Transferring to the American Lake VA Hospital, where's a good close, clean, safe place to live that is close to work?

[CrazyDonkey]

Since you're single, you might want to look at living in Tacoma, where dating prospects will be better and there's more to do. Look at Mid-Tacoma, near the Tacoma Mall, for a safe area, decent rents, and a still very doable commute:

https://www.zillow.com/homes/for_ren...09_rect/15_zm/

[Tony1790]

Thanks all,

I'm really starting to rethink this new job, the job is great, the commute is horrendous, I've been here a week, still staying at the extended stay hotel, it's over $600 per week, extremely expensive, I can go month to month to bring it down to $1500 per month. Every place that lists an opening is an opening in advance and they are just taking applications and application fees to see who is the best candidate for their rental, (like winning the lottery). The cost of living here is ridiculous and for those that have grown accustomed to the commute, this is crazy, 4 hours per day commuting is ridiculous. I'm really thinking about just turning my behind around and heading back to TN new week, I have no intent of staying here long term and honestly, I'm not sure if it's worth staying here even for the short term! I am to work in Seattle for the next 2-3 months and then in American Lake (Lakewood) after that with once a week work days in Seattle, so I really should find a place close to Seattle for 3 months and then move back down to Tacoma for the remainder of my time here. A real PIA!

[MJ5150]

Yep, the traffic sucks bad. The freeway clogs up, then all those clowns hop off the freeway and bog down the city streets.
I'd head back to TN if I were you.
For me, there isn't an amount of money that makes it worth dealing with that traffic.

-Mike

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by MJ5150

Yep, the traffic sucks bad. ...
I'd head back to TN if I were you.
For me, there isn't an amount of money that makes it worth dealing with that traffic.

-Mike

Yup, both are income tax free. Go for the best and quickest route to an early retirement, and the least stress to get there. PNW is high energy / stress / speed of life compared to TN. If pay is similar.... take the ez money.

Or look to VA employment within WA State Vet Homes, both are lovely settings and low traffic.

[Tony1790]

Well I finally found a couple of places to rent, my choices are a tiny 1 bedroom house for $835 per month, a 2 bedroom duplex for $1300 or an apartment at a decent gated complex 1 bedroom for $1030 or 2 bedroom for $1250. I'm torn between the small house or small apartment, both would work and both within 5 miles of American Lake. I figured a way around driving, I can take a shuttle bus, for the next few months, 2 hours each way for the commute still, but now someone else is driving!

I'm going to give it a few months, hopefully I can get acclimated to it here, thanks all for the help, it's just a wee bit overwhelming coming from a place with literally Zero traffic and relatively low cost of living to a place with horrendous, terrible traffic and a relatively high cost of living. I did live here 10 years ago, but I'm older now and the traffic is definitely much worse now than it was then. Long term, this traffic takes take the joy out of living here, as it seems like it never ends, even saturday, I tried to go to Seattle and it was bumper to bumper traffic, stop and go, crazy, a nice place to live except for too many people.....LOL.

Thanks again.

Tony

[CrazyDonkey]

Originally Posted by Tony1790

Well I finally found a couple of places to rent, my choices are a tiny 1 bedroom house for $835 per month, a 2 bedroom duplex for $1300 or an apartment at a decent gated complex 1 bedroom for $1030 or 2 bedroom for $1250. I'm torn between the small house or small apartment, both would work and both within 5 miles of American Lake. I figured a way around driving, I can take a shuttle bus, for the next few months, 2 hours each way for the commute still, but now someone else is driving!

I'm going to give it a few months, hopefully I can get acclimated to it here, thanks all for the help, it's just a wee bit overwhelming coming from a place with literally Zero traffic and relatively low cost of living to a place with horrendous, terrible traffic and a relatively high cost of living. I did live here 10 years ago, but I'm older now and the traffic is definitely much worse now than it was then. Long term, this traffic takes take the joy out of living here, as it seems like it never ends, even saturday, I tried to go to Seattle and it was bumper to bumper traffic, stop and go, crazy, a nice place to live except for too many people.....LOL.

Thanks again.

Tony

And you're one more...

When I used to commute, I'd say, "Where did all these idiots come from!?", but then immediately say, "I guess I'm one of them!"

The Angle Lake Light Rail Station has free all-day parking: https://www.soundtransit.org/Rider-G...e-Lake-Station

Sounder Stations also have free all-day parking, if you get there early enough: https://www.soundtransit.org/Rider-Guide/parking

[Tony1790]

Just an update, not that it matters actually , I can't believe it's been almost a year here.

I wound up renting a tiny 1 bedroom, 1 bath, with covered front porch and a tiny view of the water, very peaceful with deer, rabbits and squirrels in the yard everyday, and a 2 car garage for $835, best of all it's a 9 minute commute to American Lake and I'm now working at American Lake full time. I really like it in Steilacoom, and I am considering buying, but the houses in this town are $330,000-$799,000, with anything with a real view in the higher end of the range.

Time does fly, I find myself working 6 days/week, so no time for dating, or much sight seeing, I work mon-fri at AML and then OT in Seattle hospital on sundays, great money and I'm saving a ton. All of my stuff is still in TN in a storage unit, I'm leery of moving it here as a renter, I do not want to move it more than once, so that's why I was thinking about buying, dunno.

Thanks again for the housing advice, Steilacoom, Univ Place are nice places, Dupont is nice as well, lots of military around, a great place to stay for a while.

Take care,

Tony

[leastprime]

You may want to consider a PODs unit. Containerized moving.

[RJ_Yellowhammer]

I see you've already found a place, but for anyone else looking to rent in that area, the area in Lakewood around Steilacoom park is pretty decent and a little cheaper than Steilacoom itself. It's also just a few minutes from the American Lake VA.

[Tony1790]

Originally Posted by RJ_Yellowhammer

I see you've already found a place, but for anyone else looking to rent in that area, the area in Lakewood around Steilacoom park is pretty decent and a little cheaper than Steilacoom itself. It's also just a few minutes from the American Lake VA.

I'm just here for now, it becomes a month to month lease in a few months and I don't know what to do after that, I've not been a renter in 30 years, I don't like it for the uncertainty.