Nice Neighborhoods in Camas (Vancouver, Salmon Creek: crime, house, elementary schools)

[hml1976]

Thanks so much melpotensky, your post is immensely helpful. We're coming from the Nashville suburbs which continue to sell relatively well (of course we never saw the big boom either) so this is very valuable information for us.

My husband will be moving to the area in temp housing in December and I will stay here for a few months or until we sell our house here, so it will probably be spring by the time we're all out there anyway. Are there specific areas that you like better than others? We're concentrating on the Lacamas Lake area and Prune Hill right now but of course will learn more when my husband is actually out there. Not that I trust his real estate sense

[melpotensky]

Well I think the areas you are looking at Prune Hill and Lacamas Lake are the area you will want to look at. Camas is a small town we live on top of Prune Hill and it is very safe on the side facing Fisher's Landing. I walk at 9 pm and enjoy looking at the city lights and feel very secure in our neighborhood. Camas is a small town and Vancouver is not like Nashville, you go into Portland for most everything. Camas is a quick 10 to 15 minute drive to the airport and Costco, Ikea, Marshall's, Sports Authority, Home Goods, etc shopping tax free in Portland. Fisher's Landing has all the everyday shopping you need and the chain type restaurants. Nice quote unquote, dining, is over in Portland.

When looking at housing on any of the real estate sites, hit the map key. You will notice that lots of homes that say "near" Camas. There are beautiful areas in the MT Livingston area but they are way out if you have two little ones and want to meet people and be able to just run to the grocery quickly etc. Anything on the opposite side of Lake Lacamas is priced more attractively but beware of the winding two lane roads and the high school is a huge source of traffic during start and stop times. Lake Road can get backed up. The smell from the paper mill is rare. Check out Craigslist.com under Washington State and then Clark County PDX region and look at real estate there to see rentals and listings and I think you can see how many deals there are. Thecolumbian.com is the Vancouver paper that is something you might want to be checking just to read the headlines and get a feel for the area. There is Post Camas Washougal paper as well that is weekly but has a website. Katu.com is the Portland news website I use. We get our TV news out of Portland. The train wakes me up around 4 each morning and we are far from the tracks.

As far as schools go, I am not sure how old your kids are, but boundaries change. Fisher's Landing Elementary(Evergreen School District) is ideal but the middle school and high school that it feeds into isn't what Camas has to offer and for resale, I think I would still go Camas. Camas has money in the schools. We wanted to live in Ridgefield or Woodland by my husband's job but those schools don't have the tax support Camas has. He was willing to do the 70 mile round trip daily to live in Prune Hill if that is any indication on how strongly he felt. Greatschools.net will have all your school ratings. JDZ elementary will close down and the new Grass Valley elementary (near Lacamas Swim Club and Skyridge Middle School..temporary name from the as of yet unnamed schoo) will open in 09. I think all the Camas Elementary schools are good choices. Washougal is trying to improve.

[hml1976]

Thanks again! My kids are young, 3yrs and 10mths, I stay at home so would like to be near a grocery store etc. You don't happen to know anything about Camas Montessori (preschool) do you? I realize that's a long shot

Great, so we'll check out the Prune Hill and Lacamas Lake areas, we appreciate the inside story on this area from someone who just moved there.

[melpotensky]

I am out of the preschool loop. Camasmoms.com is the stay at home mom's club with 65 members that might be something to investigate. They all have preschool aged children and would be a wealth of information to you. They are a nonprofit international club that meets at least once a week with activities for the kids and some for the adults. Their website has all the information. I joined just to get my feet wet and find out about the area and do the non kid activities. There seems to be a lot of preschools around but I hear there are waiting lists for some of the more elite schools.

[woodguy00]

We live in Sunningdale Gardens which is between Holly Hills and Lacamas Shores. Very nice homes, 2400-3500 sq ft at $400K to $600K. 8000-10,000 sq ft lots with wide streets. Lake Point and Lake Heights are right next to us and are very similar. All were built about 8-10 years ago and the neighborhoods are holding up well. Our house is 3 doors down (on a cul de sac) from where the new Grass Valley School will be built. The school is part of a new 300 home subdivision with tiny lots, even some row houses. We are also within a few blocks walking distance from Grass Valley Park and Lacamas Swim and Sport. I'd recommend any of the subdivisions mentioned above. All would be a five minute drive to work for your hubby. Holly Hills and Parker Estates are about the same age, good quality but have slightly smaller homes and yards and are perhaps $50K lower priced. Just up Prune Hill above Holly Hills there are newer larger homes in the $500K to $800K range.

I agree with ll the comments on the schools. Our son went to Helen Baller Elementary, then to both Skyridge and Liberty JH's and is now at CHS. Our older daughter graduated from CHS this past year. We have been extremely happy with the schools. We moved here 5 years ago after researching the schools in the county. You won't go wrong choosing Camas and the area on the SW side of Prune Hill to the Lake is a great area to call home.

[Caffreys]

Originally Posted by melpotensky

I am out of the preschool loop. Camasmoms.com is the stay at home mom's club with 65 members that might be something to investigate. They all have preschool aged children and would be a wealth of information to you. They are a nonprofit international club that meets at least once a week with activities for the kids and some for the adults. Their website has all the information. I joined just to get my feet wet and find out about the area and do the non kid activities. There seems to be a lot of preschools around but I hear there are waiting lists for some of the more elite schools.

Do you know what elite preschools have waiting list?
Thank you

[Topaz]

I just did extensive preschool research before selecting one and some of the preschools that currently have waiting lists are The Goddard School (Vancouver), the preschool program operated by the Camas School District, and the Camas-Washougal Cooperative Preschool.

[Caffreys]

Thank you Topaz...
Could anyone tell me if Parker Estates in Camas is a good community to live in. The Elementary school is JDZ. Will the new school be just as good or better? I guess there
is no telling...

[woodguy00]

Parker Estates, Holly Hills, Sunningdale Gardens, and Lake Point are all really similar and are all good neighborhoods within about a 1/2 mile circle. Boundaries for the elementary schools are changing- I would think each subdivision listed would end up at Grass Valley but if not, ALL the Camas schools are fine. We have a great funding base, a lot of technology smart administration and strong teachers. Now just find the house you like.

[Caffreys]

Hey woodguy, have you heard of the Hillshire subdivision. FOX is the current elementary for that area. Will that boundary change? As i hope it does. Not fond of FOX from talking with them over the phone plus it's really an old school.
Also this is a brand new community called Lacamas Meadows Area, is that a good area.
Thank you.