Vashon Island ... anything you can tell me

[FromRenee]

You seem to know much about Vashon. do you know if people keep their dogs out and let them bark all the time? I live in a rural area and it is pure hell. Everyone has at least two dogs, and I guess the owners are all deaf. Can you please tell me if Vashon residents are considerate dog owners? We are considering a move to the Island, my spouse is from Seattle.

[Sailor Curt]

I am also interested in living on Vashon and would like to thank Busterboo for all of the great commentary about Vashon Island life that he/she has supplied on this thread. You answered quite a few questions that were in my mind and gave a really good explanation as to just what life if like for those living on the island.

[Apathizer]

Originally Posted by beenhereandthere

I've never have really understood why, there's not a bridge on that whole island. Sure I can see about population growth or whatever, well, just build the bridge towards the Kitsap Penisula, not towards King or Pierce County...
I'm sure a bridge would make a difference in emergency sistuations.

Building a bridge to Vashon would be an absolute disaster. It would make the island more accessible to more people, and encourage all kinds of traffic and development. Part of Vashon's appeal is it's rural isolation (for better or worse depending on your preference).

In terms of ferry issues, I think most can be avoided if you live within about 5 miles of the terminal you use most frequently. That's a relatively easy biking distance, and bikes aren't delayed by vehicle traffic - they're always loaded first

I'll probably be looking at moving to Vashon in a couple years. By that time I'll probably be working something like a 2-7p schedule; this will enable me to avoid the heavier traffic hours.

Vashon Island is small enough that you can bike anywhere you need to go on the island, so I won't have to deal with the hassle, expense, etc of a car.

[beenhereandthere]

Originally Posted by Apathizer

Building a bridge to Vashon would be an absolute disaster. It would make the island more accessible to more people, and encourage all kinds of traffic and development. Part of Vashon's appeal is it's rural isolation (for better or worse depending on your preference).

In terms of ferry issues, I think most can be avoided if you live within about 5 miles of the terminal you use most frequently. That's a relatively easy biking distance, and bikes aren't delayed by vehicle traffic - they're always loaded first

I'll probably be looking at moving to Vashon in a couple years. By that time I'll probably be working something like a 2-7p schedule; this will enable me to avoid the heavier traffic hours.

Vashon Island is small enough that you can bike anywhere you need to go on the island, so I won't have to deal with the hassle, expense, etc of a car.

If you build it on the other side of the Sound, instead of towards King Country, I don't think there would be runaway growth. Some, yes, but it wouldn't turn into another Mercer Island.

[Apathizer]

Originally Posted by beenhereandthere

If you build it on the other side of the Sound, instead of towards King Country, I don't think there would be runaway growth. Some, yes, but it wouldn't turn into another Mercer Island.

I'm not sure how useful that would actually be. When I have time I'll do some actual research, but I imagine the overwhelming majority of Vashon residents work in Seattle or elsewhere in KC. Building a bridge between say Vashon and South Kitsap probably wouldn't be useful for most people.

[Vashonista]

Most of what people have written here is true, even the statements that contradict each other. It's a nice place to live if you have money but difficult if you are on the lower end of the financial spectrum. There tend to be two kinds of people here: those who have a partner or a family and enjoy spending time with them or those who live alone and want to be left alone. I find it difficult to make friends here and I am a sociable, talkative and extrovert person. It's not Seattle, but I love it here since my work is my life, so I am a little odd. Also, I can get a lot of my food from the farmers who raise it and all the woods are grand! I am here to work on my art, and for that it is good, but I sure feel isolated here. That is the choice anyone makes who is obsessed with their career, art or science.

