Transport from Gig Harbor, Getting around IN Gig Harbor (Seattle: apartments, rentals)

[Feybie]

Hey guys,

I know I've been posting a lot in the last few days, but I have lots of questions.

So I'm wondering how efficient the transport from Gig Harbor is to the airport. What kind is there/how frequent does it leave/how long does it take?

I'm also wondering if there are many supermarkets etc in and around Gig Harbor? When we first arrive (if we decide to live there) we may not have a car for a month or two. Will we be able to get to the grocery store for supplies etc without a car?

My husband will be working from home when he's in the State so gettting to anf from Seattle everyday wont be too much of a problem. I may need to go to Seattle for work, but I'm hopnig to pick up a job in the south somewhere.

Any feedback would be awesome.

[nfdsouza2001]

Originally Posted by Feybie

Hey guys,

I know I've been posting a lot in the last few days, but I have lots of questions.

So I'm wondering how efficient the transport from Gig Harbor is to the airport. What kind is there/how frequent does it leave/how long does it take?

I'm also wondering if there are many supermarkets etc in and around Gig Harbor? When we first arrive (if we decide to live there) we may not have a car for a month or two. Will we be able to get to the grocery store for supplies etc without a car?

My husband will be working from home when he's in the State so gettting to anf from Seattle everyday wont be too much of a problem. I may need to go to Seattle for work, but I'm hopnig to pick up a job in the south somewhere.

Any feedback would be awesome.

The Airporter shuttle is a good choice depending on the frequency of travel. What kind of work are looking into?. Around the olympic shopping area, which is where there is a major grocery, a pizza place coffee shop and a decent chinese place can be within walking distance of some nice homes.

[Feybie]

Originally Posted by nfdsouza2001

The Airporter shuttle is a good choice depending on the frequency of travel. What kind of work are looking into?. Around the olympic shopping area, which is where there is a major grocery, a pizza place coffee shop and a decent chinese place can be within walking distance of some nice homes.

How long does the airporter take? My husband will be traveling about twice a month (sometimes more, sometimes less).

I hope to get work teaching (good luck, I know) pretty much anywhere. I'm happy to work anywhere in the south. And I'm also willing to drive. I'd go into Seattle for work for a year if I had to, but that would be a last resort.

[marita]

Here is the bus info.Welcome to Pierce Transit
Here is the school district info near gig habor.School Districts < Pierce County < Washington State in the Yahoo! Directory
shopping in gig haborhttp://www.gigharbor.com/shoppingtop.html
transportation from seatac to gig harbor.Sea-Tac Airport: Shuttle Bus

[cabocurtis]

I think the transportation has been covered well. For shopping close to Safeway and QFC they have apartments off Olympic drive west of highway 16 that are brand new and also you could rent a larger home point fosdick road south of one point fosdick shopping mall which could be walkable to both those stores. East of highway 16 on Olympic toward Gig Harbor village Im sure lots of rentals and close to fred meyer. The newer shopping in north gig harbor of borgen road has albertsons, target and quite a bit of housing Im sure you could find a rental. Your husbands setup for work is ideal for Gig Harbor. If you need to work fulltime I would concentrate in Tacoma, University Place and Gig Harbor to avoid a daily commute.

[Feybie]

Originally Posted by cabocurtis

I think the transportation has been covered well. For shopping close to Safeway and QFC they have apartments off Olympic drive west of highway 16 that are brand new and also you could rent a larger home point fosdick road south of one point fosdick shopping mall which could be walkable to both those stores. East of highway 16 on Olympic toward Gig Harbor village Im sure lots of rentals and close to fred meyer. The newer shopping in north gig harbor of borgen road has albertsons, target and quite a bit of housing Im sure you could find a rental. Your husbands setup for work is ideal for Gig Harbor. If you need to work fulltime I would concentrate in Tacoma, University Place and Gig Harbor to avoid a daily commute.

Thanks for the info! No matter where we decide to move, we'll be wanting a house with a yard, not an apartment, as we have dogs.

I was also thinking of looking for work in the Tacoma/University Place and Gig Harbor areas. I think I'd even extend quite happily to Puyallup (did I spell that right?) for a while. Actually going into Seattle for work will be, as I said, a last resort for me. I'm hearing worrying things about the availability of teaching jobs, though, so I'm open for anything at the moment.

On that note, does anyone know if Gig Harbor is very dog orientated? I read about an annual dog walk they have as a fundraiser but couldn't really find anything else. I heard they're campaigning for a dog park but I couldn't find any recent information about that. Our dogs are very much an integral part of our lives and they come out with us a lot. We don't want to live somewhere that isn't kind to our pooches!

[mthomson]

Gig Harbor is super dog friendly! Here is the link for the Harbor Hounds event you referred to. There is a group trying to get a new dog park in Gig Harbor (here is their link) at the newly acquired grounds by the Gig Harbor Airport (just a little puddle jumper airport, nothing commercial). There is a dog park off of Bandix Rd in Olalla, just a few minutes from Gig Harbor. Renting a place that allows dogs can be a bit tough and most often more expensive, but can certainly be done.

[Feybie]

Oh excellent. Just what I wanted to hear! Now I just hope that I get work in Tacoma or somewhere around there (of Gig Harbor area, that would be even better).

[Feybie]

One last question. Actually, make that two:

1. What is the sense of community like in Gig Harbor? Do people get out and interact with each other, or does everyone stay in their homes and keep to themselves? We're looking for a quieter lifestyle (we'll probably do lots of weekend camping and hiking trips with out dogs) and we definitely don't want to be in the hustle and bustle of the city, but we're community oriented people that like to get out and mingle with our neighbors. Can anyone comment on the community vibe in GH?

2. Are there many 30 somethings in GH? We're a newly married couple and it will be important that we make a few friends in our area. We're not really concerned with age (our friends here in Australia range from their early twenties all the way up into their fifties) but it would be nice to have even just a few friends within our age bracket. Can anyone comment on this?

[mthomson]

This site has updates on all the community activities in Gig Harbor. All summer long it's community oriented. Concerts in the park, outdoor movies, art walks, Family Fun Fest in a couple of weeks. Halloween they shut down the downtown and all the storefronts open up for kids trick or treat. Christmas tree lighting, boat parade, etc. Maritime Festival...goes on and on.
My wife and I are 30-somethings (I'm a bit deeper in, she just hit 30), and we're very plugged in. For us, it's through our church, but the YMCA has good avenues as well.