From Germany to Fort Lewis,WA...HELP!!! (Seattle, Spokane: rent, homes)

[Silke_27]

Hello, i will be moveing to Fort Lewi,WA by the end of this Year, i never been on the west coast bevor...We went from Germany to GA then back to Germany and now awaiting orders for Fort Lewis! My Husand is military and i am trying to find out as much information about Ft Lewis as i can so i wont be to shocked when i get there, so far people tell me its realy nice there and its great for Familys, i have a 5Year old doughter she will probley be going to a special needs school maybe on Base or Off i dont know sens she is in a wheelchair and she cant talk i guess i dont know what they have planed for her yet! I have a hard time not knowing if i should move on or off post, i would buy not rent if i go off base, but i hear its pretty expensive there and the traffic supposly is terrible...is that true??? and also i hear that there are some bad neighborehoods around the base so i guess i wouldnt even know where to move to! If anyone can help maybe you can tell me what housing area is nice to live in with my doughter we need lots of room and also a one floor house! How is the weather there? Is there a big city and good hospitals around? i thank you all already if you write me back with all the information that you can give me! I am a little scared to move there sens i wont know anybody there and all my family lives across the ocean in germany... Hope to hear back from you soon

[scirocco22]

Hi Silke. I’m going to give you some links to previous discussions we’ve had about Tacoma. They will answer a lot of your questions and if you have more or need clarification on any more questions, be sure to ask.

I’d like you to pay special attention to Magrack’s posts. In this thread, he outlines on a set of maps where the “good and bad” neighborhoods are:

http://www.city-data.com/forum/washi...eal-story.html



And some additional threads are listed below. Again, I’m going out on a limb and saying to pay particular attention to the poster with the screen name Magrack as he has some very balanced things to say about Tacoma.

http://www.city-data.com/forum/washi...ar-tacoma.html

http://www.city-data.com/forum/washi...s-culture.html

http://www.city-data.com/forum/washi...ng-tacoma.html

http://www.city-data.com/forum/washi...st-tacoma.html

[Silke_27]

Thank you Rocco, i just looked trough some of the links you gave me and it is very helpfull but at the same time a little confuesing its seems that all for sure are in agreement of two things the weather there is realy bad and the traffic is absolutly terrible! But okay that i will have to deal with when i finally move there! So for right now i will enjoy good germany weather, no speed limit on the highways and almost no traffic!!!! i am not looking forward to moveing to WA yet even that a few people telling me it is similar to germany so far it just dont sound like it at all:-(!

Thank you so much for your help!!!! i hope that some people maybe can tell me a little bit about the Militarylife there! And just in general about everything there that is good to know! Also is it realy that expensive there? like shopping eating at restaurants and general bills that everybody gets monthly(internet,cable and so on)!!!!!

Thank you, thank you!!! i apreciate all and everybodys help so much!!!! You all are great!!! thank you for your time!!!! Greetings from Germany

[princessvanessa]

Hi,
When you get settled in from Germany post again, that way we will know which area you have questions about. FYI: The Lakewood area has lots of military discounts for everything from food to dentists. I know my dentist in University Place (about 6 miles from Fort Lewis) offers a military discount and he is a terrific dentist. If the establishment doesn't post a discount, ask if they have one.
Welcoming you to the area, in advance!

[scirocco22]

*laughs* Well, Silke, both the weather and the traffic are up for debate and each person seems to have a little bit different opinion of both.

What you have to remember is that it is just that, OPINIONS.

In some of my posts, I've been accused of calling the weather and the traffic as "really bad" ...so much so that I moved away.

But it's only "really bad" to me. It may not be to somebody else. As you can see, others just love the weather and don't think the traffic is THAT bad.

I'm here in the Seattle area right now temporarily and the weather is just beautiful right now. While other places on the west coast are sweltering in heat, we are enjoying very comfortable temperatures and partly cloudy skies. Yes, in the winter it is wet, dark, and dreary but the millions that now live in western Washington survive just fine. Personally, I don't want to spend the winters here anymore but, as I say, others don't mind it at all.

Hopefully you'll get more feedback about military life from other members here on the forum.

Stay tuned!

edit: oh good, princess has already given you some encouraging words.

[Silke_27]

Hello there,
Yes Rocco you are right i guess i have to look at it the same way as it is anywhere else in the world there is good and bad and eveybody see's that diffenent , I know several Americans that realy love Germany but i know quite a few that hate it here and they just want to get out and go back to the states!
So as for me i dont mind cold weather and cloudy days sens i have this a lot here in germany as well, i guess it must be about the same as it is in WA...atleast thats what i hear!!!!
I hope as well that maybe some Military Spouses will write me casue they usualy have pretty good Information about the Area as well and the Life On Base!!!! So thanks again for you reply to me i am sure we will talk again sometimes! Take Care and stay Safe!!! Greetings Silke

[jabm67]

Having made something like that move, long long ago, I think the weather-change shock will be far smaller than a lot of places in the US. (We moved from Bremerhaven to Fairchild AFB outside Spokane in 1971.) The mild, nonhumid summers here will be rather like Germany. And the winters at Ft Lewis will be milder.

[magrack]

Get quarters on base...better sense of community and probably better for your special needs child. After you've been there a while, you will be able to determine the best place to buy, if you desire.

Until quarters become available, rent in Lacey or Steilacoom.

Do not rent in Tillicum, Lakewood(anywhere around Ft Lewis or McChord AFB) or anywhere there is a large transient population.

Magrack
USA, Ret

ETA: Didn't mean to exclude all of Lakewood...some very nice areas there, but you'll be in for a longer commute...just stay away from the area adjacent to the bases.

[Silke_27]

Hello and thanks for the info, and yes several people have told me to for sure go and live on base and when i get to know the area i can deside later if i want and where i want to move to, people also have said that because of our special needs child we may get quaters on base right away or that we for sure are getting on top of the housing list to move somewhere right away...well i just hope that this is true!!! Do you know anything about the schools on base? are they good or bad???? it be nice to hear back from you and thank you again!!!!

[pw72]

Fort Lewis/Lakewood is very military oriented, and is rather mundane, but I guess that would be expected near a major military installation. Not far away, University Place is much nicer. Tacoma is kind of the "Oakland" of San Francisco, both places have less than great reputations, but both are trying hard to improve their communities. More and more Seattle/Bellevue people may be moving into the area for more affordable housing.