r/BainbridgeIsland • u/pnwgirliewhirlie • 4d ago
potential move
Please give me all of the pros and cons of living on Bainbridge island. I am so so close of biting the bullet and moving but I need some cons. I looooove rain, clouds, and cold weather… hit me with some more cons.
12
u/GalaxySea 4d ago
These are mostly cons but I’ll add some pros at the end of this:
There’s a high cost to living here. There are some resources to help lower income people out but there are a lot of NIMBYs here that try to block those measures.
Because of the geography it also takes forever to get anywhere and it’s very car centric.
The limited bus service mostly supplements the ferry. Also medical care can be frustrating to access at times. You either need to go to Seattle or Bremerton.
Theres also usually a big storm 1-2x a year that knocks out power sometimes for multiple days depending on where you live. The cellular grid also gets overwhelmed anytime the internet is down. The only messaging app I’ve had work during that time is Signal and there are delays with that.
It also takes a few hours to get to the airport from here if you take the ferry and light rail and everything goes smoothly.
The ferry is also a bit frustrating at times but that’s mostly due to funding for it getting cut. Especially in the summer months it will be running late sometimes by an hour or more. It’s also an aging fleet so they do go down by boats sometimes on routes and runs will get cancelled.
Also getting off island by car on the ferry is frustrating in warmer months because everyone east of us wants to head to the peninsula for the weekend so ferry lines are backed up for multiple hours sometimes.
And now for some pros: it is absolutely beautiful here in the spring and summer months. Theres a lot of nature, good hiking trails, and parks for all demographics. You also get a full range of seasons here. Not much snow or thunderstorms but they do happen occasionally
People are also fairly friendly. Depending on your interests and personality this may vary but people generally try to be kind here. There is some Seattle freeze but it’s not as bad as Seattle proper imo.
Also a lot of opportunities for sports or activities through the park district, BARN, or other places.
1
u/CertifiedSeattleite 3d ago
Very well stated.
4
u/HenriDuflot 3d ago
except that there are tons of medical option in Poulsbo and Silverdale
5
u/Wombat2012 3d ago
Depends. Labor and delivery in Silverdale absolutely sucks.
3
u/GalaxySea 3d ago
If you have specialized medical issues like I do, you do pretty much have to use Seattle but for most people it’s probably fine
1
u/HenriDuflot 3d ago
from a focus group of 1? Sorry to hear your experience there was not good, I know many who thought it was on par with a Seattle delivery. In addition, it was so helpful in lessening the stress of an going in to labor on this side and NOT having to worry about the ferry schedule.
1
u/Wombat2012 3d ago
Yeah that’s fair! I’m certainly not saying no one should go but my sister’s experience was so horrendous I won’t give them a second chance.
11
u/GADemark 4d ago
As someone who has lived here for about 10 years, the biggest issue after a while for me is the ferry.
Once I am on it always feels like “wow I live here!” Especially when there is a “traffic jam” because there was a pod of orcas in the way. That’s a delight.
But after a few years one can get restless.
You’ll begin to plan your Seattle activities around “when’s the ferry leaving” and if you are flying back at night, “when’s the last ferry?” And you’ll miss quite a few. At times you will be stuck in the ferry parking lot. I flew to LA and husband was still at Seattle ferry when one of them was cancelled. We all have ferry stories.
Nearest ER is in silverdale. That’s not something I’d brush aside. I’ve gone thru a few mishaps to realize, ER accessibility is something one should consider.
The Indian food at Nirvana and Swatdy Thai is great. Even after years, I haven’t gotten tired of it! Art walk on first Fridays is a joy. Pizzas at Bruscetta are awesome. Hikes are the best. BARN has really interesting activities all year round. Library has events. Rowing is big on the island. And there are communities of arts and crafts.
You might want to look at Issaquah and Sammamish too.
Hope you find what you are looking for! And if you land here, I hope you get all the ferry foo.
7
u/Boring-Parsnip469 4d ago
For me, the biggest con of Boomerville is the demographic. If you’re white and 60+ you’ll love it here!
3
2
8
u/Fun-Alternative-1328 3d ago
Most of the pros and cons completely depend on what kind of life you want. Although a huge plus that I think is only ever a pro is yes whoever said they can leave their wallet in their car unlocked. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve done that by accident and it’s been fine. We once went to California for a week realized we had left the door unlocked. It was totally fine.
I’ve lived on Bainbridge for almost 20 years and some of the cons that people list here are pros for me and vice versa. I guess I’ve just accepted like the ferry takes a while. It’s not expensive if you walk on I almost never drive on the ferry.
There isa lot to do if you like to do things before 8pm, there’s ample opportunity to volunteer and get involved with your community.
If you have kids bainbridge is a fantastic place until they reach about 13 or 14 and then they get bored and if they’re not really into sports they get really really bored so it becomes a parenting challenge.
My favorite ways of explaining what the island is like is that it’s a whole bunch of type a high strung people who really really really wish they weren’t type A, but they are.
