Heya Dope-Fiends! I’m going to be moving up to Washington State in a few weeks, and I’m wondering if any Dopers live around Lakewood who can tell me what to expect when I get there. I’ve got one contact in the area already who is taking care of my having a place to live, but other than that, I’m basically trying to get an idea for a lay of the land.
Any good local restaurants? Good shopping malls, theatres, bowling alleys? Anybody know if the Society for Creative Anachronisms is active there? Any great places for photography? Anyone feel like hanging out and showing an Airman around?
I lived in the area for a few years when I was a kid, but I have no idea what’s changed in the 12 or 14 years since I lived there.
As far as photography goes, this area is a primo spot. You’ve got Mt. Rainier, the Olympics, Puget Sound, the Olympic Rainforest, the coast, and Seattle just to name a few.
Lakewood is located kind of next to Ft Lewis, a sprawling Army base. I don’t know what part of Lakewood you’re moving to, but some areas are nicer than others out there. There are some parks out in the Lakewood area. You’ll find a large shopping mall just a hop, skip and a jump up I-5 in Tacoma (the Tacoma Mall). If you have a boat, American Lake is located in Lakewood and is a popular spot for fishing, wakeboarding, skiing, etc. There are also beaches with parks.
In downtown Tacoma, there are some very cool and nice restaurants and clubs. There’s also the Chihuly Musuem of Class and a couple of other museums down there.
As I’m an old, married fart (not really old; going on 45) I can’t speak to the nightlife a whole lot.
Seattle definitely has more to offer in the nightlife area.
Lakewood and the surrounding areas have grown immensely in the last 12 to 14 years. You won’t recognize Dupont. What was once a dot on the map, with a teeny, tiny post office, has grown into quite the housing area with shops and restaurants.
I’m sure there’s more, but I just got home from work and hubby is being kind enough to take me out to eat.
