Federal Way; Advice Please:) (Seattle, Tacoma: crime rate, neighborhoods, schools)

[BanteringBear]

"Oh please, sir, Mr Bantering Bear, but if it's not too much trouble, I'd like to disagree with your rather strong opinion about living or working in the Federal Way or Tacoma areas."

Hahaha. Now you've got me laughing. Listen, I've got no problem with the hard working, decent people who live in Federal Way, Tacoma, or the entire south sound for that matter. I mean no disrespect. And, there are many beautiful homes and neighborhoods in both cities. But I worked there long enough to see the problems. The crime and drugs are rampant. And I didn't even mention the aroma. Yes, the Tacoma aroma. It's not good. They need to do something about that.

I stand by what I said. I would hesitate accepting a job offer if I had children. Because, after all, the schools are just not up to par. That's a fact. I wouldn't want to expose my children to such rampant drugs and crime. I'm not sure how long it's been since you've been there magrack, but it's really bad.

[magrack]

I left there a few months ago when I retired.

I lived in Tacoma for 28 years. In the South end

I worked on the "line" for a communications company for most of my years there and worked from South King County (including Federal Way) down to portions of Thurston County.

The area I worked included all of Pierce County.

Every town, every neighborhood and included day and night shifts as well as emergency work.

I would consider myself intimately familiar with the area, and there was no area that I was afraid to work, day or night.

I spent a lot of it standing on a pair of hooks on back easement poles or in a bucket truck. Not much was hidden from me, and you'd be surprised at what you can learn from vantage points like that.

I've seen neighborhoods decay and regenerate and and even some of them decay again.

I've seen the best and worst of the area.

No city or neighborhood is perfect. I've already posted (on another thread) that I wouldn't live on the east side of Tacoma, but that doesn't change the fact that there are good neighborhoods there, just more difficult to find.

Because I know the area like a NYC cabdriver knows Manhattan, I get upset when someone denigrates the entire area. It just ain't so.

I wasn't satisfied with the education my kids were getting in school 20 years ago, so I supplemented it with additional home schooling (my responsibility to insure their education).

I'm a grandfather. Most of my friends are grandparents. We still are concerned about schools and are aware of what goes on; we hear from our own kids and from our grandchildren.

Sure, schools have changed and there is no urban school in the country that I consider good or safe.

Apparently most of the people on this forum feel the same, if the comments I've read on the various state boards are any indicator.

I'm a curious type; I read state and city boards of places I've never been nor will ever visit and the overwhelming consensus is the best schools are in "rich" areas and the safest are in the rural or wealthier suburban areas.

Not everybody is rich and most of the population in this country lives in cities or large towns.

No town or city is safe from drugs or crime. No city or town was immune from drugs or crime when I was in high school (drugs weren't as common, nor was crime, but it was present). People just have to get more involved with their kids, educators, and law enforcement.

In the meantime, the kids will cope.

The aroma in Tacoma.

I never smelled it in my neighborhood, and it's mostly a non-issue now. That smell mostly came from a single pulp mill and environmental concerns caused it to be cleaned up.

About 1997 or 98, Simpson Kraft Tacoma reduced total sulfur emissions by 90%; it's hardly noticeable unless there's a west wind and only affects a very small area, but since most of the people in the greater PS area were aware of the "Aroma in Tacoma" the saying persists and perpetuates the myth. Place doesn't smell any worse than any other city with an industrial area.

I guess "something was done about that."

[Yac]

Calm down people. Please.

[Mark S.]

I live on the edge of the Twin Lakes area in Federal Way, very near the line with Northeast Tacoma.

Yesterday I got to watch as police officer had to confront a half-dozen gangbangers at a house in my neighborhood. The officer left. (He's no idiot.) But he came back later with back up and made arrests. At least part of it was drug-related.

This is in what was once a nice middle-class neighborhood only a few years ago. But it only takes a few bad homes in a neighborhood to affect the whole place.

Before you move your kids into ANY neighborhood, do your research. At a bare minimum:

1.) Talk to police. Is this considered a problem area? Are they responding to a lot of calls here?

2.) If you're looking at a home, check the other homes in the neighborhood. If you're seeing a lot of rentals --- especially a lot of Section 8 rentals --- that should be a red flag.

