Hello Seattle! I may be moving to Ft. Lewis this summer and I was hoping somebody might have some recommendations on where to live up there. I've heard Tacoma is nice.. then I heard it wasn't... then I heard it was. I also heard the some thing about Olympia. I'm looking for a nice apartment complex with a rent budget of around $1300 a month max, no farther than 30 to 40 minutes from Ft. Lewis. We're currently looking at Meridean Pointe apartments in Puyallup. Also, should I get a POS to drive in the winter or will the G be alright up there? I'm sitting pretty low....

 

hopefully welcome, i dont know that area too well but u think Puyallup would be better than tacoma.

 

Well, Tacoma is pretty big. There are some nicer areas, and there are some ghetto defining areas. I'm always in Tacoma, and though the roads can be pretty damn ugly, I still manage just fine and I'm probably as low as you. I live in Federal Way, however, and I think the area is great for vehicle enthusiasts. Roads are fair and plenty of things in the area; grocery, auto, etc.

 

So what can you tell me about The Metropolitian in northern Tacoma? They look super nice and they are pretty damn pricey. Is the area safe and are they as nice as they look? We were also looking at the Meridien Pointe apartments in Puyallup but I've read a lot of bad reviews about it. Since you live in Federal Way, would you recommend that area?

 

Hmm; tough. Not familiar with The Metropolitan area. I have a little experience out in that area, but not really enough to fairly judge, I guess. Lots of white folks, that's all I know lol. Looks like a very safe place and convenient enough. Not exactly a good looking area but to call it run down is also way out of hand.

Don't know anything about Puyallup neither. Other than there's a lot of vehicle dealerships there lol. I hear it's not a very great place, though. Don't take my word for it.

I like Federal Way, but I may be biased. It's not a "top-of-the-line" area like up North (YOU BELLEVUE) but the ghettoer (etymology?) areas are not nearly as bad as some of Tacoma's. I'll have to admit, though, that I'm kind of a loser and don't go out much, so I don't mind that there's not exactly many exciting places around.

Don't take my opinions very serious; I'm kind of... esoteric?

 

We've now ruled out the two apartments I mentioned earlier. The Metropolitan is too expensive and Meridean Pointe has horrible horrible reviews. We've now got a list going of possible places and there is one in Federal Way so maybe you know if it's good or not; Glen Park at West Campus. We've also got one on the list in Kent, Renton, Auburn and Fife. The rest are all Puyallup or Tacoma. Picking a place to live site unseen is really hard and frustrating! Thanks for your input.

 

Not sure what you're willing to put up with commute-wise, but when I was stationed up there in 06 I chose a place that was as close to base as possible, the only way on or off the base is I-5 and it turns into a @$@%W$!Q'ing parking lot every day at exactly the time you need to get there. I remember sitting on the shoulder of the freeway inching along at 5am for a 20minutes trying to get to PT on time... SMH.

I found a place right off the freeway near McChord in Lakewood, wasn't the best neighborhood but rent was CHEAP ($435/mo) and I loved the quick commute.

If I was in your shoes I would never live in Puyallup, Kent, Renton, etc. WAY too far. The farthest South I'd go would be North Lacey, ideally somewhere on the outskirts of Lakewood. There's a lot of amenities in the area and the commutes a lot more bearable

 

Well, thanks for the info but I would much rather live far from base away from the Army. I hate the Army and everyday at COB I like to get as far from it as possible. Here at Ft. Hood I live in Belton which is pretty far but not too bad. It usually takes me about 30 minutes to get to work. My top priority is living in the nicest/safest neighborhood I can afford for my family with the best schools we can find.

 

Federal ways nice then

 

Looks like I'll be there around July 1st. I think we've decided on Puyallup but we'll see. Looking forward to meeting all of you.