Pullman, WA

[francheese]

So I may be a Pullman-ite afterall!  Reading though this thread, I was a little worried about some of the descriptions such as "small town", "lonely", "middle of nowhere" ect. So I compared my current town's population (actually the town next door, we have a mere 2,000 where I live) and it is still over 15,000 less than Pullman.  Is it that there aren't many neighboring towns that makes it seem so small?  Or have I been living in small New England towns so long that I don't even know what the term "small town" means anymore? Even my college town in Keene, NH has less people than Pullman!

 

If anyone has any perspective on what it feels like to live in Pullman v.s. a small town in Southern, VT or anywhere in New England, could you give me some insight?  I guess it is necessary to confess that the most Western U.S. state I have been to is Utah.  I was raised in RI so really everything out West just seems so damn big to me. 

 

Thanks!

[francheese]

In addition to the post above, I want to add that I have heard a lot about the drinking culture and being an undergrad at WSU.  I am, of course, more interested in graduate life there and binge drinking undergrads is nothing new to me- my alma mater has topped many "drunkest school" lists, I'm not proud but my nose isn't so high that I can't stand to be surrounded by the activity. 

 

And I kind of like hippies, so I don't really see that as a negative either.

 

Thanks again!

[mhn_namak]

Hi,

I've got an admission offer from WSU EECS. I just want to know about cost of living there. How much I need to have monthly for having a simple life with my wife?

Please help me by telling the prices of goods and services. (e.g. Housing, Utilities, Foods, Clothing, etc.)

Best,

[lbar]

Hi everyone,

It seems like this thread is kind of dead but I was hoping to get some more recent perspectives on Pullman and WSU. I was recently accepted for a PhD and I'm trying to decide if this is a place I want to spend the next 6+ years. My main concern is culture shock in small town life - I live right by Chicago now so I'm used to being able to get everywhere on public transit and having no shortage of plays, restaurants, and things to do. Is there much to do in Pullman besides the university? Is it really rural as in "drive through miles of farms to get anywhere" rural like the Midwest? I'm visiting at the end of the month, so I can get a glimpse for myself then, but any insight from anyone who actually lives there would be super helpful. Thanks!

[limonchello]

On 3/7/2017 at 2:26 AM, lbar said:

Hi everyone,

It seems like this thread is kind of dead but I was hoping to get some more recent perspectives on Pullman and WSU. I was recently accepted for a PhD and I'm trying to decide if this is a place I want to spend the next 6+ years. My main concern is culture shock in small town life - I live right by Chicago now so I'm used to being able to get everywhere on public transit and having no shortage of plays, restaurants, and things to do. Is there much to do in Pullman besides the university? Is it really rural as in "drive through miles of farms to get anywhere" rural like the Midwest? I'm visiting at the end of the month, so I can get a glimpse for myself then, but any insight from anyone who actually lives there would be super helpful. Thanks!

 

I know no one replied to you, but now that you have visited, what do you think? Look forward to hearing it.

[THS]

Just signed a lease after a 3 day search for a place.  If you have a pet (I have a dog) than good luck.  It is pretty hard to find an affordable place in Pullman.  From what I could tell most available leases go up in Jan/Feb making it hard for new students to find something year one.  I went super early (April instead of July/August) meaning I found something, but it will be a little more than I'd like to be spending (I can get a roommate though- ended with a 2 bed/2 bath).  At any rate Pullman is otherwise very cute and charming.  Moscow, just down the road, had the better furniture store and does deliver to Pullman for free (or use Amazon or Overstock because the place in Pullman was overpriced and limited).  It was a little conservative.  I had a rep from one of the rental agencies talk to me about immigration for 15 minutes w/o being prompted and the only reason my mom or I could tell was because I am hispanic (my mom is white and was offended, after my MA research I am used to it).  Otherwise I am looking forward to moving.  I found a little summer job easily so I'll be spending the summer there.  I wont be on here often anymore, but I'll probably check a few more times if you want to message me a question.  Best of luck to all!  

[lbar]

On 3/29/2017 at 5:02 PM, limonchello said:

I know no one replied to you, but now that you have visited, what do you think? Look forward to hearing it.

I visited Pullman at the end of March and decided to attend WSU! I'm starting a physics PhD in August 2017. The quality of the research and department was the most important factor, but I also thought the town was charming. Everyone was very friendly and I liked the outdoorsy feel. I visited Moscow too and there's enough shops and things to do there. I'm not planning to stay in Pullman for life, but I think spending six years there will be fine. I'm going to have a car so I can take trips if I want to and get groceries. I applied for university grad housing, but if I can't get an apartment from them I'm going to look into off campus places. 

