Relocating to Seattle in June. Where do we live?? (Considering Kitsap county?) (Bellevue: middle-class, real estate)

[gresford]

I am moving from my native NJ in June to start a new job in Seattle. I will be working for Fred Hutch which is located on the southeastern shore of Lake Union. Now comes the daunting task of finding a place to live. My wife and I want to rent for a year or so to become more familiar with the area before considering the purchase of our own place.

We would like to rent a place where we can have a yard, a garden, and just peace and quiet. I have been researching places in Kitsap county simply because the towns on that side of the Sound seem to be the types of places that we would like to live and possibly settle. However, I am also thinking about the commute. Is it doable to live in Bremerton, Silverdale, Poulsbo, Port Orchard, or Kingston and work near downtown Seattle? Or should I be looking in Seattle? What about east or north of the city? My goal is to use public transportation because I have heard about the traffic and I want nothing to do with it. However, I don't mind commuting long distances using public transportation. I became accustomed to it while working in NYC and living in central NJ.

I will be going out in mid-May for two weeks in order to be trained for my new position. During that time, I am hoping and praying to find a place.

There is also the question of crime. I would like to be in a safe area and though Bremerton seems to be affordable, I am reading reports that it is one of the most violent cities in WA?! Are there safe parts of Bremerton?

Any suggestions from the natives???

[scirocco22]

Hi gresford.

Believe me, it will be an arduous task to commute from Kitsap County to Seattle. Doable, yes, but it will take effort and you'll be spending a LOT of time commuting solely by public transportation. I have known several individuals through the years that have done it but I never envied them. I'm sure they thought the hassle and the time spent commuting was worth it. A lot of Kitsap commuters are working right in the CBD so if they are in a convenient location to the ferry terminal on the Kitsap side, then it isn't so bad. But for you, you'll have to catch a bus once you get to downtown Seattle to get to south Lake Union. So depending on what kind of connection you can make, it could be 20 minutes more once you get to Seattle.

The ferry ride itself can be relaxing and you can get a lot of work done or even sleep done in the process. However, it's impractical to bring a car over everyday so you'll most likely have to have your wife drop you off at the terminal or if you are in the position to take the bus to the terminal in Bremerton or Winslow and then take another bus once you get Seattle. So, depending on where you decide to live in Kitsap county, your commute could be up to 4 hours a day (or more, depending) ...2 hours going and 2 hours coming back. The actual ferry ride I think is about 45 minutes from Bremerton and 30 minutes from Winslow (it used to be about that but I haven't checked lately ...maybe somebody could correct me if I'm wrong on that). But remember, you have to also factor in the time that it will take to make connections and walk out of the terminal, etc.

I don't know. If you think the quality of live in Kitsap is worth that much time commuting, then I guess that's your call. If it were me, no way would I attempt that commute daily.


Thanks.

--'rocco

[pwright1]

I agree with Rocco. Maybe while renting you could live somewhere close to work, at least for now. Then you will get a feel of the area. From my experience you would have to catch a ferry to dt Seattle. Get off the ferry and walk up to 3rd and Union and catch the #72. From the Ferry terminal to 3rd and Union is all up hill. The bus ride would be another 15-20 minutes depending on the traffic and the number of stops the bus will make. By the time you get to work you will be exhausted. I really don't think living over there is worth the hassle. Also by the time you get home at night you will be ready to go to bed. Your central Jersey to NYC commute is much easier imo. Probably was a nice comfortable bus or train ride into the city.

[scirocco22]

Yeah, pwright summed it up nicely. "Exhausting" is a good term to use.

I never asked you why Kitsap county? If having a yard, garden and piece and quiet are the only things you're looking for, then there are numerous other places to look at which would possibly provide a shorter and more efficient commute.

Any other criteria or specifics?

Thanks, gresford.

