Kingston vs Bainbridge vs Whidbey (Seattle, Edmonds: real estate, crime, houses)

[toffee123]

Retirees trying to buy a water front summer home, we will spend winter in SoCal desert. So we are really talking about June - Oct. Hopefully close enough for weekly visit to Seattle.

Kingston is 90 minutes away but the water front properties are somewhat more affordable. Anyone knows the difference between east-sunshine cost vs west side? I thought that east side with view of the sound would be preferred but there seems to have nice houses on the west Hood canal side. Why?

Any Kingston Hansville local knowledge? Meth labs, bad schools, what not? As the price is considerably lower here.

Bainbridge is nice, but for same size house is like 50% higher than Kingston.

What about Whidbey Island? like Clinton?

[NewbiePoster]

Strictly speaking, the San Juan Islands are close enough for a weekly visit to Seattle. You might take a look at Orcas Island. But that's just me. I love the San Juans. But that's really pushing the envelope for visitability from Seattle. They have such a relaxed, laid-back rural feel, though. While the islands closer to Seattle feel a little more urban, even though they're fairly rural, too.

[prosin]

I live in North Kitsap, so I can help with information for that area.

But to clarify, Kingston is 90 minutes away from what? Downtown Seattle? Not accounting for traffic, Kingston is closer to an hour from Downtown Seattle. Hansville would be more like 90 minutes, and even that would depend on which area of Hansville.

Meth labs? Perhaps closer to the reservation (sorry, I had to say it). And don't hang out behind the AM/PM station. But otherwise life is pretty quiet.

Schools in Kingston: No school is perfect, but my kids have attended all four (Gordon Elem, Wolfle Elem, KMS, and KHS) at one time or another and I've liked all of them. They were better for my kids than the one they attended in another state before we moved here. Both elementaries rate a 7 on Great Schools, and KHS was just awarded a Silver Medal (top 7% of high schools in the country) for the second year in a row by US News & World Report. So I wouldn't say they're bad schools.

Kingston's proximity to Seattle (or lack thereof) is why it is so much less expensive to live in than Bainbridge. Commuters who take the Edmonds/Kingston ferry have to also drive or take public transportation to get to downtown which adds time and expense. A foot ferry from Kingston directly to the Coleman dock has tried and failed in private hands, but now a public option may be offered in the next couple of years. We'll see. If it's successful, that may drive up real estate prices a little. But generally, the further out you are from Seattle, the lower the price.

FYI: An odd phenomenon--it can be 10 to 15 degrees colder here than in Seattle on a summer's day. Last week when everyone was wilting when it was pushing 90 in downtown, it was about 78 degrees here. Warm but pleasant.

[toffee123]

@NewbiePoster
I used google map's driving direction, it will take 3 hours from Orcas Island to Seattle. To two retirees, it's a little too much driving.

Originally Posted by NewbiePoster

Strictly speaking, the San Juan Islands are close enough for a weekly visit to Seattle. You might take a look at Orcas Island. But that's just me. I love the San Juans. But that's really pushing the envelope for visitability from Seattle. They have such a relaxed, laid-back rural feel, though. While the islands closer to Seattle feel a little more urban, even though they're fairly rural, too.

@prosin.
all my driving time were came from google map, but I am glad to know that it will take less time.

Originally Posted by prosin

I live in North Kitsap, so I can help with information for that area.

But to clarify, Kingston is 90 minutes away from what? Downtown Seattle? Not accounting for traffic, Kingston is closer to an hour from Downtown Seattle. Hansville would be more like 90 minutes, and even that would depend on which area of Hansville.

Sounded like there's no known crime issues in Kingston and Hansville area, that is good to know.

Originally Posted by prosin

Meth labs? Perhaps closer to the reservation (sorry, I had to say it). And don't hang out behind the AM/PM station. But otherwise life is pretty quiet.

We are retirees without grade school kid, but again it's nice to know the schools are good.

Originally Posted by prosin

Schools in Kingston: No school is perfect, but my kids have attended all four (Gordon Elem, Wolfle Elem, KMS, and KHS) at one time or another and I've liked all of them. They were better for my kids than the one they attended in another state before we moved here. Both elementaries rate a 7 on Great Schools, and KHS was just awarded a Silver Medal (top 7% of high schools in the country) for the second year in a row by US News & World Report. So I wouldn't say they're bad schools.

That's quite OK with me, we probably enjoy hanging out in Ballard area as much as down town. So a direct ferry to Edmond is nice for us.

Originally Posted by prosin

Kingston's proximity to Seattle (or lack thereof) is why it is so much less expensive to live in than Bainbridge. Commuters who take the Edmonds/Kingston ferry have to also drive or take public transportation to get to downtown which adds time and expense. A foot ferry from Kingston directly to the Coleman dock has tried and failed in private hands, but now a public option may be offered in the next couple of years. We'll see. If it's successful, that may drive up real estate prices a little. But generally, the further out you are from Seattle, the lower the price.

FYI: An odd phenomenon--it can be 10 to 15 degrees colder here than in Seattle on a summer's day. Last week when everyone was wilting when it was pushing 90 in downtown, it was about 78 degrees here. Warm but pleasant.

Any opinion on east vs west side in Kingston/Hansville? Sunset view is nice, but east side has view of shipping lane and a bit of Seattle night lights.

[prosin]

Since no one else has chimed in yet, I'll clarify my points.

I don't want to make Kingston/Hansville sound like a utopia; there is crime here, but it's mostly drug/alcohol related, and if you don't partake, you shouldn't have an issue. Just use good common sense. We do have property crime, but mostly car prowls, so don't leave valuables out in the open.

OK, don't mean to brag, but I left the front door to my house WIDE OPEN (but "hidden" by a storm door) on a few "brain-fart" occasions. And when I came home, I had that horrid, sinking feeling--afraid I'd left the place to be ransacked, expecting the worst. Walked inside, and nothing was disturbed. So no one noticed the door was wide open unlocked. Either I'm darned lucky or I have the most fabulous neighbors ever. Perhaps both!

The ferry can be the bane of our existence. It's good to know the ferry schedule because then you will know when any traffic backups will occur. So my one-hour time frame is correct, if you are already close to the ferry dock and it's an off time (e.g. not early morning or Sunday afternoon/evening).

The downside to the eastern exposure is the smog. It can obscure the wonderful view of city lights and Mt. Rainier. The downside to the western exposure is that you won't see the city lights, but you will have magnificent views of the Olympics. It is a personal preference of which side is "better."

[sean98125]

Look at Vashon