Driving round the Puget Sound / [...] /It's easy to astound /If someone needs you /But there's a bright side /How does that sound? -- From "Puget Sound" by Aim
The bright side to living in Marysville, Washington, is that you're just a hop, skip, jump -- or car ride -- from picturesque Puget Sound, north of Seattle
Driving round the Puget Sound / [...] /It's easy to astound /If someone needs you /But there's a bright side /How does that sound? -- From "Puget Sound" by Aim
The bright side to living in Marysville, Washington, is that you're just a hop, skip, jump -- or car ride -- from picturesque Puget Sound, north of Seattle. Once a sleepy little hamlet up the I-5 corridor, Marysville has taken on a vibrant and exciting life of its own recently. Its now a budding city, with an economy and population that are expanding faster than one of its famed native strawberry plants. And that's fast! For a small city, it has a lot of really big things going for it, including the presence of one of the more reputable casinos in the area and an upscale outlet mall that would make even Carrie Bradshaw dizzy. But the town strives to hold on to its heritage even as it speeds through its growing pains: Trips away from the tourist traps will land you in perfectly maintained parks, wide tree-lined streets, and museums proudly boasting their collections of things like old telephones. A 45-minute drive to Seattle, Marysville is close enough to allow its citizens all of the benefits of city life without all of the headaches.
That's great! You're making a wonderful decision to move here. There are some things to consider, however, as you negotiate your way to Marysville.
Cost
Relative to the bulk of the rest of the Puget Sound area, the cost of places to live in Marysville is extremely reasonable. That might not mean much if you come from a small town in the Midwest. The Seattle area is expensive, and a large portion of the growing Marysville population is made up of young professionals coming north from Boeing to purchase their first homes. (No, they're not flying here on a 767 jumbo jet.) Still, this means two things for the city of Marysville: One, a lot of the population is made up of smarties who have more money than they know what to do with. And two, the housing market is decidedly tilted toward buyers, not renters. Both of these factors can serve to keep the rents in Marysville higher than you might expect. Even so, rent pricesand what you can get for your money hereare still far more reasonable than they would be in the city.
Where to look
Housing in Marysville, like in most of the small towns in the area, started out as an ownership economy. That hasn't changed. This creates a dearth of apartments to rent, especially those that are professionally managed by national companies. They do exist, so theres no reason to just throw up your hands and move to the city. Youll expand your options greatly, though, if you open your search to privately owned spaces being rented out by individuals. This can be beneficial in other ways as well: Private landlords are traditionally more likely to be understanding about shaky rental histories or months where money is tight; and a lot of them will respond to maintenance requests a lot faster than an office grunt would at a giant complex. This is one community where you actually might still want to consult the classified ads as you start looking for rentals. The newspapers will be grateful for the business.
What you need to get here in one piece (and stay that way!)
- A car: If youve lived on the West Coast for any amount of time youll understand whythings are more spread out here. Public transportation can be neglected and underfunded in large cities, and in smaller towns its often completely absent. This is the case in Marysville. Either bring a car, or like walking. A lot.
- A decent credit and rental history: Yes, a lot of the landlords youll likely be talking to will be more flexible on this than a faceless national corporation, but most will still ask to see some proof that youre an upstanding citizen, especially if you arent originally from the area. Native northwesterners approach strangers moving to the area more like potential new recruits, and a lot of landlords will even be willing to overlook less-than-perfect histories as long as youre upfront about it. Be prepared to answer a lot of questions, however, and to put up extra deposits if you do have a questionable housing past.
- Money: The lack of professionally managed properties also means a lack of those "Zero Deposits and Free First Months Rent!" signs youve probably seen in other places. Expect to put down a deposit, and most likely the first and last months' rents as well. A shaky credit report or rental history will probably result in a higher deposit on top of that. If you are dealing with a private landlord, though, try negotiatingget your haggle on! If they think you look trustworthy, youll more than likely be able to finagle a much more cost-effective deal.
Possible complications
Marysville is still a relatively small city, and there are probably going to be times when you need to go to Seattle to get something and you'll likely even want to play tourist a little bit. Marysville is just far enough away from the city to discourage any public transportation between itself and Seattle, so if you don't have a car, life can get difficult. Its also good to be aware that if you plan to commute to a job in the city somewhere, traffic on the interstate can be nightmarish and potentially add an hour to your commute.
Theres no air conditioning in Pacific Northwest apartments. The weather is blessedly temperate, so 95% of the time it's not needed, but that other 5% of the time can be close to unbearable for a lot of out-of-state newcomers. Window A/C units are common, and you'll probably want to figure the price into your cost of living during the first year.
In a lot of ways Marysville is a typical small town, with the stereotypical upscale neighborhoods littered with less expensive one for good measure. The large number of Boeing employees who live here, though, kind of skew the normal balance toward the upscale, so coming to Marysville with the intention of living in a slum while you save some money probably isnt very practical. That said, there are a number of neighborhoods that are more affordable, and rental prices span the financial spectrum.
Cedarcrest: One of the more curious things about Marysville is this neighborhood being one of the more inexpensive in town despite its close proximity to the Cedarcrest Golf Course. $
Central Marysville: In, well, the center of Marysville. A large portion of the buildings here were built in the last 20 years, so while they wont necessarily be brand-new, you wont be suffering through a damp northwestern winter in a 1920s building with a genuine radiator as your only source of heat. $$
Downtown: Mostly slated for commercial use, there aren't a ton of properties for rent. Like any older downtown area, expect a wide variety of price ranges and qualities. Or as much as you can find with this limited selection. $$-$$$
East Marysville: If you're renting here you're probably either renting a guest house or a high-end luxury apartment. Expect lots of interaction with highly paid aerospace engineers. $$$$
Gretchel Hill: Primarily newer homes, built into the side of,you guessed it, a hill. Views from here are spectacular, and its driving the real estate prices of this new community up quickly. If you want to live here nows the time to do it. $$$
North Marysville: A mish-mash of older and newer buildings. Rental prices here will depend on the building's age, which street corner its on, and usually the general mood of the landlord. $-$$
West Marysville: The area west of I-5, home to casinos and shopping. A lot of the buildings in this area are built on reservation land, so look before you leap. There may be laws or public policy discrepancies to keep in mind. Apartment complexes don't seem to have creeped to this side of the freeway easily, so rentals in West Marysville will likely be more of the house-on-acreage variety. $$$
Life on the Sound is a unique and amazing experience, a peaceful existence in a world of perpetually green trees, towering mountains, and mist thats made it inland from the ocean. If you don't get asked out on a hike by a local in your first year in Marysville, you probably aren't talking to, well, anyone. The close proximity to some of the best trails in the country makes hiking one of the favored local pastimes. A plethora of ski resorts make winter in the mountains equally exciting. If you do'nt consider yourself outdoorsy when you get here, you probably will by the time you leave. If you ever do.
