What do you have to say about Olympia? (Seattle, Lacey: townhouse, safe area)

[F99TWW]

I've been reading threads about Olympia and I'm getting mixed reviews. It seems like a lot of people love it, then there's some people saying it's like drug-central or something. Please...what's your opinion on Olympia? School wise, housing wise, job wise? Is it a safe area?

Thank you!

[BryanK]

I know someone will beat me up for this, but I think Olympia is a very cool small city, with all the normal city things to offer. It has a very interesting low-profile downtown corridor, with interesting restaurants, antique shops, book stores and all that, older buildings with some character. There are gorgeous residential areas near the capital dome, older homes with large trees and front porches, very nice.

There is a spectacular view of the water, marina, and boats as you are about to enter downtown from the West.

The outlying areas are somewhat strip mall-ish, with some clunky new townhouse type developments, and then all the sudden, bang, you're in the woods.

Houses can be a little expensive, but that depends on where you are coming from and what your idea of "expensive" is. It's all relative.

The best way to get an idea of ANY town, is check it out on Google Earth, or even Mapquest dot com, and do the aerial view (AERIAL IMAGE on Mapquest), so you see the density, and layout, and even if it's a high resolution area, you can see individual houses.

[Prple]

Olympia is a great place to live!!!!
-It is beautifu!
-I feel very safe here.
-The schools are outstanding!
-Strong local economy, lots of jobs.
- Minimal traffic.

Nothing but good things to say about Olympia...

Here are some links regarding Olympia:

Olympia schools - Olympia public schools - Olympia school ratings - Best Olympia schools
Moderator cut: link to a competitors site removed
A few photos around Olympia
Olympia Farmers Market local Washington organic farmers, handmade arts & crafts, locally grown plants
BOSTON HARBOR, OLYMPIA, WA pictures from friends & fun photos on webshots
Boston Harbor Marina - Olympia, Washington
Welcome to the City of Olympia

[Ultrarunner]

I like Olympia and Thurston County...

I do have a hard time explaining the military protests to friends living in other states... seems like Olympia only makes the National news when a Military Ship is docked at Port of Olympia. I've actually had friends cancel a visit due to the port protest... in fairness, many of the protesters are not from Olympia.

Everyone I've introduced to the area has fallen in love with the scenery and amenities available...

Olympia is midway (roughly) between Seattle and Portland...

[kanhawk]

I live close to town and I like it here. It's seems less stressful to me than other parts of the Puget Sound area. It doesn't have all the things the big city has but if you want that Seattle isn't that far away. It is conveniently located near lots of interesting areas including Mt Rainier, the ocean and Hood Canal and the Olympics. Housing is costly, but in the last 6 months has come down. I really don't see it as having a worse drug problem than other areas. There is a homeless problem here but that seems to be true throughout the PNW. A very good mix of things IMO.

[eliette]

I don't know whether you're still looking at this thread, but Olympia is FINE. I moved here in November from the East Coast and we really like it. We are a military family with two children under 5. Schools are great, people are friendly, there's a great children's museum, etc. A few skanky type folks downtown (especially after dark) but I have never felt threatened. The farmer's market downtown by the water is wonderful. My mom and stepdad just visited for two weeks and they loved it here. My husband and I are very glad we chose Olympia (especially now that the rain has stopped for the summer)!

[Sandy Nelson]

I live and work in Olympia and love it here. The schools are first rate and I feel very safe. There are plenty of jobs, due to the fact that there are many state agencies in town. Homes in Olympia tend to be a bit more expensive than in the neighboring cities of Lacey and Tumwater, mainly because homes in Olympia are in higher demand. There are some very nice neighborhoods to raise a family. Prple posted some good links that you can research, but nothing beats a visit so you can see this community first hand and get a feel for how friendly, pretty and safe it is.

All the best.

Sandy