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Ok... I'm scratching my head about your comment about Olympia being "another concrete city"... Have you seen the photos? It can scarcely be called a "another concrete city". Personally IMO it's got the whole Mayberry ambience down. Its definitely a small charming town. Kent is not. Kent is a full-blown suburb and shouldn't be considered a "small town" at all.
I might have just been looking at the most "urban" areas of Olympia on the map. It was just Google satellite so it didn't show the boundaries of the town. If I'm wrong, that's refreshing to hear. Do you know much about the water there? I know it's on the sound, but is it clean? Is there easy access for the public or is it all bordered by private property? And also do you ever see any paddle boarders out there?
Sorry to bombard you with questions. Thanks for your reply.
Yes, you have a good portion of it right by DT. Very easy access. There are several big parks on the water as well, like Priest Point and the other is... West Point or something like that. Western Wa and Puget Sound is actually very clean, there's not a whole lot of places that are polluted/dirty.
As for Paddleboarders, I see them more often up in Seattle area (where I live)... I know I've seen a few, but I'm not sure how big a thing it is down there.
I am also considering Oregon and Colorado- maybe northern California but I highly doubt I would find anything there. Do you know anything about those areas?
The tax thing will affect your rent. Make no mistake: they're still getting you. While salaries start higher here, so do costs in many ways. Washington has the highest minimum wage in the nation, no state income tax, and the high sales tax doesn't apply to grocery foods, so it's a fairly good place to be po, outside Seattle anyway, where rents are high unless you go with a slumlord.
I think you'd be happiest on the WSP, which could take you anywhere in the state but you'd also probably see a lot of it. I think our rural law enforcement has a lot more in common with your rural law enforcement than you might realize. There is a 'cop culture' that tends to arise, a natural function of what police live with and deal with, and it varies from small towns to larger towns. If WSP doesn't work out, I'd consider towns of 10K to 100K, which are likely to have more intellectual diversity than, say, the Klickitat County Sheriff's Department, but not to have the big-city badass stuff going on. I wonder if Leavenworth actually calls them Polizei--the place plays Kraut full time. (Those of us who are half Kraut can call ourselves Krauts all we want.)
The one I know best is where I live (for a few more short days), Tri-Cities. The Kennewick and Richland Police were progressive enough to offer free public seminars for landlords; basically educating them on how to keep crime out of their properties. I thought it was a fantastic idea and a great seminar. Of course, it also convinced me not to become a landlord, but I met both chiefs and thought well of what I saw. That supports my reasoning that midsize towns would be good calls for you. So would campus police departments, obviously, and anything in a college town like Pullman, Bellingham, Cheney or Ellensburg. About the only thing that's completely off the table would be tribal police, which patrol the reservations. Even if you could get that, trust me, you wouldn't want it.
Oregon is sort of halfway between being Baja Washington and Northern Northern California, but terrainwise it looks much like Washington except that the southeast quadrant is marginally inhabited or habitable. I suppose if you screw up in the Oregon State Police, but not quite bad enough to get kicked off the cops, they probably send you to patrol Harney and south Malheur Counties, to think about what you've done.
I haven't lived in Colorado since 1974, so I'm not an authority, but I can tell you it's much colder and snowier--yet the summer heat is deceptively dangerous from a sunburn standpoint due to higher altitude and thinner air. Not too much of WA/OR is above 3000', basically above that is a mountaintop. Most of Colorado is over 5000' and one county seat is at 10,200'. Other than that, cop culture I think is cop culture, more dependent upon population and distances than anything.
One thing WA and CO have in common: you wouldn't be busting anyone for weed. Good luck. You sound like the kind of person I'd like to see on the police.
Oh man, Bellingham is pretty green for a city of its size. And search Youtube for Bellingham police harrassment. You'll find a bunch of hilarious videos from one nutjob. It will make you want to be a cop here.
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I second Bellingham. It's a beautiful, green outdoor mecca, feels small, lots of independent stores, great liberal/educated community, and has a college (WWU). I think you will LOVE Bellingham!