<rant>As for biking, it's hell. People drive way too fast on the windy, hilly roads and there are no sidewalks or edges of the roads to help you allow some crazy in an SUV talking on their cellphone to pass you, so I always, repeat always, stop and pull over to let cars pass -- for their convenience and for my safety. Downtown Vashon and Vashon highway has some sideage to the roads, but it doesn't have the woodsy beauty of the side roads, many of which dead end. On much of the curvy roads here, it is not safe to pass a cyclist who won't pull over, and sadly, all of them, except me it seems, think it is OK to hold up one or more cars while they pedal up a hill at 0.5 MPH. As a cyclist, I hate having to deal with cars here and as a car driver I hate having to deal with these cyclist extremists who have a point to prove, I'm not sure what it is, even though I have been held up for literally 10 to even 15 additional minutes on a drive that is normally only 13 minutes. I'm sorry, I'm not going to pass a cyclist when it is not safe to do so. Cycling in Seattle is wonderful, by contrast, and I have biked all over Seattle and also up on San Juan island, and I have never experienced this craziness. </rant>
There are some challenges here: the electricity goes out during the winter for hours or even days. Things are more expensive. If you are self sufficient, industrious and ingenious (but hopefully not disingenuous) you'll do fine here. Actually those personal attributes are good in any situation but are necessary here, and places like Alaska or Ushuaia. Some things you just can't get here, but by asking you can find many things, but they may cost more and the selection may be smaller. Between the True Value and Island Lumber stores, I meet most of my needs and have been amazed when I could find odd little springs or other things that I need.
One thing that I really miss is public transportation. In Seattle, you can get around quite well by bus, but you really need a car here unless you never take the ferry, or live close to one of them, or if you live "down town", but downtown Vashon is almost like downtown Burien, without the auto dealers, so why bother to come here? OK, that's not a totally accurate "like" but it imparts some truth.
We have a great bike shop here with a great mechanic, Jeff. Two banks, two supermarkets, two partridges in a pine tree and one bicycle. The food bank is great. The second hand store is beyond belief. All the rich people here donate their leftovers so you can (almost) look like them. I'm still working on that snooty stone face that says, "I'm better than you because I have a lot more money than you do." Although perfecting my snooty stone face, stone=unfriendly, is not exactly on my short list of life goals.
If you are facile with the Internet, that helps greatly.
Another consideration is the toxic legacy of arsenic and lead from the many years that the Asarco smelter operated in Tacoma belching a toxic plume that polluted the South of Vashon. If I had young kids, I would not live in the South of the island. You can research Vashon and Arsenic or Asarco if you want more information. Yes, I know there is pollution everywhere, but this is of special concern. While you researching, read the current and back issues of The Beachcomer, The Vashon Loop and the insiders' vashonALL yahoo group. Bottom line, I love it here, but I am a little strange, according to most people -- but what do they know? xD

[angelenogirl]

How do folks in Vashon feel about West Seattle kids taking the ferry over for school?

[Koale]

One more thing Vashon has is a wonderful Equestrian park. Beautiful dressage arena and jumping arena. Also a nice Event course. Lots of horses and farms on Vashon. Boarded our horse there for 2 years and loved the ferry commute several times each week.
Koale

[annaknows]

I have wanted to love Vashon. I have loved every place I have ever lived and I thought this would be the pinnacle experience. It has not been. I am extroverted and have made friends everywhere I have gone and Vashon has a very strange exclusive manner of being. I say manner of being because its hard to pin down as exclusive its passively so and on surface inclusive but only on the surface. It is also really hard to tell the truth about anything being negative (say a dentist for example) as the people involved and their friends(who you will see at the supermarket etc.) will find out and be furious at you or passive aggressively so anyway. The medical care with a few exceptions is less than ideal but going off island is not the end of the world for that (though a hassle when you are really sick! or have an emergency at 2am when there are no ferries). The schools are good but also suffer a bit from the you really cant complain or you will be branded a complainer and no one will ever listen to you. I do think there are some great teachers and many staff that try very hard. Also I have heard from numerous kids that the social insularity is unbearable in high school and you are forever remembered for a stupid thing you did in 3rd grade. My daughter has had a hard time fitting in. There is also the arsanco fall out to consider - friends who live in the south part of the island get constant reminders to wash hands from King County. Its a bit spooky. There are lots of meth houses and a homeless population everyone feeds but does not provide mental health support or any other transition for. I am liberal but people here are passionately idealogical in a way that it is not based in reality or is useful. Its an amazingly beautiful place. No one can deny that. It has a lot of art offerings for its size and a few decent restaurants and nice coffeeshops. And the beauty have I mentioned the beauty. Wonderful forests and beaches. Some people find it so amazing here without a single complaint. I thought that would be me too. I feel like maybe I missed the magical potion at the ferry on my way in to make me see it the same way.

[west seattle gal]

Originally Posted by Adrian71

Can someone give me a sense of what Vashon Island is like? My wife and I visited Seattle last year but never made it out there. We got to Bainbridge, but not Vashon. Is it anything like Bainbridge?

Just wondering, because my wife applied for a job on Vashon Island. We're hoping to move to Seattle this year, and we were wondering what Vashon was like, in case she gets the job there.

Also, what is the commute to Vashon like from downtown? It's accessible only by car ferry, right?

Thanks for your help!

Vashon has hardly any downtown and low childhood vaccination rates, but their high school is higher ranking than Seattle. Seems to be very insular. Living there would feel like exile to me. Bainbridge has a much more thriving downtown and visible community.