Olympia areas that are considered "family friendly"? (Seattle: property taxes, military)

[crimson4154]

Could someone give me an idea of areas of Olympia we should check out? We don't want to spend much more than 400K on a home. We have small kids so family friendly is a must. A large yard is preferable since we have large dogs. Walking distance to a neighborhood park a must! (Not too far from water either, but water front is off our list). All input appreciated!

[chris]

we've discussed this quite a few times! If you can't find the threads I'll dig them up for you.

Thumbs down from me just about anywhere in Olympia city limits for kids. Check into any towns bordering Olympia, like Lacey, Yelm, Tenino, parts of Tumwater.

A realtor should be along shortly to tell you how wonderful it is for families.

[Ultrarunner]

I do like the Olympia area... but would not want to live in the city limits because the city proper seems to be a magnate for lifestyles and conflicts not conducive to family life.

As an example, several times this year, protesters from all around the Pacific Northwest converged at the Port of Olympia to protest a Navel Supply ship and also a "Goodwill" visit from the Canadian Navy had to be cancelled due to security concerns.

Washington and especially South Sound is a beautiful place to live and raise a family. My one caveat for home owners is that Property Taxes in Washington are unpredictable. Many home owners still have not recovered from the shock of opening this months Notice of New Values letters from the Assessor office. I personally know people that have had assessment values increase from 30 to 80% in 12 months.

[DBM]

Crimson,

Gotta disagree with Chris and Ultrarunner about living within the Olympia city limits not being conducive to family life. I'm reading between the lines, but both seem to be conservatives getting overly worked up about the fact that liberals (YIKES!) live in Olympia and occasionally make their presence known. The facts just don't back up the hysteria, though.

The Olympia School District is consistently rated as the best in the area, Olympia parks are great, crime varies but is generally low (particularly in SE Olympia and further out Cooper Point), and there is a wide choice of neighborhoods. The protesters mentioned by Ultrarunner were at the Port of Olympia -- there aren't any houses there.

Olympia is too big for generalizations, but if forced I would say that Olympia tends to be more progressive and the surrounding communities more conservative.

As to which fosters better family values and is better for kids -- well, I leave that up to you.

[chris]

Yes, lets paint others with broad strokes of ignorance versus facing the obvious issues Olympia has when confronted with raising children... Nothing beats a good ol' cup of sterotype!

One would have to totally disregard the number of homeless, the abundance of sexual predators/molesters/convicted felons, drug use, and general grimey feel found within city limits.

Olympia would really be a great city if it weren't the epicenter for the peninsula/area's social issues. It really is a nice town that does it's best to tackle the issues, it's just that there are too many "issues" and no other place to put them.

Being liberal or conservative is no substitute for ignorance to real issues that people wish to pretend don't exist.

[Ultrarunner]

Originally Posted by DBM

Crimson,
Gotta disagree with Chris and Ultrarunner about living within the Olympia city limits not being conducive to family life. I'm reading between the lines, but both seem to be conservatives getting overly worked up about the fact that liberals (YIKES!) live in Olympia and occasionally make their presence known. The facts just don't back up the hysteria, though.

The Olympia School District is consistently rated as the best in the area, Olympia parks are great, crime varies but is generally low (particularly in SE Olympia and further out Cooper Point), and there is a wide choice of neighborhoods. The protesters mentioned by Ultrarunner were at the Port of Olympia -- there aren't any houses there.

I've never thought about Olympia in terms of Liberal vs. Conservative in remarking that the city seems to attract the wrong kind of attention.

I do have a problem when civil disobedience diverts valuable resources from the community... the port of Olympia is a case in point.

It is no secret that the port is running a deficit with the shortfall being made-up by taxpayers. The analysis I read in The Olympian said it would only take the revenue from 1 or 2 Supply Ships for the port to operate in the black.

The protests resulted in property damage and consumed the entire Olympia Police Department overtime budget. Why would I willingly place my family in the middle of this when nearby communities are not saddled with this burden? You don't have to be a resident to visit Olympia's parks and the Capital grounds.

