Lakeland Hills vs. Puyallup vs. Maple Valley (Seattle, Tacoma: crime, new home)

[HappyJohn]

I want to move to the Seattle area, and since I work from home and don't commute, I don't want to pay the super high prices to live in the commuter areas like Bellevue, etc. I've driven around quite a bit and I like Puyallup, the north side of Lake Tapps (Lakeland Hills and the surrounding areas), as well as Maple Valley.

Any suggestions on which one would be the best to live in? I have a three year old who starts school in two years, and I want to put down roots somewhere that feels ideal for him. Good schools and safety overall are obviously a huge priority. I'm leaning towards Lakeland Hills because it feels closer to most stores and other things, and not quite as far out in the sticks.

Feel free to suggest any other areas that I might have overlooked as well.

Thanks in advance,

John

[Hemlock140]

Of those, Maple Valley has the best schools, but I have a co-worker who is very happy living at Lake Tapps despite the horrendous commute to downtown Seattle. Puyallup might work for you but you will have to be very selective about exactly where to live, with a great variation in crime and schools depending on which part.

[Sunaimer]

Maple Valley has good schools and commute to surrounding communities better in my opinion.

[Boxkicker]

I just sold a house and moved from Maple Valley and I loved living there! The reason I moved to Maple Valley 5 years ago was the schools for my 10th and 11th grade daughters to finish HS there. They excelled in that school district for those 2 years.

I never felt it was in the "sticks" as you can drive a little bit to Covington for Costo, Kohls, more fast food, etc...or a short drive to Southcenter.

I hated to move from there, but promotion and less cost of living won out!

[TacTown]

I'll put my two cents in about Puyallup. Downtown is great, South Hill is horrible. If you want more character in a city out of what you listed I would definitely pick Puyallup. It really has everything you would need. There are some areas I wouldn't live and if you would like to know just ask. I currently live here and my daughter goes to PHS.

[bergun]

I'm having a house built right now in the Lakeland Hills area and after researching the area for about 6 months, that location works best for me since it's still very green, on high land and pretty quite... Which is what I was looking for. Also, I'm semi-retired, by choice and seeking a non-career employment position in the Auburn/Renton area only.

I should note the part of Lakeland Hill I'm moving to in in Auburn, but it doesn't have the grittiness that Auburn is known for.

There is a small strip mall setting in the Lakeland Hill area that will meet most people basic needs, but I don't think I'll do much shopping there... Maybe a loaf of bread or milk and eggs from time to time. Everything else, I'll go into Auburn, Federal Way, Tacoma, Renton or Tukwila since the choices is far greater. Also, within that strip mall, there are several eateries and restaurants, as well as other business, like a cleaners, drug store and a bank. As my oldest daughter said, it's out in the sticks, but the commute is no worse than other communities further east/northeast toward the mountains.

I will drift into Seattle several times a month to see family members who tend to be in the south end of town, but that will never be a daily event, so the traffic issue isn't an issue to me.

I didn't reseach the local schools since all my kids are adults now, but I noticed that my new home will be about a mile from a fire station, which is a positive in my eyes.

Good luck on your choice of location!!!

[Tac-Sea]

If you're single, I'd avoid Maple Valley. It is a family community really, so there's not much to do, and peoples kids run around everywhere with no adult supervision at all. The traffic is really bad, even on the weekends it's tough to get out of MV. I have a friend who lives in Lakeland South and it's better there IMO. Closer to the main freeways, and more suburban without the McMansion Maple Valley houses, each filled with 3-4 kids. If you want ammenities, you're a short drive from Federal Way.