Questions about Bainbridge Island (Seattle: to rent, home, neighborhoods)

[TiffanyA]

I am also looking at Bainbridge Island. My husband and I plan to move into the area in a few months and are looking for somewhere away from the city, but close enough that we could make trips if need be. The likelihood that my job will be downtown is high (I'm in the design field) and I dislike really long commutes (more than 45-hour each way). My husband, who is a programmer, I know would likely work farther away, but he doesn't mind the commute and puts more of a premium on his home surroundings. Simply put, he wants to come home to a nice place. I'm looking for a compromise right now.

Right now we are DINKS and plan to rent when we first get there so we can really focus on finding the right balance for us - we are planning to start a family soon and want to be in a good area. Still, I appreciate any advice/recommendations this forum has to offer. My husband and I have been to Seattle before as tourists but we didn't really get to see the suburbs and such as we have come mostly for work conferences and have squeezed in a few days here and there to explore (mostly downtown unfortunately). We are planning another trip in early October to really focus on the neighborhoods. Bainbridge Island as you can guess is at the top of my list.

PS - please tell me if you'd rather I post this as a separate topic. I will gladly do so but hesitated at first because I did not want to spam the board.