[greyicewater]

On 5/14/2017 at 9:12 PM, lbar said:

I visited Pullman at the end of March and decided to attend WSU! I'm starting a physics PhD in August 2017. The quality of the research and department was the most important factor, but I also thought the town was charming. Everyone was very friendly and I liked the outdoorsy feel. I visited Moscow too and there's enough shops and things to do there. I'm not planning to stay in Pullman for life, but I think spending six years there will be fine. I'm going to have a car so I can take trips if I want to and get groceries. I applied for university grad housing, but if I can't get an apartment from them I'm going to look into off campus places. 

I saw Pullman pop up in the city guide forum recent activity and just wanted to throw in a review of the Pullman/Moscow area. I first visited to help a friend move there for the cog. neuroscience program and visited again a few months ago. I know she has had an overall really positive experience and I've had a blast every time I've been. She found a super cheap apartment off campus- there was even a student discount for academic performance and it's still close to WSU. As for the area itself, it's really nice to have the two towns so close because they've both got some gems of restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and places to see concerts. If you like dive-esque bars (that don't feel skeevy) check out John's Alley in Moscow, they randomly will have big names come through and have live music regularly (we saw Afroman when I was there ha). Also, if you're looking for an occasional splurge dinner that's totally worth the money go to Sangria, it's a Peruvian restaurant on the border of Moscow close to Pullman and is ridiculously delicious. I definitely recommend getting out and exploring the Pullman/Moscow area, it has a lot to offer. My friend out there has met some great people, both in grad school and in town, and has overall really loved it.

Good luck and have fun! 

(Sorry for the long rant from just a Pullman/Moscow visitor, I really love the area and had my heart set on WSU but they didn't have funding for my program this year/didn't accept new applications because of this so I'm actually also just super jealous lol)

[Shnoztastic]

I'm most likely (still waiting on some other acceptances and funding) going to be attending the University of Idaho for grad school. I'm getting pretty excited.

A couple of questions:

Housing first - I will be 27 in the fall and I have (quite well-behaved, and active) dog. As such I'd rather not live in an large apartment complex with loads of undergrads. It sounds like places that allow dogs are somewhat difficult to find. Are houses/apartments particularly affordable if dog friendly in the area? Are there places in Pullman or Moscow that are more affordable but not just loads of undergrads?

Food - I've been vegetarian for the majority of my adult life. How are the vegetarian options as far as restaurants? Do the grocery stores in the area cater well?

Thanks

[THS]

On 1/22/2018 at 11:01 AM, Shnoztastic said:

I'm most likely (still waiting on some other acceptances and funding) going to be attending the University of Idaho for grad school. I'm getting pretty excited.

A couple of questions:

Housing first - I will be 27 in the fall and I have (quite well-behaved, and active) dog. As such I'd rather not live in an large apartment complex with loads of undergrads. It sounds like places that allow dogs are somewhat difficult to find. Are houses/apartments particularly affordable if dog friendly in the area? Are there places in Pullman or Moscow that are more affordable but not just loads of undergrads?

Food - I've been vegetarian for the majority of my adult life. How are the vegetarian options as far as restaurants? Do the grocery stores in the area cater well?

Thanks

You'll find cheaper housing and better food options in Moscow and there's a really great dog park that I take my dog to in the summer (I live in Pullman because WSU makes us become WA residents for our second year funding).  At any rate Moscow is a much more vibrant community/has more going on.  Moscow mountain has great hiking, there's a great farmers market, the best brunch spots around, cool shops, an adorable downtown, the co-op....can I just make it clear I wish I lived over there?  Pullman is sad compared to Moscow.  But you will have an easier time finding a rental (potentially even a small house) over there for a reasonable price and that will allow you to have a pet.  You'll want to start looking as soon as you know you are coming though because the communities are small and both universities are expected to add undergrad enrollment next year.  Hope this helps and congrats!!  (also please forgive any spelling/grammar above- I have a mild concussion from an accident last week, stupid but it means that I'm making a lot of silly little mistakes in my writing). 

Edited February 9, 2018 by loves2hike

[Shnoztastic]

Thanks @loves2hike! I'm glad Moscow has some options. I've been a little worried about the housing situation. It seems to be less dog-friendly than where I currently live. Yeah, I'm ideally looking to live in a house or 1 BR apartment. Moscow looks to be cheaper than where I live so at least some options look to be a bit better.

I hope your head starts feeling better!

[ashwel11]

Hi all! I know that there's an older thread about Pullman here, but I wanted to try to start a new one for Fall 2022 incoming students. Anyone start looking into housing yet? I'm pretty sure I be using DABCO. 

[serpentstone]

Not a WSU student (go cougs, nonetheless!) but I live nearby in Spokane and can offer some neighborly insight if anyone needs it ?

[applicant77]

Hi! Are you starting at WSU in the fall? I am too! My partner and I are currently looking into renting a house in Pullman