Best place to live on Puget Sound? (Seattle, Tacoma: upper-class, best cities)

[joebarb]

I'm happy to have found this site. My husband, son, and I are thinking of moving to the area from the North SF Bay area. We would most likely be renting for awhile. I would really like opinions of the friendliest and most affordable towns. My son is almost 20 so schools are not a factor. We are looking for a place where we can be near the water, where someone might actually say hello in the grocery store, where working-class people can actually work and live in the same area, and where a 20 mile commute might actually take less than an hour. We don't want to be judged by the car we drive or the size of our bank account. We work hard for a living and would just like to live in an area where people matter and life isn't always in the fast lane. We are considdering Bainbridge Island, or Bremmerton but have noted that there are several small towns in the Kitsap County area. Would love all imput and suggestions.
Thanks

[LMB]

joebarb, my husband and I were seeking something quite similar last year and found it in Poulsbo, a small waterfront town near Bainbridge Island on north Kitsap Peninsula. This is a very friendly, charming and unpretentious town. Sometimes I feel like we've stepped back in time, but in the best possible way. We have a home-based business, so work isn't an issue for us. There are a variety of jobs around here though opportunities of course are considerably more limited on this side of the water than in Seattle. Poulsbo might not be right for you, but it's worth a look. Silverdale, just a few miles south of Poulsbo, is quite nice too and is the shopping area for this region. Port Orchard, south of Bremerton, is another town you should take a look at.

Good luck with your search!

Lynn

[siragwatkins]

Bremerton's a Navy town, so Ok if you're OK with that.
But I'd recommend Olympia--housing is less expensive, lots of diff sorts of people live here, it has many aspects of a small town. We live in unincorporated Oly (really closer to Tumwater) not far from Black Lake, The Evergreen State College, South Puget Sound Community College (in case your son wants higher ed), & also not far from gov't offices, downtown Oly, etc. HTH! Leslie Sirag

[allforcats]

There's a fabbo website called Find Your Spot.com Best Places to Live: Compare the Best Cities & Small Towns for You!
which is about finding your own best place to live in the U.S. It is SO TERRIFIC!!! I took the several-section quiz thoughtfully, and it gave me like 30 or more results, almost ALL of which I've lived in or near, or visited on purpose and just loved, or loved and wished I could stay. Enjoy!!

[Rickers]

Gig Harbor if you have the money !
Salmon Beach if you have the legs and if you have the guts !
Google Salmon Beach Tacoma and you'll know why. I lived at Salmon Beach for 10 years back in the 70s.

[$$$Devin$$$]

I really like Southern Washington except for the drugs in certain areas

[joebarb]

Thank you so much for the responses, the information on this site has been very helpful. I wonder how people relocated before the internet....must have been pretty scary. :-)

[pshinspections]

>>friendliest and most affordable towns>>

The farther you get from Seattle, the friendlier and more affordable you will find. Those criteria will not be found in King County (Seattle). Nice people... well, let's define nice. Do you mean truly nice people who sincerely like you, or people who act nice to be seen as nice?

Truly nice people can be found everywhere, but to find a WA community where sincere people are the majority, will require rural living. IMO, you will not find one of these within two hours of Seattle. The cost of living here is no longer commensurate with compensation, and Western Washington's middle class is being squeezed out into other areas. You can find the slow lane here, truly nice people and easy roads, but nowhere near the city. If rural is OK with you, I suggest Aberdeen, Forks or Belfair. If those are too far in the sticks, I suggest Olympia, Sedro-Woolley or Oak Harbor, but you lose the small-town feel there.

Western Washington is a far better choice for upper-class retirees with more need for shopping than good jobs and fast roads.

[beauty4ashes]

I second Poulsbo and Silverdale! Poulsbo is SUCH a nice place with cute waterfront shops, nice folks and quiet living. We have visited there often and just love it. Sequim is worth looking into. I have relatives living there so we've visited there a lot and it's on the strait of juan de fuca and has dungeoness crabbing, fishing, loads of charm. Lots of retirees and their parents live there, but there's plenty of folks in your age group as well.
If you want friendly in Washington, you'll have to start the ball rolling yourself, most likely.
When I first moved here in '89, I was shocked at the total lack of friendly people. Going to church plays, local outings, shows, concerts, etc the lack of social skills among washingtonians was even more glaring. People here didn't (and don't still) seem to know when to clap and how to give positive feedback to any performances. Like they are watching tv or something. I think the weather here forces a lot of folks to sort of clam up because they're indoors so much ?? I dunno, but if you're friendly and outgoing, most people will warm up to you if you give them a chance. They're just not used to it.
Sumner (my town) is also another one you may like, although we only have rivers. If you want ocean waterfront, then look at Poulsbo, Silverale, Gig Harbor (pricier) and Port Orchard.
Good luck!

[sunnyhappyday]

In a way I am sorry to reveal my secret. Browns Point located on and near Puget Sound in NE Tacoma is full of charm and warm friendly people. We don't have a gas station or mall and no traffic to speak of other than visitors to the community and residence coming and going. It is a laid back quiet community with a few churches and a beautiful athletic center...beautiful views of Puget Sound and Mt. Rainier. Very small shopping center down near the Puget Sound. Two golf courses near by. Two miles down the road to a gas station , Rite Aide and QFC. Five miles to the freeway and shopping malls, etc. Browns Point is in Tacoma,Wa. located across the bay from downtown Tacoma which is 10 miles. Approximately 24 miles to Seattle.