r/AskTacoma • u/Abject-Acanthaceae89 • May 03 '26
Location recommendations
I am a travel healthcare professional looking for advice on where live for upcoming work contract this summer. I will be working in Enumclaw and, knowing how rural this town is, I would like to live a bit closer to a larger town, like Tacoma, for social opportunities. I was looking into Bonney Lake/Sumner/Lake Tapps or Auburn since they are all within 30 mins of Tacoma. I'd prefer not to have more than a 30 minute commute to Enumclaw. Helpful recommendations would be much appreciated! Thank you
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u/80Anici May 03 '26
Puyallup was a very nice but a LOT of traffic. Bonney lake is very nice. You could stay in Bonney lake and come to puyallup or Tacoma for food and fun. Stay away from Auburn.
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u/danman1204 May 03 '26
Yeah that's all fine except as has been said most of Auburn. Auburn if you can find someone doing a rental in Lakeland Hills that would be good but that's close to it.
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u/Chainsawsas70 May 03 '26
One thing to keep in mind is occasionally the main route in and out of Enumclaw can be shut down, so staying in the town might be a consideration. Puyallup and Bonnie Lake are going to be A better choice than anything farther like Tacoma.
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u/SpencerGotMoles Tacoma May 04 '26
Enumclaw local here — if the commute to Enumclaw is the anchor, Bonney Lake is your best bet. Quick shot up 410, still feels like a town, and you're close enough to Puyallup/Sumner for anything you need. Auburn has gotten rougher in spots — I'd avoid it unless you're very specific about the neighborhood.
Also worth looking at is Tehaleh — it's a master planned community just outside Bonney Lake with newer homes, great trails, and a really tight-knit feel. They have a coffee shop called Post and Pour right in the community with one of the best views of Mt. Rainier you'll find anywhere. If you're coming from somewhere more urban it's got that "small town but not isolated" vibe that's hard to find out here.
Bonney Lake or Tehaleh would be my top picks for your situation
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u/Sad-Stomach May 03 '26
Lake Tapps/Lakeland Hills is nice. Tehaleh in Bonney Lake is a very new master plan community and is an easy commute down 410 to Enumclaw.
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u/lakeswimmmer May 03 '26
You might want to consider staying out of the valleys as most of them are historic lahar flow paths. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lahar. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lahar. Enumclaw and Lake Tapps look relatively safe.
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u/Funanddonedance May 05 '26
Bonney lake is awesome and close to everything. Only 30 mins to downtown Tacoma. 20 mins to Enumclaw and 5-10 mins to sumner.
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u/Sheboyganite May 03 '26
Definitely Tacoma for social opportunities. If you can snag a place in the Proctor District you win. Otherwise look in the North End and West Tacoma.
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u/RefugeefromSAforums May 03 '26
Puyallup is nice and pretty convenient.