Okay so…I’ve been wanting to move to Washington state for a LONG time to be near my family. I thought I was going to have to wait several years for the economy to improve enough. So imagine my shock when an opportunity not only came out of the blue, but is going to happen shockingly FAST.
As in I have to be ready to drive out of Alaska on around the twentieth of September.
Anyone with any knowledge of living on, and commuting around the Kitsap Peninsula (and Port Orchard, Gig Harbor, etc etc ) PLEASE, I desperately need your advice. Even if you think it’s small and un-important.
Specifically where to live, or rather where NOT to live. Ferries? Trains? How does one get around on the peninsula? Traffic?
I feel bad that you don’t have any replies, but I have never been to that area despite living in the Seattle area for over 10 years. So I can’t really offer much except that I personally would try to avoid being in a position to have to use a ferry for frequent travel. They seem to always be getting shut down or delayed (based on news reports).
I’m rarely in a position to take a ferry, but I hear the reports. ISTM that mechanical problems are infrequent, and that mostly delays are caused by low tides on one or two specific runs. I’ve spent some time waiting in line to get on ferries. I see signs on the freeway warning of up to two-hour waits. *The way-yay-ting is the haaaaardest part!’
As for the Kitsap Peninsula, sorry. Except for a couple of trips to the San Juans and several trips to Hoquiam, I’m mostly just going between the Canadian border and Seattle.
CanvasShoes, I’m editing the title of your thread to let people know you’re terrified about moving to Washington State. That might help garner you some replies from the knowledgeable.
My brother lives in Poulsbo, so my info is strictly second hand. Except for approaches to the navy bases at Bremerton and Keyport, I don’t get the impression that commuting within Kitsap County is a big deal. If you’re commuting by ferry, you want to either be a walk-on passenger or be in a vanpool that gets to cut the line. The wait to drive onto a ferry at rush hour can be pretty ugly.
CanvasShoes, I live in Denver and I absolutely love it here. If my job moved to, say Gig Harbor, or if my office became virtual and I was allowed to move anywhere in the country and circumstances directed me to Kitsap, I wouldn’t shed a tear. Not one. If you like wilderness, they’ve got it. If you like City, it’s not far. Back when I lived in mossland I relied on the ferries for my daily commute for several months and never had a problem–certainly no more than I had relying on I-5 or I-405 or 520. If you have business on the mainland, you simply plan the ferry ride into your schedule same as you would freeway traffic or store hours.
As for where to live, you gotta say what you like. Want miles of forest around you? Or do you prefer to live in a hive? And where is your job?
There are many nice places to live, and some not so nice places. It really depends on your budget, where you need to be for work, and what you like.
Traffic is rarely a problem except for some weekends in the summer, especially around the Kingston ferry route.
There are no trains.
The Ferries are pretty dependable, except for the summer weekends.
Poulsbo is a nice little down. Bremerton is trying to make a come back (and you can get some good deals on brand new condos on the water by the ferry terminal) Silverdale is a mall town and has little to offer, imo.
If you have more specific questions, just ask. It’s nice here.
I live in Port Orchard and take the ferry to Seattle everyday. I just moved and my old house is for sale–you interested in buying? Are you looking for something rural or more within a defined city limit type situation? Port Orchard and Gig Harbor are both nice little towns but the areas around them are pretty rural. I live in a pretty rural area (2 1/2 acre lots) and much of the area is zoned 5 or 10 acre min lots. Further north near Poulsbo and Silverdale you will get more traffic–the major traffic jam is coming south from Poulsbo/Silverdale/Bremerton right before Gorst–the road goes from 2 lanes to 1 lane and the traffic at rush hour sort of backs up. But we are not talking a huge back up like in Seattle proper. So if you work on the penisula side that is the only issue that I am aware of, and it isn’t enough that I would let that drive your decision.
As for the ferries. It really all depends on where you will be working. I live in Port Orchard and take the ferry from Southworth to West Seattle and I am in a van pool–works out great. Van pools get priority loading. As do motorcycles/pedestrians/bikes. So lots of people do motorcycles and lots walk. But if you walk, then you have to get on a bus on the Seattle side to get to downtown or wherever you are going. I used to do the bus and it works, but I will tell you the vanpool is much better. No standing out in the rain in the front of the ferry!
The penisula itself is pretty easy to get around. I really haven’t found traffic to be an issue overall. Food or ‘real good restaurants’ though are a problem. There are a few and I will be happy to share my experiences, but they are few and far between. Lots of chains though so if you like that you should be okay!
Anything specific you would like to now–either post or email me and I will be happy to answer you.
Good luck and make an offer on my house! 3 BR, 2Ba, 1700 SF, beautiful gardens on 1/2 acre, woods, brand new roof and new paint both interior, carpets and exterior paint are only a year old
No, if lost you throw your commuter mug in the air. The Starbucks logo will land facing south.
I’ve known several people working downtown Seattle that have done pedestrian walk-on for the ferries and it has been pretty easy. Otherwise, if you are a driving ferry commuter, it is very expensive and most employers don’t provide much in the way of subsidies for the ferries.
Parts of Bremerton are a bit industrial and ugly, but otherwise most of the towns on that side are very pretty and woodsy.
