Relocating with spouse to JB Lewis-McChord (Olympia, Lacey: apartment, renting, houses)

[fatdo]

We're in our late 30s/early 40s. No kids (yet). Where should we look? We were told recently to look in Dupont. We've seen some houses online we like, but I'm not finding much information on the town or activities. My husband would appreciate a short commute to Lewis-McChord, but I work from home (telecommute) and need things to do nearby to keep me sane. We're currently stationed at USUHS in Bethesda, MD. THANKS IN ADVANCE FOR ANY ADVICE!

[Rob Allen]

There have been many threads on this. Find the "Search this Forum" link at the top right corner of the thread list and search for "JBLM", "Lewis" and "McChord" and you'll find lots of discussion.

[Sandy Nelson]

Fatdo,

For a short commute, Dupont will be the closest off-post community. Since you're coming from a large metro area, a short commute to you may be 30 minutes. If that is the case, you should consider Lacey or Olympia. Depending on where you live in Lacey or Olympia, the commute to JBLM is between 20 and 40 minutes.

While Lacey has much to offer in terms of shopping, restaurants and parks, Olympia is a bit less spread out and offers more cultural venues, such as theaters, galleries, museums, the Capitol Campus, Framers Market and a beautiful waterfront with board walk and restaurants.

If you'll check out the city of Olympia website's events page you'll see that there are activities almost every weekend, from Arts Walk, to Olympia Harbor Days, Pet Parade, Concerts in the Park, Lake Fair etc...

You should come out here for a visit to get a feel for the various communities before deciding on where to live. Whether with house or apartment living, it's true that location, location, location, is paramount.

Regards,

Sandy

[SantosLHalper]

Hi there! Grew up a few miles from the Bethesda area and live in Lacey now. Feel free to DM me. Renting here has been a little frustrating, hard to get calls back, I can try and help you with some contacts. I would tell you to look above I-5 in Lacey, there is some newer stuff up here, a lot of convenience, but it will be further to base and traffic can be pretty gnarly, but you are probably used to the 495/270 scene. Good luck!