Kent or somewhere similar in distance to Seattle??? (Tacoma: real estate, crime)

[Got2BMe74]

I'm moving from San Diego to the great North Western Washington state. I've heard good and bad things about both Seattle and Tacoma. I'm more interested in hearing about the positive things than the bad. I've lived in San Diego my whole life and have witnessed everything from super bad traffic (you can easily have to drive an hour to get to work on any given day) to gang violence (I've actually seen people shooting at one another ) and the major real estate hike...I actually barely survived it without being put out on the streets!!! So I don't want to hear about crime this and crime that, because you guys only have like 200K people in your city compared to our 2Mil. So I'm not apprehensive about the "bad" stuff. What I would like to know is what I have to look forward to. I'm bringing three wonderful kids with me who are ages 9, 10, and 13 and who have also witnessed alot of crime, financial oppression, and extreme RACISM here in San Diego. My daughter had to be transferred from one school to another school district, because her school (were there were only TWO middle schools) was so violent that kids carried weapons to school on a regular basis and staff ignored fist fights (primarily between black and hispanic students) for the most part. And this is in a middle class neighborhood. Anywho, I'm looking forward to being in a place a "little" edgey, because "truth is", I would know what to do in pleasantville.

Thanks!

[scirocco22]

So welcome future Washingtonian!

Although all those negative things aren't as bad as San Diego, the Seattle/Tacoma metro area does have all the bad things that you've come to know in S.D., only in perhaps less quantity. The population of the Seattle/Tacoma metropolitan area is over 2 million now too but still nowhere close to the population of greater San Diego.

I'm sure many on this board will chip in and let you know of all the positives of the area. Yes, I know many are a bit skeptical of the southern suburbs of Seattle and Tacoma and its suburbs, including myself, but there still are a lot of positives about the area.

Good luck!

[RobE]

I was just going to say that his kids are now ready for life in a Tacoma school. At least unlike in San Diego, your kevlar vest doesn't have to be by a famous designer.

Sorry, couldn't resist.

[Got2BMe74]

"Unlike San Diego, your kevlar vest doesn't have to be by a famous designer"

Ha ha ha...that was actually funny. I'm not one of those people, but believe me, I've worked for and with enough of them to appreciate that tad bit.