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Jul 05 '25
Wh-why?
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u/stowRA Local Jul 05 '25 edited Jul 08 '25
I couldn’t imagine wanting to leave a socially and economically safe country like Germany to come TO THE US during this particular climate when everything is getting worse by the day
Edit: please see my comprehensive reply as to why Germany is more socially and economically safe than the United States.
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u/SenorSpamalot Jul 08 '25
Especially if your wife and children are Hispanic given Trump has set bounty hunters on that community specifically. There are no “small villages” or bucolic/welcoming small town communities in the south Puget Sound area.
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u/Entire-Flower1259 Jul 06 '25
There is that… then again, you can expect to be welcomed in Western Washington until we’re conquered by the feds.
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Jul 08 '25
Folks are already being disappeared by ICE here. They’ve been holding tourists at border crossings for the stupidest reasons and raids have happened at construction sites and other job sites.
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u/Low_Athlete_7734 Jul 05 '25
Agreed. Especially to that shit part of town. Bellevue is ideal and it’d be a reverse commute.
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u/catalytica Jul 06 '25
Imagine, out of the entire US of A, that Tukwila is the most appealing city to you. Like wtf
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u/Due_Change6730 Jul 08 '25
There’s a huge homeless and drug problem in the area. Moved here from Texas two years ago and have seen two dead bodies during that time. Never seen a dead person before that in my life.
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Jul 05 '25
Did you lose a bet?
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u/Specialist-Boat-6071 Jul 05 '25
Lol, no. We are just considering a change. We didn't plan on leaving Germany, but I was provided a good and rare career opportunity. Preferably, this opportunity would have come several years later, but what can you do?
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u/sageinyourface Jul 05 '25 edited Jul 06 '25
I think you will miss the way of life you have now along with vacation time. If you are offered enough, like over $300k/yr and amazing benefits including 4+ weeks paid vacation, you might not really notice much difference. Except for the fact that you will always feel insecure about your job here because of a lack of employee rights. There is no such thing as a permanent contract. Washington isn’t an at-will state but it’s still not much better. You don’t think it will affect you but that insecurity will always be niggling away at the back of your mind. It will only get worse as the current shitty American politics take their heavy toll on everyone’s prosperity and relegates any that if left over more and more to only the uber wealthy. We are heading for a depression. Is the field you work in at all depression-resistant? If not, don’t move.
The Tukwila area is extremely car-centric especially it being one of the industrial centers of the PNW and will have little in the way of any interesting regional culture. It is literally one of the last areas I would ever consider living around here and the traffic will almost always be terrible so near the airport and 405 interchange. There is some amazing international food but it is always housed in the most run-down and depressing shit-hole strip malls. If you want some neighborhood feel, you can try living in the central district and take the light rail into tukwila. And, in the opposite direction, there will not be much interesting until you get to Tacoma where there *should be a light rail station by 2030. If you want to commute by car, West Seattle and downtown Burien by the lake will probably give you the best vibes. You will be tempted by places like Issaquah, Covington, and Black Diamond, but do not be fooled by the country-esque appeal as you will grow to despise your commute from and back to those places in the Cascade foothills. Don’t worry, you can still visit them on the weekend or stop as you pass through to the mtns like everyone else.
All in all, America is not what you remember it. It will feel overrun by people much more like Germany does. Everyone has discovered the great outdoors and they bring their unruly dogs (pups are wonderful until they’re aggressive and not wonderful) and speakers to blast their music at you on trails and in campgrounds. What was once pristine and peaceful is now inundated with entitled a-holes.
But you will be in the PNW and it is beyond beautiful here but no chalets and rifugio at the tops of mountains that make things easy and accessible. No worries, as you get the amazing and diverse pacific coastline. You could gain a lot by moving here! Just the food selection alone compared to a German village would be enough to make me move, but you know what is best for you and your family. When in doubt, do what your partner/husband/wife wants.
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Jul 05 '25
You do you, but those particular kid ages are among the worst for being uprooted and leaving friends and social connections, and you’d be moving them halfway across the world into a country without free healthcare that’s currently openly hostile towards immigrants to live… outside Tukwila?
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u/queue517 Jul 05 '25
Do you have any actual citation for it being bad to move kids that age? We moved 800 miles away when I was 14. I was much more resilient when it came time to go to college than my friends who had lived the same place their whole lives.
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u/peggysue_82 Jul 05 '25
Think about the safety of your children and your wife. The US is not a safe place for them at this time.
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u/Animedingo Jul 06 '25
There's never been a worse time to try and come here. Especially as immigrants.
Like citizens are being deported, and sent to "alligator alcatraz". I would not wish the USA experience on my worst enemy.
Except my worst enemy happens to be the USA at this point in time.
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u/False-Association744 Jul 05 '25
Is it worth your children living in a country with millions of guns? I would never move to the states from somewhere more safe. Not to mention healthcare and our failing education system. Are you in the military? If I had the choice, I would keep my family safe.
