Work: Federal Way; Live: Newcastle or thereabouts. Thoughts? (Seattle, Normandy Park: renting, lawyers)

[ashergill]

Hi Folks,
I'll be relocating to the Seattle area with my wife and a couple of young kids (4 and 1) this summer. My job will in Federal Way, and we've become interested in living in Newcastle or thereabouts after some online research. I would like to elicit your thoughts on the nature of that commute, as well as what Newcastle is like to live in.
I would also welcome advice on other comparable (to Newcastle) areas - with regard to livability for a young family and schools - perhaps with a better commute.
We'll be renting for at least a couple of months before buying, to ensure that we like the area and that the commute is tolerable for me. But, your input will be invaluable in trying to narrow down our search.
Thanks in advance for taking the time.

[LongDawson]

Newcastle is very nice, and posh. I live in the area but I'm not as posh as most. South of Newcastle is a beautiful area called May Valley, with a few remaining horse farms and large parcels that the county bureaucracy will someday figure out a way to fully seize (in 2004 they illegally took possession of 65% of all private property on large parcels, via "Critical Area Ordinance" democrat party-line vote, but I digress...). Newcastle is expensive. There are pro athletes, shyster lawyers, surgeons, business owners, trust fund drunks, etc. I like the area, but curiously there are no good restaurants except for an overrated Chinese place. What kind of people endure living year after year in a place with no good restaurants? It's puzzling. It's safe. There are tons of trails. No crime. Rarely lock the house (I'm sure most people do lock, we have a watchdog and excellent longterm neighbors). Never had a problem. This is the way I was raised. My kids get an excellent education in local public schools. My favorite neighborhood is just north of Newcastle Beach Park, an area called Newport Shores, it's a little enclave on the lake. Technically a few miles north of Newcastle proper. Typically you will pay over $1M for a home, such as this:

mod cut: link removed

If you crave that lifestyle, there are pockets around Federal Way that offer the same. Recently someone else posted a similar question "moving to Federal Way". I recommended Normandy Park as a great place to live. Much closer, and nearly zero traffic between areas. If I already lived in Newcastle, and got a job transfer to Federal Way, I'd probably endure it for awhile. Traffic is a real hassle here as you probably know, notably all of the main roads in between Federal Way and Newcastle. I'd highly recommend living close to your job. Good luck. This is just one person's opinion, of course.

[secret_squirrel]

You might be interested in the Lake Tapps area. For the same price - or less - as a Newcastle home, you could get lakefront property with a mountain view, and the commute to Federal Way would be a breeze.