Questions on Tacoma for end of January visit (Seattle, Lakewood: low income, cheap apartments)

[jimdc58]

I am visiting Tacoma at the end of January. I really like the NW. I've been to Portland, and want to also visit Tacoma (I think I'd be priced out of Seattle). I'll be visiting to see what all is there, as well as what kind of housing is available for an affordable price. I currently rent a 2BR apartment in Ohio for $950 a month, and doubt I'll find anything decent there for that price.....but I want to see what I can get for around $1100 or less.

1. What are the unsafe areas of Tacoma, both for visiting, and for living?
2. Does anyone know of any high quality apartments that aren't over $1100 a month?
3. In looking for a hotel, I'm wondering if Hosmer St. or the area near the Tacoma Dome are safe, and if anyone has experience with those hotels.

Any other info anyone can give that might make my visit more enjoyable, I would be glad to hear. (Anything I should see, etc.)

Thanks!!!!

[tommy64]

generally speakin', the further southeast, the more run down. the more northwest, the cleaner/safer. the difference can be night and day. north tacoma is a very nice clean area. i'd look for an apartment in that area. old town, proctor, stadium district and ruston are best.

pacific ave and south tacoma way running south thru spanaway is kinda crappy. lot's of low income housing, garbagey streets and old run down dwellings.

before i bought my house and got settled, i used to park in a given neighborhood's grocery store parking lot and see who comes and goes. kind of a fun experiment, and you can size up an area pretty well that way.

[steve340]

Instead of looking for a place in Tacoma, have you thought about one of the areas right next to Tacoma? There is University Place and Fircrest. If you go east, you have to go to Puyallup to get back in nice areas, which is only 10 miles away. I drive all day throughout the whole South Sound area and go into peoples homes, so I got a good idea of where the nice neighbor hoods are and the bad neighborhoods are. I do appliance repair calls everyday and I have lived here all my life. For Hotels, I would not suggest the Hosmer St area which is one of the highest crime areas in Tacoma. Puyallup has hotels in nice areas (that's where I live). Like the last post, North Tacoma is alot better than South Tacoma, and East Tacoma is even worse.

[rick8603]

I grew up in Tacoma by Point Defiance Park and now live by the South Hill Mall. I wouldn't live on the South Hill of Puyallup, the traffic during rush hour is insane. The county didn't have any sense or foresight to push roads through. There aren't many back roads or alternatives to 94th ave and Meridian so traffic is bad.

Parts of Tacoma are nice and parts are lousy. University Place is nice but it is a little expensive. You maybe able to find a nice apartment off of Pearl Street in the north end of Tacoma. Gig Harbor is nice but expensive and there is a toll to go over the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. Lakewood if iffy, I would be careful if looking for a place there. There are some cheap apartments there but some of neighborhoods are bad like the ones by McCord Field and Fort Lewis. Parts of Parkland and Spanaway might be bad but there might be some nice areas. I wouldn't get a place in the south end like off of Pacific Avenue. Pacific Highway and Pacific Avenue are two different roads. I might want to look at Craigslist for Tacoma.

[secret_squirrel]

In downtown Tacoma, the neighborhoods west of Division st. and closest to the water are best. Areas near University of Puget Sound, Stadium High School, Old Town and Ruston Way. New Tacoma is the old Hilltop and while it has improved vastly, is still iffy. Avoid south and east Tacoma. There are bargains but it isn't worth it. That said, I have family that have lived off Hwy 7 in south Tacoma for years and they have not been the victims of crime, it's just not too pretty.

University Place is nice and has good schools, but it is further away from things.

You can have a great quality of life in Tacoma. There are naysayers but most of them haven't spent a lot of time on the waterfront, 6th Ave, Old Town or Proctor.

As for staying, the area around the Dome is kind of far from other places and in an industrial area, but you can take the short light rail to downtown. Is the Hosmer hotel the Hampton Inn by the mall? That's ok. South Hosmer is not good. I'd recommend the Silver Cloud on Ruston Way, as it is walking distance to my favorite neighborhood, Old Town, home of the oldest saloon in town. Or the Hotel Murano. The Holiday Inn Express downtown is nice and new, too.