Job in Parkland, looking for best place for a family (Seattle: renting, crime)

[znip]

My husband is interviewing for a job in Parkland and we are trying to determine the best area for us. These Tacoma threads are really scary!

Things we would like:
1) a safe area (we have lived in DC and are in New Orleans but would like somewhere safer than our current locale)
2) good public schools
3) walkable neighborhoods with non-chain shops and restaurants; it would be great to walk to the schools, the library, post office, parks, etc
4) commute that is less than 45 minutes, ideally under 30 to Parkland (he may only have to commute 3 days a week and would probably work a 6am-3pm sort of schedule)
5) older houses would be cool
6) we will be renting and hopefully will find a place for $2000 or less per month

Is this doable? I have been researching Olympia which seems like it might work and read about the Proctor District in Tacoma, but the schools and crime issues are a concern. Sounds like neighborhoods near I-5 in Seattle might be too far, even for a reverse commute? Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

[Jake840]

Sounds like Proctor District is what you are looking for. And since you have lived in bigger cities I am sure you are aware that crime is usually everywhere but was every section of Washington DC scary? If Tacoma is overall scary to you then just about every city in America will be scary to you. The only real crime that happens in Proctor is property crime and property crime is a problem all over the Puget Sound region.

[znip]

Thanks Jake840. Any thoughts on the public schools in the Proctor District? Do most people send their kids to public or private?

I personally have no experience with Tacoma yet, I just meant that some of the threads tend to make it out to be the scariest, most dangerous place in the Pac NW. (Believe me, after 6 years in New Orleans we're very familiar with crime and a patchwork of safe/dangerous neighborhoods; we're just hoping for somewhere at least a little better in that regard).

[Ira500]

In general, almost all of North Tacoma and West Tacoma are quite nice, as are many parts of downtown. The Proctor District is an absolutely awesome neighborhood, with a great elementary school, Washington-Hoyt. Yes, there are indeed some parts of Tacoma that are a bit scary, but there are also large sections of really nice neighborhoods like Proctor, Old Town, Ruston/Point Defiance, the Narrows area around Titlow Beach, etc.
I think in a place like New Orleans, while there are some good neighborhoods, the bad ones are ever present , sometimes can't be avoided, and are awfully close to the good ones.
That's just not the case in Tacoma, where you can choose to only be in safe, nice neighborhoods.

[Sandy Nelson]

I'm a great fan and resident of Olympia. You might also want to consider Puyallup. It's not too far from Parkland.

[Jake840]

Originally Posted by Sandy Nelson

I'm a great fan and resident of Olympia. You might also want to consider Puyallup. It's not too far from Parkland.

Puyallup just doesn't sound like what the op is looking for. Puyallup is mostly new homes, aside from downtown Puyallup. It is chain store/restaurant/strip mall central. For the most part not very walkable.

[znip]

Originally Posted by Ira500

In general, almost all of North Tacoma and West Tacoma are quite nice, as are many parts of downtown. The Proctor District is an absolutely awesome neighborhood, with a great elementary school, Washington-Hoyt. Yes, there are indeed some parts of Tacoma that are a bit scary, but there are also large sections of really nice neighborhoods like Proctor, Old Town, Ruston/Point Defiance, the Narrows area around Titlow Beach, etc.
I think in a place like New Orleans, while there are some good neighborhoods, the bad ones are ever present , sometimes can't be avoided, and are awfully close to the good ones.
That's just not the case in Tacoma, where you can choose to only be in safe, nice neighborhoods.

This is great to hear, and I will definitely start researching these neighborhoods and Washington-Hoyt elementary. Thanks!

Yes, in New Orleans the safe neighborhoods may only be a couple blocks from the more dangerous ones... I drop my daughter off at daycare on a relatively nice street that is one block away from a street that many people would be reluctant to drive down.

[nfdsouza2001]

Look around the Spanaway area around Spanaway loop road. the area is nice and safe. You may also consider the brook dale area of Parkland ( 131 block of Pacific.

[Gullaphonic01]

What type of position are you being considered for? I work near Parkland but live near the Tacoma Community College. (I am not that well off.) Like anywhere or anything else you get what you pay for. I was raised in the North End near the Proctor District and it is now very expensive so I can not afford to live there. The schools there are nice but I can not in full confidence recommend Tacoma Public Schools.