Corvallis vs Olympia (Seattle, Tacoma, Vancouver: HOA, homes, neighborhoods)

[Reader123]

We've just about settled on Corvallis, but Olympia (which we didn't even check out on our trip) is interesting me just because of it being more water-oriented, which is Corvallis big drawback Anyone care to compare these 2 places?

Are there any great walkable neighborhoods in Olympia? If so, what are their names?

[Sandy Nelson]

Reader 123,

My favorite walkable neighborhood in Olympia is the South Capitol Neighborhood. It's a national historic neighborhood adjacent to the capitol campus. Many of the homes have front porches and lovely yards with mature trees.

Sandy

[Prple]

I love both Olympia and Corvallis! They kind of share a similar feel. The thing about Olympia is that it has quite a few job opportunites and is also close to a big city (Tacoma, ~30 mi, Seattle ~60 miles away).

I agree with Sandy's comment about the South Capitol neighborhood. There is a new planned community going into Olympia near the YMCA that is going to have shops, paths, etc. http://www.briggsvillage.com/ There are several different neighborhoods around McKenny Elementary that are connected, which makes it feel like one big neighborhood (easily walkable, without busy streets, etc., But no shops or downtown). There are also a lot of nice walking trails and bike paths throughout the city too.

Here are some great pictures of Olympia. //www.city-data.com/forum/washi...d-olympia.html

[trailtramp]

Old thread but these are two nice cities to compare, both in PNW, about same size and distance from the ocean. Updated thoughts on pros and cons of each or both?

[Diana Holbrook]

I haven't been to Corvalis in years... but I can speak to Olympia. I live about 10 miles south.

The South Capital neighborhood mentioned upthread is still probably the most walkable, if that's important to you. There aren't many nice neighborhoods in the area that are really well suited to walk everywhere. Not that there aren't nice places to walk, but we're a car culture, shops and restaurants are far apart... Groceries come from big box stores, and no one walks home with their gallon of salad dressing from Costco.

Olympia is a better community if USING the water is important, we have Puget Sound, which is a far different experience than being at the ocean. There are interesting waterfront locations and parks around Olympia that are actually more interesting in some ways than the ocean, with walkable forest trails that open on to beaches. It's just a much more diverse landscape. Both are neat, they're just different experiences. Depends what you like more.

The Briggs development mentioned above has been built out about halfway... and it's a quality HOA managed suburban village, if that's what you're into.

Of course the homeless camp issue has developed SINCE this post was made and should be mentioned. I don't know how Corvalis has fared in that, but the opioid/homeless epidemic has grown up in most other NW cities, Olympia among them. It's not everywhere in town, but it is visible in some areas, particularly along the freeway and in a few other areas. The Capital historic neighborhood and Briggs areas, mentioned here are still nice areas without a lot of that happening.

[texasdiver]

Personally, If I'm looking at medium size cities west of the Cascades, I'd pick Bellingham over both Corvallis and Olympia.

[StealthRabbit]

Olympia has access to Hood Canal (many use this area as moorage for quick proximity to San Juans and Vancouver Island), Olympic and Rainier National Parks, SEATAC, JBLM, occasional Seattle and Portland access. Probably more higher paying jobs in Olympia, which is income tax free WA. (For those is earning years).

Corvallis has a much larger college focus (state land grant U), less commerce, but near Portland and Salem. Also Oregon Coast, which is 100% public access. Unlike the WA west coast which has much private / tribal coastal restrictions.

[texasdiver]

Originally Posted by StealthRabbit

Olympia has access to Hood Canal (many use this area as moorage for quick proximity to San Juans and Vancouver Island), Olympic and Rainier National Parks, SEATAC, JBLM, occasional Seattle and Portland access. Probably more higher paying jobs in Olympia, which is income tax free WA. (For those is earning years).

Corvallis has a much larger college focus (state land grant U), less commerce, but near Portland and Salem. Also Oregon Coast, which is 100% public access. Unlike the WA west coast which has much private / tribal coastal restrictions.

Very true. Olympia isn't a college town. Evergreen is way out on the edge of town and it is tiny. Even WSU-Vancouver, which most people haven't even heard of, is larger than Evergreen. Evergreen only has about 2000 students so about the size of a liberal arts college. WSU-Vancouver has 3500 students. UW-Bothell and UW-Tacoma are also both more than 2x larger with about 6,000 and 5,000 students, respectively.

[pnwguy2]

As others have mentioned Olympia is not really a college town, with the exception of Evergreen College. But for college atmosphere Corvallis definitely wins. Yes old thread, but Olympia is a more important town simply by being the capital of the 13th largest State in the US. It also has more traffic and angst than most cities of its size. An unofficial part of the Seattle Tacoma metro, feels somewhat more urban than Corvallis or even Salem for that matter. Though some could argue that Salem and Olympia have similar downtowns.

[M3 Mitch]

Well, mastering the obvious, you would pay state income tax living in Corvallis, but not in Olympia. Living in WA but shopping in OR makes the most sense to me. But your mileage may vary.