Tacoma, Pierce County
gussie15 asks,
“South Tacoma -- Good safe living? How about specifically the area close to McCord and Ft. Lewis (around Steele and 112th, I think)? Mostly interested in South side in general for safety.”
Answers:
mackro
Seattle
I hope this doesn’t come out wrong, but if you’ve never lived near a military base before, you may want to seek a opinion from someone who has. (and that person is not me, but it’s worth mentioning.)
gussie15
St. George
Oh, a military base nearby? Did not know that. Better that than an area rife with gangs and drugs.
mackro
Seattle
But it’s possible to live in both scenarios at once, though… I don’t mean to scare you. Just wanted to give you a head’s up, that’s all. Hopefully someone more familiar with the Ft. Lewis/Yelm/S. Tacoma/Puyallup/Spanaway general area could elaborate.
gussie15
St. George
Surely, I understand your point. My tolerance for areas of even mild danger is zero. Sounds like it might be better to stay with the housing hunt on the North end (i.e., Procter & University areas).
mackro
Seattle
OK, I promise this is the last thing I’ll say! I didn’t mean to influence your original plan! I was just informing you that the Ft. Lewis area is a major military establishment in the state; and that has a culture that goes along with it that you may or may not like. Some are fine with it. Some are not. I was just saying: hope for some input for local folks and/or investigate that issue, that’s all.
“Danger” is a really weird topic to discuss in relation to choosing neighborhoods to live in. There really is no such thing as 0% danger, unfortunately… some cities planned to be safer suburban cities can be more dangerous than even more “dangerous looking” neighborhoods in a bigger, central city. And vice versa, too. It’s hard for newcomers to an area, especially, to gauge that factor — input from locals isn’t a guarantee, but it’s your best bet.
So, I’ll just say, finally: YO LOCALS! HELP GUSSIE15 OUT! :D
Maggie
Seattle
Hello,
I lived in SE Tacoma (Parkland) for four years during college. There was some meth in the area, lots of car break-ins and a serial rapist that was terrorizing our campus for awhile. I don’t remember a lot of violent crime, although you did hear about it from time to time and there was an incident where a crazy guy shot a professor on campus (it was not random), but that happens in every city. I would say I felt slightly less safe there than I do in Seattle.
McCord is an Airforce base I think, and they would occasionally set off bombs or something that would rock our whole house. When the big 2001 earthquake happened I actually thought the shaking was due to something really crazy going on at McCord. I didn’t notice the military culture that much but I was in the school bubble and not really hanging out with the neighbors. They did try to pick us up at bars often though. Ft. Lewis is an army base but it’s a bit of distance away from the area you are talking about.
I will say that I think north Tacoma is 100 million times cuter and nicer. It has a lot more character. You are closer to the museums and good restaraunts and bars and Ruston Way and Point Defiance and all that. And when I was living there the garage sales in North Tacoma were excellent.
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