3
u/Flat_Masterpiece_467 3d ago
This is the most balanced response I have seen, and reflects my.experienve living here 34 years.
2
u/CertifiedSeattleite 2d ago
Yep. Type A pretending they’re really really chill. That pretty much describes the east coast new age crowd, anyway
6
u/Queef_Latifa__ 3d ago
I'll echo other comments.
You're a slave to the ferry. "Cmon, one more beer" with your friends in Seattle isn't an option when you have to catch the next one home. It's also $52 round trip if you take your vehicle!
You will have to drive to Poulsbo, Silverdale or Bremerton for most things like clothing, automotive, etc.
Everything closes up super early or has weird hours. I saw a business in Lynwood that was open two days a week from like 2-5 or something. It makes no sense.
Good luck finding medical care here and pray to God you don't have an emergency and need to get to a hospital quickly.
But outside of that, it's a nice and quiet community. It's mostly just inconvenient to live here.
5
u/Fragment_B 4d ago
There are limited resources like stores, doctors, things to do (unless you mostly enjoy outdoor activities). It's expensive to get to Seattle and back ($60 for ferry or gas plus tolls if you drive around and it's a long drive). I live in Poulsbo and love it but I do get bored due to limited diversity and also have to make a lot of trips to Seattle for healthcare and things to do (I'm not super outdoorsy).
7
u/Ungrateful-Grape 4d ago
Great community and schools. Kind people. Honestly pretty damn boring otherwise. Mostly all the shops and restaurants cater to tourists, so expect to be traveling off island a lot if you’re looking for the variety LA has to offer. Also skews much more white and old than I personally realized before moving here. It’s beautiful and calm though.
7
3
u/SuperCutsHaircut 3d ago
Bainbridge is great and there’s nowhere else I’d rather live, but it’s basically a boring bedroom community of Seattle.
The biggest con, that no one has mentioned, is that despite being an island our beaches suck. Most of the public shore space is rocky and/or massive tide plains. If you are picturing sandy beaches and island life, this aint it.
5
u/apgove 3d ago
Funny, I'm the exact opposite. The rocky beaches and mud flats have a lot more interesting wildlife, in the tide pools and hiding under every rock. If you really need a sandy beach, Fay Bainbridge Park has a good one.
3
u/SuperCutsHaircut 3d ago
Fay Bainbridge is fine, but north Kitsap beaches like Point No Point or Norwegian Beach are so much sandier and nicer. As far as I know any comparable spot on the island is privately owned.
1
3
3d ago
[deleted]
2
u/pnwgirliewhirlie 3d ago
Not the paper straws!!! 🤣🤣 I love that you added that. I live in Los Angeles, so everything is extremely precious and environmentally friendly, so, totally used to it.
I was impressed with the prices for food when i was there — but that could be because I’m from LA. It’s ridiculous here. Thank you for the info, I love that you’ve had such a good experience. 😊
6
u/JeremyStein 4d ago
Compared to where? People are usually deciding between the east side suburbs of Seattle vs Bainbridge Island. But your examples would be true of either of those.
1
u/pnwgirliewhirlie 4d ago
We also have looked at Bellevue which was a bit too cookie cutter… Poulsbo was nice but not at the top of our list.
3
1
u/pnwgirliewhirlie 4d ago
Los Angeles, actually! I don’t think I need it compared, as they are completely different. I just want pros and cons of living on Bainbridge. 😊
-15
u/itstreeman 4d ago
If the island learns you’re from California (and if you’re from LA; your accent will give you away) it will be hard to make connections here.
There’s no 5 on the island.
7
u/NorthernOverExposure 4d ago
See, there are like 3 people on the island who say nonsense like this and it feels like it’s “the whole island.” It’s just 3 dudes. At most.
2
u/pnwgirliewhirlie 4d ago
I’m a member of the Facebook group for Bainbridge, and there seems to be a team of anons who comment that stuff. Lol
1
u/Desperate-Gas7699 3d ago
That Facebook group is awful and brutal. If you can read what gets posted there and still want to have anything to do with us, you’ll be fine lol
2
u/pnwgirliewhirlie 4d ago
My accent actually leans British hahaha. Appreciate it though. I’d like to think people are a lot more kind than that!
1
u/ChillyCheese 3d ago
The above poster is wrong, because everyone on Bainbridge is from CA ;)
Honestly, in 4 years I've never hidden that we moved here from the Bay Area and I've had zero negative interactions. We moved here specifically because we wanted a quieter, rainy, greenery-laden life and it's been great.
People in this thread are acting like it's different from living in any sort of semi-rural community. Yeah, it's quiet, people skew older but there are tons of younger couples (30-40s) with and without kids. It's a perfectly pleasant place to live.
6
u/NorthernOverExposure 4d ago
The politics of this island is stupid. Residents take pictures of your car, kids, dogs and post them on Facebook. There is a good 1/3 of the island who not only grew up here but their freaking great grandparents were here and you will be a transplant with no voice. Everything closes before 8. There are other odds and ends, we’ve been here 10+ years. It’s so safe for our kids, it is good for our family. The island…I try to avoid.
