Trying to decide... (Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia: rent, buying a house, safe area)

[thekid1138]

Hi all,
Ive posted before about moving to Washington and after doing a lot more research my girlfriend and I are narrowing down our choices to either Olympia or the Seattle area. We like Olympia cause of the lower cost in renting and someday, buying a house. Also I hear that a lot of government jobs are available there. We like Seattle cause it's a larger area and Im in tech support and there seems to be a greater availability in Seattle's surrounding areas. The northern area of Seattle seems good so far. We'd like to keep the rent under $1200 and was wondering if anyone could shed some extra light on the areas. Such as nightlife? Work? Safe areas? Anything extra that comes to mind? Thanks.

[Prple]

Olympia and Seattle are both great places to live. I've lived in Olympia and several parts of North Seattle.
All-in-all, I would probably recomend Olympia to you for the following reasons:
Much more affordable
Pay will probably be similar to Seattle
Lots of jobs (many family friendly gov. jobs too)
Minimal Traffic, short commute times and costs
Excellent Schools
Lots to do
Close to nature
60 miles to Seattle, 30 minutes to Tacoma