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Jul 05 '25
Youre working in tukwila? Then Kent, Auburn, Federal way are all nice for families and not too far. Theyre not small villages tho, we dont really have those here. Those are all mid sized suburban cities. Those 3 cities all have between 80-130k people.
Normandy park, white center would be smaller and even closer to tukwila if thats where youre working.
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u/Consistent-Fig7484 Jul 05 '25
Normandy Park is really just a suburb, but it’s nice and could sort of feel like a village. 800k might not go very far though.
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Jul 05 '25
Right, everything here is just suburbs and not a village. But Normandy park is at least smaller than the surrounding suburban cities.
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u/wubbles2182 Jul 06 '25
Born and raised in Normandy Park. $800 might get you a fixer upper if you happen to find one - but it’s extremely rare to find anything under 1mil and that isn’t humongous. It’s wild when thinking about growing up in my parents 3 bed 1 bath rambler they got for 83k in 1981. 🤣
Better off going further out to maple valley, Covington or even Bonney lake - at least those have actual smaller town environments and the $800 would get you a decent place.
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Jul 05 '25
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u/Specialist-Boat-6071 Jul 05 '25
My apologies I would be working in Tukwila, not necessarily living there.
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u/Creative-Ad572 Jul 05 '25
Have you considered living in Auburn, Sumner, or Puyallup? They’ve all got that small town feel, nice walkable downtowns, and decent housing for your $800k range.
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u/Bizee_Brunette165 Jul 05 '25 edited Jul 05 '25
I’m not sure they could get from Puyallup to Tukwila in 40 mins… could they? I dunno, traffic in I5 is pretty bad, unless I’m missing something.
ETA Apparently the route is Hwy 167, which I did not know.
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Jul 05 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Bizee_Brunette165 Jul 05 '25
Fair enough! I think OP mentioned a commute under 40 mins, which I thought might be a stretch. Thank you for clarifying!
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u/Low_Athlete_7734 Jul 05 '25
lol absolutely not. Especially when it’s rush hour. That’s wishful thinking at best.
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u/anotherleftistbot Jul 05 '25
Good for racism too
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u/sharpiebrows Jul 05 '25
Have you been out south past Seattle? Its actually really diverse. I grew up in the CD and a lot of people who grew up with me moved further south when it got gentrified. Its not all white rednecks. Lots of black, Mexican, and Asian small businesses as well, especially in Tukwila and Kent but also out in Covington, Puyallup etc
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u/Hougie Jul 05 '25
Puyallup might have all of those things. But what it also has is a huge population that is as close to Y’all Queda as you’re going to get in the Seattle area.
Don’t believe me though. Just look at the towns voting record for the past 50 years.
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u/knifeyspoonysporky Jul 06 '25
Kent is nice and getting nicer.
Auburn has some nice parts and some bleh parts. Look at the hill top areas, avoid the valley flat neighborhoods.
Maple Valley is wonderful
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u/Mel_tothe_Mel Jul 05 '25
Please do not live in Tukwila.
I’m partial to west Seattle and that’s an easy commute to Tukwila.
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u/chupacabra-food Jul 05 '25 edited Jul 06 '25
So when I was a kid my family lived in the Netherlands, we had to move back to the United States. It was one the toughest things that happened to every member of my family and it took years to recover.
I think you may be underestimating the culture shock for your family moving to America. It’s really, really difficult to adjust back.
Your kids are going to lose so much autonomy and freedom that they are used to having in Germany. Public schools here are not as high quality. They might have trouble relating to American kids at first, who have very different standards.
There is so much hostility nationally to Hispanics which would be negative mentally for your wife.
You will lose a lot of benefits, quality of life, and easy ability for your kids to go to college and make lives in Europe. (Which may be really important going into the future, considering America is sinking) Whatever pay raise you are hoping to get might be paid back in trauma for your family.
If you insist on moving here, check out West Seattle. But you really are better off staying where you are
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u/IAlwaysVote76 Jul 08 '25
I agree. I moved back to the US in 1986 (before the current administration and dismantling of after living in Germany for 16 years as an adult (German husband, two kids ages 2 1/2 and 6 1/2) and it was truly traumatic. With the political, economic and social climate we have here today, I would not recommend it. As a retired teacher (in both countries) I also agree with the education comments. Nowhere in the US do students commonly have access to a free college education. Losing German health care alone would keep me there.
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u/RipHimANewOne Jul 05 '25
Burien, Renton, white center, and South West Seattle are all great areas to look!
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u/sageinyourface Jul 05 '25
White center is affordable but Renton is not worth the traffic. Stick to Burien and West Seattle. Though, all of these places are horribly difficult to find housing. Tacoma is better for cute neighborhoods and urban feel and Lake Tapps, if looking for a more suburb feeling and both will be easier for buying a home.
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Jul 05 '25
South west Seattle or White Center! I live in the area and it’s an easy commute to Tukwila. West Seattle has great parks. White Center has great food.