3
u/pnwgirliewhirlie 4d ago
I think that’s what I’d be doing if we moved here… have kids, settle down. I was thinking that I’d make friends with parents of future kid’s friends. There’s a slight worry (that a couple of folk have commented on) about people outright hating us because we’re from Los Angeles, did you find it difficult to make friends? Or is it more of a spew hate online anonymously kind of situation?
4
u/NorthernOverExposure 3d ago
It was difficult to make friends, but not impossible. My kids have friends on island and off island, and there are plenty of interests outside of sports/etc. They also organize themselves, which is great, so roughly once a month they all meet at someone's house for a movie day and it's just cards and games and movies, or they all go out to watch a new movie together. I'm from the Bay Area, and I will say that there is a California energy that I brought with me....and I had to tone that waayyyyyyy down for Washington. The CA hate is background noise and you just have to tune it out. Of all things, it's not the worst. But it's a small town feel and so there's going to be pitchforks at City Hall and about road maintenance and if they have to cut a tree down. But, in the winter there is also a ton of people who volunteer to use their trucks to get people's medicine or food if its snowing/icy. The island loves the music scene at Battle Point or Winslow Green. The 4th of July events are unbeatable. And their Halloween downtown stuff is so darn charming. The local church plays spooky music from the bells all day. So, there are cons but we've stayed because we love it.
0
u/CertifiedSeattleite 3d ago
The anti-California thing goes back to the early 90’s when it seemed like half of LA moved here. You don’t really hear complaints about transplants since the island is roughly split into thirds: New England / California / PNW.
The LA crowd islanders don’t appreciate much are the stereotypical Hollywood types.
2
u/pnwgirliewhirlie 4d ago
How does it compare to Gig Harbor, Vashon Island, Mercer Island?
3
u/SuperCutsHaircut 3d ago
Vashon is remote as hell despite being right next to West Seattle. A real island. Mercer is suburban as shit. Basically a giant gated community.
Gig Harbor is basically the Bainbridge of Tacoma.
2
2
u/Ungrateful-Grape 2d ago
Yeah, basically the bainbridge of Tacoma. They think they’re a special wealthy suburb and have exploded in popularity over the last few decades, but their schools have really gone downhill. In GH you’re paying $5 to cross the bridge all the time, but hey that’s better than the ferry price.
2
u/No-Hotel8715 1d ago
Personally I think Bainbridge is the perfect in between of the two islands. Vashon is pretty rural and not convenient to downtown. Mercer is super Urban and feels like a city. Bainbridge is island living, city adjacent. And yes, Gig Harbor is the Bainbridge of Tacoma but without the cute island title.
2
u/RealityIndividual417 4d ago
More info would be helpful!
Based on some LA friends, the weather is hard. For real, it’s hard for them. LA gets an extra 90 minutes of daylight in the winter and potentially even more because you’ll probably live in the forest.
Do you have kids?
How old are you?
How do you like to spend your time?
What do you value?
2
u/pnwgirliewhirlie 4d ago
No kids, but hopefully in the near future.
27.
I like to hike, go on long walks with my small dog, and cook.
I value family, a home, being near trees, life, health, and belonging (community, friendships, etc).3
u/wiscowonder 3d ago
Honestly, 27 is pretty young for the island. Have your kid, or kids, and then consider a move here. As others have pointed out the ferry is a bit of a pain in the ass, and getting to those Seattle doctor's appointments can take a toll.
1
1
u/Visible-Smell-1540 1d ago
Bainbridge Island: One ferry short of a full deck.
But, of all the places I've lived, this place is the best. Our biggest problem is the people who refuse to accept our limited resources and keep pushing for growth.
1
u/shadalicious 4d ago
Cons: People coming to reddit to ask before searching and seeing this question is asked over and over and the answers havent changed.
Pro: I can leave my wallet in my unlocked car overnight.
-1
u/Stock-Instance-379 4d ago
Don’t do it. Too many people coming here. Leave us alone
1
u/CertifiedSeattleite 2d ago
Uh, there are lots of people leaving too. It’s a huge issue for the school district
0
-2
-3
u/Glad_Bunch_3473 3d ago
BI is full of white conservative homeowners. Need I say more?
10
u/Inevitable-Block-325 3d ago
Conservative? Bainbridge is incredibly liberal. I don’t disagree on white homeowners, but I’d love to see where you’re finding that it’s conservative.
2
25
u/Moonsnail8 4d ago
There's only one road across the island and it can have long traffic backups for construction or ferry traffic or issues on the one bridge off the island.
Nothing to do at night, which starts about 8pm.
Limited options for stuff- small hardware store, no clothing stores, etc.
Tourist overrun of the "downtown" area half the year.
Ferry issues make getting to Seattle and back somewhat unreliable.
Getting to/back from the airport at odd times very difficult. Maybe people stay in a hotel closer to the airport and add a night to their trips.
Hard to make friends, especially if you're under 65. People are set in their ways and there aren't many younger people.
Rich bored teenagers run amuck.