About Silverdale (Rainier: sales, salons, real estate) - City-Data Forum

marksanders · 08-19-2006, 11:00 AM

I used to live in Silverdale many years ago and went to Central Kitsap High School and have not been there in many years. Just wondering how much it has grown and what the area is like. Is the world's tallest Christmas tree lit up there every year still? Always wanted to go back and visit

LadyLara · 08-21-2006, 02:44 PM

i just moved to silverdale two months ago and LOVE it!
i can't really answer if it's 'grown' - but i do like what's here! target, costco, home depot and lots of eateries.
very happy we moved here - don't want to leave anytime soon!

marksanders · 08-22-2006, 06:51 PM

They certainly didn't have all those stores when I lived there. I do love though on a clear day you can see Mt. Rainier from where I lived on Byron st., right near the water. I would really like to get back and visit.

ronraley · 12-22-2006, 09:34 PM

I'm sorry to tell you that the once charming small community of silverdale that I loved is No More..... Old town where many of my friends grew up has become a clique of lawyers offices, nail salons, and other businesses.

The rest of the town has EXploded to the point that I had to get the hell out, Tons of traffic, Rude people, and as far as I'm concerned over priced real estate.

Gone are the pheasants that used to to hang out in my back yard which is now a parking lot for an albertsons, the fields north of town have been turned into strip malls, many of the old poplar trees that used to dominate the landscape have been torn out as well as a Massive maple that must have been hundreds of years old were cut down to make room for a real estate office. I tried to save the maple by asking developers to leave it.
The town has lost it's character and after 15 years I moved out, it is now just a tax generating money machine for the county sadly to say. Since it never was a real town Just an unincorporated area there was no real local leadership to preserve the town charm, just the greedy chamber of commerce rubbing thier hands as the money continues to roll in.

I still work in silverdale, but it now takes 30 minutes just to go up the street to wendys to get lunch and get back to work in a car, it used to only take 15 minutes.

RodFarlee · 12-23-2006, 12:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ronraley

The town has lost it's character and after 15 years I moved out, it is now just a tax generating money machine for the county sadly to say. Since it never was a real town Just an unincorporated area there was no real local leadership to preserve the town charm, just the greedy chamber of commerce rubbing thier hands as the money continues to roll in.

Silverdale is a "poster child" for the way our local city and county governments climb all over each other to attract the most retail sales tax revenue. This is the big driver behind land use policies across the state.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2001947845_spitzer06.html (broken link)

ronraley · 12-24-2006, 12:16 PM

Very true, the same is happening to sequim as well...... I used to work in sequim years ago and haven't been there in a while until recently and I was surprised at the changes there. Many of the small farms have dissapeared only to be turned into housing developments, and shopping plazas.

It's why the wife and I are considering moving out of state and have been visiting the Bozeman/Livingston MT area and looking around.

CP2N · 12-29-2006, 03:39 PM

It seems like just yesterday there was a horse in a field by the movie theaters, no mall and Irene's school of dance was the most exciting place in the whole town for me!

I can't stand being in Silverdale anymore. Especially driving! And can you believe it has smog? I thought that was one of those big city myths. I'm no treehugger, but... sad times are these. Ever look around when you're stuck in traffic and see that every car around you only has one person in it? And notice that your car only has one person in it? But when you get to your destination, there's loads of people there! Are we too good for the bus, or are we uncaring for future generations' ability to breath on this planet?

I used to go swimming out at the waterfront park in the summer. My friends and I used to park up the street at night and sneak out there so security wouldn't bother us. It was such a great time, being rebellious and enjoying the salt-water! But I don't swim in that water anymore. Who knows what's in it. I also used to eat clams and oysters from the waters around here, but it's so rare to see a beach without a red tide warning. It's just terrible.

Our "daily comforts" are ruining wonderful places like Silverdale. Ah, memories....