Thanks so much. But I wasn’t too worried. Some threads get a lot of replies and some sink like stones, I’m happy taking my chances. And I’ve gotten some great assistance out of threads that only had a handful of posts. Such as the name for my new cockatiel a few months back. Piper got his name from a fellow doper.
Snort! The Starbucks bit is hilarious. We Anchoragites are a bit attached to our Starbux as well.
Okay, the office is located along Beach Road, on the peninsula just south of Bainbridge island, so I guess it’s not quite Kitsap Island. Since I posted this thread, I have found a few properties not too far from the office, but according to my Realtor the roads can be pretty narrow for bike riding. Is there any sort of transit out there?
As to wilderness, well see my location. Yes, I do live in Anchorage, but it’s merely a pool of civilization in a huge spread of mostly wilderness. That said, I would prefer living a bit “out in the woods” if I can. You know, to have a garden, not have to deal with boomcar kids too much, that sort of thing.
Thanks again all!
And thanks Cherry for the subject heading fix, I wasn’t sure how much would fit.
I’ve lived in Seattle since the beginning of time (assuming time began in 1982), and I’m not an expert on commuting around the Kitsap peninsula. However, let me just assure you that traffic in that area is nothing…NOTHING…compared to traffic in Seattle. You’ll be able to find some reasonable way to commute and it won’t take you a hundred million hours. I don’t think you have anything to worry about there.
Hmm…South from Bainbridge is Beach Drive and that would place you in Port Orchard which is on the Kitsap Penisula. Is it Beach Road or Beach Drive? People ride their bikes along Beach Drive all the time, but it is a narrow road. There is a bus in Port Orchard but I haven’t taken it and I dont’ believe it has wide coverage too far outside the city limits. I assume you will have a car? Having a car will make your life a lot easier for sure. But if you live and work near Port Orchard you will have zero commute issues.
Okay so I just found out that the office I’ll be in, is actually in Seattle, not near the Kitsap Peninsula, (apparently that’s a warehouse of ours or something…WHEW, better public transit options on the “mainland”? I am not yet sure if I’ll have a transportation car.
Still horrified. Pack and ship my stuff, rent out my condo, rent a place of my own in Seattle(ish), hope the movers arrive and are able to unload it, and OMG…too too much…
All in around 3 weeks. GULP.
(and yes, I’m turning off the computer RIGHT now! I was just online doing apartment research).
Public transit in Seattle is pretty good. When I first moved to Seattle, I walked to work (I lived in Belltown and worked downtown). Later, my job got a bit further away (International district) and I rode in thebus tunnel for part of it. I changed jobs, had to bus over to South Lake Union, which was a bit less convenient – it wasn’t very far, but there was no direct bus from my apartment to work, so I had to change buses in the middle. Just as in flight connections, that can get messed up if the first bus is late – you miss the second one and have to wait (or walk). Thankfully, the major routes come by often (and there’s sometimes another route that can be used as backup). But I still would prefer to find a commute that only involved one bus if I could.
Get the address of the office and then go to http://metro.kingcounty.gov/ and find the bus routes that go by it (though if it’s downtown it’ll be a ton). That might help you figure out the best places to get an apartment. They also have a trip planner there, where you can plug in a potential apartment address and the work address to see what the bus options are.
These days I live in the suburbs (“the eastside”) and drive about 6 miles to work. It fits my personality a lot better, but I do sometimes miss things about living in the city…
I like the buses in Seattle. Way better than the ones in L.A. (which I avoided). I park at Northgate and take the bus into Belltown. It’s about a quarter mile to the office. It takes me seven minutes to walk, what with waiting for crossing signals. Or I can save a few minutes if there happens to be a bus when I get topside. Usually I’ll walk and the bus will beat me by less than a minute to Virginia.
Belltown is in the Ride Free Area, which is nice. There’s a fee if I want to go to the International district, which I’ve done by bus once. (I tend to take short lunches.) My company offers a public transportation subsidy of $50. A monthly pass in Zone 1 costs $81, so it costs me $31. Since I telecommute part time, this month I opted to ‘add value to my purse’ and put $60 on my ORCA card with the company credit card. So I only had to reimburse the company $10. In a four-week month bus fare should cost me $54. I wanted a little extra in case I decided to take an extra trip. I’ll figure the expense each month after this one and add value accordingly.
My coworker comes in from West Seattle, I think. I know she catches a bus in White Center, but I’m not really sure of the city’s layout. A friend used a bus to get from her home to the hospital where she worked. I find it all very convenient. I just wish I could figure out why, no matter what time I get off the freeway or leave the office, I always miss the bus by 30 seconds and have to wait for the next one. Fortunately my bus runs about every five to ten minutes (five minutes from the Park & Ride, and up to ten minutes at Westlake Station).
Are you looking for something rural or more within a defined city limit type situation? Port Orchard and Gig Harbor are both nice little towns but the areas around them are pretty rural. I live in a pretty rural area (2 1/2 acre lots) and much of the area is zoned 5 or 10 acre min lots. Further north near Poulsbo and Silverdale you will get more traffic–the major traffic jam is coming south from Poulsbo/Silverdale/Bremerton right before Gorst–the road goes from 2 lanes to 1 lane and the traffic at rush hour sort of backs up. But we are not talking a huge back up like in Seattle proper. So if you work on the penisula side that is the only issue that I am aware of, and it isn’t enough that I would let that drive your decision.