Info on moving to Olympia (Lacey, Port Angeles: fit in, apartments, rental) - Washington (WA) - City-Data Forum

Rcsligar · 08-15-2013, 09:00 PM

Hi all, I have a good friend from home who is contemplating a move up to Olympia, WA and am hoping to get some input.
He has been working for an outward bound type company for the past several months and has not been offered work after September. He has not made much money to invest in the move so he is hoping to room with a friend of his in south Florida and scraping together some change. Basically, he is not especially well off financially so it will not be the easiest transition.
I was wondering how reasonable it is for him to expect to find decent rent in Olympia or the surrounding suburbs. I noticed on apartmentsguide.com that Lacey and Tumwater had some affordable rates. I don't know what exactly his budget would be but I would estimate around (500-800).
He would also like to attend community college once he has the financial means to do so. I noticed that south puget community college is in the area and I assume it must be pretty decent. If you have any info on this, I'd greatly appreciate it.
He would ideally like to find some "outdoor" oriented work somewhere along the lines of a wilderness guide/park ranger/etc. His only credentials for this would be his experience working as an outward bound guide for the past few months. I don't imagine the job market is great there but it doesn't hurt to be optimistic.
Do you think he would enjoy the social climate there? He is a rugged/slightly bohemian surfer guy who is pretty relaxed. He would like being in an artistic community I think.
Any info on the job market/community college/rent prices/social climate/etc would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

lady fern · 08-16-2013, 08:47 PM

He sounds like he will be a great fit in the community and won't have any trouble fitting in. Not so sure on the job aspects. Olympia is about an hour away from any of the mountains. SPSCC is a decent community college. I found them to offer a wide variety of evening, weekend and online classes which made balancing work and school much easier. The tuition seemed to be as reasonable as college tuition gets anymore last time I checked but it would be best for him to establish a year of residency before he enrolls or he will pay out of state tuition rates for his entire time in school. He should be able to find a rental for the amount you estimated his budget to be but I would recommend looking at private listings on craiglist or in the local newspaper (The Olympian) as the rates tend to be cheaper. The area is home to Evergreen State College, St. Martins College and SPSCC so there tends to be a variety of rental options for those attending college.

MJ5150 · 08-17-2013, 07:55 AM

If he is big on surfing, send him out to Grays Harbor. Close to surf, outdoor jobs, and cheap rent. They even have a couple community colleges out there. The rugged will really work out that way, and that area does have some artsy folks here and there. The social climate may be on the low end for him, but he will be close to nature, surfing, and cheap living.

-Mike

Rcsligar · 08-17-2013, 08:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lady fern

He sounds like he will be a great fit in the community and won't have any trouble fitting in. Not so sure on the job aspects. Olympia is about an hour away from any of the mountains. SPSCC is a decent community college. I found them to offer a wide variety of evening, weekend and online classes which made balancing work and school much easier. The tuition seemed to be as reasonable as college tuition gets anymore last time I checked but it would be best for him to establish a year of residency before he enrolls or he will pay out of state tuition rates for his entire time in school. He should be able to find a rental for the amount you estimated his budget to be but I would recommend looking at private listings on craiglist or in the local newspaper (The Olympian) as the rates tend to be cheaper. The area is home to Evergreen State College, St. Martins College and SPSCC so there tends to be a variety of rental options for those attending college.

Thanks for your input. Are there any towns that would be a more reasonable distance to the national parks if he were able to attain a job there?

lady fern · 08-19-2013, 10:54 AM

He might check out towns along Hood Canal and the Peninsula putting him close to Olympic National Park. Look at Port Angeles, Sequim, Hood Canal, Union and surrounding towns. Hood Canal and Union are within an hour of Olympia for when he feels like going to a more urban area.

Tiger108 · 08-19-2013, 11:22 AM

The big IF is getting a job. I'd suggest he look for jobs in many towns in the area, including Olympia and those listed above. And visit firsthand. Only your friend will know for sure how each place will appeal to him (and what he'll be able to afford). We looked at property in Olympia, Port Orchard, Sequim and a couple of other places, with an eye for retirement. Olympic National Park is pretty big, with more than one point of entry (not just one centrl area). Mt. Rainier National Park is in another direction. And there are other parks, so when you say closer to national parks, that really doesn't narrow things down.