What’s so special about Buckley?

My wife and I bought our first home back in April. We couldn’t be happier with where we landed.

I grew up in Ritzville, a town in Eastern Washington where the population is the same as the elevation: 1,800. I loved growing up in a small town, even if my only pastimes as a kid were a swimming pool, a movie theater open two days a week, and riding my bike. I loved playing high school sports and participating in FFA. I wouldn’t have traded it for the world, even if, as a high school student, expanding the dating pool required at least a 40-minute drive.

I love Ritzville. I go back on a regular basis. I’m a sponsor and volunteer at our annual rodeo. About 18 months ago, I fixed up a building in town that my folks own and used it as a little faux storefront for my businesses. I love visiting and being a part of that community from afar.

But there is a severe shortage of work for fancy-pants Chemical Engineers with PhDs in Eastern Washington. So, for my wife to have her career, I’ve had to make do with living in areas that are just a bit more populous.

In the Spring of 2022, when we both wrapped up school (her from her PhD program at WSU and me from law school at Gonzaga), we moved to the San Francisco Bay Area for a 3-year stint. I went kicking and screaming, but somehow we made do. In 2025, we managed to move back to Washington and rented a home in Maple Valley for a year. In January of 2026, we started looking for a place to settle down.

I wish I could say I knew how amazing Buckley was before we bought our house. The reality is that we were pushed about an hour away from Seattle before we could get a quality home that met our budget (though that did not stop us from bidding on some real train wrecks along the way). Luckily, we landed where we did.

So, what is so great about Buckley?

For me, it starts with the geography. A flat city laid across a high plateau. The White River standing guard to the North. The Cascades rising to the East. Mount Rainier towering in the Southeast.

Then you have the size and the layout. Like my hometown, traveling from one side to the other is just a little juant. Notably, unlike some cities, the downtown area is genuinely smack-dab in the middle! Most of the bars & restaurants are a short walk away. The log show arena, the high school football stadium, and all the parks are easy to get to. In fact, the next town over, Enumclaw, is just an ambitious walk away. Our dogs love it because there is no excuse for staying home when a playground or a field is just a few blocks away.

Then you have the people. While every town has its troublemakers - of that there can be no doubt - the vast majority of people I’ve met in this community are wonderful, kind, thoughtful, considerate, and compassionate.

Now, aside from the geography, nothing I’ve said so far is really all that different from where I grew up. Here is where things get different.

Unlike Ritzville, where Interstate 90 bypasses the entire town - effectively making it nothing but a truck stop and a speed trap to most of the passersby - Highway 410 splits Buckley in half and has around 22,000 cars per day rolling right past Main Street. Even with its small footprint, the town has around 6,000 residents. With the size of some developments going in, I imagine that number will soon be much higher - much to the ire of some longtime locals (whose opinions on the matter I completely understand).

To some, that may sound like a negative thing. To me, it’s an incredible benefit.

This little-bity town has a lot goin’ on! It is chock-full of businesses and wonderful people who run them. I’m talking about bars, restaurants, ice cream shops, a diner, a creamery, gyms, a meadery, construction contractors, realtors, chiropractors, a dentist, insurance agents, financial planners, coffee shops, Airbnbs, hotels, crafters, potters, and much more.

Some folks might not like to see their once-quiet town bustling in this manner. Believe me, I get it.

But for me, it’s perfect because:

The Longhair Lawyer, my law practice, specifically works with businesses and their owners.

The Longhair Laborer, my construction businesses, will thrive in a place like Buckley, where the surrounding area is growing.

The Longhair Lifestyle and The Longhair Linguist, the retail sides of what I do, will grow as I get the opportunity to be part of a community and meet folks face-to-face.

And, aside from the business benefits, it’s an awesome place to live! There is so much fun stuff going on that I’m reluctant to leave on the weekends.

I’m excited to have settled down and am figuring out how I can get involved in the community. So far, The Longhair Laborer joined the Buckley Chamber of Commerce, and The Longhair Lifestyle joined the Buckley Downtown Association. I’ve also been appointed as the Treasurer of the Buckley Downtown Association. Aside from helping out however I can, I’ve got two community-focused events on the calendar!

The Longhair Laborer will be handing out candy at the Chamber’s annual Trick-or-Treating Event from 3:00 pm- 5:00 pm on October 31st.

The Longhair Lifestyle will be peddling its wares at the Downtown Association’s Holiday Market from 2:00 pm- 6:00 pm on November 28th.

If you live around these parts and see me, don’t hesitate to say hello! If you’re from out of town, come pay Buckley and its amazing businesses a visit!

-Tyler O’Brien-