Commute Puyallup to Seattle and more... (Everett, Federal Way: neighborhood, schools, to live in)

[jessicasbc]

Hi. I want to move to seattle, but I know that Im going to have to live in a suburb further away for financial reasons, so I just wanted to know exactly how bad is the commute from puyallup to seattle? Is it better to take the sounder commuter train or to drive? also, what is the commute from everett to seattle like? also, are places like kent, renton, and federal way really that bad? Im basically trying to figure out which poison to pick--longer commute but cheaper housing, shorter commute but maybe not a good of a neighborhood... any info would be great.

[drewba]

I've taken Sounder into Seattle from Kent and Tukwila for several training courses and its a great way to commute. Its nice to know exactly when you'll arrive regardless of weather or traffic conditions. About the only downside is that the train station is at the south end of downtown Seattle, so you either have a 15-20 minute walk or hop a bus. Also, apparently the parking garages at the south-end stops fill up quickly.

As for driving from Puyallup to Seattle, no thanks! I haven't made the drive, but I'd bet its a 60-75 minute average commute if you're driving solo. From listening to traffic reports, I think that Everett to Seattle averages a little over an hour as well.

Kent, Renton and Federal Way each have decent areas and others that aren't quite as nice. Much of south King County has been improving over the past decade. I wouldn't hesitate to live in any of them if I didn't have children. With children, the quality of schools might make me look elsewhere. If you search the forum, you should find a bunch of additional information on these areas.

[FoxyKnox]

South King County/North Pierce County neighborhoods

Check out this thread from a few days ago. Gresford is also looking in that south king co/north pierce co area. Personally, I would recommend the Lakeland, Algona, Pacific areas. Auburn gets a bad rap, but there are parts that really are quite nice.

For the commute, Puyallup really would be a "bear." The Sounder is the best option for commuting. Sumner also could be a good place to look if planning to Sounder to Seattle.