Pros and Cons of Living in Lewiston Idaho

[@climhazzard115]

I've lived around the quad cities area (Lewiston, Clarkston, Moscow, Pullman) for my entire life. If I were giving an advantage to Lewiston and Clarkston it'd be the fact that they get way less snow during the winter than any of the surrounding area due to being at a much lower elevation.

[@Highmtn52]

The lack of clothing stores is a non-issue. I get a majority of my clothing from Amazon... LOL!!

[@FroggyMan]

Lack of good food is a issue

[@markw999]

I recognize that gal you interviewed. Can't remember her name. So much to say about Lewiston. It's an odd place. I could go on about it but you wouldn't believe half of it anyway. I was an outsider there for 15 + years. Lived there twice, actually. Locals are often insular. It's got it's charms, but it's also going to be odd place for outsiders. "Valley born and bred" is a thing and it means something to a lot of people. Change is happening, but it's slower than the second coming. There's definitely a local culture in the Valley (Lewiston, Clarkston, Asotin - maybe Juliaetta/Kendrick) that I've never exactly seen anywhere else. Great food! The Valley has it's own cuisine, believe it or not. Places there serve food you really won't see anywhere else. Tomato Bros. is a seriously good Italian place. Fazzari's for pizza. I've driven 80 miles to go to Fazzari's for a Shotzy. You gotta try it to believe it. Shopping sucks. Even Moscow is better.

[@livinginidaho]

Thanks for sharing your take.

[@PatrickThreewit]

I get a foot long every time I shop at Costco. My next trip will be to Winco in Lewiston. Has a good bulk food section.

[@marissaolivarez854]

I lived in Lewiston from 2019-2020. My husband’s career path brought us there. We bought an adorable, well cared for home in a lovely community near the Snake River. Definitely a slower pace of life, much different than where I’m originally from (Houston, TX). I felt very safe there and overall, it was a pleasant experience for that season of our life.

[@christopherjones19]

What to expect. It's not a liberal mecca, leave your agenda where you came from. 1. Limited job opportunities- cronic minimum wage earners. 2. Highly policed- FAFO! 3. Limited services and professionals. Long wait times for health care. 4.Similar to the Puget Sound, there's geographic constraints for land development, and long time residents hold any potential good land. Be prepared to get bent over. 5. Biased City council- they refused permitting an Olive Garden, one council member owns the majority of restaurants in the Valley....kinda odd? Nothing here, so keep it moving. 6. Isolated, don't plan on clubs or theaters for music entertainment. 7. Homeless people have increased along with narcotic activity. 8. Lack of resources for the poor. Don't come if you're struggling, your ship WILL SINK! Now if you're still reading. 1. Good moral base in the area as an aggregate. 2.Great emergency responders 3. Lower stress area, compared to metro areas. 4. Outdoors are the real treasure and locals don't take kindly to those unfamiliar with etiquette towards our lands. 5. No trespassing means exactly that. So don't expect the law enforcement to take your side if you didn't get the memo. 6. Lots of local produce and meats. Speedy, but available. All in all like opinions, some would see the area as paradise; however, many move here only to find it's too isolated and friends and family won't come to visit. If you're still reading, maybe the area would be ideal. Especially if you have common sense and some basic morals.

[@livinginidaho]

Thanks for watching and commenting

[@MikePelfrey-sd5lb]

Thanks for that honest reply. When you mentioned homeless can you elaborate. I currently live in Grants Pass Oregon and the homeless are everywhere. Our city parks are mostly huge filthy homeless encampments. It’s absolutely disgusting.

[@accudave]

@@MikePelfrey-sd5lb I've lived in GP. Homelessness in the Rogue Valley is definitely way worse than the LC Valley by maybe a factor of 10. It's not even close.

[@strangerdanger8491]

The thing I'm most concerned with is the smell. Every comment on videos for Lewiston mentions the smell. How bad is it and is there places maybe further away from the paper mills to live that doesn't get smelly? It's literally the only thing holding me back from considering Lewiston as a destination to move

[@livinginidaho]

Yah, when the wind 💨 blows west it throws the smell into the city. I’ll be doing another video and will touch on that. The farther you live west the further you are from the smell.

