where to live between SeaTac and JB Lewis McChord (Seattle: employment, neighborhoods)

[350zBeachEdition]

Hi! I'm looking for advice/tips on where to live... I will be working at Lewis/McChord and my husband will be working at SeaTac Airport. Looking at a map we were thinking Federal Way, so the commute for both of us would be about the same. We are expecting our first child and want to live in a safe/family friendly area. Any thoughts?

[rbkoreaus]

Federal Way is nice-ish. I go there for my Korean grocery shopping haha.

I'd also recommend exploring Fife, and some parts of Des Moines are pretty nice too.

[zyx321cba]

Hey, I read your post and was wondering how your experiences have been thus far. I was recently offered an employment position in Lewis McChord, but would prefer to live in Seattle, as I am from a big city and big cities are where I am most comfortable. How is it commuting back and forth? Are there any neighborhoods you might recommend? What areas in Seattle are closest to Lewis McChord? Thanks.

[rbkoreaus]

zyx321cba, Ft. Lewis to Seattle is a long drive... expect at least a 1 hr drive going one way, and that's assuming there is no traffic, and excluding whatever distance you'd be covering once you're on base, and driving through Seattle to wherever you'd LIke to live. Bad traffic is a pretty regular occurrence depending on the hours you drive. Expect to see jams around the Tacoma dome, as well as when you're approaching the I-90 area heading into or leaving Seattle. Sorry to be a Debbie downer, but an hour away is the closest Seattle would be from Ft. Lewis.

If you decide you do want to put up with the traffic and commute, and you're really into the night life and exploring downtown, anywhere between Capitol Hill and Belltown are pretty active areas. I have quite a few friends who enjoy living in those areas, as there's always a new and interesting story to tell.

[Hemlock140]

I make that drive several times a year, usually after work in Seattle. An hour is good for early morning on a weekend, on a Friday afternoon it can take two hours. You would be going the opposite direction which is not as bad, instead of backed up the whole way it's only pockets of jammed up traffic in places along the way as you pass through Dupont, Tacoma, then Fife, then Federal Way and then into Seattle. Though no Seattle, Tacoma is decent sized city with 200,000 and a much better commute.

[The Siobhan]

I would not recommend living in Seattle and traveling to Ft. Lewis unless you are willing to commit two hours each way. Traffic slows down around Fife when one the lane consolidates into an exit ramp. Then as you hit the Tacoma Dome, traffic slows down again. I have not traveled down to Ft Lewis during the morning rush, but I imagine those exits get backed up, also.

I think Sumner would be a good place to start a family. It has that cozy small town feel.