Hi, welcome to Everyday Spokane!
Our number one goal is to give you as much useful information about Spokane so you can make an informed decision to move here (or visit!).
We know making a big move to Spokane can be overwhelming.
We know gathering the best information to make that decision can also be overwhelming.
We’re here to make your move and transition to Spokane living as easy as possible!
What You Can Expect from Everyday Spokane
- Introducing you to the best of Spokane, in eating, playing and living
- We will weed out the “blah” and introduce you to new favorites!
- While you’re here, sign up for our newsletter below to get quick updates on awesome things happening around Spokane – no BS, just the best of what’s going on in the Lilac City!
Who Are We?
We are Blake and Melissa, the authors behind Everyday Spokane and passionate residents of the Lilac City.
We’re two Millennials who moved to Spokane in 2018 (Melissa considers it “moving back to Spokane”, since she lived here from 2005-2009). Spokane has been on our radar for a long time (see below) but in 2018, we were finally ready to take the leap and move to Spokane, WA to become full time residents!
A lot has changed since Melissa lived here in the mid-2000s, and Everyday Spokane will document all the fantastic new restaurants, things to do, and places to see. You’ll also find some history and personal stories on Everyday Spokane as well. We hope you enjoy learning about and exploring Spokane as much as we do!
Most articles you find on Everyday Spokane will be written by Melissa, with commentary by Blake. Almost every photo on this site is taken by Blake.
Why Spokane? Our Story
Basically, we love it here. It’s the perfect size city, with many big-city amenities, yet it still retains that small city feel. That’s the short answer!
Melissa’s Everyday Spokane Story
The longer answer? Melissa fell in love with Spokane through Gonzaga – yes, Melissa is a GU alum! Melissa chose Gonzaga on somewhat of a whim: being from Phoenix, AZ, she knew she wanted seasons, a small school, and somewhere not in-state. Luckily, she found Gonzaga and the rest is (almost) history!
After graduation, Melissa returned to Phoenix, but she knew she had to return to the Pacific Northwest. There’s just something special about the Pacific Northwest, and Spokane in particular.
But first, she had to find and convince Blake that the PNW was the place to be!
Blake’s Everyday Spokane Story
Blake was born and raised in Arizona, and is a University of Arizona alum. Prior to meeting Melissa, he had visited Seattle and loved it. However, moving to the PNW wasn’t really on his radar – at first.
After college, Melissa and Blake ended up working together as library associates. Yes, we fell in love at a library 🙂 Fast forward to a few years, and Melissa and Blake were married and talking about The Future. Where did we want to live? Where did we want to build a community of friends and family? What had a vibrant city life but was also close to nature, where you could escape and get some peace and quiet?
Being raised in Phoenix, Melissa and Blake were over the 115+ degree summers, summers so bad that planes were sometimes grounded. Phoenix was off the table.
Melissa had attended graduate school in Denver, Colorado, so that was an option. Unfortunately, like most other attractive cities, Denver, Seattle, San Diego, etc. were all increasingly becoming unaffordable. Where could two Millennials who wanted a nice city with a decent cost-of-living, close to family on the West Coast, live? And then Melissa remembered her awesome time at Gonzaga and in Spokane…
Now We’re Here!
Obviously, that’s a fairly simplified story of how we got here. It took a lot of planning (and money!) to make our move happen, and Melissa’s “Five Year Plan” to return to Spokane actually took nine years, but that’s life. And now we’re here in Spokane!
Spokane didn’t just come to us on a whim – we’ve been fans of Spokane for a long time and even while living in Phoenix, we watched the local Spokane news with excitement. A lot has changed in the last decade for Spokane, yet even with the tremendous growth, Spokane is a beautiful city to live in. We’re excited to explore the city anew together and share what we find here on Everyday Spokane.
About Everyday Spokane
Everyday Spokane is primarily a site for new transplants to Spokane, people visiting Spokane, and those curious about Spokane. Everyday Spokane will cover topics important to new arrivals, like relocating to Spokane, plus topics relevant to visitors, like delicious places to eat, fun things to see and do, and more.
Melissa Berry + Everyday Spokane In The Press
Here are a few of the various outlets that have featured me as a travel, moving, Spokane and Washington state expert:
- “Adapting to Frugal Living: A Guide for New Retirees” [GoBankingRates]
- “How Much Does it Cost to Move? Everything You Need to Know About Moving Costs” [Redfin]
- “Spokane Valentine’s Day Guide” [KREM]
- “What Does Spokane Have to Offer?” [Visit Spokane]
- “TikTok a Powerful Marketing Tool for Small Businesses in Spokane” [Spokesman-Review]
- “The Women Behind Trending Northwest” [KREM]
- “Melissa Berry on the QueerCentric Podcast” [QueerCentric Podcast]