[@PatrickThreewit]

I get to Lewiston every month or two, but I only notice the smell when I pass by the plant. By the time I cross the Highway bridge, don't smell anything. I don't see why people don't move to Lewiston, but I'm glad they don't. The main reason I can see is that this is the only moderately populated area in Idaho that has no interstate. Undoubtedly the warmest place in the state.and no sales tax on food a Costco or Walmart across the river.

[@strangerdanger8491]

@@PatrickThreewit oh that's good to know. Thanks!

[@markw999]

Smells like money!!!! (local saying) Seriously, it's bad downtown sometimes. Get up to the "heights" in Clarkston or "the orchards" in Lewiston and it's gone. You'll want to be above North 40 in Lewiston. Even there you'll occasionally get a whiff if the wind blows weird.

[@PatrickThreewit]

@@markw999 Whenever I come into town I only notice it briefly. #0 years ago I moved from the coast of Washington. Everett is a town probably 4 times the size of Lewiston and you can smell those paper mills for miles in any direction. Lewiston has a sweet smell compared to Everett, and people love to live on the water front there.

[@accudave]

Not mentioned is the new state-of-the-art high school in Lewiston. It's technology center is very impressive, with its studio, engineering, healthcare, Industrial education, etc.

[@coryturner9140]

We just finished a motorcycle trip from twin falls to Lewiston and across highway 12 (lolo pass). We stayed in Lewiston our first night and it was such a cool place but the smell made me nauseous… The worst smelling city I’ve been in… beautiful but not livable for me..

[@craigflood8524]

Yah... the smell isn't great when that wind blows west. HOw was the motorcycle trip? I bet that was amazing. Did you make video?

[@coryturner9140]

@@craigflood8524 I didn’t make a video, just took some pictures! We had 1200 miles to ride in 3 days so we were pushing hard!

[@livinginidaho]

@coryturner9140 what a trip

[@PatrickThreewit]

It only smell by the plant and most housing in on the grade with no smells. I don't notice it much as I come down river.

[@stevenjames7667]

My first wife was from Lewisville I loved Lewiston in the early to med 70s...

[@livinginidaho]

It’s a great little city Thanks for watching

[@stevenjames7667]

@@livinginidaho If person wanted to get lost, disappear, duck out of sight, and lay low and still have freedom to live a good life, the most unassuming place in my mind would be the Lewiston, Clarkston area's.

[@christineshomemakingjourney]

Thank you for sharing video! Upon reading a comment here it is horrible that marijuana isn't illegal. I live in a state where it is allowed and where I am currently, it is nice but a lot of people that use and sell drugs and it makes it a sketchy to live here now and getting unsafe because of that and of course the dangers of secondhand smoke which we are being affected by. I pray that they will make it illegal again and very soon. You can't have tons of people smoking, using drugs and the area continue to stay nice. So sad

[@WhoWouldWantThisName]

It IS illegal in Idaho. It's only across the border in WA that it is legal. Also it is strictly enforced in Lewiston.

[@PatrickThreewit]

According to 2024 census and any other data sites listed, Lewiston population is 35,000 and Clarkston is 7,000.

[@DentonThaves]

You are wrong Lewiston, Idaho population is 27,000.

[@PatrickThreewit]

@@DentonThaves When I came to Lewiston two days ago I was on Webb Road and at the beginning of Thain the sign said 32,000. And you can look up city-Data even look at the Lewiston--Clarkston metro area statistics.

[@itsRudy5353]

good video , but seems more about clarkston and other towns than lewiston .

[@ericb6430]

Forgot a con, lewiston has the highest property tax in the entire state of idaho.

[@keekeemyfirstcat8410]

Summers are HOT. One year it was 117. This summer we have had temps close to 110 the past month and this is July. Lewiston is on a hill. Most live up on the hill, but all the city business is down by the river. Annoying going up and down. There is no clothing shops, except for Walmart and small starts up which usually are a waste of time to go look. There are several thrift stores you could pick out clothes. The city across the river, Clarkston is FULL of druggies and you can buy marijuana there, but Idaho it is illegal and you go to jail if you have it on you. There is a paper mill and that is associated by smell of aldehydes which brings a lot of people havinf sinus allergies. Most people live her are elderly. There is no dancing in the town anywhere, you have to go an hour if you want to do that. The property taxes are insane and the income tax is one of the highest in the nation. Wages are fairly low so makes it difficult to live in this city and afford anything. The hospital in town is poorly run and most people go to the neighboring state for health care.

