Kingston or Clinton living, commuting, etc (Seattle, Everett: real estate, crime, home)

[laurabf]

Looking for info on living in Kingston or Clinton (open to other suggestions). Just getting ideas. Hubby and I have lived in the sound our whole lives from Edmonds up to Bellingham. I absolutely love the San Juans and would move in a heartbeat if I could find a way to afford it and make a living. I then started to look into Langley/Clinton and Kingston. I think Kingston opens more options for commuting if needed. Currently I am not working and my husband works in Everett. I am very interested in doing something in the Real Estate field. I like the idea of being in Kingston because it is away from the hustle and chaos of the greater metro area, but still can get there relatively easy for events and such. Also my family is in Edmonds so they would be close but not drop by without calling close I really like Snohomish but it has become commercial. I would love to live somewhere there is no Walmart or big box stores. Smaller community focused towns.

I am looking for perspective on living across the ferry. I'm sure that commute its a source of distain. Of course I would like to have jobs that don't require the ferry commute. Any ideas on employers other than just searching craigslist? Do you find you need to come across the ferry frequently aside from work? We don't have kids yet, but would love them to come anytime. How is raising kids there? I have heard mention of safety in Kingston as only limited to drug circles and some petty property crimes. Is it still a place you feel kids can play outside or walk to school without issues?

Any other perspective on living in these areas or similar areas would be great. TIA!

[prosin]

I've lived in Kingston for over 10 years now, so I can help some with info regarding here. Am fortunate that my hub and I do not have to commute on the ferry to work, so I cannot comment on that. I'm also not in the real estate field, so I don't know if any agencies are looking for help at this time. (However, real estate is booming in Kitsap County, too, so there may be opportunities).

As for your other concerns:

Ferry: Seems the bane of our existence sometimes. Learning the ferry schedule and where stoplights are on Hwy. 104 help a lot (turning onto the highway can be near impossible when the ferry has offloaded). Hwy. 104 is only two lanes and is the only major thoroughfare. Learning the back roads to Poulsbo is a big plus when the highway is extra busy or if an accident has occurred.

Car fares for the ferry are expensive, and we try to limit our trips over to the other side to once or twice a month. Walk/bike on is much less expensive, and is only charged in the westbound direction. Kitsap Transit is working on creating a passenger-only ferry service to Seattle by 2018.

Drug Use/Crime: Since these two are related, I may as well address them at once. Both have increased, as it has everywhere else. We've taken to leaving our outside lights on all night, making sure we leave nothing of value in our vehicles, especially cash/loose change. Security cameras may also be a good plan, even if they're just posed as a deterrent. Don't recall any home invasion-type robberies here. The drug use here is not out in the open (lots of hiding spaces in the woods). Unlike other communities, I've seen only one panhandler in the area (and not lately).

A North Kitsap Community page is on Facebook where we exchange information regarding crime and safety, in addition to requests for local product/service recommendations and school information. It might be worth a look.

Safety: I have never felt unsafe here. Kids in my neighborhood were outside playing all summer. My kiddos walked to school and played outside. They rode their bikes to downtown to buy ice cream by themselves from about age 11. We live close enough to the area known as "the slough" to let my kids walk to it alone to swim (again, from about age 11). We also live near schools; the furthest school from us is the middle school, about a mile away. My kiddo attending there walks to school on non-rainy days.