Relocating to PNW, seeking city/suburb suggestions for family with children (Tacoma: taxes, health)

[rkcarguy]

I'm not going to comment on one area vs. another. I think it's important to weight cost of living vs. pay, especially as teachers. You'll find open positions easily in places of high cost of living such as Seattle for instance, where your pay is going to only afford you a file cabinet condo and you could be next on the Seattle news having been shot/killed. Other towns where the cost of living is more proportionate to pay, you may have to really fight for any position that comes open there. Then at that point you're not tenured until a certain amount of time passes, so that uncertainty remains....hard to commit to the move and buying a home only to have budget cuts or curriculum changes come along and end up having your contract not being renewed. Again, with more school money being appointed, this is unlikely, but in 2008 the state didn't hesitate to chop-chop-chop $$$$$$ from schools, so we could be right back there again in the next downturn.
I know when I look at Bellingham where I reside and grew up, I'd rather have my $15/HR job and my $98K home back from 2001, but those days are long gone sadly.

[elliewild]

Originally Posted by Sandy Nelson

I personally have a few favorite communities in Olympia where I wouldn't hesitate living. They each have their own distinct feel and character, for example the South Capitol Neighborhood, Wildwood and Carlyon, Goldcrest, The Farm, Old Orchard, Ken Lake, Eastbay and West Bay Dr, and a few more.

It depends on whether you'd like to be able to walk into town, whether great views are important to you, close access to parks, large yard or city-sized lot, etc.

If you end up putting Olympia on your agenda for a visit, let me know and I'll show you around.

Sandy

If you wanted to be able to walk into town and have great views where would you recommend?

[Diana Holbrook]

Originally Posted by elliewild

If you wanted to be able to walk into town and have great views where would you recommend?

If downtown walking with pretty views is your thing? I'd recommend Gig Harbor or Steilacoom.

I live and love the Olympia area and still think the surrounding rural areas are great, but downtown Oly has gone rather abruptly downhill since we wrote most of the advice on the first page. I still think Tumwater is nice and safe and increasingly walkable if you want to, but I don't think I'd recommend the downtown Olympia area right now and that's where the waterfront areas and pretty views are. Oly has a problem with an enormous tent city right downtown. It needs some cleanup before it can be what it once was.

[mogon]

Fircrest also ticks most of the o.p.'s boxes.

[CapitalBat]

Originally Posted by elliewild

If you wanted to be able to walk into town and have great views where would you recommend?

Langley or Coupeville, but my family lives on the island and I would not recommend it for teenagers.

[lifexponential]

Gig Harbor is growing but it still has a small town feel and is very conveniently located right on the kitsap peninsula but close to Tacoma...and it's a very nice family oriented and beautiful community. The views of Mt. Rainier are everywhere.

[rantiquity]

Originally Posted by WeLiveOnTheWrongCoast

First, thanks to anyone that has recommendations. Moving in general can be challenging - planning a move across country can be overwhelming.

I'll start by telling you a bit about our family and why we plan to move from GA (where we both grew up). We are a married couple in our thirties. We have two daughters that are currently 6 & 8. Both of us are public school teachers. I teach elementary school and my husband teaches high school. We are a very active family that loves nature and traveling. We spend our school breaks hiking, camping, and exploring new areas.

We tend to be much less conservative than the majority of those in GA. We are non-religious, support civil rights & animal rights, are environmentally conscious, and generally have a "to each their own" attitude. Additionally, health & wellness are extremely important to us. We try to stay active, and we eat a whole-food plant-based diet (similar to vegan, but with a focus on fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, & legumes rather than just being animal-free) - not a diet that is common in the South. We find it very difficult to make like-minded friends and worry that our children will be ostracized should word get out that we are not religious. We've seen this happen with people we know in the South. Our girls already feel "different" than the other children, and my 8-year-old has repeatedly stated that she wishes she could meet more kids like her. She has actually asked us to move. We also tire of people looking at us like we are crazy or being shunned when our political and social views come up in conversation. Plus, the climate is not for us. We dislike the hot, humid summers, and the mosquitoes here are atrocious.

Before having children, I lived in Pullman, Washington for a brief period of time. I absolutely loved the Northwest and have wanted to move back to the general area ever since. I connected much more readily with the people, and the climate and natural environment were very appealing to me throughout Washington and Oregon. My husband and I have one or both been in school since we met. He will be completing his graduate program this year, and we will be moving the school year that follows. We are extremely excited, but also have the tough choice of deciding where to move. We will be spending this coming summer in the PNW and would like to visit places that make our short list of places to live, while exploring the natural beauty of the region.

So now for the hard part...these are the ideal qualities that we would like find in our new home.

* Progressive population
* Great schools for our daughters and hopefully great for teachers too
* Safe environment - one of the biggest perks of where we live now is the safety of the Atlanta suburb we are in
* Affordable (housing and overall cost of living)- We both teach and don't want to spread ourselves too thin with a hefty house payment; We don't need a lot, 3BR/2BA is just fine
* Great outdoor recreation - Within town: nice parks, trails, bike paths, dog parks; Outside of town within reasonable distance: hiking, rock climbing, rafting, camping
* Community events for kids and families
* Biggish city close by - we are not really city people, but like attending special events from time to time (i.e. - festivals, performances, cultural events, etc.)
* A decent grocery store within 10 minutes drive (we shop at Sprouts in GA). Farmers' markets are great too, but can be limiting certain times of the year. We cook at home almost exclusively, so restaurants are not a factor for us.
* Other Target/Walmart type store(s) within 20 minutes drive
* A major airport within about 60-90 minutes
* Few mosquitoes - most areas have some, but I would like to walk my dog in the front yard and not come inside with 4 bites on my legs
* Climate is flexible. We've visited the area and are fairly familiar with the differences in climate in the different regions. We would be okay with snow, but would rather not be shoveling it for months straight.
Rain is not really an issue, though extreme cloud cover could make it difficult to see the stars with our telescope. Perhaps somewhere within driving distance for some amateur astronomy would be nice. Also, we have no interest in living on the beach or being coastal.

Thanks again in advance for your thoughts. We are really looking forward to exploring the area this coming summer!

- JR

I suggest you change your plan on moving to the PNW and consider California instead.

[rkcarguy]

I think "affordable/cost of living" is going to be a problem at least on the west side, which has most of the progressive area's the OP would prefer. Our housing costs have gone nuts (again) in the last couple years pricing many levels of the working class out of homes unless they've got 1/3rd plus to put down on their purchase.

[happygrrrl]

Old post, but try Sequim on the Olympic Peninsula.

[mogon]

Originally Posted by lifexponential

Gig Harbor is growing but it still has a small town feel and is very conveniently located right on the kitsap peninsula but close to Tacoma...and it's a very nice family oriented and beautiful community. The views of Mt. Rainier are everywhere.

While I concur with all of that, do take into account a realistic assessment of how many times you'll be crossing the Narrows bridge and how the tolls will add up for a month.

I'd again suggest Fircrest as a small community that has a very small town feel but close to urban/suburban amenities and one which is increasingly diverse.