Cheney, WA

59 Apartments for Rent

Cheney, Washington, came into being officially in 1883; however, it began with humbler beginnings a decade or more prior. The city is on its fifth title, beginning initially with Section Thirteen, followed by Willow Springs, Depot Springs, Billings and finally Cheney in honor Benjamin, P. Cheney, a director of the Northern Pacific Railroad.

Cheney, Washington, is located east of the Cascade Mountain Range and 17 miles southwest of Spokane -- the largest city in eastern Washington. Spokane offers a marvelous array of big city amenities in a region where small communities thrive. Minutes from the Idaho border, and pinched with the Columbia River and Oregon to the southern side and Canada to the north, Cheney has capitalized on one of the center-most locales in the great Pacific Northwest.

Moving to Cheney

A safe city center and suburban environment give the city of Cheney a remarkably low crime rate. The average rate for crime across Washington is lower than the national average in general, and Cheney falls below that as well, whereas Spokane to the north is considerably higher.

Eastern Washington has a different climate than the western portion of the State, as the Cascade Mountain Range casts a long "rain shadow." This natural feature forces moisture out of the clouds as they must rise to cross the towering peaks, causing torrential downfalls on the western half of the foothills and drier, less cloudy skies to the east. Make no mistakes, precipitation still arrives from the north and south as the seasons change, and a fair share of snow is generally expected to fall annually in the Spokane region. The best times of year to visit depend on your purpose, as the winter provides premier snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, and other snowy sports, while the summers bring dry heat and high temperatures.

When choosing to find an apartment, consider the average renter for the area. To find places to live that are well kept, search apartment homes or apartment complexes. Cheney is also sometimes called a "bedroom community," as most people commute into Spokane to work and shop, and return to Cheney in the evenings.

Neighborhoods in Cheney

Cheney consists of several neighborhoods that split the city into different groups, but generally the downtown make up the majority of activity and entertainment in the area. If you're having difficulty locating the right one- or two-bedroom apartments for rent in Cheney, look to the City Center.

City Center: Bars, restaurants and shops are found throughout the neighborhood, and affordable rentals for apartments and one- and two-bedroom housing are seasonally available. The Cheney Historical Museum is steps away from the StageWest Community Theater, as well as dozens of local eats like the Mason Jar, Sunday brunch at the Willow Street Station. If you're a pizza fanatic, the nearby university has upped the local competition, and quality pizza-pies can be found at Gatto's Pizza and Rosa's Pizza, just to name a few.

Salnave and W. Salnave Road: These streets border the second largest district north of the city center, which is closest to the city of Spokane, and is a popular choice for many new residents. With the city center nearby, and its close proximity to the larger conveniences of the city of Spokane, Salnave is becoming a great place to live in Cheney.

Amber, or East Cheney: The largest neighborhood geographically, Amber consists of the majority of southern and eastern Cheney. Real estate with more real estate is cheaper here, so if you're moving to Cheney and prefer a more rural and spacious home, consider the East Cheney area. A large portion of this neighborhood consists of the Turnbull Wildlife Refuge, where visitors can tour the trails during park hours, and photograph wild moose, deer, and many species of birds.

Living in Cheney

Living in Cheney demands a different level of pace, where lazy and quiet days can quickly become excellent excuses for university students to hit the town. With the downtown of Cheney in close proximity to EWU and the university district, many bars and restaurants stay open late and cater to the rowdy crowds that can develop. A nightlife is always present to some degree in college towns, so if you enjoy a club scene or a lively area with a youthful vibe this will be a perfect setting for you. The Amber neighborhood in East Cheney has a different level of pace entirely, where the rural roots of the region bleed through. It is further to the north, however, where many families choose to settle as the proximity to Spokane is hard to beat, as well as the hip downtown scene available in either Cheney or Spokane proper.

Beyond the city, eastern Washington is a blank slate of open country and unique wonders. The Grand Coulee Dam on the Grand Coulee River is one of the largest dams in the nation and attracts thousands of tourists to its breathtaking engineering annually. Further east but still to the north of Spokane is Priest Lake, Idaho, where many celebrities and athletes seclude themselves away on their private lake house estates. The lake has numerous resorts and boat launches and serves as the premier summer attraction in northern Idaho.

Many more day activities are possible, as hunting and fishing are popular, along with racing dirt bikes in summer and snowmobiles in winter. Spokane also has some of the best shopping and restaurants in the state, as well as cinemas, a top-notch mall, museums, shows and other entertainment options. Cheney's attractive charm certainly comes from its close location to so many Pacific Northwest attractions, as well as the resounding support for a booming school district and safer streets.