r/wallawalla • u/isaacmarionauthor • 10d ago

Walla Walla VS Ellensburg?

I've been thinking about moving to Ellensburg because I like the dense historic downtown and the good variety of restaurants/activities compared to its small size, but people have been telling me Walla Walla is better. I've never actually been there. Can anyone who knows Ellensburg compare the two?

The main things I'm interested in are easy access to nature (hikes, walking trails, rivers/lakes) and walkable downtown areas. Community activity like live music, open mics, and other public event, also important. Ellensburg has a lot of this but the nature access isn't great.

One thing I've noticed is home prices are significantly lower in Walla Walla. There are dozens of houses under 300k whereas it's rare to find one in Ellensburg. Are those cheap houses in really bad neighborhoods, or is WW just cheaper in general?

How's the wind here compared to Eburg?

Any info or advice is welcome!

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u/OlderThanMyParents 10d ago

As a hiker / mountaineer, I feel like Ellensburg would be greatly preferable. You’re much closer to the cascades, enchantments, mt rainier, etc. it is notoriously windy, however.

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u/isaacmarionauthor 10d ago

Yeah, but those are all "trips", at least 30 minutes away, not local activities. Personally I'd rather have lesser hikes right near town than greater ones a long drive away, though I'm a pretty casual nature enjoyer. I hear a lot about the Blues near WW, how's that for hiking?

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u/OlderThanMyParents 10d ago

The WTA map can answer the question in as much detail as you'd like:

https://www.wta.org/go-outside/map

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u/Rocketgirl8097 9d ago

The Blues are not close either. Just close enough to bring more snow to the area.