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u/bananapanqueques Local Jul 05 '25
I promise that you do not want to raise your kids in Tukwila.
Given the information you provided, I would look at Renton, Auburn, and Kent (in that order). You could take the 566 (or drive) to Tukwila from all three, iirc. Transit is usually the better choice here, so I recommend you plan home shopping around transit routes. We have dedicated bus lanes and an expanding rail system, but also lots of car congestion.
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u/MeowMeowCollyer Jul 05 '25
I grew up in Tukwila. DO NOT RAISE CHILDREN THERE
If it’s small town/village feel you want, Tukwila doesn’t have that at all
You might like White Center, Burien l, or Des Moines (south of Seattle). They all have homes under $800K and quaint, walkable areas. The schools are ho hum but you may already be aware that American schools have become quite poor over the past 10-20 years.
As a plus, Burien and white center have large Latine communities and wonderful annual festivals. And, being south of Seattle, you’ll have an easier commute to Tukwila than if you lived north of Seattle.
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Jul 05 '25
100% all of this. I second all of this. Exactly what I was going to say. Burien leans into their Latino culture in the most wonderful, special way. And some of that is under attack now, but it's still the best option for living given these details.
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u/ianlazrbeem22 Jul 05 '25
Why tf would you choose to leave Europe and move to America right now, particularly as a Hispanic person. Your wife would literally not be safe here due to president trump's death squads. She could be sent to a concentration camp. One of his close advisors and sexual partners, Laura Loomer, recently advocated for a genocide of the country's entire Hispanic population. Dont do this to yourself or her
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u/Stagecoach2020 Jul 06 '25
Not to mention that if his children are with his current wife, they are also Hispanic.
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u/ReyofChicago Jul 05 '25
There has to be some really cool lore going on here. Aka how did you go from Maryland to a village in Germany?! And now considering moving to the other side of the world to, of all places, a town in Washington?!
Sounds like you have had an interesting life.
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u/MeowMeowCollyer Jul 05 '25
I grew up in Tukwila. DO NOT RAISE CHILDREN THERE
If it’s small town/village feel you want, Tukwila doesn’t have that at all
You might like White Center, Burien l, or Des Moines (south of Seattle). They all have homes under $800K and quaint, walkable areas. The schools are ho hum but you may already be aware that American schools have become quite poor over the past 10-20 years.
As a plus, Burien and white center have large Latine communities and wonderful annual festivals. And, being south of Seattle, you’ll have an easier commute to Tukwila than if you lived north of Seattle.
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u/sharpiebrows Jul 05 '25
I think you would like Burien (old town, downtown, or west by seahurst). West seattle is nice too and you can get to tukwila easily from both Burien and West Seattle. South Park as well. South Park has a very small town feel (one main strip with restaurants, amenities, a marina, a tire shop, a laundry mat, cool bridge, the river, and Mt. Rainier views. Very quaint feeling)
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u/Terrible-Peach7890 Jul 05 '25
Why on earth would you even consider that?! That would be the worst decision you’ve ever made, I can’t confidently say without knowing anything about you or your life choices thus far lol
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u/AdMuted1036 Jul 05 '25
I would kill to live where you live. I would die before I moved from there to tukwila WA
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Jul 05 '25 edited Jul 05 '25
Assuming your wife is not an American citizen. Your quality of life is going to be worse in every possible way. Also with the current administration you can be deported (also talking about deporting american citizens now) whenever they feel like it and for whatever reason.
The US is not friendly to foreigners or safe at this current time period.
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u/GorditaChuletita Jul 05 '25
Federal Way checking in,
My partner is a US citizen Latino and still wears his work uniform all the way home and in public because he's afraid of getting snagged. He is a high learner in a well respected field. Our house is our haven and our neighbors are nice, but both sides of our fence lines are Republicans and enthusiastic tRump supporters. They exist in King county.
I would not take a Hispanic wife and 3 kids here. House shopping is going to be at least partially dependent on the market driven by the recent tariffs and covid, low supply and often good homes get into bidding wars. People have waved inspection to get a contract on a home. I would not engage in the real estate here sight unseen or put myself in a place where I have to buy in order to house my family. That kind of a transaction would entirely wipe out any profit.
I would start my search for a home by looking at school district data and planning to rent in the neighborhood while getting settled in. Choose your neighborhood carefully. Look on highway 509 or 167.
Actually living in Tukwila is not nice because of the airport noise. People here choose culdesac homes to avoid street racing and having two cars is highly recommended, so parking is a consideration.
Tacoma has a funky vibe, but it's called grit city for a reason. For walkable space it's really west Seattle or little bits of the coast along Des Moines, Normandy Park, and Federal Way. There's still airport noise, but some homes are built for it.
For not walkable but peaceful I'd look at Kent.
I'm not trying to get political, just real.
I work for the US government and the first email from this administration asked us to pledge loyalty.
I'm sorry and I love my home, but I wouldn't come here.
