Winthrop is special
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1/26/2021
I've lived here in the valley for 9 years. It is a beautiful town in a mountain setting with endless trails, hot summer days, snow sports, scenery, politics, wildland fire, more snow, lots of wildfire, more politics and then year round tourist. It is a year-round vacation mecca. Hiking, fat-biking, x-country skiing, snowmobiling, fishing, swimming, river rafting and even, hot air ballooning. This is a lovely place to retire if you already have at least a cabin, but keep in mind the closest hospital it over 50 minutes away in good weather. The cost of living has gone up dramatically in the last 5 years. And, with the influx of people escaping Seattle's CoVid nightmare, there are no rentals and very few homes for sale currently. We are growing with a new library on the way, a new fire station and a boom in building to make room for the new masses. But, other than the building trades, there is little work. The economy here is dependent on tourism. The people are friendly and kind (unless you talk about politics). Winter travel can be dicey, especially if you head for the passes. The closest airport is 2 hours away in Wenatchee. So commuting from work on the westside to the valley on weekends (as many are currently finding out) is about a 50% chance due to extreme weather, snow, avalanches, fire closures, road washouts and the extreme traffic in the non-snow months. I recommend this area for those who are very self-contained, ok with being isolated, have good balance (5 months of walking on ice and snow is a skill!) and a good income in place.
Sherry | Winthrop, WA