3.) Talk to the neighbors.

4.) It may seem silly, but call the nearest pizza place. Ask about their deliveries. If they refuse to deliver in that neighborhood after dark, that's a pretty big clue.


But in short: Unless you can afford to live in one of the very affluent neighborhoods and send your kids to private school, I would NOT recommend moving your family into Federal Way.

[jgood]

Check out Tahoma high school, Auburn Riverside High (Sumner lake Tapps area),
Issaqua schools (this is part of east renton also) Go to greatschools.com and check out How many reduced lunches they offer and test scores. We don't have any perfect schools here and compaired to TX you will take a hit in the school system that is what i have heard.
My cousin Moved to Mercer Island because they are sopposed to have the best schools around, and now sopposedly they have a big drugg problem because the kids have to much money to spend on whatever.
Also Check out Sumner High for Test scores etc. That is where i would start anyway, i would not leave TX for your daughters sake being tired of the Limo crowd is nothing compaired to the gangbangers and the rich kids with to much money and no parenting what so ever, we have alot of that here.

[AZ_singlemother]

If I were you, I would hold off on moving to Federal Way. Looks like you are being rushed to move and it's not really good to instantly move somewhere you know nothing about. Washington state is a different world from TX. If your husband is struggling with insurance there, he would struggle in Washington State too. Sorry about the flooding and loss on the home but maybe you and your family should buy some time. Be stablized before up and leaving. Once you move to another state, if you regret it, it will be harder and costlier to move back.

[MANDOLIN]

I don't know if you are still looking for an area near Federal Way, but if so, you should check out N.E. Tacoma. I personally would not live in Tacoma or Federal Way. Both areas are great to visit, but not live. However, nestled between the two is a great area called Browns Point. It is like a small town, but it is right next to Federal Way. We bought a condo here and LOVE it. It feels really rural and we are right next to the water so there are beaches and they even have a cute little area with a little store and a pizzeria. It feels really safe and Browns Point elem. is rated one of the top schools. I'm not sure about the junior and high schools. We have really loved this area. The house prices are not too bad either for this area.

[benemadre]

My husband and I have lived in Tacoma for over 15 years and we both love it here. The city has made huge strides to improve itself in the time we've lived here, and we see it only improving more. It has a thriving arts community, fabulous restaurants, good shopping, resources like the Children's Museum of Tacoma, etc. Many of my friends are educators in Tacoma, and I don't hear more than just the normal gripes about the system (I'm also an educator). Like any city, it does have its issues and it's struggling neighborhoods--it's definitely not a small town or suburbia. However, I think it's gotten a bad rap for so many years, and I don't think it's deserved. We've recently considered moving to the NE Tacoma area simply because my commute to Auburn is a huge pain and I'd like to be a bit closer to work. We've also toyed with looking at Federal Way, but I, too, have heard many negative things about it, particularly regarding schoolsand gangs. I would be interested to hear more from people who live in Federal Way if there really are serious issues, or if, like Tacoma, FW is getting a bad rap because of a few bad areas.

[RobE]

Federal Way is the town that meth destroyed. It is a total armpit. Please do yourself a favor and don't live there.

[Elyse33]

Thank you Jen bar and Mark,

OK...here's how this saga is unfolding. House in Dallas has a contract...my daughter and I are still here.

My husband and son have found a place they like and just rented in Gig Harbor on 108th St...NW...LOL...I've still not been up there. We'll be in the Harbor View MS area..then Gig Harbor High.

They seem in love with it even if they have been sleeping on cots

I'll be boxing, selling and daughter, dog and I just may take what we need and drive a Uhaul there....

The house is three br but $1600 s/f..How is that possible?? It is a cute little house inside, they say...lol..and the realtor has said it is a neighborhood where all the homes are kept up (that was an interesting statement). It is close very close to the Middle School. Hope the neighbors are friendly.

To them it feels like a summer cottage. We've been boxed up so long in Dallas the trees and woods will be a relief. They can't get over how fresh the air is some days and the beauty.

Less stress will be nice for all of us. Rent is only $1300.

Thanks,

Ellyse33