before. As it turns out, our newer area actually voted more blue overall. Though there was a good number that voted conservative as well. That said, we never base our move on politics and I didn't even know how our neighbors voted until looking at the chart just now. We've lived in very liberal parts of CA most of our lives as well as conservative Colorado Springs. Its just not something we ever emphasize with friends. I think Vancouver overall is more like this, live and let live vs. the great political divide that separates friend from foe.
We have three teenagers. When we first moved here a couple years ago, the youngest attended Hockinson middle school while our middle daughter started at Hockinson High. Overall, the experience has been great for them. Because Hockinson is a smaller district, its relatively easy for the kids to get to know their peers and teachers. We actually homeschooled before moving here. So, as their first public school experience, it has definitely been a positive one.
One of the main ways families get together is via extracurricular activities for their kids. For example, our youngest plays soccer and our middle daughter is in the band. Parents follow their kids' activities. There's a ton of school spirit at Hockinson with very encouraging coaches, teachers, band directors and involved parents. So, that is one good avenue to meet folks when new to the area.
Regarding meeting people in your neighborhood and hanging out with them, I think that is less common in American overall today than it used to be generations ago. Our neighbors come from all over and most are new to the area as well. We came from California and our next door neighbor from Portland. Covid pretty much squelched any sort of kumbaya neighborhood gatherings or general hanging out and getting know people that way. We do attend a local church and have made some friends from there. Though the leadership intentionally de-emphasizes politics which we really appreciate. I've also made local friends through common interest groups with planned get togethers. For example, I like to paddleboard and joined a Portland SUP group on Facebook that paddles together. I find shared common interests as a far better method to meet people as newbies rather than random neighborhood chance encounters.
I had never even heard about the local Apostolic Lutheran church until recently when talking with my dental hygienist. She grew up in Battle Ground where its an apparent stronghold for them. But I have never met a member before nor seen any negative influence within the schools. The only somewhat odds thing our kids saw at school was some maga hats. That was not something seen where we lived in CA before. Though I think its good for them to be exposed to both sides our society vs. merely one. So, we just chuckled about it and that's about all, pretty harmless really.
As always, YMMV,
Derek
Last edited by MtnSurfer; 03-12-2021 at 10:43 PM..
That's super helpful Derek. It's not like politics are a part of our daily lives and I grew up plenty happy in a 'red' area.
The house we are interested in at the.moment is in the Cedars neighborhood. We like the lot sizes and proximity to the Salmon-Morgan area. It's not a place you could have horses or ATVs so I'm sure the viibe is dfferent than the truly rural parts of hockinson.
That's super helpful Derek. It's not like politics are a part of our daily lives and I grew up plenty happy in a 'red' area.
The house we are interested in at the.moment is in the Cedars neighborhood. We like the lot sizes and proximity to the Salmon-Morgan area. It's not a place you could have horses or ATVs so I'm sure the viibe is dfferent than the truly rural parts of hockinson.
Hockinson itself is just a crossroads with a stop sign and a gas station/mini mart. There isn't any actual historic town there like Camas or Washougal. A generation ago the area was entirely rural.
School district boundaries are expansive. There is no spot anywhere in the state that doesn't pertain to a specific school district. There are no holes on the map with no school district. So the Hockinson School District boundaries run from close to Orchards in Vancouver up to Battle Ground and all the way east into the mountains. The southern part of the district is essentially suburban Vancouver with the same type of subdivisions as the rest of Vancouver. The northern part is more rural and exurban.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
) When living in Hazel Dell, I worked nights to void traffic / traffic lights.