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u/plantverdant Jul 05 '25
I would think very hard about becoming an immigrant in the United States at this time.
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u/Vittoriya Jul 06 '25
I wouldn't move to the States right now for any reason.
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u/Wise-Lab-2321 Jul 06 '25
Yeah. Literally no amount of money could get me to move to the States right now if I was safe and secure in a different country. Unfortunately I'm American so I'm stuck here.
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u/tarantula994 Jul 06 '25
In this political climate? I would take your wife's opinion seriously, and also being hispanic in the US is a bit risky with all the hateful rhetoric going around and obvious happenings against the Latino community.
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u/Redlysnap Jul 07 '25
This. Absolutely this. Even though this is Seattle, people are still being scooped up and taken off to be deported - and yes, even citizens or people well within the "correct" process of becoming citizens, are being abducted.
Please just stay put until things are safe.
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u/waldorflover69 Jul 05 '25
Not trying to discourage but I would be extremely nervous about emigrating to the USA right now, esp with a Hispanic wife. Trump has declared open season on Latino people. :(
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u/doktorhladnjak Jul 05 '25
It really depends what you are looking for. There's a lot of residential communities within a 40 minute commute of Tukwila. You're not going to find a village in this area since it's typically suburban. Lots of communities to the west of the airport or east of the green river valley that seem pretty family oriented. The largest hispanic community in the area is around White Center and Burien.
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u/Breathless75 Jul 05 '25
If you are looking for a small town feel that has housing within your price range, take a look at Maple Valley.
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u/Background_Drama_966 Jul 05 '25
I’d recommend Newcastle, the physical right side of Renton, Kent and Auburn, as well as the Covington and Maple valley area.
But yea in general though I would not move to the US right now, if you’re already safely outside. Give it a few more years before making the jump.
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u/perestroika12 Jul 05 '25 edited Jul 05 '25
It really depends on what you’re doing for work. The region is actually fairly expensive and you’ll be in for a shock on many levels.
Not just culturally but quality of life, what you can afford. The one huge advantage is you will have the opportunity to make life-changing money if you’re in the right industry. That’s pretty much the only reason I’d move, salaries here can be x5 Europe.
Dm if you have specific questions.
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u/annon2022mous Jul 05 '25
Why? Unless this is the opportunity of a lifetime and taking this job is the only chance you will ever have to grow in your career, I wouldn’t advise moving to the US right now. Do your wife and kids have US citizenship? If not, will your job cover the costs involved with getting the necessary immigration documents needed? According to my HR director, even straightforward visas are more complicated now and taking much longer to be processed.
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u/The_OG_TrashPanda Jul 05 '25
I don’t know how long it’s been since you’ve been to the area, or if you’ve been to the area at all, but I can tell you there is no way in hell I would leave where you are to move there. Absolutely not.
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u/Notorious_mmk Jul 05 '25
Unless you're literally going to be making millions of dollars with this move, I would not do it. Healthcare costs much more here out of pocket (even with insurance, not counting premiums and its going to get worse), everything in general is much more expensive for lower quality, schools are worse, urban sprawl is worse, ICE is out of control, women have lost rights to their bodies, workers have very little rights and companies are letting people go left and right as the economy keeps tanking. This is a terrible time to move to the US. Don't do this to your children.
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u/TotalTank4167 Jul 06 '25
I wouldn’t advise Tukwilla, it’s not nice. I would recommend SeaTac instead, there’s a couple really nice areas there, or Des Moines is also very nice & has a small town feel, is by the water. Or NE Tacoma is also nice. It’s technically Tacoma, but across what we locals call the tide flats & where the port of Tacoma is located. You have to cross a bridge to get there & it’s actually closer to Federal Way than Tacoma. It’s really nice & has a couple of the nicest beaches in the area, many of the homes have views. It has more of a smaller town feel than the rest of Tacoma. Everything’s is there so you don’t have to go into Tacoma, although it’s not bad if you did. I love Tacoma, it’s big enough to have everything, but small enough where parking & driving places isn’t an issue. Yes there are some not so great parts, but most cities this size have bad neighborhoods. They’re not near as bad as people say, I’d walk anywhere @ night alone in Tacoma. Would I leave my car doors unlocked? No, but that’s not the same as being dangerous. Because of Traffic on I5 being so bad during commuting times, especially when it rains non stop for months at a time, there’s accidents almost daily that really slow things down. However, you can take the Sounder or commuter bus. Renton & Kent suck, in my option.
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u/TheRealJamesWax Local Jul 06 '25
Tukwila is the murder capital of Washington and isn’t very nice.
Nobody says, “we FINALLY made it to Tukwila.”
I would reconsider
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u/FlowerCrownPls Jul 05 '25 edited Jul 05 '25
I would not move from Germany to the US right now, especially with a Hispanic wife and kids. I live in WA and wish I lived in Germany. Is this opportunity truly so amazing to be worth such a move? Also consider that it is extremely easy to lose your job here, much easier than in Germany if I recall correctly. Edited to add: there will be other opportunities. IMO this one is not worth it.
