Washington feels like a welcoming, affordable small city with a restored Main Street, regular downtown events, parks, a water park and a hands‑on local history museum—easy to settle into between shifts and plenty of low‑key options for evenings off.
For bigger nights out or weekend trips, Bloomington (~50 miles) and Evansville (~55–60 miles), plus Owensboro, KY (within ~75 miles), give you university culture, more dining/entertainment and regional airports when you want a change of pace.