[@macielcortez9052]

Its 2 small 4 all the people movin here. Need 2 build more roads n more. Traffic is ugly 4 a small area.

[@livinginidaho]

Thanks for watching

[@bassmanaustin]

And you don’t live there. I spent most of my life there and traffic is very minimal. Almost too little. I live in a much larger area and it’s chaos. It’s like little Seattle. I’m going back to Idaho. Slow is good. You don’t like slow, go to the metro

[@donnymac575]

Wish it didn't smell so bad there.

[@livinginidaho]

Yah, there is that paper mill :(

[@PatrickThreewit]

Doesn't bother me any and I live way upriver.

[@PatrickThreewit]

You must not have traveled much.

[@donnymac575]

@@PatrickThreewit I have traveled all over the world and have smelt worse for sure. Like the combined smell from a pet food factory and paper mill in Pascagoula Mississippi or pulling into the bay at Cairo Egypt with the USN. Doesn't mean I want to smell something similar every day or live with the smell all around me.

[@DentonThaves]

I never lived in Lewiston; Idaho Lewiston never smells get your facts straight.

[@otroloco100]

Stay away from Roger's dealerships.

[@DentonThaves]

The population of Lewiston, Idaho sucks it never grows like other cities in Idaho. And it's controlled by liberals.

[@jdgreenfriend]

Lewiston, much like all of Idaho is just a horrible place. There's nothing for you here. If you are in a blue state or city just stay there, don't come here. Especially if you are Californian. Idaho doesn't want you. Just stay in the place where you voted for all the wonderful things that you have.

[@lorifisher5330]

Ah, smell from paper mills - that does not sound good.

[@livinginidaho]

It’s not for everyone

[@PatrickThreewit]

Then stay away from Idaho. Go back to California.

[@lisasmith9311]

Not with the smell lol

[@dovewhite7472]

I'm a member of the Nez Perce tribe. I've lived in the Valley for many years, off and on. I'm currently on the coast of Washington. (For the last 9 months). I'm going back in a week. It's so much cheaper to live, I have some tribal resources. I can hunt and fish there. I was there from 2019-2023. I miss the mountains, rivers, slower paced, people wave at you, and I love bigfoot 😅❤

[@livinginidaho]

Thanks for watching and commenting

[@vjr5261]

One point about Lewiston is it is the lowest point in Idaho, as the two rivers converge with the Columbia. It gets very hot in the summer. Downtown is very cute and would like to see some resurgence of businesses, shopping downtown.

[@kevin_ninja_jones2363]

The smell is only noticable when it's cold and heavy cloud cover. This place isn't bad I've lived here all but 4 years of my life

[@markw999]

One clarification: The Lewiston/Clarkston city is really one town in 2 states separated by a river. Locals will argue that, but look on a map. Downtown Lewiston basically continues over the bridge into Clarkston. You'll want to avoid taking cannabis over the bridge into Idaho, FYI. They watch the pot shops and nail you on the other side. Washington has better welfare benefits by far than Idaho. People on welfare tend to live in Clarkston because of that. It's also nice because Washington has high gas prices due to higher fuel taxes, but lower food prices because they have no sales tax on food. You can play that to your advantage and most do.

[@livinginidaho]

Thanks for sharing

[@PatrickThreewit]

I was in Clarkston 2 weeks ago and I bought FlexAll cream for my joints and I live 80 miles upriver from Lewiston. I don't have trouble coming into Idaho.

[@WhoWouldWantThisName]

@@PatrickThreewit Is this a cannabis based product? I use some stuff that is, just topically, for pain I have due to injuries. Technically I think it would be illegal in Idaho because it can be used orally. I don't even drink but I use this stuff to make it more tolerable. Frankly I wouldn't miss that smell from all the smoking of it.

[@PatrickThreewit]

@@WhoWouldWantThisName I use the creme for one knee. Not cheap. Not legal in Idaho. According to the Cato Institute, a conservative Think Tank yearly report, Idaho is second to Texas as being the least free state in this country. And I'm not a liberal but a libertarian. The state of Idaho thinks marijuana is dangerous especially in a car, but I guess alcohol is no longer considered a drug and is it is safe to be drinking alcohol and driving!!!

[@RayDrevlow]

IBeen a lifel long resident. It has been a great place to live in the past.. However, recently the property taxes are excessively high with little to show.. Shopping is very limited. The weather is fine with all the four seasons.

