I'm 35, grew up just north of Longview. Went to school in Seattle and then lived in Vancouver for a few years, back in Longview now working at one of the paper mills. Some people complain about the mill smells. I don't notice them on the west side of town where I live, because it's furthest from the smelliest mill.

Can't beat the location. An hour to the coast, an hour to the mountains. Seattle 2 hours to the north, Portland 45 minutes south.

The downtown are has been coming back over the last 5 years. Lots of new little shops, restaurants, etc. Quite a few new tap rooms and breweries opening up lately as well.

Lake Sacajawea is the crown jewel of the town. Pretty neat and unique to have a lake and park like that right in the middle of town. Willow Grove Park is great, lots of trails, a great boat launch, and sandy beach. Squirrel Fest and Squatch Fest are fun and popular events, as is the Go Fourth Festival, the fireworks at the lake on the 4th are outstanding.

Outdoor activities are popular here. Lots of people who hike, ski or snowboard, fish, or hunt.

Mixed bag on politics. The county leans right, probably by a 60/40 ratio. Keep in mind this is Reddit, everyone is going to complain about the white supremacists and MAGA whether it's true or not.

If you're working in Longview, you can also consider living to the north in Castle Rock, Toledo, Centralia or Chehalis, south in Kalama, Woodland, La Center, or northern Vancouver. To the north is more rural, south is more developed with more to do, but also higher housing prices.