Daughter and Family Made the Move to Puyallup (South Hill) (Tacoma: sales, house)

[HMBgal]

Thanks to all the people who took he time to respond, and to all the people to whom I was lurking in their threads. While it was very hard to have left my very pregnant daughter and her three year old son up there, I can see why my son-in-law really wanted to relocate his family there and the possibility of giving his kids the type of upbringing he enjoyed. Doing that in Silicon Valley as it is now wasn't going to happen, unfortunately. A few things I was really struck by:

Clean! No litter, and they even gave us plastic bags for our groceries. What a concept.

Yes, the traffic was just as bad as everyone said it was. In one week, I really came to dislike Meridian, so I did find other roads (WAZE was a lifesaver). And the traffic into SEA TAC, middle of the day Saturday, nothing going on in the Tacoma Dome, was fairly horrific. Not the mention the airport itself. Good Lord.

People were so friendly. It made me realize that we have such hurry sickness here in the San Francisco Bay Area that it's made people distant and not so friendly. It's palpable.

Didn't see much for nice dining options anywhere close by. However, every single chain of everything was well-represented and I'm not gonna lie, I loved the drive-through Panera so I didn't have to wake the sleeping toddler so I could get some food. And I discovered Fred Meyer. Holy cow. Babysitting while you shop? Genius. Sheer genius.

So green, and those blooming trees everywhere knocked my socks off. And grass! I miss the grass because California has been in a drought for so long that most people around here have given up their lawns for xeriscaping and it all looks the Phoenix to me. Of course, I only have to walk two blocks from my house and I have the entire Pacific ocean to look at, so I'm not complaining too much. Even with no lawn, our water bill is $160 a month. Not a typo.

So, while this area is not my cup of tea at my time of life--I want very little traffic, but a city close by for those amenities, and I have to be near the ocean), I can see the attraction for families. The neighborhood in which they bought (Emerald Pointe, off Sunrise) is very nice, the builders have been incredible in their attention to detail, getting little things fixed right away, and their friendliness, too.

And I'll be back up to spend the entire summer after my school lets out for the summer (I'm a special ed teacher) and the new baby arrives.

[mev]

Plastic bags are a scourge. Try bringing your own next time you shop..What a concept

[HMBgal]

Originally Posted by mev

Plastic bags are a scourge. Try bringing your own next time you shop..What a concept

Oh be nice. I always do, except when I'm from out of town because I don't usually pack them in my luggage. And yes, I agree with you. I reuse them, collect them and bring them to my schools to make kites out of them for Earth day, then brainstorm ways to make something else out of them when we're done with the kites. I discuss ways to reduce the landfill, don't use straws and plastic lids on to-go drinks if don't really have to, so I do try. I bring my own cups for Jamba Juice and coffee drinks when I'm out and about.

[mev]

I just found it ironic that you were singing the praises of Puyallup having no litter and then seemed enamored with plastic.

[HMBgal]

Originally Posted by mev

I just found it ironic that you were singing the praises of Puyallup having no litter and then seemed enamored with plastic.

Well, I said a bunch of other stuff, too. I noticed no litter in Oregon either. Our roads here are in bad shape and lots of litter so yes, I guess I was impressed by the cleanliness.

Not enamored of plastic per se, but it is nice when you need one that they will give you one, that's all. And not be charged extra money for a paper bag, either. I mean, .25 cents is no big deal I know, but at 9.5% sales tax on most things, it's just one more charge that seems dubious. If the money they collected went to Sierra Club, paying for litter clean-up or whatever, I'd be cool with it. But it doesn't. And people can go to big box stores and restaurant supply places and buy huge boxes of plastic bags because it's legal here for restaurants and pharmacies to use them, so I'm still seeing them on the roads, caught up in tree branches and the like. Living so close to the beach, I do lots of beach clean-ups and still see lots of plastic bags, the plastic rings they use around beverage cans and bottles, etc.

[Jane917]

I am so glad you found all the positive aspects of living in Puyallup. I think your daughter, SIL, and grandchildren will do just fine. If you can find your way to consider Puget Sound as the ocean, we can find lots of places fairly close to your family. If that won't do, the ocean is only a 3 hour at most trip, depending where you want to end up.

[HMBgal]

Originally Posted by Jane917

I am so glad you found all the positive aspects of living in Puyallup. I think your daughter, SIL, and grandchildren will do just fine. If you can find your way to consider Puget Sound as the ocean, we can find lots of places fairly close to your family. If that won't do, the ocean is only a 3 hour at most trip, depending where you want to end up.

Well, I can't go anywhere for awhile because I can't retire from my teaching career just yet, unfortunately. Also, my husband does not want to leave here. My high school friend just retired from the navy up there and has a lovely place in Bremerton. I hope to go visit her in June and do some nice mountain biking.

When I was up there years ago, I did the ferry thing and went out to spend time on Whidby Island, which I loved. We also went to the Olympic Peninsula and that was so incredibly beautiful. That I could totally do.