[@livinginidaho]

Hi Ray, thanks for watching and sharing.

[@strongpeer]

Two cons would b the heat and the smell.

[@oldfordman68]

I wouldn't consider Lewiston to be a small town, it's definitely smaller compared to Spokane Washington but it has a estimated 65,500 population across the river is Clarkson Washington the City of Clarkston is actually only about one square mile but it spills over into unincorporated Asotin County. The housing market has exploded here and the rental prices are near that of what you would pay in a bigger city and its causing the homeless population to increase

[@WhoWouldWantThisName]

The stats I'm seeing is a population of around 35k, but maybe that's just downtown Lewiston proper? IDK about if that includes the area SE of there with much of the housing.

[@charlesnash2748]

Lived there in the 1980's. Very nice place to live. My only cautions are the hospital (marginal ER) and better have A/C as it can get really hot there. Pluses are nice people, proximity to outdoor activities is great, safe place, mild winters, perfect size community for most activities.

[@bassmanaustin]

Lived there a majority of my life and Moscow and Pullman is a 30 min drive. Outdoors is at most a couple hour drive to amazing backpacking and kayaking. The only thing why I moved away is opportunity to advance in careers. Unless you’re experienced and move to the area, there’s not much to offer for job opportunity unless you want to work industrial which isn’t the life if you ask me. It’s cutthroat. Had to move away to advance in life. This video could have used much more about Lewiston, which I was born in, than this woman. I feel she misrepresented the area. Lewiston is a great place for certain people. I live in the tri cities now and it’s a whole other beast and I’ve been craving Idaho since the day I left. I’ll be back. If you need any info, I’d be happy to indulge you

[@PatrickThreewit]

Someone mentioned that Nez Perce members weren't friendly in Kamiah, but I live off the Rez east of Kooskia, and I have never had trouble. I know one fellow who is a driver for COAST transportation. He is full blood and he and I are good friends. I have one advantage though. My late father-in-law was one quarter Yakima and was an active member of the council. I can tell people that, but I don't think that is needed and I am in Kamiah once a week.

[@billclinton4913]

IS THAT MRS MENDENHALL?

[@whisterbin]

yerp

[@lousaynas8797]

Was Mrs Lynch when I went to chs

[@lorifisher5330]

What is the source of this smell mentioned? The weather section covered the winter but said nothing about the summer weather. Does it get quite hot? Also, how much do they hate Californians? Do they even hate conservative Californians?

[@livinginidaho]

Smell is the paper mill Weather isn’t bad, pretty mild. You may find someone people who don’t like Californians. Change your plates Thanks for watching and commenting

[@PatrickThreewit]

I find that most conservative Californians are like to old time conservatives anywhere in Idaho.

[@accudave]

If you are a Californian, don't be surprised to hear a few comments. I did, mostly good-natured ribbing. Locals are friendly. Be prepared for conversations with strangers in the grocery store. You will run into people you know around town.

[@PatrickThreewit]

California conservatives aren't the same as Idaho conservatives.

[@accudave]

@@PatrickThreewit The Lewiston Tribune newspaper was much more liberal than my local California newspaper.

[@PatrickThreewit]

A big plus for Lewiston is that Clarkston is just across the Snake River where there is no tax on food and both Walmart and Costco are there and you can buy cannabis; Lewiston is Idaho's only seaport, and you can boat on all the water there.

[@RayQ101]

Then why not just live in Clarkston if there’s more food, things to do, weed, etc. lol

[@PatrickThreewit]

If you moved to Lewiston and lived a couple blocks from the mill you would smell it, but I only think about it when I first enter town on High 12 and by the time I reach the bridge, I don't smell anything. And I live 80 miles upstream in the foothills of the Bitterroot Range.

[@leiag201]

Two reasons I wouldn't move there. The politics and the winter🖕

[@livinginidaho]

What is it about the politics and winter that would make you not move there?

[@cecy709]

@@livinginidahocan you talk about services for special needs adults

[@PatrickThreewit]

Has milder politics than most of Idaho. And it probably has the best climate in Idaho. I'm upriver east of Kooskia and outside right now it is 4 degrees, but even that is better than North Idaho. Great winters in Lewiston.

[@PatrickThreewit]

Winters are pretty mild in Lewiston at 700 feet elevation.