Hi all,
My dad teaches at WSU, and I lived in Pullman from the ages of zero to 18. Here's a local impression: Pullman is pretty great. It is divided into four quadrants, which the locals refer to as hills: Sunnyside Hill, Military Hill, Pioneer Hill, and College Hill. Obviously WSU is on College Hill. Yes, Pullman is a very hilly place, but I think the hills are beautiful. Pullman has lots of great parks. Near campus is Rainey Park, and there is also Sunnyside Parks (the best and biggest), Lawsen Gardens (where everyone gets married), and many other smaller ones.
Flying into the Spokane airport is kind of a pain, but in addition to Wheatland Express, WSU has a shuttle service called Campus Link that goes to and from the Spokane airport twice a day. I'm not sure how expensive it is, but it's pretty convenient. If you've lived in a real city, Spokane will seem lame. (I thought that Spokane was a mega-huge, awesome city when I was a kid. This is mostly because I'd never been to a real city). Spokane has some decent shopping (especially when you compare it to Pullman), pretty good restaurants, cute wineries, and very nice parks.
Despite being in a small town, WSU has A LOT of international students and faculty. I think this really adds to the vibe of the town.
Pullman is little, but it is near a lot of great activities. Amazing rafting in Idaho and skiing in Montana are both within driving distance. Hell's Canyon in Idaho is nearby. If you want to go for a hike, you can drive twenty minutes away to Kammiak Butte, or forty-five minutes to Steptoe Butte. Seriously, there is a lot to do in the area. In late August, Pullman hosts the National Pea and Lentil Festival!! Think food booths, a beer garden downtown, a parade, and the world's largest bowl of lentil chili, served to you by someone dressed up in a giant lentil costume. How much more awesome can you get?
The weather in Pullman is also great. NO HUMIDITY EVER. Summers are a dream. Winter is really not that bad, but maybe that's because I've been living in the midwest for the past six years. The snow does not stay around very long, though it does rain sometimes and stay cold during normal winter months. However, you can just drive to the mountains and go skiing.
There is a bike path that will take you along the highway to Moscow, Idaho, about eight miles away. Moscow has a bit more culture going on than Pullman, including an AMAZING farmer's market from May to October, a little mall (Macys, Old Navy, Bed Bath and Beyond, and similar stores), great outdoor music in the summer (Rendezvous in the Park), and good coffeeshops and restaurants. Actually, Pullman has good coffeeshops and restaurants too. There is a decent bar in downtown Pullman called Rico's, and two shitty bars. Also, since you will be moving to Washington state, you will have access to a great selection of Washington/west coast wines and beers.
For practicalities, Pullman has a ShopKo (like a Walmart) and two big grocery stores. There are also plenty of places to buy food on campus. There is pretty much no where to buy clothing except a few odd boutiques downtown, or ShopKo. If you want to do some serious shopping, you'll need to go to Moscow or Spokane. Pullman has a very decent bus system for such a small town. Also, even though it is a small town, bands and theater go there. There is a large commitment within the community to bringing cultural events to the area. Elton John was there last year, actually. There is a movie theater, and there are a shitload of pizza delivery options. Tip: Pizza Pipeline is very good.
Oh, and the WSU creamery makes the BEST CHEESE EVER - it is called Couger Gold, a sharp cheddar, and it is only made at the WSU creamery. You can actually go to the creamery, which is called Ferdinand's, and watch them make it. Ferdinand's also has great ice cream.
There is a really disgusting bar on campus called Vallhalla that you should avoid. There are also some ok bars though, the student bookstore (the bookie) is really good, and there is a bar near campus called Pete's where a lot of faculty hang out. Pete's has cheap, good beer.
Housing will not cost you much. Don't live in generic, look-alike student housing if you can help it. Many other parts of the town have nice places to live, which are accessible by bus if you don't have a car.
Oh, WSU has BEARS! And you can go visit them! They live in outdoor cages on the road to the Pullman/Moscow airport.
What can I say, I love Pullman. Let me know if you have any specific questions.
