Gold Bar, WA Best kept secret! (Redmond, Duvall: work, corporate, commute)

[badgirlark]

I currently live in Arkansas so the move would be huge for me but I visit there annually and I really like it a lot.

[melpotensky]

Gold Bar is really rural. Not much out there. It is pretty but there is presently a huge meth problem. Some really seedy areas but I think it will only improve with time as the urban sprawl is heading that way. It is a huge commute to Seattle. Monroe, Maltby, Sultan, are closer and housing is more reasonable. Areas to check out too are Cle Elum ...out I-90 past Snoqualmie Falls. Lots of people commute to Seattle from there and housing is better priced there as well. Real pretty area.

[lindlu]

I have lived in Gold Bar since 2000. I love the scenery, the people are "down home" types, & anyone who lives here loves the mountains & rivers. A great place for photography excursions... I have laughed over the various replies re conservative/liberals. Having moved here (to WA) from S. CA 22 yrs ago, I have no desire to return to a strictly liberal state. However, I have found that the W. WA politics are mostly liberal & E. WA is mostly conservative. Here in Gold Bar it appears to be middle of the road... As far as beauty, the Index rock walls with the Skykomish R. below can't be beat. I am also partial to Whidbey Is., as I love Deception Pass & often camp there... The chances for gorgeous photos there are great as with the whole of the Sky Valley (ie, Monroe to Skykomish). The fishing is excellent, a short trip to Steven's Pass or Leavenworth for beauty, skiing, fishing, picnicking are tops. There is ONE real estate office in the town of Gold Bar & they can help you with finding homes, rentals, etc.
We had a dusting of snow this morning & the view of the Cascades from downtown Gold Bar is fabulous all year 'round. The traffic can be frightful on Fri. eves going East & Sun Eves going West. We stay home at those times.
I have lived in North Bend (way overpriced-King Co. + taxes), Snoqualmie Pass (Kittitas Co.--lower taxes) & wish I could afford to still live in those areas. However, the areas East of Monroe are just about the same except for the 2-lane hwy. The Skykomish River runs through the whole of the Valley plus many tributaries.
I've done my "sales pitch" & hope I haven't repeated anything too much!! Happy New Year to all of you--liberal or conservative!!
Oh... the "meth" problems--Gold Bar has had a bad rep in the past. MOST of the meth problems have been dealt with but I'm sure as with other very rural areas, there are problems hiding in the woods somewhere!!

[Tina Faust]

I've spent some time in Gold Bar because of Wallace Falls - I love it there as well. You are right - it's a little slice of heaven out that way.

For anyone wanting to commute though, some other areas to consider would be Monroe, Lake Stevens, Snohomish, etc. Prices are a bit higher than Gold Bar, but generally less than Lynnwood/Mukilteo/Seattle, etc.

[haggardhouseelf]

Hmmm... my husband and I visited some properties in Gold Bar and surrounding areas - we were thinking of buying a place out there. The prices seemed too good to be true - we had to check it out for ourselves.

First - it is quite a commute from the Seattle/Eastside area. My husband is able to work from home, some, but he also has to go into the office at nights as well, and those roads are dark and scary at night for people used to city-driving.

Second - the weather/flooding/power outages are awful.

Third - we were really creeped out in some parts of Gold Bar. We didn't feel very safe at times.

And lastly - we have children and the schools out there don't rate very highly.

I think if you were a single person just starting out it might be worth it - if you research the flood zones in the area and are well-equipped to deal with power outtages and road closures.... as a single person you might not mind the commute as much and it might be a good investment...

But as a family with children. I don't know... I would be very very careful. I think it just depends on how rural you wanna go and what your own personal values are?

[NCWmark]

I personally love the Gold Bar area - quite beautiful and a nice small town feel for being as close as it is to the "big city".

My biggest concern in living there would be highway 2. I know they are once again talking about fixing the issue, but they have been talking about that for more than 20 years.

I think it isn't a bad place to live as a property investment, but as the before mentioned urban-sprawl issue, the Gold Bar of today will not be the Gold Bar of tomorrow. Remember what happened to Issaquah, North Bend, Maple Valley, and the list goes on and on.

I don't mean to sound 100% negative, as I really do think that right now today Gold Bar is absolutely great.

[allforcats]

Patrick H, if you're interested in purchasing housing anywhere near your job location, try the local MLS online at Seattle Real Estate, Top Seattle Real Estate Search, TheMLSonline.com , or try Realtor.com.

[pshinspections]

There are no living-wage jobs in Gold Bar, Index, etc. Living in Gold Bar requires a 90-120 minute commute, each way, even taking the bus. Keep that in mind, people. I found an employer that pays me for my commute because I can work on the laptop. If not for this, I would never spend four hours a day in a commute, driving OR riding.

[lindlu]

Having lived in Gold Bar for some time, I realize that most people drive hwy 2 to go to work in Everett, etc. There are many roads to various areas of work. The 522 to Woodinville, Bothell, etc, takes you into Seattle eventually. The 203 aka the Monroe to Fall City Rd, takes you S. to many areas such as the Woodinville-Duvall Rd to Woodinville, or to Redmond. Yes, it is a bit of a drive, but when you arrive home you can go "ahhhhhhh....." & breath because the views coming home are wonderful, you "get away from it all", & the quiet is refreshing. Of course, like all cities, there are areas of homes which are less than appealing. But the money saved on home prices is money saved for gas each month. No matter where you live in Gold Bar, you have a short distance to go to simply sit & listen to the rivers. The Skykomish, the Wallace, May Creek... So come home from your long drive, sit by a river for 20 min, then go home & relax more...

[mayfair]

Originally Posted by haggardhouseelf

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Third - we were really creeped out in some parts of Gold Bar. We didn't feel very safe at times.

And lastly - we have children and the schools out there don't rate very highly.

I know some people who left Gold Bar for those reasons. They said there's a huge drug problem out there and not a good place to raise kids (even with the naural beauty of the area).