Seattle suburbs with good trail access (Tacoma, Federal Way: apartments, to rent, living in)

[quintanion]

I've been living in Oregon for the last year and am considering a move to the Seattle region next year after wrapping up the job I moved here for. I've spent a bit of time in the city, but not much in the outlying areas previously and would love some input on areas to focus my search on. The reason for the move is that while I love the climate/outdoor opportunities of the PNW, pay for my profession is 30-50% higher in the greater Seattle area vs anywhere in Oregon. I'm aware that COL is generally higher in WA, but can benefit from the fact that I don't need to live in or commute to the actual city of Seattle. I do contract based work as a vet and most of my work is in the suburbs. There's slightly more demand south of Seattle (Tacoma area), but it's feasible for me to work pretty much anywhere outside of the city. I'd like to ID a few areas that fit my criteria, then choose based on where I find the best work opportunities.

I'm in my late 20s, own a dog, and would like to balance great access to trail running/hiking with cost of living. Issaquah and Bellvue seem to top the lists for trails, but not moderate COL. My housing budget is around $1,200/month - a studio is fine if it's a nice area with close trail access and other amenities, and being able to rent someplace with a yard would be ideal if I go a bit further out from the populated areas. The other factor is that I do own a 5th wheel RV and am currently living out of it in OR. I still need to research the legalities of full time RV living in WA, but that could be an option as well, and I'd consider it if I could find a piece of land (ie not a trailer park) with hookups to rent for <$700/month. If not, I'll sell the trailer before moving. Thanks for any thoughts or suggestions!

[CrazyDonkey]

There are few studios, microapartments, or apodments on the Eastside, fewer the further out. There are even fewer that take pets. You didn't specify the size of your dog or what breed it is, which can further restrict where you can rent.

There are apartments within your budget that take pets in Kent, Federal Way, and Tacoma. Here's a one-bedroom well within your budget that takes dogs (large and small) near Point Defiance Park (for trails) in Tacoma:

Northpoint at Creekside Apartments - Tacoma, WA | Zillow

[fluffydelusions]

Originally Posted by CrazyDonkey

Northpoint at Creekside Apartments - Tacoma, WA | Zillow

I was looking at this place just last month when apartment shopping. I never actually ended up taking a look in person however mainly because it has a lot of bad reviews online. No idea how accurate the reviews are though. Looked nice in pictures and close to the park as well.

[quintanion]

Thanks for the suggestion! The Tacoma area does look like it may be my best best