Each year, Olympia holds a wonderful festival called Lakefair. This year, ships from the US Navy and Canadian Navy were scheduled to appear and give tours. Here is what the Olympia city council had to say regarding the Navy visit:

A majority of Olympia City Council members said Tuesday they would not grant the request for officers, mainly out of cost concerns.

Twelve out of 15 people who spoke about the ships at last week's Olympia City Council meeting opposed inviting the vessels. They said residents don’t want them because they are emblems of war, that they are used as a military recruitment tool and that they will spark costly protests.

Chmielewski said Lakefair was looking elsewhere for funding to provide security for the ships, which were going to offer tours during the annual summer festival. Local longshoremen offered $5,000 to pay for security, and the Olympia Police Department was drawing up a security plan. Thurston County Sheriff Dan Kimball also offered deputies to patrol the event.

[DBM]

Ultra --

Seriously, you've never thought of Oly in those terms? Your post and Chris' definitely give that impression, particularly your comment about Olympia being a magnet for "lifestyles" not conducive to family life. Chris' second post confirms my initial impression, though yours does not. I actually agree with your general point about the port protests -- what a waste of resources.

That being said, it really doesn't impact whether Olympia is a family-friendly city. The neighborhoods are good, the schools are good, the infrastructure is good, and there are a plethora of kid-centered activities.

Do the problems listed by Chris exist? Yes, to a certain extent, though overstated in the post (you will not notice a "grime" upon entering the Olympia city limits). Olympia is the largest urban center and will have the most urban problems. Crimson, if you are interested in crime statistics, the parent website to this forum has some info and shows that the various cities are in the same statistical ballpark, but I would suggest going to the Olympian's website and checking out the crime map -- it's a .pdf file in the upper left corner of the homepage. You'll see pockets of crime throughout the county, with the expected downtown crimes. Notice that there are large portions of Olympia with few if any reported crimes -- these are the family areas you should look at in Olympia. The same holds true for the other areas in the County.

Good luck with your search, Crimson. There are definitely homes in your price range in neighborhoods that are family friendly. The toughest part of your quest will be the water.

Here are some actual suggestions: In Olympia, I would suggest SE Olympia (the areas around Olympia High School and Washington Middle School) -- Ward Lake and Hicks Lake are possible water spots, but public access is poor. In Tumwater, there are some newer neighborhoods kind of east of the airport with small lakes -- I'm not sure how good the access is if you're not directly on the lake. Lacey has a few lakes, too, but again, access is spotty if your home isn't on the lake (there is access, it's just not always convenient). Salt waterfront will be tougher -- I would suggest looking around some of the parks (Priest Point Park, Burfoot, Tolmie) which would allow you unencumbered access to the water.

Don't be discouraged. It's a nice area.

[crimson4154]

Haha - this certainly seems to be the "town of controversy"! Reason for asking is if DH gets a job there, well, then that's where we will be living. I'm going up next month and needed a few areas to check out. We're doing the same with Bellingham, and a few areas in Kitsap County. If anyone else has additional areas in mind, don't hesitate to add to the thread!

[Sandy Nelson]

Crimson,
Olympia, as the Capitol City, will always draw more controversy and protests than Tumwater or Lacey. On the other hand, it has the Capitol Campus with park-like grounds, monuments and art, and a down-town with theaters, galleries, restaurants, interesting shops, board-walk and a very nice farmer's market. The schools in Olympia are excellent and there are many nice neighborhoods. I live in the city limits (South Capitol Neighborhood) with my family (hubby, kids and dog). I feel safe, the kids can take the free bus down to the market, and we can walk to the Capitol Lake. Other areas you might like to live in are the West-side of Olympia, or the area near Olympia High School. Lacey and Tumwater also have much to offer. If I were you, I'd start my search with choosing a school for your kids and then select a home from there. Your Realtor should be able to show you the homes that fit your criteria and show you the various communities.

Sandy

[MotleyCrew]

We just returned from a visit to Olympia and Seattle areas and we love the farmers market that Olympia has. I have not seen produce like than since leaving CA.