<p>S1 and soon to be wife are getting ready to move to the area in the spring (April-June ish). Any advice on affordable apts or general area info for recent college grads? Internet searches for info have been kind of overwhelming… DW and I haven’t traveled to that part of the country so we haven’t been able to give them much advice. :-/ </p>
<p>What area are they moving from? How dramatic a change will this be? Do they like rain? ;)</p>
<p>They’re moving from SoCal, but both are very adventurous and LOVE rain. </p>
<p>Future DIL is making a trip there in March for a few days just to drive around and get a feel for the area. It would be nice if she could narrow her focus before leaving so that the trip ends up being worthwhile. </p>
<p>Here’s a link for you.
<a href=“Cities In Washington - Map”>http://www.areavibes.com/wa</a></p>
<p>Have they already lined up work?</p>
<p>Thanks @"Deborah T" . Something like that is exactly what I was looking for! They are in the process of finding jobs.</p>
<p>These forums can also be really useful to someone moving into a new area (there is one for every state – this link is for Washington) <a href=“Washington Forum - Relocation, Moving, General and Local City Discussions - City-Data Forum”>http://www.city-data.com/forum/washington/</a>. I’d do a search for Tacoma/Olympia. </p>
<p>If they are adventuresome and outdoorsy, they should have fun, many great places to hike and explore in WA.</p>
<p>Tacoma, traditionally though of as a rather gritty place, is becoming more appealing. D went to school in Tacoma, graduated, and commuted into Seattle for the summer before moving on. She rather enjoyed coming home to Tacoma, and it is more affordable than Seattle itself. If from the area, I’m sure Tacoma is looked upon with a certain amount of disdain, but has lovely waterfront views in places, and is a not unattractive city. </p>
<p>Both cities are much more middle class than the Seattle area. Between Olympia and Tacoma is the daily I5 traffic mess around Fort Lewis/McChord AF base. A lot of neighborhood/town choices are based on a survivable commute once they find jobs. I always liked Lacey if they are going to be in the Olympia area.</p>
<p>A friend of mine has one of those Tacoma view places along the water, complete with a sailboat and a horse pasture. Another lives on a golf course down in Yelm with a great view of Mt. Rainier. Just about everything is affordable compared to S Cal.</p>
<p>Make sure to tell them to stop for pedestrians and never, ever honk a car horn. Hope they like it.</p>
<p>Rent short term before deciding where to live! Neighborhoods and areas vary enormously in their weather, conveniences, etc. There are sunnier areas and foggier areas and they may be only a few miles apart. Or a few feet apart (here in Portland, I sometimes have snow on one side of the house–the uphill side–and rain on the other side). </p>
<p>Oh yeah, Magnetron is absolutely dead on: don’t honk. Just don’t. </p>
<p>Agree with renting first.
I have a niece in Fife & nephew in DuPont.
I agree with staying as far away as possible from JBLM.
Always the worst part of i-5. But it may be nothing to them after LA.
Id accumulate as much savings as I could before heading out, especially if they don’t have jobs lined up.
Trying not to channel Emmett Watson here.</p>
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<p>As a native here, I wouldn’t consider moving to either place unless I already had a job there. Specifically targeting those areas for a job/lhousing seems odd, but then I’m from the north end of Seattle. </p>
<p>Some of the neighborhoods in Tacoma are pretty bad, others are ok. Traffic around the military bases is awful. If they are going to buy, I’d look for the best district and schools and go from there. </p>
<p>In my mind, it isn’t weather, although it can be warmer in summer, cooler in winter there than in Seattle proper, but the quality of life for young adults. It’s much different than the Seattle nightlife/food scene. </p>
<p>I’m seeing a couple of large meetup groups for people in this age range. One is called South Sound 20’s & 30’s Crowd and the other is Noodlists. Both have over 400 members. Perhaps your son and soon to be wife would be interested in connecting and could get more specific questions answered by age mates.</p>
<p>what fields are they going to be looking for work in? that may color their search area</p>
<p>FDIL has a spot in a military unit (reserves) up there, hence the move and the job hunt. Both have bachelors degrees and just graduated in April, so they’re definitely not interested in purchasing housing yet, especially since they’re not certain that they’ll be there for too long. If I remember correctly, they’re looking for opportunities with companies like Amazon (only one I remember off the top of my head). Their goal is for at least one of them to have a job by the time it’s time to move. </p>
<p>It sounds like they’re going to be looking for work in Seattle or on the Eastside. That is a ways from Olympia. </p>
<p>If they are targeting Amazon, Olympia and Tacoma should not be even on their list! Unless they want a 2 hr one way commute on a good traffic day. If they do not want to live in the city, they should be looking for a place next to the Link light rail or somewhere where there is a good bus route. Trust me, the “Mercer Mess” (they should look this up!) is what makes driving around the Amazon area absolutely CRAZY.</p>
<p>Agree! You would never want to drive that commute. Either commuter rail/bus or try to find a place closer in</p>
<p>Call me conservative…but I would get the job FIRST…then look to move. If either lands a job with a company like Amazon, they likely will be able to avail themselves of some relocation/housing information from their employer.</p>
<p>They will need first/last months rent, and a deposit as well. In addition many landlords will want proof of gainful employment.</p>
<p>Get the job…first.</p>