Pacific NW Pelicans

[tldry]

I'm looking at a possible relocation and I'm wondering from those in the know if work was in Tacoma where would you choose to live?

Just to keep the message on topic, do your p-cars hibernate in the winter?

[arcsine]

Lots of decent neighborhoods to chose from and I am sure the T-towners will speak up soon, but I can say stay away from the Hill Top area (gang banging).

I live about 2 hours north of Tacoma (but lived there for a while) and my car never hibernates.

[john walker's workshop]

seems that most of the shootings on the news are in the tacoma area. spanaway, lakewood, the hilltop. always something going on down there. but then seattle isn't looking real good lately either. bring a gun.

[RSBob]

Tacoma has some very nice neighborhoods as well as good and more affordable areas than Seattle - but their prices are going up too. Tacoma is undergoing a major revitalization over the last decade and its downtown area is now quite something. An affordable area in Tacoma is University Place as well as several others. John listed some areas to seriously avoid, but by in large Tacoma is a more afordable good alternative to Seattle.

[Scooter]

You should post this question in the PNW forum. Don't really know anything about Tacoma, but that there is an oder just north of downtown that a smell as I drive through on the freeway. Tacoma seems to be growing and improving, but there are defintitely certain neighborhoods you want to stay away from. Lot's of P-car activity in the Puget Sound area. Our cars never sleep.

[LakeCleElum]

RS Bob and John give good advice. Tacoma is lockedg in by Seattle to the north, water to the west, and military bases to the south. Most of the new development (meaning horrid traffic congestion) to the east from Puyallup out south on thru Graham and even down to Orting. If you want to be close in, Fircrest, University Place and even Steilcoom. If you want put up with ugly bridge traffic, go west to Gig Harbor, Purdy, or Fox Island. The bridge is being expanded and should be better in about a year.

We drive all year long. Should have snow on the ground in Tacoma less than 10 days/year...

[tldry]

I appreciate all the responses. I've looked around a bit on the net, Gig Harbor and University Place stood out to me. I'm familiar with points east (Puyallup, Auburn, Kent) and I'm not interested in sitting on the freeway twice a day. How bad is the commute across the bridge from Gig Harbor?

[pwd72s]

Has anybody told you that it rains a lot in the Pacific NW?

[LakeCleElum]

Originally posted by tldry
I appreciate all the responses. I've looked around a bit on the net, Gig Harbor and University Place stood out to me. I'm familiar with points east (Puyallup, Auburn, Kent) and I'm not interested in sitting on the freeway twice a day. How bad is the commute across the bridge from Gig Harbor?

The bridge is ugly right now......Find Dantilla here on Pelican, he lives in Gig Harbor - send him a pm. BUt, the new bridge was scheduled to open in '07 - not sure if it's still on track...

Also, so far, most advice has been about the commute and quality of the neighborhoods. Good stuff, but remember, the further you can get from Seattle, the cheaper the real estate....

[tldry]

Originally posted by pwd72s
Has anybody told you that it rains a lot in the Pacific NW?

I'm up there quite a bit now and the possibility of moving there from SoCal is a troubling development. Nothing wrong with the place, it just isn't SoCal.

[Scooter]

Heads up: once the new bridge is open, there will be a toll. I think it will be the only toll bridge in the state of Washington (for now). That being said, Gig Harbor is nice.

[Dantilla]

Gig Harbor is a nice area. There is a completely different, laid back atmosphere once you cross the bridge. I live out in the sticks beyond the little town with the rich fishing heritage.

The bridge commute- Traffic slows, but keeps moving. Occasionally (once a year or two), there is a bad accident, and the bridge gets shut down. Then the choices are to wait until it opens again, or drive throught Olympia and around Puget Sound. It's about two hours to drive around, but it is a fun drive in a Porsche through the wooded back roads.

The existing bridge has no shoulders. If somebody breaks down mid-span, that lane is blocked. Then traffic builds quickly. When the new bridge opens, the existing bridge will be closed for a bit, and reconfigured with a shoulder.

I used to live on Fox Island. Great community feel if you like a fairly long drive through the woods every time you go home (I loved it).

All the demographic reports say that there will be a spike in property values as soon as the second bridge opens. If you want to be on the peninsula side, you may want to buy soon.

Seattleites still think of Tacoma as the gritty armpit to the South, which was true a few decades ago. There used to be the "Aroma of Tacoma" as you entered because of a big paper mill. That's gone, and the downtown redevelopment has been a success. Tacoma does not have the cultural richness of Seattle yet, but they're trying.

Places to live:

-North end
-University Place
-Gig Harbor/Peninsula
-Steilacoom (oldest town in Washington)

Stay away from:

-Hilltop (improving, but not there yet. Some great views)
-Parkland/Spanaway
-South Tacoma (Unless you own a car lot)

Lakewood is a weird place. Very high end lakefront areas, and very poor areas. No middle class.

Bring rain gear to the autocross track.

[randywebb]

I agree that Tacoma is a lot better than it used to be. Be absolutely sure to avoid any flood zones, AND find the lahar maps. This issue is just starting to get some attention -- when (not if, but when) Ranier or the other volcanos blow, or when there is an earthquake - millions of tons of mud and dbris will flow down and destroy downtown Seattle, some suburbs and parts of the surrounding metro area. It's all been mapped out so you can find the areas to avoid.

And remember, you aren't just worried about the event itself you are also worried about property values. Once the public figures this out some areas will lose value, perhaps catastrophically.

Yeh - you thought SoCal had problems with natural disasters...

[dentist90]

Originally posted by john walker's workshop
seems that most of the shootings on the news are in the tacoma area. spanaway, lakewood, the hilltop.... bring a gun.

Hmmm.... I assume thats not due to a grizzly bear problem

[Superman]

I live in Auburn. Nice community. Everybody turns out for the football games. Seattle is very reachable from here, but rush traffic moves in that same direction. Going South from here to Tacoma (just a few miles) would be a SNAP in rush hour traffic. I'd consider Auburn.

[Superman]

And no, we don't put our cars up for the winter, except to prepare them for the autocross season which starts in February.

[artplumber]

Originally posted by Dantilla
....There used to be the "Aroma of Tacoma" as you entered because of a big paper mill. That's gone, and the downtown redevelopment has been a success.

Stinkoma is no more?

[john walker's workshop]

the stink may be gone, but the arsenic from the plant sure isn't. permeated the soil in all directions. wouldn't want my kid eating that stuff. then there's the commencement bay superfund pollution issue.

[tldry]

Originally posted by john walker's workshop
the stink may be gone, but the arsenic from the plant sure isn't. permeated the soil in all directions. wouldn't want my kid eating that stuff. then there's the commencement bay superfund pollution issue.

Reading this makes me want to move up there in a hurry.

[Porsche-poor]

I live in Fife Heights just West of the freeway before the big turn into Fife. My wife and I like the area alot. She makes the drive to Tacoma via the back roads and I take 99 to Federal Way to work. Another area is just East of us is Milton and Edgewood.

Good luck.