Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
My husband and I are considering relocating to the Silverdale area in two years for my husband's job. He's civilian-government and this area is a possibility of offices to relocate to. We're in Hawaii now (Pearl Harbor) and it's just too darn expensive here (don't get me wrong, it is beautiful). We're trying to start a family and want to provide our family with more opportunities and lower cost of living. (Our other choices are Japan, San Diego or Norfolk, Virginia...or staying longer in Hawaii)
Would moving to the Silverdale area possibly be a good choice for us?
How do you feel about the public school system there? Are there private schools? I've read that Bellevue schools are top-knotch. Do you feel Silverdale schools are strong or lacking? Do you feel the children get good opportunities in Silverdale for their education, sports, music, arts/theatre, college bound opportunities, etc.?
Does Silverdale have a family/community type feel to the town or do most people just go their own way? Are there many types of community activities?
Is there a community theatre or community sports teams?
Is there a college/university extension near?
Do you feel the area is majority military/government or is there a nice balance of permanent hometown people? (Leaning toward, is it a transit town, lots of people moving in and out).
How do feel about crime in the area?
Do you feel that housing is worth current housing costs or is there an overinflation of prices?
How is medical care in Silverdale? Is there a hospital/medical center in town or if not, where is the closest one? Do you feel it's a well equipped hospital or are people transferred out to Seattle hospitals for further more extensive care?
How's the commute to Seattle for such things as major sports events, concerts, the SeaTac airport, checking out the restaurant scene?
How's the restaurant scene in Silverdale? A lot of chain restaurants or mom and pop type places? Is the town 'quaint' (or another cute adjective or do you feel there's something special to the town that makes it stand out as a place you'd want to live?
How's shopping? Big box stores such as Costco or Sam's Club and major chains as WalMart or Target? Is there a 'downtown' area with nice little shops and restaurants and a feeling of history?
What/Who is the bigger employers of the area besides the military/government?
Is the job market stagnant or does the Silverdale area provide good employment opportunities?
I'm a licensed massage therapist. Do you feel massage therapy is something that is wanted and used often? In a spa/salon type setting or a private massage office?
Is there a private airport nearby? My husband is also a private pilot and would like to get back into flying as it's been too expensive here.
What do you feel is the draw to the Silverdale area besides less expensive housing than the Seattle/Bainbridge Island area?
Would you want to live there and raise children?
Any and all replies are greatly appreciated. I want to try to help make the best choice for my family. Thank you in advance.
Mollie and Jonathan
Last edited by reddove113; 05-27-2007 at 03:23 PM..
Reason: forgot to ask something
that's a lot of questions about Silverdale! I don't think any of the regulars here are from there so I'll tell you what I can about it.
Shopping central for most of the Peninsula. Most big box stores are there and most chain restaraunts. If there's a downtown area, I don't know where it is although I hear they have a nice waterfront area. Poulsbo has a great (very little but cute) downtown though.
Crime feels relatively low. Feels safe. Most areas north of the mall seem like really nice places to live. It's one of the few areas I would live in with children, and have considered it from time to time.
Anyone who needs non-standard critical care will probably be forwarded to Seattle or Tacoma if they can't be helped there.
Employment might be difficult for certain fields. I would guess the shipyard in Bremerton is one of the biggest employers, even though it's not all military.
Commute to Seattle by ferry from Bremerton is about 45 minutes. Walking distance from the ferry to Seahawks/Mariners.
The draw to silverdale is likely lower cost housing and/or shopping conveniences.
Out of the places you've listed, I'd pick Silverdale. Although compared to the places you've listed, it might seem like life in the slow lane.
Well I can absolutely answer your questions! I live 20 minutes from Silverdale. It's the "shopping center" for Kitsap County. It has a large mall and good schools. I work for the biggest hospital (which is in Bremerton) and they just opened a large, new hospital in Silverdale a couple of years ago.
There is a waterfront area that has a farmer's market and lots of neat little places to poke around in. There is the "main shopping drag" with a large mall and the usual restaurants all around as well as a really cool new Barnes and Noble bookstore.
Let's see if I can name some of the stores for you: Costco, Best Buy, Target, Linens and Things, Sportsmans "something or other" (it's HUGE), Eddie Bauer.. and those aren't even stores at the mall! The mall has the B&N Bookstore, JC Penneys, Macy's (used to be the Bon Marche), Sears, and I can't even remember all the little stores there.