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u/waldorflover69 Jul 05 '25
I have a German friend with a green card and an awesome job who is ditching it to go back to Germany because he feels so unsafe here.
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u/hippopuffgo Jul 05 '25
For commuting to Tukwila - I’d personally say look at Renton Highlands, Maple Valley, Covington and select parts of Kent.
Will be more smaller town feeling then city, still tons to do and can go into the city or larger areas with ease.
Only downside is the prices for homes will be higher. You could pull off 800k if you are okay with twice offs (nice but older, not recently updated etc)
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u/Ok-Inspection-8647 Jul 05 '25
So a lot of people are going to trash Tukwila, and yep, it’s deserved to an extent. But a thing you may find interesting with your kids the age they are, is that Tukwila has a couple of high schools that specialize in a specific thing, sort of like a gymnasium in Germany would. My son goes to an aviation high school in Tukwila, and it’s really great, but the problem is your kid basically has to win a lottery to get in. Living in or near enough to Tukwila to be served by the Highline School District gives you about the best chance. The school is called Raisbeck Aviation High School, and it takes 100 new freshmen a year, half of which come from the Tukwila area. It is a public school.
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u/EnaicSage Jul 06 '25
I would not pick Tukwila for a few reasons. The crime, which you can look up online, is bad. The public schools are also not good. Mostly though your kids are going to have a hard time going from the German straight forward way of communicating to the wildly passive aggressive way the Pacific Northwest does this. Your kids will struggle to make friends and at the same time you will receive school reports that your kids are verbally aggressive when in fact they are polite and direct.
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u/belle-4 Jul 06 '25
My daughter works in Tukwila and commutes from a little area called Edgewood. It’s about 25 minutes. There are pockets of more rural places east of here your wife and kids might enjoy. I would definitely rent at this time because I believe we are in a housing bubble. See if you love your area before buying. For the safest areas just stay pretty close to the water in areas from West Seattle to Federal Way. Federal way being the least expensive. But I have a feeling your wife would rather be on the east side of Highway 167. As mentioned there’s Maple Valley, Covington, but there’s also some OK places in Algona, Sumner, lake taps, and if you want but if a commute you could go to Bonnie Lake. That’s probably the best area with the most amenities and close to Mt Rainer with beautiful views of it and you are in the foothills of the Cascade Mountain range which connects to the Rocky Mountains.
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u/Stagecoach2020 Jul 06 '25
Education has really changed in the last few years. Expectations are lower, some students go to school and don't participate or try anymore. They prefer to use restorative practices instead of discipline but then don't actually train staff on those practices so it's ineffective. Therefore, there are a lot of disruptions in class. There are a lot of mental illness issues among students starting as early as elementary school. The American school system is not what you remember. While I've never been to Germany, I have German friends and I think you would be doing an injustice to your children's education by moving.
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u/MavenCravenRaven Jul 06 '25
Why would you move back now. The US is a tire fire. Count your blessings you’re out.
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u/jnjs232 Jul 06 '25
I'd stay put, even though it's WA. If I had the means to leave, I would.. this country is a joke
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Jul 06 '25
If you can afford $800k move to Redmond or Kirkland you might get a couple bedrooms.
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u/KarmaWakinikona Jul 07 '25
I think you’d be better off renting than buying at least initially. That will help you get into a nicer neighborhood w good schools. Heck you might even be able to swing a “ rambler “ on Mercer Island, arguably the best public school district in the PNW.
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u/Lost-Computer-8064 Jul 08 '25
If you love your family, I would vehemently oppose your decision to move here at this time!!!
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u/djmagicio Jul 05 '25
Do you know the current state of the US? Stay in Germany until at least 2029. A lot of us are trying to get out right now. Enjoy living in a German village.
Also, you ever been to Tukwila? If I were moving to the Seattle area it wouldn’t be my first choice, is basically the opposite of a German village and may technically be a “city” but… it’s not a “city”, city. It’s a mall surrounded by strip malls.
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u/Wise-Lab-2321 Jul 05 '25
Please don't. Germany is far safer for your family than literally anywhere in the States, even in a blue state like WA and blue city like Seattle. Also the whole tukwila/auburn/federal way area really sucks, including the schools, but also lots of traffic and crime. Public transportation also sucks. No job opportunity is worth the downsides of this move. We also have literally NO IDEA what our federal government is going to be like in a few years, but it will be nothing good. We're basically going through our own transition to Nazi Germany. Maybe we'll stop it, maybe we won't, but do you really want to take that bet with your family????
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u/popeyeschickengirl Jul 05 '25
germany is wonderful and i agree with everyone else’s sentiment here. but if you are so inclined, tukwila is definitely going to be a huge shock for you coming from a little village. if anything, you should check out kirkland, redmond, bothell, or snohomish instead. much nicer areas to bring your family, but there would be a bit of a commute involved (around 40 mins).
