A few questions about Olympia (Seattle, Tacoma: real estate, apartment complexes, new home)

[knrstz]

I've been reading through the forum on different threads discussing Olympia. It sounds like this town might be a good fit for me. I have a few questions that I have yet to find an answer to, so I decided this might be the best time to ask. I see the population is around 40k but I've seen websites that say the metro area is around 240,000. I've not been to Olympia so my question is, which of those numbers best describes the Olympia metro area? Does it seem like a small town of 40k, or are the surrounding towns grown together to form a small-medium sized city of around 200,000? I grew up in a small town of about 70,000 and now live in a metro of about a half million. I don't particularly care for the traffic or larger cities like Seattle but enjoy the ammenities of a city around the metro population of Olympia. My thoughts are a 240,000 city has most of what I need for daily living but a city of 40,000 might be a little too small. According to mapquest, it's about 30 miles to Tacoma. Is Olympa isolated by open country between it and the Sea-Tac metro area or is it pretty developed all the way around I-5? I've read that Olympia gets significantly more rainfall than Seattle. Why? Are there any other climate differences between it and Seattle? Warmer or colder? More cloudy days? How rare is it to get a completely sunny day in the winter? What kind of apartment can I get for $800 a month? Thanks in advance for your responses.

[nwcountrygal]

Uhmm can't answer rainfall why but more. In my opinion which is really burnt on winters there anymore. (Winter in Hawaii) Spent over 30 years in area. Olympia still has a small townish feel compared to big towns. It isn't a small small town. Traffic to Tacoma can be a issue at peak times across the Ft Lewis areas although almost all I-5 corridor in WA can be really bad. Never drive myself in traffic if I can get around it. Depends on what you want or compare it to.

I-5 in general is very busy as close as you get. However with that thought Olympia is a very nice city on it. If I had to live in a city Olympia would be it in WA. You get the Evergreen liberal college students and atmospher of culter. Good or bad depending on what you want. Nice smaller/bigger town. Rural areas surrounding is the bigger numbers I would guess. It is a town not a big or small town with all ammenties. Too me it is big to you maybe small. What do you want?

Real Estate dont know. The Rural areas around there where I have lived cost more in past depending on where looking and what you want. Either way if you don't check out an area you are thinking about moving to in person before making a decision and come in Winter!

[scirocco22]

You are correct in assuming that the Olympia area is not what you might think of a smaller isolated town of 45,200. For one, Olympia's city limits do abut other cities, namely, Lacey to the northeast and Tumwater to the south in addition to East Olympia and unincorporated areas of Thurston County around the borders of Olympia. The Olympia and Lacey boundaries almost intertwine in places making it difficult to tell when you are in Olympia and when you're in Lacey. Those three cities combined have a population of about 100,000. The entire county (Thurston) is only about 250,000 in population.

I urge you to read the Seattle forum's Weather thread for climate information. Yes, the Olympia area gets slightly more DAYS of rain but the climate is basically the same as Seattle's ...the difference in the climate between Olympia and Seattle is so close that you really will not be able to distinguish one from another with the exception that Olympia does tend to get colder at night in the winter than Seattle and a hair warmer in the summer but again, not something that you'd be easily able to detect. Yes, you will get a few completely clear and sunny days in the winter. They tend to be cold and clear (with freezing nights) and don't last long until the rain starts again.

Edit: To further comment and clarify, as nwcountrygal has implied, the Olympia, Tacoma, Seattle, Everett I-5 corridor is one big congested urban/suburban development ...no open spaces. Again, Olympia is not isolated at all. It's thankfully not as congested as the Seattle metro area but again, it's not what you might think of an isolated city of 45,200 as it's not isolated but combined with Tumwater and Lacey ...which in turn are connected with no open spaces to the Dupont/Fort Lewis/Lakewood/Tacoma/Fife/Federal Way/Seatac/Seattle ...and on north to Everett/Marysville. North of Marysville you'll finally start to see some undeveloped more open areas. So, for the most part, Tumwater to Marysville is one continuous developed area connected in succession to each other in the corridor along I-5. The only exception to that might be the Nisqually area along I-5 where there is maybe about two or three miles of open space in that section between Lacey and Dupont.



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[Sandy Nelson]

You got some great answers above. As to apartments: If you don't want to go above $800, your selection is limited. Most of the nicer apartment complexes charge $850 and upwards for a 2 bedroom apartment. Apartments, or duplexes under $800 are usually in older housing units and may be a bit dumpy. If you're only looking for a one bedroom apartment or a studio apartment, you shouldn't have a problem finding something something suitable in the $800 range.

[DBM]

I would slightly modify Scirocco's comments above -- but only slightly. For me, having the Nisqually delta and refuge separates Olympia from the rest of the Puget Sound megalopolis. That 5-mile break, with Fort Lewis on its northern side adding even more of a buffer, helps define the Olympia area as its own metropolitan area as opposed to just an extension of the greater Seattle area.

[knrstz]

Thanks for the great replies. I'll check out the seattle weather thread, although it looks a little intimidating since it's so long. I look forward to visiting the area soon.

[rockymtnman]

The reason for more rainfall is that the Olympic Mountains provide a small rain shadow effect to Seattle. I know, haha, rain shadow and Seattle are not usually words you associate together, but it is true. Olympia is also foggier in the winter. I lived in the area a couple of years, and it is nice. And I have to agree with DBM, that Nisqually delta area on I-5 does make a huge difference.

[jertheber]

Look on Google Earth or Google maps to get an idea of the area, people always ask about the housing/population density of an area and sometimes fail to see what an advantage satellite photography allows. The overall picture you will need to get firmly in mind in regard to the pacific NW is that the geography of our western side of the Cascades is one of physical restriction from north to south, water to the west, mountains on the east, these physical boundaries are what sets the area apart from other portions of the US. Gently rolling hills are everywhere on the west side of the mountains, from Bellingham Washington to Portland Oregon the I-5 corridor is a steady procession of small to medium size towns, Olympia is in the center of that north south corridor, it is set apart somewhat by the above mentioned wildlife preserve area of Nisqually, (see Google maps, click on "satellite") you'll see the amount of treed areas that surround the Olympia metro area.

There is still plenty of open ground but the housing boom gave us the blight that is the Lacey/Yelm area of new homes built on top of one another. Downtown Olympia is a true treasure of what more cities of that size should look like, great restaurants, theatre, bars, museums, a great waterfront park and a very nice Saturday market right in town. I'm east of town at present and would love to be right in the downtown area if possible, the growing abundance of cultural events is a good sign of the areas future direction and I want to be in the middle of it. Please consider that this area is in the far NW corner of the US Pacific coast, rain is part of the Marine climate one should expect, just as sun is the one thing you can count on in Yuma. Take a look at Olympia from a two or three day stay, all in all it's pretty cool.

[OlympianINShreveport]

I was born in Olympia and lived there until I was 12 (13 now) and I have to say Olympia is a big city with lots to do. Go to downtown Olympia for a lot of fun and the huge mall in West Olympia surrounded by stores like a huge Barnes & Noble. Very great place I recommend moving there.