I'm almost twice your age, but lived in NC until I was 30 & have travelled and lived all over that state. The only thing that may really bother you out here is the grey, overcast weather from about Nov-May, but especially thick in Feb-Apr. It is a relief to escape that sticky NC humidity, but the grey fishbowl feel of the PNW is also sometimes hard to take. NC doesn't have this type of grey at all. However, you will be thunderstruck by the natural beauty, particularly on the trails in Bellingham. Kayak and you will see huge purple starfish. Wildlife is all over the place -- sea lions, seals, salmon, bald eagles, owls, hawks, coyote, cougars, it's endless:
Make sure to drive on Chuckanut Drive -- just breathtaking. Since you are only 22, you absolutely need to make the move here now & explore this place. If you find that the weather is too much to take for the long-haul, at least you will have experienced the beautiful PNW before getting married and having children. If you do happen to meet someone out here, it is likely he/she will have the same interests as yourself! Do youtube, blog, and image searches to get a feel of the place.
I second Bellingham. It's a beautiful, green outdoor mecca, feels small, lots of independent stores, great liberal/educated community, and has a college (WWU). I think you will LOVE Bellingham!
I'm almost twice your age, but lived in NC until I was 30 & have travelled and lived all over that state. The only thing that may really bother you out here is the grey, overcast weather from about Nov-May, but especially thick in Feb-Apr. It is a relief to escape that sticky NC humidity, but the grey fishbowl feel of the PNW is also sometimes hard to take. NC doesn't have this type of grey at all. However, you will be thunderstruck by the natural beauty, particularly on the trails in Bellingham. Kayak and you will see huge purple starfish. Wildlife is all over the place -- sea lions, seals, salmon, bald eagles, owls, hawks, coyote, cougars, it's endless:
Make sure to drive on Chuckanut Drive -- just breathtaking. Since you are only 22, you absolutely need to make the move here now & explore this place. If you find that the weather is too much to take for the long-haul, at least you will have experienced the beautiful PNW before getting married and having children. If you do happen to meet someone out here, it is likely he/she will have the same interests as yourself! Do youtube, blog, and image searches to get a feel of the place.
Wow! Thanks for your reply! And everyone else as well. I love the thoughtful, considerate responses I'm getting.
I read a few other threads about Bellingham and the impression I got of it was that it was absolutely gorgeous and a great place to live- if you have the money. I read something about rising property taxes, people getting forced out of their homes, too many retirees coming to town and affecting the economy, etc. I don't fully understand "economy" stuff but I do want to make sure that wherever I live is a place that I will be able to afford without sacrificing safety for myself and my pets or having to get a roommate. That's a big problem here in Wilmington.
But other than those negative things I read about Bellingham, it sounds amazing! I think Olympia and Bellingham are my top choices at the moment. Still need to do research though.
I am thinking of planning a trip for October maybe. Hopefully I will get to come and see all these beautiful places while the leaves are changing!
As far as gray weather goes, that is not something I think I would totally mind. I'm fair skinned so sunlight is kind of dangerous for me anyway, and from a policing standpoint a cloudy day might offer more visibility during chases, etc. But since I have lived in a sunny area for my whole life I am not sure if the gray skies would affect me mentally and emotionally- I'll just have to try it out and see!
I'm originally from NC as well, but haven't lived there since I was a kid. Sad to hear how much Wilmington has grown up. Lived in Olympia for 22 years, it has grown up over the years as well but I think it could be a good jumping off point for you. It is a bit of a crunchy granola town with plenty of active, educated people. Evergreen State College is on the westside and St. Martins College is in neighboring Lacey so there is a pretty young population. A short drive to the west will take you to the Olympic Mountains for plenty of hiking and you would be about an hour and half from some of the Cascades. I don't know anything about paddleboarding but I know there are a couple of outfits that rent kayaks for boating on Puget Sound. Keep in mind the water is cold and not going to be like NC ocean water.
Rent in Olympia is pretty reasonable. I usually advice people to look for duplexes or privately rented homes before going to the apartment chains as you will most likely get a better deal that way.
There are a number of surrounding small towns but you'd probably want to check them out for yourself to see if you liked them.
I would agree, Kent feels much larger than 40K.