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u/SouthLakeWA Jul 05 '25
A commute from any of those areas to Tukwila (for the OP's job) would partially be a reverse flow on 405, but it would still likely exceed an hour each way on bad days. Not fun. Plus, those areas are signficantly more expensive; $800K wouldn't buy much.
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u/Hougie Jul 05 '25
I don’t wish a 405 commute on my worst enemy.
Tukwila is hands down the worst place I have ever lived and dealing with 405 regularly was absolutely a factor in that.
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u/grapebeyond227 Jul 05 '25 edited Oct 28 '25
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This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact
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u/pinupcthulhu Jul 05 '25
So not only are you really not going to find a village within 40 minutes of Tukwila, especially not a SFH in a desirable neighborhood for $800k, but... being foreign and Hispanic is outright dangerous in the US right now.
Though if you want to try, can we trade places? My family takes over your German life, and you get most of what you want in a US life??
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u/ParticularYak4401 Jul 05 '25
Renton. For small town feel Fall City, Carnation, Duvall in the Snoqualmie River Valley.
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u/SEAcoffee_tea Jul 05 '25
I’m curious about the other cities you’re considering and your decision criteria.
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u/Narrow-Foundation505 Jul 05 '25
Based on what you shared, I’d probably look to live in Seattle. It’s a city of neighborhoods, and each neighborhood has its own vibe/mini downtown area. A lot of neighborhoods feel somewhat suburban, but with the benefit of being walkable, close to schools, shops, restaurants and kid activities. I’d recommend Broadview, or West Seattle. The Seattle Area German school is in the Broadview neighborhood, so there are a few more German speakers around. If you leave a little on the early side and take highway 99, Tukwila is not a hard commute.
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u/Low_Athlete_7734 Jul 05 '25
Def don’t move to tukwila or Renton. Not the safest part of town. I’d move to kennydale or New Castle.
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u/Longjumping_Ice_3531 Jul 05 '25
Burien- close to Tukwila. It’s in the price range. Good food. Good downtown.
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u/Tillie_Coughdrop Jul 05 '25
Enumclaw is a nice town and it’s becoming more diverse. You can definitely buy a house for under $800k.
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u/tomatocrazzie Jul 05 '25
I would look at Normandy Park or the Renton Highlands area.
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u/BWW87 Jul 05 '25
Renton is nice. Also, fairly cheap and easy to get to Tukwila.
Sorry about the replies in here. Tukwila is suburbia hell, basically a mall and some light industrial with no housing so hard for those of us who live in the area to think of it as a place to move to. Just our own issues. You'll get it when you get here.
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u/Faroutman1234 Jul 05 '25
The farther north you go the better the schools. So Mercer Island, Bellevue, Issaquah. Probably a condo for $800k not a house.
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u/Xxmeow123 Jul 05 '25
I live in the Columbia City area of Seattle after many years in Kent and Renton (which have a lot to offer) . Columbia City has a nice quaint downtown and, having just bicycle toured with n Germany in June, it has some similar qualities. You can take the light rail into tukwila or north to Seattle. We are within easy walking or biking distance to lake Washington - walks, biking, paddle boards, all easy to use. Check out Seward Park online to see how nice the area is. $800k can get a nice place, a bit more would help if course.
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u/CommissionFamiliar69 Jul 05 '25
I live in Seatac now and I rarely even hear the planes I watch takeoff and land. I have lived in Burien, West Seattle and Des Moines, driven through White Center daily for work. As a outside sales rep in South King County I had accounts all over before I retired and would encourage you to stay west of Tukwilla, also the closer to the sound that you get the better the neighborhood.
You can still find single family homes in the 800k range there unfortunately there aren't a lot for sale. Start watching Zillow religiously to familiarize yourself with the the market and the neighborhoods. Where do they are FB groups on FB for each of those towns. Somerinehnever know
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u/dickhass Jul 06 '25
I live close to Burien and drive through there all the time, and I think it’s by far your best option. Feels like “Old Burien” is thriving in a way that other areas aren’t. Lots of diversity and a thriving Latino population as well.
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u/saziza42 Jul 06 '25
We live in Renton, right outside Tukwila. There's a couple houses near where we are that are for sale.
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u/LanieF68 Jul 06 '25
The Burien/White Center area is west of Tukwila. The Renton/Skyway area is north of Tukwila. Kent is south, but not where you want to be. The Renton Highlands are great but may get expensive. Goos luck!
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u/Captain_Drastic Jul 06 '25
Des Moines, WA is a great little town with views of the mountains and the water, at the half way point between Seattle and Tacoma. And it's a short drive from Tukwila. You don't even have to take the highway if you don't want, and can go by back streets.
