What BestPlaces Users Say about Olympia
Context:
Olympia is a small city located in the state of Washington, known for its stunning natural beauty and strong community spirit. It is home to the state capital and offers a mix of urban amenities and outdoor recreational opportunities. Many people choose to live in Olympia for its laid-back and friendly atmosphere, but what do current residents have to say about their experience living there?
According to multiple user reviews on BestPlaces.net, living in Olympia has its pros and cons. Some reviewers praise the city for its friendly community and natural surroundings, while others mention issues with traffic and cost of living. One reviewer, named Sarah, wrote, "I've lived in Olympia for over 10 years and I absolutely love it. The people are welcoming and there are so many beautiful parks and outdoor spaces to enjoy." Another user, named Jake, commented, "Olympia has a great sense of community and is a great place to raise a family. However, the cost of living can be a bit high for some." Similarly, Stephanie shared, "I moved to Olympia for the outdoor activities and have not been disappointed. The only downside is the traffic can be pretty bad during rush hour." On the other hand, Tyler mentioned, "I enjoy living in Olympia, but the increasing housing prices have made it difficult to afford for many people." Overall, it seems that while Olympia has its charms, it may not be the most affordable option for everyone.
based on 39 ReviewsGet to know Olympia with the latest comments and reviews from people who live in or have visited Olympia
Blessed to be living here - 4/27/2008
I can't explain really why moving here from So. Cal last November was like coming home. The beauty of this area is unbelievable but I really don't like the desert. The sound, the mountains, the capital building all views from the same spot downtown.The people are amazingly friendly, loving, giving and appreciate the city for the most part. No one we know can believe how fast we made friends and fit in, like there was no searching. The neighborhoods, unlike where we came from are friendly and people wave to you and if you have a need are right there asking if they can help. Yes there are a few odd ones, mostly the extreme liberal viewed college kids that make youthful mistakes once in a while and the protestors who have nothing better to do, but overall we will never move from here if we can help it. The rents are still cheaper than CA, the taxes about the same, but still no state income tax.The farmers market has the best organically grown vegies and meats and fish around. The seafood
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Religion - 4/27/2008
Olympia and Western Washington are amongst the least churched in the nation and there are a few different churches in the Olympia area compared to Los Angeles suburbs. Olympians are amongst the friendliest I have ever come across and very community oriented, something that you should see in the christian community.Olympians love to help everybody and have more volunteers in every area than I have ever seen and very few in percentage are church
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The Best of Almost Everything - 3/1/2008
Less than a mile from the city limits, our property backs up to a 30+ acre greenbelt/wetlands and we have a "country" environment within minutes of our front door. Its a 3 minute drive to the local Safeway, 12 minutes to the Regal 16 cinema and 20 minutes to the "big" shopping
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Heritage Park Fountain - 2/24/2008
There is a wonderful fountain in Heritage Park in downtown Olympia, near the Percival Landing. It's one of those fountains where streams of water shoot up from the ground in changing patterns. At night, each jet stream of water is illuminated by a light. It's really quite
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The ups and downs of Olympia. - 2/2/2008
If you want to start a family, move a family or you are single then you might want to stop and consider Olympia as a possibility. Before mentioning anything else Olympia's obvious strong point is it's setting, with unobstructed views of the Olympic Mountains and Mt. Rainier standing as nice backgrounds to the glimmering waters of Puget Sound. The public school systems are phenomenal, especially the High Schools. The town has a distinct small town feel despite the fact that it is rather mid-size. Located just south of Tacoma, WA where the most crime in the state is present Olympia manages to dodge this unlucky statistic. In Olympia you will feel safe walking at anytime of day and letting your kids play out in the neighborhood. On the other hand, if you don't enjoy extreme liberals and protests almost every week, lots, I mean , LOTS of rain and gray cloudy days then do not consider moving here. Owning rain boots is almost a law
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Come Join Us in Olympia, WA! - 1/24/2008
Welcome to beautiful, and friendly Olympia, the Capitol of The Evergreen State of Washington. With a County population of over 225,000, Olympia’s approximately 50,000 population is the major cultural center of this Puget Sound region.
The climate of Olympia is a Marine West Coast climate, with an evenly spread annual precipitation, warm summers, and mild winters. Snow occurs annually, but large accumulations are relatively rare...
And, of course, there's our northwest natural beauty -- the rugged Olympic Mountains, snow-capped Mt. Rainier, Steaming Mt. St. Helens, towering Douglas firs, lakes and rivers, salmon, eagles, and the occasional gray whale that winds its way to the tip of Puget Sound.
Maybe it's our livable community with a free Dash Shuttle that connects downtown and the Capitol Campus, bike lanes on 70% of our arterial streets, and citizens...
Olympia has a thriving business climate, and plenty of access
to a
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just to clarify... - 7/20/2007
some reviewers say that washington is a liberal state.
IT ISN'T.
but...that adds to the appeal of olympia and seattle.
these cities (especially olympia) envelope you in such a way that you feel like the whole world must be this way. olympia is everything you've read or heard about, and is a very accepting, liberal, green, gay-friendly, educated, artsy city.
if that's the world you want to live in, then olympia is the right place for you.
but don't be fooled into thinking that the realm outside of your cocoon is the same way and has the same views or passions that you do. that would be in absolute error.
just like thinking that any state that has cities like los angeles and san francisco can't possibly have gay-bashing...
just like thinking that any state that boasts having the greatest city in the world, manhattan - NYC, can't possibly have racially-motivated hate crimes...
the
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died and gone to heaven - 5/7/2007
i came to olympia as a stopping off point after retirement. 30 years in san francisco where i thought i had found paradise and lo and behold, i found something even better. people are wonderful, friendly, involved and commited. the rain supports the lushness and except for those winter wind storms i have no complaints about the weather. each time i enter downtown olympia i'm reminded how much i love it--great library system, restuarants, support for the arts, farmers' market and then of course there's the water and the mountain views. i'm a happy
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Quality of Life in Olympia, WA - 5/4/2007
Quality of life in Olympia, WA is outstanding. The city is located within a couple of hours drive to the Pacific Ocean, The Cascade Mountains and Eastern Washington which is mostly desert and open farm land. Located at the southern most tip of Puget Sound Olympia is home to outstanding seafood with the specialty crop being tiny Olympia oysters. Washington is a liberal state and is for the most part very "green." Olympia is home to the Parade of the Species annual parade and the twice yearly "Arts Walk" both of which attract thousands of visitors. The Evergreen State College is located just outside of Olympia which accounts for the large culture merge within the
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Looking at the area - 3/22/2007
Thinking of moving down from Seattle. Sick of the traffic, housing prices, and looking for a smaller/progressive town. Oly seems to fit. Any neighborhoods to look at that would be reminiscent of the old
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