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Seattle is a boom town right now. Everyone and their mother is moving there and there is a lot going on but it is also becoming extremely expensive. On the other hand Tacoma, formally known for it's ghetto-industrial feel has undergone a major renaissance within the past decade or so. I have lived in Tacoma my whole life and there have been milestone improvements. It is really becoming a very nice city and is different than Seattle. There is a very creative, artistic culture here and it's present throughout the city with it's murals, glass sculptures, street art, and people and it makes this city very unique. Also, as of recently, there has been a lot more foot traffic as well as restaurants and other small businesses opening downtown. I think it's a great place to live but what is the public opinion? Would you give it a try over Seattle?
In the same light that someone will try Oakland over SF
Tacoma is ok. It is more rough-edged and lower-end than Seattle but it's not "unsafe" in the sense compared to other parts of the US or world. To answer the OP though- no I'd just move to Seattle.
I wouldn't live there. Just a more boring version of Seattle, and Seattle is already boring as it is. I personally wouldn't live in either and instead just go to the Eastside, particularly Bellevue.
Would I give it a try over Seattle? No. Though its 30 minutes south imo it seems like a world away. You simply don't get the great shopping, great restaurants, cultural amenities, nightlife, professional sports, festivals, cool neighborhoods that Seattle has. In this case you really do get what you pay for. Tacoma has improved tremendously over the last decade, including its downtown but Tacoma Mall took away any chance of stores returning to downtown. Occassionally I would visit especially the Taste Of Tacoma festival.
In the same light that someone will try Oakland over SF
Tacoma is ok. It is more rough-edged and lower-end than Seattle but it's not "unsafe" in the sense compared to other parts of the US or world. To answer the OP though- no I'd just move to Seattle.
Honestly, Oakland has much more going on than Tacoma(and it's easier and quicker to get to San Francisco from Tacoma as well) and I don't believe there's a neighborhood like Montclair or Rockridge or Grand Lake in Tacoma.
Tacoma always seems like it has potential(the downtown and surrounding area has a cool setting and nice old architecture) and the museums are nice, though while they seem to try to reinvent and reinvest in the area much of downtown just feels sort of dead.
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