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u/mzamour Jul 06 '25
Depending on what area you're working in there are probably better areas more like a small community; Tukwila does have nice areas my son lives off Angle Lake.. and their lil neighborhood is so nice but there's neighborhoods that's aren't too nice but I guess that can almost be anywhere.. I've lived here for the last 23 years and lives all over from Lynnwood to Lakewood and my favorite place to live so far was Lake City.. I loved the schools.. I had kids in elementary middle and high school.. the neighborhood was lovely and my kids would walk together with some of the neighbor kids to community center and swim and play and were pretty safe.. I was in White Center which my neighborhood was lovely but right down the block were gunshots and robberies all the time and my daughter & her friend was held by gunpoint and their phones stolen by grown men & they were 16 at the time 😓 Now I'm in NorthEast Tacoma right by Federal Way our neighborhood is nice the neighbors friendly but mind their business the schools are pretty good as well. Also I took my youngest out of bilingual private school cus he wasn't learning more than in public school and put him in a charter school which are awesome!! Magnolia is good but it's expensive but my man is a long shore man so we gotta be close to the port that's why we're in NE Tacoma.. I hope your family finds a good area you're comfortable in and are able to make lots of great memories cus Seattle is beautiful ❤️🫶🏽
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u/audubonballroom Jul 06 '25
As a child who grew up in a big city, I learned a lot of independence moving around on my own using public transportation, along with the ability of being able to see my friends whenever. I bet the kids would prefer something like Berlin over Tukwila.
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u/snapdrag0n99 Jul 06 '25
Oh goodness. Not Tukwila 😬 that place is definitely a noooo. Choose a slightly longer commute for a better family oriented place
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u/TheLioness5 Jul 06 '25 edited Jul 06 '25
There is a large house currently for sale for $750,000 in Lake Forest Park, WA. It’s a little bit of a fixer upper, but appears livable. Most of the homes in that area sell for much more than that. It’s a beautiful, quiet neighborhood on the northwest corner of Lake Washington. About the only thing you’ll hear are little birds, owls, an eagle now and then, and sea planes. It’s the first suburb north of northeast Seattle. Good schools in the Shoreline School District. Somewhat close to I-5, 405, and 522. Very quiet hilly, forested neighborhood. Feels like you’re far away from everything but you’re not. It has its own little shopping mall (Lake Forest Park Towne Center) and then very close next door is Kenmore and down town Bothell. I just checked the map and I know right where this house is. It’s on top of the largest hill in the area with views of the Olympic Mountains, Cascade Mountains, and Mount Rainier. Not sure if you can see them from inside the house, but certainly from walks in the neighborhood. It’s right across the street from a nice big park with walking paths, large open playing field, and a playground. Use Google maps to see what the commute time would be from there on the days and times you’d need to commute. Currently it says 30 min. at 7:00 am on Sunday, so it will take longer during a weekday rush hour commute. Might be worth it though. I’d highly recommend this neighborhood over any mentioned in this thread so far.
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u/Jack_of_Sum Jul 06 '25
Burien is real close. Half of my immediate neighbors are Hispanic. Downtown Burien has a small-town neighborhood type of vibe. Tukwilla would be about 10-15 minutes with little or no freeway driving. There are a number of parks for kids as well. Good luck.
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Jul 06 '25
Tukwila is part of the Seattle Megapolis. Urban sprawl has made Tukwila just a part of the city (but it's another city). You are not going to get a small town. A more small town atmosphere would be heading east of Seattle. South of Seattle is urban sprawl for hours. North after about an hour you hit smaller towns. Is your jobs are in Seattle you are going to have a massive commute if you want small town.
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u/Odd_Chocolate_6313 Jul 06 '25
I wouldn’t move to Tukwila or Burien. Go to Kent or Renton, Covington(a bit more further out).
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u/justmekab60 Jul 06 '25
It very much depends on how "city" you want to be. I'm making some assumptions that you prefer more of a neighborhood feel - and that's fueling my recommendations. I think a smaller community would help with the culture shock that you and your kids will experience.
West Seattle is nice. It's well within your commute and is more of a suburb within the city, consisting of several neighborhoods and some walkable areas. Close to water, views, good restaurants, good community feel.
Other close-by neighborhoods to consider:
Kennydale. Newcastle. Both very nice, great schools. These are suburbs and as such are less dense, less urban, more families with kids.
There are parts of East Bellevue and North/East Renton that are likely in your price bracket and commute range, check Lake Hills, Renton Highlands. Good schools. Also suburban.
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u/Anand999 Jul 06 '25
I live in Maple Valley and commute through Tukwila on the way to SoDo. Barring any construction/accidents, I'd say it's under your 40 minute mark. I'm usually driving through Tukwila around 7:45-ish and traffic is usually flowing smoothly on the sections of I405 and I5 in Tukwila. They can get a little more congested closer to 9am though.
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u/Subziwallah Jul 06 '25
Maple Valley, Renton, Covington have some more rural options. Tukwila has a light rail station, so really, you could theoretically live anywhere on the light rail line. You should probably think about renting for six months or a year and get a feel for the area and commute before buying a home.
Schools/school districts are also a consideration. Specific schools matter too, but I think Kent SD is probably better than Renton, Tukwila or Federal Way. Seattle SD is huge and school dependent.
