Living in Lacey (Olympia, Tumwater: buying a home, buying, camps)

[Steven99]

My wife and I are considering buying a home in Lacey or Tumwater. We don't know much about either area. Any thoughts? Thanks!

[Diana Holbrook]

I grew up and graduated from Tumwater, so I of course think it's the best of the three towns (Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater). We lived on Black Lake and grew up swimming there every day in summer. I now live about 10 miles south.

Much of the new good shopping in the Oly area is in Tumwater, with Fred Meyer, Costco, Walmart and Home Depot all really handy and close together there, with other shopping and restaurants and services around nearby.... You'll also notice that a lot of the State office buildings have moved to Tumwater. I do like that Tumwater has adopted a building style 'code' of sorts that tends to favor brick buildings with green roofs that give the office complexes a lot of continuity. They're also trying to design town to look more pedestrian friendly, with parking in the back, not in the front, of buildings where possible.

Lacey is much more sprawling.... lacking a center and for a long time lacking any central plan, so it seems to go on for miles and miles of strip malls and miscellaneous mixed use space. There are good areas, and everything you might need is there, but if you come visit, I think you'll see what I mean.




FWIW, most of the homeless camps and jungles are in Olympia and some in Lacey, very near the freeway. I don't know of any in Tumwater, and Lacey is taking a more active approach about them, I think than Olympia, but it is a visible problem in some parts of the Olympia area. Not everywhere, but visible in some parts.

[Steven99]

Thank you!

[meadowrue]

We're looking into this area too. We'd be moving from the Portland suburbs. It looks like we could get more for our money in the $400,000 price range than what is on the market in the Portland 'burbs or in Eugene OR, a city we were first considering.

[ScottStielow]

Originally Posted by Steven99

My wife and I are considering buying a home in Lacey or Tumwater. We don't know much about either area. Any thoughts? Thanks!

Good area. You just have to check it out in Person, and stay awhile. That way you can get a feel of how it would if you live there, before you buy. Do it before you move, to make sure its right for you.
Best of luck

[Ultrarunner]

Lots of growth especially in Lacey... which has attracted retailers.

Remember when there just wasn't much of anything or the West side of 5 in Lacey and now lots of building since the Cabela's went in.

I'm partial to the area out Boston Harbor way... cities are OK but tend to prefer county living that is close enough in for amenities but this likely means septic which is a no-go for some.