Can u live in Seattle and work in Bremerton? (Tacoma: house, neighbourhoods)

[nems]

Hi, I might be moving to work in Bremerton soon. Not sure if I m gonna like living there though, I m more of a city person. Has anyone tried living in Seattle and commuting with the ferry to Bremerton on a daily basis or vice versa?

It is possible in theory, but practically, is the ferry reliable? would it be too hectic? Is it worth the extra 45 min - 1 hr each way daily commute?

[jabm67]

I haven't done that commute situation, but I considered it at one time. The ferries are pretty reliable. How big a hassle it is depends on details. If your worksite in Bremerton can be reached from the ferry terminal by foot, bike, or public transportation, then you won't have to take your car across, and that's a major part of the ferry hassle.

[cobolt]

Well, you either move closer to the city and sit in traffic for an hour or so or you live in Bremerton and your total commute with the ferry and driving takes you the same amount of time. I'd personally rather ride the ferry, but I think it would get old after a while. I know people who do it, though. Then again, people make lots of sacrifices and put up with alot regarding the commute in order to live where they want or can afford.

cobolt

[Tony1790]

The ferries are very reliable and there are tens of thousands of people that commute from Bremerton to Seattle everyday, I used to see a few people that would commute from Seattle to Bremerton, but I always thought that they were a little demented. Most of are forced to work in Seattle due to a shortage of good jobs in Kitsap county, if I had a good job in Kitsap, there is NO FREAKING way that I would commute on the ferry and live in Seattle. But that's just me. I'd rather live in Kitsap and go to Seattle for the "city" life if I needed it once in a while. Having said all that, if you are single, live within walking distance to the ferry, and really love the Big city, it's not that big of a deal to commute to Bremerton on the ferry.

Good luck

Tony

[nems]

Thanx for the input everybody, I ll be staying at a friends place in Seattle for a month (if not kicked out before) before I start my job in Bremerton, so this would be enough time to figure out the best thing to do.

Nothing personal agianst Bremerton, I ve never been there personally and I am sure it has its beauties, but I think for a 25 yr single, who does'nt have someone to bark at at home after work, with zero contacts in the area,I imagine getting a heart attack one night from boredem, Imagine. : )


Anyone doing this commute, please feel free to share your experiences and continue this thread.

[lifes2short]

My husband did a similar commute for several years. He took the Edmonds Kingston ferry. There was no way we were going to live on the Kitsap Peninsula, so it worked for us. He slept on the ferry on the way to work, and then did work on the way home. The commute isn't for everyone, but it was the right thing for our family.

[wythors]

Bear in mind that Bremerton is a Navy town and is full of 25-year olds looking for something to do. I doubt that you'd die of boredom there.

[tahoesash]

Still checking for replies? I just discovered this website and am posting like crazy So - the Seattle to Bremerton commute is probably easier than the Bremerton to Seattle commute, which I did for 1.5 years. It's the same distance, but not anywhere near the volume of people - ie a reverse commute. Are you working at the shipyard? probably 90% of the commuters from Seattle do so. So it's the same people on the boat every day, so you get to know people. The passenger ferry is 40 minutes across and the car ferry is 60 minutes across. In the peak commute times you should have 3 different time slots spread out over about 45 minutes, ie if you miss the 6:45, catch the 7:10. For me, the total time from my house to my office, including driving to the ferry, parking, waiting and walking the 15 minutes to the office, my one-way commute was 1.5 hours. You will likely be able to shave off a bit of that time because yours is the reverse commute (less people competing for seats) and perhaps walking from your apt is faster than driving on. I felt like every little bit of time that I could shave off helped! Living wise, I'd pick Seattle for sure. If you must live on that side (the Bremerton side) I'd pick Poulsbo. Feel free to contact me if you like!

[nnnghe]

Share experiences: I have been stationed at the shipyard for two years, and have lived all over the place, trying to find somewhere that 'fit.' Rented in Bremerton twice, Silverdale once, Seattle once, and now Tacoma.

I did the seattle - bremerton (Shipyard) commute for six months last year, and although there are major inconveniences (waking up early, rain, logistics, TIME, etc), personally I wish I had stuck with it. Seattle is a great town with lots to do, so if you can get it to work for you, give it a shot.. you can always move over if it doesnt pan out.

FYI: Another option, which I only recently realized now that I live in the Tacoma, is the North End of Tacoma. Theres no ferry to take and its about 30 miles (~40 min drive). (North End/Stadium/Proctor, unlike much of the rest of Tacoma, is very nice). Also, Gig Harbor, though suburban, is at least close to Tacoma, and is only ~25-30 min drive, and no bridge toll.

Its all a personal decision, though, based on your constraints and preferences. I could talk about the pros/cons for a long time but you'll figure it out, if you havent already. If you have any questions, just let me know.

[nems]

nnnghe... Thanx for your post.

I was actually thinking of the samething.... North-WEST Tacoma, one of the nice neighbourhoods you mentioned.

I was wondering though, Did you actually work in the Shipyard area or did u do another commute inside Bremerton?