Bainbridge Island to Seattle...? (Bremerton: college, living in, bus)

[ijoe13]

Hey everyone. I was wondering if anyone commutes regularly from Bainbridge to Seattle on a daily basis? Is this a doable idea, or is it the cross sound commute too difficult?

A little side info... My wife and I are planning on moving to Seattle in about a year, and hope to work in Seattle proper, but would not mind living on the island. We have visited it before, and liked it quite a bit. On the other hand, we are not opposed to living in the city either, but would like to examine all options thoroughly since we still have some time.

Thanks, and Happy New Year!

Joe

[Jennibc]

I have a friend that lives on Bainbridge and works downtown. He says it is a very enjoyable commute. I believe the ride is around half an hour and most people get work done on the boat. As long as you can walk to your office from the Ferry terminal (like it is less than a mile or two) it works out well.

[allforcats]

Hi Joe. Bainbridge is, I think, a lovely place to live. Hundreds of people do the 35-minute crossing twice a day between Bainbridge and Seattle. And there are Metro bus routes on the Seattle side to take you into downtown. Here's the ferry schedule:
Seattle / Bainbridge Island Schedule

[ijoe13]

Thanks to you both for the replies.

Joe

[5chevin5]

I did the reverse, I lived in Seattle and worked on Bainbridge for about 6 months.
I loved the solitude on the ferries and would get work done or read or just walk around with my coffee to wake up. Bainbridge is like a little hamlet within shouting distance of Seattle....It was a wonderful summer.

However, I did not like mornings and I was a habitual snooze button smacker.
This means that the potential for being late to work was frequent! Though I tried and tried to adjust my schedule ( working 12 hours and playing in bands) it was like being a zombie to the ferry master
and I was late on several occasions because of traffic in Seattle or the ferry was running strangely because of weather.

This is not meant as a "cant be done" post, just word to the wise, it has its quirks that will need patience and practice to get worked out.

Happy Boating
5

[ijoe13]

Originally Posted by 5chevin5

I did the reverse, I lived in Seattle and worked on Bainbridge for about 6 months.
I loved the solitude on the ferries and would get work done or read or just walk around with my coffee to wake up. Bainbridge is like a little hamlet within shouting distance of Seattle....It was a wonderful summer.

However, I did not like mornings and I was a habitual snooze button smacker.
This means that the potential for being late to work was frequent! Though I tried and tried to adjust my schedule ( working 12 hours and playing in bands) it was like being a zombie to the ferry master
and I was late on several occasions because of traffic in Seattle or the ferry was running strangely because of weather.

This is not meant as a "cant be done" post, just word to the wise, it has its quirks that will need patience and practice to get worked out.

Happy Boating
5

Thanks for the reply, 5. I was wondering about how bad weather would play a role in the daily boat ride? I know Seattle had some bad weather during the past few weeks, and I wonder if the schedules were affected? Did they ever shut down the ferries?

Thanks, Joe

[allforcats]

The only weather that concerns the ferries is very heavy winds. If they're strong enough, the state will shut down operations on certain runs. The Seattle-Banbridge run is fairly well protected by land masses so does not shut down as often as other runs. Our strongest windstorms usually occur in November and December, but can occur at other times.

I just Googled: Bainbridge ferry suspended.
Interesting results, mostly about their diverting, a couple/few years ago, a Seattle-Bremerton ferry to Bainbridge (both the Bainbridge and Bremerton ferries leave from Colman Dock in Seattle) because of a threat. But can't quickly find the last time the Bainbridge run was suspended...
This is The Seattle Times archive, which I think would be an excellent resource:
http://search.nwsource.com/search?fr...s%3A43db32b860

[Ira500]

I've known quite a few people who have commuted from Bainbridge. It's very rare that they cancel runs, but it's fairly common that the boats run somewhat behind schedule, especially in the fall when there is heavy morning fog.

[allforcats]

Yes, the magnificent, magical fog... My dentist and his wife raised all their four children on Bainbridge from the birth of the second through everyone's college, and all loved every minute of their lives there! Fog schmog! Wind schmind!

[ijoe13]

I guess there really isn't a reason to worry about the feasibility of commuting from Bainbridge to Seattle. I will have to keep it in the running for a possible place to start our lives in Seattle. I appreciate all the replies!