Puyallup--what's it like? (South Hill, Bonney Lake, Edgewood: co-op, houses, neighborhood)

[gentah]

We're considering a job here--if we were to take the job we would relocate. Where would you buy a home? Any areas of town you would suggest or avoid?

[gentah]

No suggestions?

[Sobefobik]

Hi Gentah, the more specific you can be with your questions and the more information the more we can help--price range, what your expectations are for you home and the area it's in, etc. Here are a couple threads that might offer more info:

http://www.city-data.com/forum/washi...-puyallup.html
http://www.city-data.com/forum/washi...rict-info.html
http://www.city-data.com/forum/washi...here-live.html

I can't say there is really an area to avoid in Puyallup. It has a nice little downtown, which has the Puyallup Fair every September. Nice country property can be bought. Overall, though, my impression of Puyallup is a burgeoning suburb. The main highway through there is 512, which sees heavy traffic often. The country roads simply cannot handle the traffic and the city doesn't seem to be doing much to help with that situation.

I personally would avoid Meridian because it is a nightmare to drive on and I wouldn't have any interest living around it. Also avoid South Hill. Sumner, Lake Tapps, and Bonnie Lake might also be areas to consider if you're working in Puyallup.

[zoso1979]

You might want to look into Edgewood/North Hill. It used to be part of unincorporated Puyallup. It not as congested as South Hill and is centrally located with access to several freeways and highways.

[lightning31]

My parents live in Puyallup on the South Hill and I like it there. Lots of things around, it's affordable and you don't have to travel too far for whatever you need. Lots of trees in amongst the homes. Quite nice for suburbia (you could do worse).

I'm not sure why people always say to avoid South Hill. It's a nice area and you can avoid Meridian traffic by taking the upgraded Canyon Rd. (which is wider and has fewer lights than Meridian) or 122nd.

[gentah]

It would be nice to have an easy commute to downtown. I would prefer newer houses (built since 1990 or so) and less than $300,000. I don't really know enough about the area to know what I need to know--if that makes sense! Thanks for the additional ideas, I'll read through the other threads.

[etonmymind]

You will find houses in that price range, easily. Probably a ton of them.

We live on South Hill and have for 11 years...raising 4 kids here. It's a nice place and is extremely affordable. I can't say it has charm or anything cutesy about it, but it's a pleasant suburb with a good sense of community. We are involved with youth sports, the Y, co-op preschool, and our neighborhood public school, and we have made great friends in all of them. Downtown Puyallup IS cute and has a lot of nice summer activities--concerts in the park, and a great Farmers' Market that runs 5-6 months of the year.

South Hill also attracting a lot of new commercial development. There is a slightly higher than normal average household income on South Hill and I think that pays off in terms of businesses locating here. Most of Pierce County comes here to shop, which is probably part of the traffic issue, particularly on the weekend.

Someone mentioned Bonney Lake, which is an absolute traffic nightmare IMO. I would take Meridian any day over 410. There is also a 6000-plus home master plan community being built in B.L. that has virtually no realistic ingress/egress and is going to take over their already crowded roads.

Good luck, and I'll try to remember to visit this thread again in case you have any more questions!!