Difference between Vancouver and OLY (Seattle, Tacoma: for sale, house, neighborhood)

[LeeL452]

I am moving from the east coast to Washington state. When I was younger I lived in Edmonds, but it has been a while since I have been to Washington. I have the opportunity to live in either Oly or Vancouver Wa and was wondering any advice either way. Not really which one is better, but what does each one offer? Which one holds more beauty, and easy access to walking places, without driving? And lastly are there any pictures you guys can share? Thank you ahead of time

[Rob Allen]

In a nutshell, Vancouver is a large suburb of Portland, Oregon, and Olympia is a small city at the southern tip of Puget Sound, with Tacoma and Seattle an hour or two away. Olympia is the state capital, so there are government buildings around. I don't think of either one as particularly walkable, but I haven't lived there. Both have some great scenic beauty. Google Street View and Image Search are good sources of pictures.

[Inkpoe]

Personally, Olympia is much more beautiful and the waterfront is very well used. It has a much more charming downtown core. It also has a much better Farmers market. Look back a couple pages, there's a couple threads showing Olympia photos.

[cdelena]

Olympia has the capital activity, government jobs, is more liberal and prettier. Vancouver has easier access to a major airport, OR tax free shopping, and access to Portland entertainment, HC, and commerce.

[StealthRabbit]

As mentioned there are many differences and reasons for choosing one over the other. For 'setting', Olympia would win hands down (direct waterfront access + State Capital).

Vancouver shares beauty with Portland. Within 20 minutes is Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area (where you can actually find a few house for sale).

Portland parks are GREAT and 20 minutes away.

Northern Oregon coast is 1.2 hrs away, as is Mt Hood and Mt St Helens.

[captiv8ed]

I lived in Olympia for 8 years and have moved to Vancouver this summer (after a 3 year stint on the east side of the state).

My impressions so far:
Olympia has much better parks in town, with access to beautiful forests and waterfront. I lived in an older neighborhood, 1 mile from downtown, but I was also 1-3 miles from trails with giant trees. Here in Vancouver, I have yet to find that without a big drive. Olympia is a much more walkable city. Vancouver is REALLY suburban, with lots of strip malls and big box stores. Olympia has them as well, but also has a lot of retail with character. In those ways, Olympia is better.

However, Vancouver has some real pluses. They have built a very beautiful downtown. I just went and visited Olympia and noticed a lot more empty storefronts and graffiti than I remember. This may be a "you can never go home again" thing, but it really left me feeling sad. Vancouver is pretty clean. Housing here is reasonable, but there is access to a lot more in terms of jobs and big city doings. Also, the difference in access to outdoor activities is huge. In Olympia, it was pretty much 2 hours to get to the great outdoors. Here, we can be at the Gorge and hiking around a waterfall in 45 minutes. Mount Hood is very accessible as well. Oregon beaches are some of the best around, and they are now so much closer. And having Portland 15 minutes away is like a dream come true.

[silibran]

You might want to check planting zones as well, if you garden. I believe our climate is a little less wet than farther north in WA. I would want to know rainfall and temp averages as a part of my decision.

Vancouver is not a charming city. But it is in a nice setting. The people here are quite nice too.

IMO, you should visit both places.