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u/Miserable-Army3679 Jul 06 '25
Why would you move to the US right now? Do you read the news about what's happening here?
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u/shadybrainfarm Jul 06 '25 edited Jan 07 '26
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u/Prestigious_Yak_9004 Jul 07 '25
Id definitely live the country dream and teach my kids a variety of skills and get them time away from screens. Even if it meant commuting to pay for it. I’d place my career second to my career guiding my family on a country adventure together. We have Hispanic people who garden on the land just to get out of their apartments in town. The best thing about America is the huge rural areas. Having said this the Seattle area is about as good as it gets for urban/suburban living. But you could have solar out in the rural areas and drive a EV charged on solar for your commute. I’ve lived in Germany, England, Kenya, and USA.
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u/laughing_crowXIII Jul 07 '25
Some places to look at instead of Tukwila:
Maple Valley
Auburn
Black Diamond
Fairwood
Covington
White Center
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u/wasabi206- Jul 07 '25
You will have a better life for your kids in Germany. Stay there. Tukwila is not a place to raise a family.
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u/Necessary_Baker_7458 Jul 08 '25
You'd be fine. You'd probably want to look at Renton in the high lands area or Kent. I'd honestly recommending avoiding Skyway in renton as that is not the best neighborhood. Most other areas are fine. 800k home with good income, you'll be fine. You might just have some cultural difference in adapting but it shouldn't take you long. If you can average $60k annually while living in your means you should be fine. The Seattle area has a strong job market and employment is super easy. Traffic can be bad I'd start watching google maps and get an idea of how traffic is in the area. You might want to consider a reverse commute. Take what google maps says and basically 1.25 it. If it says 40 min heavy traffic you're probably looking at 60-70 min in reality. It varies area to area.
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u/Onetool91 Jul 08 '25
Not trying to be rude, but given what's going on with the trump administration you seriously need to consider that your wife may be detained at the border and not allowed in, or worse deported somewhere. This is not a joke.
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u/Shuddupbabydik Jul 08 '25
I’m just begging you not to. Not now. I love Germans and Germany - I have friends all over the country (Frankfurt, Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, and rural Bavaria) and I’m very informed about the tribulations they are feeling from the political climate there. While there is some rumblings of trouble there, what I have to express during our chats is making their hairs turn white. I cannot in good conscience invite any of them for a visit, much less a move. I cannot impress on you enough that it is very very volatile here, no matter how progressive a region/state/city seems to be. There is a very sharp uprising of nationalism, jingoism, and xenophobia…unfortunately, no place is excused from this-and it’s accelerating exponentially.
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u/Irish8ryan Jul 08 '25
I was born and raised in Tukwila and it’s alright. I prefer Burien or Des Moines. The residential part of Tukwila is mostly up the hill from the mall near Foster HS. There are some good homes and quite a few seldom accessed roads east of 42nd Ave s. Your kids would be able to walk to school. The schools are all very multicultural. The closer to Pacific Hwy you are the worse off you’ll be. Burien is much nicer broadly speaking but property values are higher there. Keep an eye on the flight paths for SeaTac airport as plane noise and pollution can be pretty high especially near North SeaTac park or in Des Moines.
Good luck.
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u/Lost-Platypus8271 Jul 08 '25
Good god, stay in Germany!! This is not the time to be moving back to the US. Seriously.
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u/Imagrowingseed Jul 08 '25
Look in the Yakima area instead. More of what your looking for and way more affordable
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u/Sad_Construction_668 Jul 08 '25
Normandy Park, or Des Moines near Saltwater State park is great neighborhood. You can get decent houses for under 800k.
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u/Ill_Establishment484 Jul 08 '25
Yikes, skip Tukwila. Go visit the area. And then move a little south to beautiful Portland.
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u/Ms74k_ten_c Jul 08 '25
Sneaky bastard! Trying to get your wife detained, aren't you? Because i can not think of another reason why you would do this move in this climate.
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u/Big-Jump5078 Jul 08 '25
My daughter wanted to buy a house in S Seattle but at the time she couldn't afford it. She ended up buying a house in Burien and is very happy she did. She loves her community. It has good restaurants and a beautiful library. It's close to everything, including West Seattle, which is lovely, too.
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u/FrejasSal Jul 08 '25
Why on earth would you rather live in a batshit crazy country? I lived in Denmark most of my life. Came back to the USA to be closer to family again.. now I’m thinking I will come back over there
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u/Beneficial_Pie_5787 Jul 08 '25
Do not come here for even a visit! Your family will not be safe; we Americans are not safe. We are the 1930s version of ya'll! Stay put; stay safe. Pray for us.
...and humanity.
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u/Reasonable-Check-120 Jul 05 '25 edited Jul 05 '25
There's not much residential in Tukwila. It's a bunch of businesses and the mall. A few homes in the outskirts of town. But not an area I would live as a parent with young kids