Seattle’s real estate gold rush has as many losers as winners and those who missed out are headed to the beacon across the Cascade Mountains, sparkling with big-city amenities and ambition, from breweries to city planning. The thumping nightlife (#6 in the country) matches a feisty and growing culture and arts scene (Programming ranks #12 among U.S. small cities), and, period to the pandemic seemingly weekly restaurant openings. The city’s #27 Restaurants ranking is only going to improve, given the presence of three James Beard nominated chefs and their seeming competition to open as many restaurants as possible between them. Growing coverage in the national media—from the Wall Street Journal to the L.A. Times—will only help Spokane’s culinary star rise. And so will the wineries. The city is the urban heart of Washington’s Walla Walla, Yakima and Columbia wine regions and the bounty of the land can be tasted not only in restaurant wine lists, but at tasting rooms throughout the city. Speaking of Yakima, it produces 75% of the country’s hops—more than enough to justify Spokane’s craft beer boom that should be approaching 25 breweries by the time you read this.