--'rocco

[jojo7]

Moved from NJ 7 years ago and loving it. You will get so many opinions so you really need to get out there and see for yourself which is the obvious but out of the areas you mentioned, I think Poulsbo and Kingston are the nicest. Depending on the price range, Bainbridge Island would be another option, although it wasn't mentioned, but very high expensive properties but if you lived in NJ, it's probably similar but with lower property tax. I am just amazed that the property taxes out here are so reasonable. NJ is really forcing people to move with the outrageous property taxes. Not paying state tax is also nice and you will appreciate it even more if you lived in NJ and worked in NY and you paid two state taxes. Doesn't sound like there are children in the mix so schools are not a consideration. If so, the east side of Washington, King County, has the best schools in Washington. Definitely give Poulsbo a look. Quiant shops and restaurants along the water front. Reasonable real estate. IMO the ferry ride would give you a change to relax before you got home. Same concept like taking the ferry in NJ into the city but that is a much shorter ride. If you can utilize your time on the ferry to work or relax, I view it as the ferry being a plus but you be the judge and try it. Good luck to you. I think you will like the NW. NO MOSQUITOS AND NO HUMIDITY!! It's wonderful even though it rains a lot.

[gresford]

Rocco,

Kitsap county is based on blind internet research. I would appreciate knowing where these places are. The main criteria is safety. I don't want to inadvertently move into a crime laden area. The yard and garden would be pluses. It would also be nice to have a manageable commute so that I can take time getting to know the area.

Please share your experience and knowledge. I'm all ears!!

Thank you!

[gresford]

Jojo,

Thanks for the words of encouragement. One factor that I failed to mention in my last post is the fact that the cost of living seems to be rather affordable in Kitsap county versus King county. I guess my concern would be if Kitsap county is a depressed area that I should stay away from. I also wonder if there are other areas that are equally affordable closer to the city.

My wife is from Washington (not Seattle) so I have been warned about the climate difference. (She also HATES the mosquitoes and is glad to be moving).

[jojo7]

It's me again, the NJ native. I wanted to address your safety questions. I definitely think you have absoulutely no worries in Poulsbo. I know a little bit more about Poulsbo because I did some research on the town because we are purchasing a summer home there in the near future. I feel much more relaxed and safer in that area versus some of the east side areas, even though that is my primary residence. Don't get me wrong, the east side is nice but to name one town of Bellevue where I live, well, its' a big city and has it's areas that have it's share of crime which is common in large cities. The areas you mentioned are more of a small town type of environment. Definitely more relaxed. The people in Poulsbo are much more friendly than the east side IMO. Hey, crime exsists everywhere, no matter where you live, but I think you don't have much to worry about in the areas in Kitsap County. You can probably do a search on the crime rates and sex offenders, etc. which will tell you the exact percentages and occurances. Hope this helped.

[gresford]

Jojo,

what do you know of Bremerton?

[scirocco22]

Hi again, gresford.

Since it sounds as if you don't necessarily want to be right in the city, and as you can probably deduce from other threads on this forum, I'd probably recommend the suburbs on the east side of Lake Washington. Prices are a bit higher than the other burbs but schools are generally considered better too. You can find nice peaceful neighborhoods in Redmond, Issaquah, Woodinville, amongst others. I don't know if you're into "middle-class suburbia" but if so, you can also find pockets in Kirkland and Bellevue that are "affordable."

I lived in a middle-class suburban neighborhood in Redmond for years and although close to Microsoft, was actully pretty peaceful and quiet; and I had a nice yard and garden to boot. My house sold for about 550k but the same house in, say, in the Kingsgate area of Kirkland or in some areas of Woodinville or Bothell would probably have been substantially less. The area right around Microsoft commands a slight premium.

As I've said in other posts, public transportation is excellent along the I-90 corridor and almost as good (but not as predictable) on the SR-520 corridor. In other words, the transit service from the eastside into Seattle is excellent. You'd still have that transfer in downtown Seattle to get the bus to south Lake Union but I believe you'd be less stressed and saving time doing it this way.

I believe --and correct me if it doesn't make sense-- that your leisure time is important. So the less commuting time you spend the more "quality time" you can spend with family and friends. I'd recommend that you factor that into the equation as well.

Heck, you might even discover a nice place right in the city where you can find peace and quiet with a yard and room for a garden. It is possible. Seattle isn't as dense as the cities on the east coast so perhaps you'll be surprised. A lot of Seattle neighborhoods may offer what you're looking for. The Magnolia are might be worth checking out.

Good luck.

Keep in touch.

Thanks.

--'rocco