Renting in Olympia Area? (Lacey, SeaTac: apartments, rentals, home)

[WonderingWhere11]

Hi,

I recently semi-retired. I may be working part-time in the future, but I would be working remotely, so I can choose where I live. I am considering a move to the Pacific Northwest and will be making a trip to explore various cities, towns, and neighborhoods and would love suggestions about where to look.

I will be renting. I would like either a bigger one-bedroom with bonus office space or a smaller two-bedroom. I would prefer not to spend more than $2000 but might go up two or three hundred more for the ideal place. Although it would be nice to live in an apartment that has a little character, due to a back injury it is much more important that I have a washer and dryer in the unit.

Other than that, my biggest priority would be to be very close to walking trails – preferably walking distance to them. I go for a walk almost every day. I consider this to be very important. Walking is the only exercise I can do because of my back and I like being out in nature. (But, I can't do steep hills because of my back.)

A neighborhood with coffee shops walking distance would be good, too, but that is not a priority.

Does anyone have suggestions for safe neighborhoods with apartments that are walking distance to walking trails where it would be relatively safe for a woman to walk alone?

I also would love to hear information about what people think of the quality and availability of health care in the Olympia area. That is one major factor I want to take into account when picking a place to live.

Thank you in advance for any suggestions and information!

[Diana Holbrook]

I would find the Chehalis Western Trail on a map, and look for apartments and rentals near that. It's a rails-to-trails project, so there are no hills. It's paved.

Unpaved, there are other trails around Evergreen State college and St. Martins College. Also state park trails, but some of them may have more hills than you want. Would have to check it out and see for yourself.

RE Health care, I think access is good. Two hospitals, surrounded by various smaller specialty practices.

[Angry-Koala]

My recommendation:

Though it doesn't have as many trails as other parts of town, the Briggs neighborhood may be a good fit. Much of the area is flat except for bits of the trails in Kettle View Park. The surrounding neighborhoods are quiet and suitable for walks. There's a coffee shop on one corner, a YMCA and ice cream shop on the next, several new apartments on the third side, and a building going in (I don't know what is planned) on the fourth corner.

A bus comes by every half hour, there's a nice river park a half mile down the road with loads of trails, several other small parks are in the area, some with tiny lakes, and the entire area feels quite safe.

I don't know how the medical care here compares to other areas. Someone else will have to help with that.


The rest of this is general information that may or may not be useful.


The Olympia/Lacey/Tumwater area has more miles of trails per square mile than probably any other city, and they're always adding more:

Thurston County Officials Consider Developing, Extending Trails

https://www.chronline.com/stories/th...-trails,300154

Many of the trails connect to other trails, parks, and neighborhoods, making it possible in some parts to get from one side of town to another almost without crossing roads. There are also lots of hidden neighborhood connector trails that people overlook when driving by.

However, quite a few homeless people live in the area and some can be trouble. The western portion of the Woodland Trail* from the intersection of the Chehalis Western Trail to Boulevard feels a bit unsafe, especially the part that goes by the notorious Wheeler Camp.

*(4.7-mile east-west paved trail running between Lacey and Olympia's
Watershed Park)

The Chehalis Western Trail, starting at the Woodland Trail intersection to approximately one mile north, gets some shady characters. Same with the trail along the north side of I-5 in that area. The rest of the CWTrail feels very safe.

The trails in the Percival Creek area (southeastern section of West Olympia) used to be unsafe. I don't know what the situation is now.

I avoid the trail that runs on the south side of I-5. The part along the north of I-5, running west of Boulevard to its western terminus, feels safe.

[ScottStielow]

Originally Posted by WonderingWhere11

Hi,

I recently semi-retired. I may be working part-time in the future, but I would be working remotely, so I can choose where I live. I am considering a move to the Pacific Northwest and will be making a trip to explore various cities, towns, and neighborhoods and would love suggestions about where to look.

I will be renting. I would like either a bigger one-bedroom with bonus office space or a smaller two-bedroom. I would prefer not to spend more than $2000 but might go up two or three hundred more for the ideal place. Although it would be nice to live in an apartment that has a little character, due to a back injury it is much more important that I have a washer and dryer in the unit.

Other than that, my biggest priority would be to be very close to walking trails – preferably walking distance to them. I go for a walk almost every day. I consider this to be very important. Walking is the only exercise I can do because of my back and I like being out in nature. (But, I can't do steep hills because of my back.)

A neighborhood with coffee shops walking distance would be good, too, but that is not a priority.

Does anyone have suggestions for safe neighborhoods with apartments that are walking distance to walking trails where it would be relatively safe for a woman to walk alone?

I also would love to hear information about what people think of the quality and availability of health care in the Olympia area. That is one major factor I want to take into account when picking a place to live.

Thank you in advance for any suggestions and information!

Two good responses to your post. Sounds like what you were looking for to move. Make sure you visit the area before you decide to move there. To Ensure it feels right for your choice for living their full time.
Good luck in your search.

[Metlakatla]

I just leased an apartment in west Olympia near Grass Lake Nature Reserve. I need a place in Washington that's close-ish to SeaTac, and because I'll be gone a lot (to my home in Alaska), it's just become too much of a hassle to live in a SFH and leave it empty half the time they way I've been doing the past few years. The place is very nice, with good security features, with an attached garage that I'll be able to leave my car in when I'm gone. A little more than what you've mentioned for rent, but not much.

[thatdesertdude]

There's lots of new/newer construction style apartments in West Olympia that are under $2000 for a 2bd. There are even quite a few senior communities in the city too. Not too familiar with areas though.

Maybe a local realtor will be able to help you look at properties you wouldn't otherwise no about?