I'm originally from NC as well, but haven't lived there since I was a kid. Sad to hear how much Wilmington has grown up. Lived in Olympia for 22 years, it has grown up over the years as well but I think it could be a good jumping off point for you. It is a bit of a crunchy granola town with plenty of active, educated people. Evergreen State College is on the westside and St. Martins College is in neighboring Lacey so there is a pretty young population. A short drive to the west will take you to the Olympic Mountains for plenty of hiking and you would be about an hour and half from some of the Cascades. I don't know anything about paddleboarding but I know there are a couple of outfits that rent kayaks for boating on Puget Sound. Keep in mind the water is cold and not going to be like NC ocean water.
Rent in Olympia is pretty reasonable. I usually advice people to look for duplexes or privately rented homes before going to the apartment chains as you will most likely get a better deal that way.
There are a number of surrounding small towns but you'd probably want to check them out for yourself to see if you liked them.
I would agree, Kent feels much larger than 40K.
I love hearing from so many NC ex-pats! Yes, Wilmington was great to me when I was in college and exploring my newfound freedom. But then I got into law enforcement and saw how it really was. Crime is spreading, gangs and drugs are out of control, and it's seeping into the "nice" parts now too because public housing is slowly being etched away.
I don't mind crunchy and granola, seeing as how I'm that way myself. I was told it was very "hipster" and I just like to laugh at hipsters so maybe the people watching would be good too.
You said a short drive to the Olympic Mountains? How short?
And I don't mind cold water. I paddle as exercise and will be in a wetsuit most likely. And if I fall off, it's because I messed up paddling so a shock to my system from cold water would be a good punishment. I will miss ocean paddling at 6am and seeing all kinds of critters, but I think I will be gaining so much more in terms of my other hobbies.
Economy -- the university, healthcare, and then restaurants/service. Many people want to live in Bellingham but can't because there are few jobs outside of those sectors. You are fortunate, for just like those in healthcare, you can work anywhere. My parents, retirees, live there -- it is a great place to retirees and attracts them from all over the nation. They are typically educated, retired professionals who have experienced culture & thus really support the arts. There are a huge influx of Canadians that cross the border just for shopping, eating, and gas -- thus, this has led to a thriving restaurant scene and businesses that the local population alone probably couldn't self-support. The university fills the town with the young adult demographic and adds life to the downtown and festivals -- lots of bikes, kayaks strapped to cars, skateboards, and backpacks! The college professors, physicians, nurses, and others have families with kids and residential homes, thus great things for kids to do. I think the town is a perfect mix of all age groups!
Safety -- petty crime, theft. Of course things can and do happen in all towns, but Bellingham is relatively very safe. We plan to move to Bellingham, and I feel VERY safe raising kids there. Right now we are in Seattle.
Cost -- some of the housing is more expensive than Seattle, but we can find 3-4 bedroom homes in the 200-300's that do not exist in Seattle proper. Search on a zillow map to get an idea of the various Bellingham neighborhoods. A 22 yr old likely only needs a 1-2 bedroom home? And you are less likely to foreclose because you have a high demand job. Many people who are struggling are underemployed (ie. working a low paying service job despite a college degree b/c the economy is not diverse). I know that police officers can make 90K in Seattle, but unsure about the salaries there. But you are so young that you will be fine as long as you start (or continue) to save for your future. We plan to buy in Sudden Valley, which is mostly a family/retiree neighborhood with plenty of houses in the 200's -- it's a 15 minute drive to downtown Bellingham, but has cheap rentals (ex. 3 BR home for $1100) and condos for singles. That's an option for starting out.
Olympia is great, too. More manicured since it is the state capital. Lots of cool businesses, more jobs, festivals, family friendly. Bellingham is just my personal preference because of the more gorgeous nature and views, imho.
I'm new to WA, from CA, so I'm not an expert, but do love the small towns here. I'm in Monroe, and the area we're in is very similar to where my brother lives in Tryon, NC. There is a correctional facility in town if you were interested in that type of employment. The small towns around here - Snohomish, Duvall, Carnation - are quite rural. Lots of crops and cows. Cycling is big here, with large groups out riding every weekend. It takes me about 45 min. to get to the sound, where I see paddleboards and kayaks. We can also get to Redmond/Bellevue in about 30 minutes, and Seattle in 45 min to an hour, depending on traffic. If you're wanting small town, you may want to take a look this direction.
Actually, Olympia does have great views, too. I assume Bellingham has more trail access, but I'm probably wrong. You may have more job opportunities there or higher pay, not sure. Interested to hear what others say.
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