University Place, WA

University Place got its name from a college that was never actually built. Back in the early 1890s, the University of Puget Sound bought more than 400 acres along Grandview Drive with plans to move its campus from Tacoma. A financial crash in 1893 wiped out the funding before construction started, but the name stuck anyway. For decades, the area remained a quiet, unincorporated stretch of Pierce County before officially incorporating as a city in 1995. Because it grew without an old historic downtown, the community intentionally built its own modern core from the ground up.

ATTRAtomic Taco from Seattle, WA, USA / CC BY-SA 2.0

That central hub is known today as Town Center, located right around Market Place West. It brings together city hall and the local library with grocery stores, coffee shops, and apartments. Market Square acts as the main gathering spot throughout the year, hosting outdoor summer concerts, family events, and the annual Duck Daze parade. Additional shopping and dining corridors along 27th Street and Bridgeport Way round out the city, giving residents plenty of everyday conveniences close to home.

ATTRWalter Siegmund (talk) / CC BY-SA 3.0

Down along the water, Chambers Creek Regional Park serves as the city's centerpiece. The former gravel quarry is now nearly a thousand acres of rolling green hills, walking paths, and Puget Sound coastline. It features Chambers Bay Golf Course, which hosted the 2015 U.S. Open and offers sweeping views of the water and the Olympic Mountains. The paved trail loop is a daily favorite for runners and dog walkers, while a pedestrian overpass connects the bluffs directly to the beach below.

ATTRSteven Pavlov / CC BY-SA 4.0

Farther north sits Curran Apple Orchard, another local favorite tucked into the residential streets. Planted in the 1950s and preserved by the community, this seven-acre park features over two hundred apple trees cared for by volunteers. Residents can even adopt their own tree to prune and harvest each season. On warm summer evenings, neighbors bring picnic blankets for live music on the lawn, and the annual fall Cider Squeeze brings families together to press fresh cider. It adds a wonderful, quiet touch of character to everyday life in town.