Let's see, you asked about massage therapist jobs? I would say you're in the right spot for that. My husband's chiropractor actually even has one in his office. Lots of retired firefighters on this side (from Seattle, you know; my husband is one) who need "adjustments," and their insurance pays for massages, so you can see this would be a good area for that.
Bremerton does have a private airstrip; it's in the Gorst/Belfair area, which is about 15-20 minutes from Silverdale. A lot of private pilots use it and love it. It does have an airport and a restaurant in the airport.
As far as comparing it to places on "the other side of the Sound," there is no comparison for me; we used to live in Bothell then Whidbey Island. Bothell was just way too busy and too expensive; Whidbey was too remote (I got "islanditis" there). The traffic on this side is sooooo much better as are the housing prices.
Great place for raising kids. Good schools (in the Central Kitsap district, which is where Silverdale is). I would like to mention, though, that the "hottest" area is where I live, which is in Seabeck. It is also a waterfront area; you are only 10-15 minutes to the Central Kitsap High School and the mall. The houses are a little more affordable out here. There is a brand new house down the road, close to Seabeck, that you would like, I think. It was just built this year and they have been doing landscaping to it. It's two stories and just gorgeous. Wish I could remember who built it, but really you should just look up Seabeck in the realtor site.
As far as employers, the military is the largest, and Harrison Medical Center is the second largest. Not sure who comes after that. I do think you would find exactly what you're looking for here, though.
Let me know if you need to know anything else. All the best to you in your search!
My husband and I are considering relocating to the Silverdale area in two years for my husband's job. He's civilian-government and this area is a possibility of offices to relocate to. We're in Hawaii now (Pearl Harbor) and it's just too darn expensive here (don't get me wrong, it is beautiful). We're trying to start a family and want to provide our family with more opportunities and lower cost of living. (Our other choices are Japan, San Diego or Norfolk, Virginia...or staying longer in Hawaii)
Would moving to the Silverdale area possibly be a good choice for us?
How do you feel about the public school system there? Are there private schools? I've read that Bellevue schools are top-knotch. Do you feel Silverdale schools are strong or lacking? Do you feel the children get good opportunities in Silverdale for their education, sports, music, arts/theatre, college bound opportunities, etc.?
Hi there, we've lived in Silverdale for a couple of years now. We have a 10 month old, so our knowledge of schools is a bit lacking, but we've heard they're very good. Yes there are a few private schools around.
Quote:
Does Silverdale have a family/community type feel to the town or do most people just go their own way? Are there many types of community activities?
Is there a community theatre or community sports teams?
I grew up in a small town in Texas which, during the 70s, could have passed for Mayberry on the Andy Griffith Show in terms of being a tight-knit community. Silverdale doesn't have that feel for me. That might be due to there being so many active military familes here. That said, there are some community sports teams (softball mostly).
Do you feel the area is majority military/government or is there a nice balance of permanent hometown people? (Leaning toward, is it a transit town, lots of people moving in and out).
It's a mix of both. In addition to the active military here, there also seems to be a lot of retired military as well. We're civilian.
Quote:
How do feel about crime in the area?
It's not even on our radar! The bakery did have some kids break into it on April 1st this year. Looks like they were after cookies as all they did was break into the store room. The cash register was untouched.
Quote:
Do you feel that housing is worth current housing costs or is there an overinflation of prices?
The housing situation in Seattle is out of control, and while Silverdale's situation is better than in Seattle, it's proximity to Seattle has kept the prices fairly high. It's like that pretty much all over the Puget Sound region.
Quote:
How is medical care in Silverdale? Is there a hospital/medical center in town or if not, where is the closest one? Do you feel it's a well equipped hospital or are people transferred out to Seattle hospitals for further more extensive care?
There's a very good, newer hospital here. Obviously Seattle is the place to go if you have extensive care needs.
Quote:
How's the commute to Seattle for such things as major sports events, concerts, the SeaTac airport, checking out the restaurant scene?
There are two ferry routes to choose from. The Bremerton crossing takes about an hour and the Bainbridge Island crossing takes about 30 minutes. The Bremerton ferry terminal is about 15-20 minutes from Silverdale, and the Bainbride Island terminal is about 30-40 minutes. Normally there's not much of a wait to go from the peninsula to Seattle, but coming the other way, especially during the summer as the weekend approaches, the wait can be quite long (2 hours or more at peak times).
