University Place

The City of University Place is relatively new, having received its municipal designation in 1995, but it got its name back in the 1800s when the private college University of Puget Sound bought land near the waterfront in North Tacoma. The planned campus never materialized, and Tacoma bought the land back. They certainly got a great deal, because now University Place is a beautiful town of just over 31,000 residents and is home to the new and already famous Chambers Bay Golf Course, site of the 2015 U.S. Open.

But there is much more to University Place than a golf course. With Puget Sound waterfront, stunning views of the Olympic Mountains on one side and Mount Rainier on the other, and close proximity to both Seattle and Washington’s state capital, Olympia, University Place is at the heart of the coastal Northwest. Folks who live here enjoy not only all of the recreational opportunities of the Pacific Ocean and the Cascade Mountains, but have also developed beautiful parks and greenspaces throughout the town. Chambers Creek Regional Park boasts a new playground and hosts concerts in the park. Annual events such as Duck Daze, which includes a festival, a parade, and a car show, Sun Fest and Cider Squeeze, provide entertainment and promote community spirit for all ages.

A mixed business and residential area, University Place retains a suburban feel. Condos, townhomes and apartment buildings dot the area, but the majority of the area is single-family homes, with prices ranging from modest $200,000 houses to executive homes commanding prices up to and over one and a half million dollars, and often boasting spectacular views of Puget Sound. Take advantage of the close proximity to major Washington metropolitan areas without the stress and high price tags. Find YOUR place here.