Anyone have thoughts about Arlington/Darrington area (Seattle, Everett: rent, crime)

[runjunky]

Does anyone have any thoughts about the Arlington/Darrington area. We (husband and four kids) are thinking of relocating there. Currently we live in Southern California and are looking for a better life. Any input about cost of living, schools, property etc would be great. We are planning to visit the area this December. Thank you

[the dufferz]

It's been a while since I have been up there, but it is pretty rural the farther you drift toward Darrington. Expect a small town feel in Darrington with lots of driving in your future.

Arlington is a large area, so depends on where you are geographically planning to go. The west side of Arlington intersects with I-5 and is growing with house prices on the higher end compared to the areas east.

The cost of housing will probably sound like a bargain compared to So. Cal. Darrington is a place where you can get land and a house for a "reasonable" price (compared to areas south, closer to the Seattle/surrounding areas). Expect your kids to be in small schools, but I am not sure about the quality of education, but then again, the teacher is what makes the education work, not the school district.

It is a good idea to visit in December. It's a good idea to see the area when it is winter weather. Expect damp to downright wet and cold which can be a shock to the system. This will be especially true for Darrington in that you are nestled up against the mountain range where weather systems are slowed by the Cascades so you will tend to get more rain than in Seattle.

If you are open to other areas in the region post the things that you are looking for and you will get a healthy response from the good folks here as to where the ideal place may be. If this will be your first visit to the region (other than being in Seattle proper) you will find there is a wide variety of living styles and areas here, both in Western Washington and Eastern/Central Washington (where the weather is dryer with more farming communities).

[nwraider]

My brother and his wife and kids have lived in Arlington (actually Smokey Point) for the last 4 or 5 years and they love it. We drive up and visit them a few times a year and it does seem like a really nice place to live, pretty rural, but right off the freeway is shopping and there are outlet centers for more shopping a little way down the freeway. Not sure about jobs- my brother works in Everett and makes enough that his wife is a stay at home mom. There is also a huge casino (Tulalip) just down the freeway too, not that you'd have any need for a casino with 4 kids, but they may have some stuff for kids anyway, not too sure.. And yes, December would be a great time to visit- right in the dead of autumn/winter, it'll be chiiiiiiiilly, so bring extra jackets and gloves, etc..

[runjunky]

Thanks for the input. Jobs won't be a concern, my husband will work at arlington airport. We just need a place to live. We'll probably rent initially and then buy land and build. Any one else with thoughts on the area will be great.
Thank you.

[Rrrrichard99]

I've lived in both, so it is like night and day to me. Arlington has nice residential areas, a renovated 'old' downtown, a hospital and clinics, hiking trails, public transportation, convenient access to I-5 and an ever-expanding retail core around Smokey Point. People there are generally nice, at least as nice as anywhere else. There is a big Haggen's store close to downtown, a Safeway, Blockbuster, etc. Antique shops, gift shops, and many restaurants--many of which are good. Paraiso's down in Smokey Point is the best Mexican food anywhere, IMHO.

Darrington is distant (about 40 minutes further into the boondocks, on a dangerously curvy and narrow highway), somewhat ugly, rundown and backwards in many respects. There are a couple decent looking retail stores, but most leave a lot to be desired. Which is true for many of its residents. The school system at Darrington is notorious and thoroughly corrupt--you do NOT want your children going there. The mountain views and greenery are nice, but you'll quickly regret living there.

You might consider checking out Stanwood. It's just a little further up I-5, has an interesting, Byzantine old town with a lot of massive new retail spots too. They have even better bus transportation, with express-style service to the U-District and Seattle.

Hope that helps. Regards.

[azcallin]

Darrington also leaves you stranded faster in the winter months ... much more snow and ice to contend with. Not a good choice IMO.

Arlington is a cute small town that has pretty much everything you need for basic day to day life, but still has the small town feel.

Stanwood yes, is very nice and would only be about 20 minutes for hubby to get to work and not a bad / congested commute. Nice family community that offers more than Arlington but still has a small town feel.

Smokey Point is also a nice area and quite close to the airport ... More crime in that area but for the most part still nice.

Also right out by the airport you will find very nice areas with subdivisions ... One of these would probably be my first choice.

[wannabeaTexan]

I have family living in Darrington...my cousins describe it as a hick town and they grew up there. I don't know about the quality of the school, but it is tiny. I went to school once with my cousin...one school bus for the whole town....kindergartners in the front, high school sr.s in the back. Now, that has been awhile...the '90s, but I doubt it has changed much. My aunt and uncle still live there and have to worry about flooding because they live near the river.

It's basically Small Town, USA...nothing for the teenagers to do on the weekend but drink and party.

[rebeccahernandez]

choose Darrington
Hicktown, somewhat ugly, rundown and backwards.....I will have to disagree. After moving here some 18 years ago, and traveling highway 530 to commute to Everett to work for 16 of those years, I must say there is no better place to live. A small town for sure, small enough to have community dinners at the firehall to contribute to a childs bone marrow transplant, small enough to have life celebrations, complete with home cooked dinners, at the community hall when a resident passes away, no charge. No matter who. Small enough for neighbors to gather to help when there was a flood, and our friends home was in danger.....staying all night putting up sandbags around their fence line. From directing traffic to filling the bags, they were all there. Nobody had to call.
Darrington is a family place, neighbors watch out for neighbors children, neighbors watch your house while you're on vacation....we know the local sheriff, we know the postmaster. Around harvest time, there will be fresh vegetables at the local bank, from residents willing to share their bounty.
Unlike Arlington, you can actually park in front of the retail stores in Darrington. Unlike Smokey Point, fast becoming the north end White Center, traffic moves smoothly, as opposed to sitting at light after light. We have a caring and professional clinic in town, with our local doctor and P.A. who make house calls to the local assisted living centers in town, of which there are three. If there is an accident, our doctor is there....day or night. Emergency cases are seen immediately at the clinic, as opposed to Casket Valley Hospital, where you can wait for five hours and be the only one in the emergency room. We have bus service, five churches, a number of retail stores, a beautiful park, camping, hiking, mountain views, rivers for fishing, hunting, and if you so desire, you can own a home with land enough to raise horses, hay, corn, whatever. In 5 minutes you can be totally secluded deep in the woods, traveling a logging road. Deer in the front yard is what we have now, and in the fall, they will be eating the apples off our tree.
We travel down below to Arlington only if we have to, and take a list from the neighbors, if they happen to need something not available here. Spending time at Smokey Point, or Arlington, just makes you appreciate Darrington all the more.

[cme-everett]

Probably too late for this person to get the information they need, but for others... if you are working for the arlington airport, live in arlington.
if you don't mind commuting, anywhere north, south, east or west of arlington is ok (although it does get worse the further south you live).
If it was me, with family, i would probably pick SKAGIT COUNTY (a hop skip jump to the north), it has the rural diversity which LACKS in stanwood (too republican) & darrington (too backwards) ---but, of course some people like those things.

Snohomish County is growing faster than ever & everything from California is there -except for the roads, so expect traffic snarls. Don't be fooled by tree's, & people living on 2 acres or more -its not all that rural (pop: 800,000) A person raising a family would probably find Skagit County as a nice, peaceful, lower crime area than the urban Sno-co.

[msta999]

Originally Posted by runjunky

Thanks for the input. Jobs won't be a concern, my husband will work at arlington airport. We just need a place to live. We'll probably rent initially and then buy land and build. Any one else with thoughts on the area will be great.
Thank you.

Be careful where you buy, there are flood areas around Arlington and else where. I kind of like the area east of Arlington, real country feel and pretty.