Your other option is to drive up through Tacoma. I've made the drive from Silverdale to SeaTac airport in just over an hour, but normally it might take an additional 30 minutes drive time.
Quote:
How's the restaurant scene in Silverdale? A lot of chain restaurants or mom and pop type places?
Mostly chain restaurants.
Quote:
Is the town 'quaint' (or another cute adjective or do you feel there's something special to the town that makes it stand out as a place you'd want to live?
"Quaint" isn't a word I'd use. The town is pretty much dominated by the mall, with lots of strip malls spreading out in all directions. There is an "old towne" section, but it's quite tiny.
Quote:
How's shopping? Big box stores such as Costco or Sam's Club and major chains as WalMart or Target? Is there a 'downtown' area with nice little shops and restaurants and a feeling of history?
It's a shopper's paradise. More places to buy stuff than you can shake a stick at. No feeling of history at all.
Quote:
What/Who is the bigger employers of the area besides the military/government?
Retail/medical. There are quite a few medical clinics here.
Quote:
Is the job market stagnant or does the Silverdale area provide good employment opportunities?
Depends on what line of work you're in. I work in Bothell, which is nearly a 2 hour commute (each way) for me/
Quote:
I'm a licensed massage therapist. Do you feel massage therapy is something that is wanted and used often? In a spa/salon type setting or a private massage office?
It must be as there are several massage therapy places in town.
Quote:
Is there a private airport nearby? My husband is also a private pilot and would like to get back into flying as it's been too expensive here.
Yes. There are several private air fields around, and if he needs something a little more than just an air field, there's a good-sized airport in Bremerton.
Quote:
What do you feel is the draw to the Silverdale area besides less expensive housing than the Seattle/Bainbridge Island area?
Stunning natural beauty. Mountains + water. Most of the surrounding area is rural/farmland so you don't get that crowded feeling. Over on the East side, you can drive from town to town and never even know it, the sprawl is so bad. Lower crime over here, too.
Quote:
Would you want to live there and raise children?
We do and we are!
Quote:
Any and all replies are greatly appreciated. I want to try to help make the best choice for my family. Thank you in advance.
My husband is with the Navy and moved from Pearl Harbor to Poulsbo (10 minutes from Silverdale and smaller) in 1997. He was based at Bangor. If we'd had kids at the time it would have been a great place to raise a family and we probably would've stayed. It was just difficult to find non-military jobs that met both of our skill-sets. We moved to the north end of Seattle because we followed his new civilian job location.
The area is beautiful if you love the outdoors. Housing is reasonable in the area in comparison to Seattle, and the Eastside; it's a slower-paced life and I've heard (but not experienced) good things with the Kitsap Schools. We still like to visit by ferry for a day here and there. The work commute is a doozy if one of you is traveling into the city - I would definitely rethink location unless you lived on Bainbridge ($$) and walked on to the ferry for a job right downtown Seattle . . . or Kingston to Edmonds. If you have to deal with a car it's very expensive and will up your wait in the ferry line by an hour or more. My former commute was 2 hrs one-way . . . 3 months later I was DONE!
Welcome to Washington, it's a lovely place to live and raise a family AND much more affordable than Pearl Harbor!
Hi OP, did you and your husband end up moving to silverdale? If so, do you like it? My husband and I are in a pretty similar situation as you (as he works for Pearl Harbor now) and making plans to move to silverdale or poulsbo but want to know if there are other cities to consider. We have kids too and want to make sure the school system is awesome ( one of the many reasons why we are moving from Hawaii). Thanks!
It may be unlikely the OP will return to comment on this post, but I will try to help.
If I may ask, is your husband looking to work at PSNS or Naval Base Kitsap? If so, either location makes for a nice commute (usually under 30 minutes).
IMO, Central Kitsap (Silverdale) and North Kitsap (Poulsbo) school districts are pretty evenly matched for strengths. Both districts are unified school districts, so they serve all the way through K-12. Both, sadly, are facing tighter budgets over the next few years due to declining enrollments, so that may mean larger class sizes and some popular programs being reduced or eliminated. NKSD just hired a new superintendent so hopefully that will spark some creative solutions.
Previous posts on this string are 10 years old, so some information may be outdated. I'm happy to assist.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
or do you feel there's something special to the town that makes it stand out as a place you'd want to live?
Thank you!
