How is Olympia? (Seattle, Tacoma, Lacey: apartment complexes, insurance, condos) - Washington (WA) - City-Data Forum

RLCMA · 10-13-2010, 06:28 AM

I may be taking a position in WA about 2 hours from Seattle but I would probably move to Olympia. I'm a single young professional and would appreciate any feedback you may have on Olympia. Thank you.

Sobefobik · 10-13-2010, 07:38 AM

Is your job in Olympia? If so, I would definitely move there and not Seattle. Olympia is a very nice, medium sized capitol city. They have really improved the downtown area with parks and have cleaned it up A LOT since I lived there. There are great places to ride bikes, coffee shops, etc. And the housing is pretty affordable depending on what you're looking for.

If you're really into the nightlife and the big city, it's probably not going to give you everything you want. But you're close enough to Seattle and Portland that you can enjoy those things within driving distance.

RLCMA · 10-13-2010, 09:33 AM

I would actually be working in Aberdeen which would make Seattle way too far away to move to. I've heard good things about Olympia and wouldn't mind the 45 minute commute to Aberdeen. Just wondering if Olympia has a lot to offer a young professional as far as a good amount of other singles and professional organizations. I'm not into the club scene but I do like bars.

Sobefobik · 10-13-2010, 10:08 AM

You should allow yourself an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes for that commute each way. There's not a lot of traffic, but you're covering some distance.

There are a lot of young professionals because of the capitol, and it's also kind of a hippie scene there as well. Are you into that? Other than the capitol, though, I wouldn't say there's a lot else as far as professional organizations. Maybe someone else can confirm that to be sure. I believe there are quite a few college students there as well going to St. Martins College.

As a young professional myself, I would consider Olympia. It reminds me a lot of Europe in a sense because you have unique shops, coffeehouses, bars, and restaurants. Of course, you are going to have Starbucks, but for the most part you don't just have a bunch of chains all over downtown. It has a really unique feel to it when comparing it to other American cities in my opinion.

Where are you coming from?

RLCMA · 10-13-2010, 10:23 AM

Thanks for the feedback. I'm coming from Boston. I've been to Seattle and it's one of my favorite cities in the country, if not my favorite. I've heard good things about Olympia and the only deterrant is how small it appears to be. I do like to keep busy and I'm hoping the city has some stuff to offer. Plus, having Seattle is ideal since I can head up there on weekends if I choose.

NW Crow · 10-13-2010, 11:15 AM

Olympia itself is only a bit over 40,000 but there are 250,000 in the county.
Evergreen State College, St. Martin's and a community college provide a youth segment but the dominant forces are state government, health care and retail. Plenty of singles in 20s, 30s and above and plenty with families. There is low key stuff around to do (restaurants & bars downtown and scattered around and outdoor stuff and a few casinos). Most would call it kinda quiet but if you hit downtown a lot and linger you could have a somewhat different experience. There is one main / regular dance spot (The Vault) but some other shows get thrown. There are a few special events now & then but for "events" or bigger / hotter nightlife most go to Seattle (some may stop in Tacoma). Most have a small set of friends or family and stay with that. If you find your place, it can work. One example of a place to meet people- there is a pub in Lacey east of Olympia called O'Blarney's that is usually packed with 20s and 30s playing pool / darts / drinking / socializing / sometimes watching sports / etc. There are at least a handful or maybe a few handfuls of places like that which are busy. Probably more of a restaurant town than bar town if you want it you can find some.

If you got a place on the west side of Olympia your commute would be a bit shorter and you'd skip the growing more frequent rush hour congestion between Olympia and Lacey. But there are a variety of living options- places out by the water if you want that (including "Boston Harbor"- a tiny, quiet but nice area), big apartment complexes (including a number in Tumwater on Tumwater Hill), some downtown apartments & condos, suburban housing to true rural.

RLCMA · 10-13-2010, 02:10 PM

Thanks for the great info NW Crow.

NW Crow · 10-13-2010, 04:22 PM

You are welcome. If you do a Aberdeen-Olympia split for awhile you could look into shifting to some other mix in the region later if that works better for you.

You can commute to Aberdeen on the weekdays or "commute" to Olympia and Seattle on the weekends. Which is better depends on how often you get out during the week and what you want & need. There is a casino out by the water at Ocean Shores that has some events. Aberdeen might have more going on than at first glance but I only know a little from just passing thru there. If you count all the neighboring towns and rural areas they say there is a regional population of about 70,000. If you haven't already seen it, you might want to check this site out http://graysharbor.org/index.php

There are some active business associations in Olympia and plenty of stuff related to politics and policy issues or community concerns. Sports leagues for softball and soccer are pretty big. A variety of health clubs and golf clubs. Recreation groups around hiking, kayaking, climbing, horseback riding, ATVs, martial arts, shooting, etc. Some active social Meetup options. A fair amount of local theatre, specialty films get shown, arts & craft galleries of many kinds, occasional touring performance arts at the modest sized Washington Center and a few music concerts at Evergreen. A few wine bars and local jazz performances. Some literary events. Seasonal festivals and a few neighborhood happenings in spots. Churches of all kinds. And so on. The more you dig, the more you find. It doesn't all jump out at you. But in the end it is a county of 250,000 where most folks do their own thing most of the time and not a lot of concentrated, big stuff happens.

NW Crow · 10-13-2010, 06:02 PM

Speed limits of 55 and below for sections of the commute might make it take longer than you hope for. But your actual start and end points and when you are on the road will obviously affect your total time.

Prple · 10-13-2010, 09:45 PM

I love Olympia!!

Here is some info about Olympia from the city of Olympia's website:
The most secure mid-sized U.S. city as ranked by Best Places on behalf of Farmers' Insurance.
#8 on Forbes Magazine 2008 list of Best Places for Business and Careers, and #10 on the 2007 list.
#16 on Sperling's 2007 ranking of Best United States Cities.
#36 on the 2007 Country Home Magazine list of Best Green Cities in America.
Featured in the 2006 edition of 50 Fabulous Places to Raise Your Family.

Check out these pictures!!...

Fall in downtown Olympia
A few photos around Olympia