Possible move: Considering Gig Harbor and Kirkland. Any input????? (Seattle: real estate, home) - Washington (WA) -Seattle and King County Suburbs - City-Data Forum

tarasb · 08-21-2009, 11:01 PM

Hi! My husband, 3 month old daughter and I might possibly be moving to the area in a few months, and were pretty set on Gig Harbor up until a few days ago. We started researching Kirkland, which made us very confused! We were originally leaning toward GH because of good schools, the ability to have some space from neighbors and good home prices, and the fact that it's not super busy. WELL, that said, I like having restaurants, stores etc all readily available. I love being able to go on walks/runs in my neighborhood, or somehwere close to it. I would also like to be able to be near beach parks. Here is what we're looking for (ANY suggestions for where to live would be great):

-Great schools
-Safe neighborhood where you can walk/run etc/ family friendly for little ones
-A Good variety of restaurants that aren't super busy
-no more than a 40 minute commute to SeaTac
-A nice home that might need updating under 425000
-Beachpark access (although how busy are Kirklands beach parks?)
-Shopping no more than 10 minutes away
-We'd like a little space from neighbors, but I know you can't have it all

Seriously, we'll consider anywhere! A good friend lives in GH and has really gotten me excited about it. Any other places to consider would be wonderful! OR any input from people who live/have lived in these areas would be helpful too. Thanks

Also, as silly as it is, I've told a few people I might be moving to the area, and they tell me about the huge earthquake risk. Any ideas?

seattlenextyear · 08-22-2009, 12:21 AM

40 minute commute at what time of day? This is key to answering your question.

tarasb · 08-22-2009, 10:22 AM

He'll either be traveling around 4am or 4pm (depending on the shift he would get) coming home at 5am or 5pm.

karensells · 08-25-2009, 08:45 AM

I would not be considering Kirkland if you want to commute to Sea Tac.
What type of people do you want to live around? Casual, friendly, upscale & private.
Gig Harbor has more rain than some other areas. You can check out inches of rainfall on weather.com
Normandy Park, Burien, WA is right by the beach and close to Sea Tac.

Relocation Puget Sound WA · 12-10-2009, 04:31 PM

Hi Tara, I live in Gig Harbor and have for 15 years. It is absolutely hands down the place to live in my opinion. Yes we have rain, but so does the rest of the PNW. If you are looking for all of criterion listed above, you too will love it here. We have new shopping centers hidden among the trees in "Uptown" Gig Harbor, as well as, Gig Harbor "North" they are super cute with boutiques and fun restaurants that serve award winning food. My favorite new restaurant is The Blazing Onion. Down town Gig Harbor is where we walk in the evening and day time. The streets are lit, there more than 5 parks in the vicinity, summer time is the best with music festivals, art walks and more. I personally run through Canterwood which is an upscale community with a golf course it's right across the street from me. I just had a son and couldn't think of a better school district. The Peninsula District is rated among the best and have great sport teams and artistic programs. It definitely is a home town with a hidden luxury feel. Our town is a fishermen's village, with great history and friendly people. mod cut: I am excited for your move! Good Luck! Stephanie Johnson

busymomwa · 12-11-2009, 12:59 AM

Love Kirkland! It has everything on your list! I'm not sure about the commute time, I5 and 405 are pretty busy 24/7

ladygrace · 12-11-2009, 06:30 PM

[quote=Relocation Puget Sound WA;11975455]Hi Tara, I live in Gig Harbor and have for 15 years. It is absolutely hands down the place to live in my opinion. Yes we have rain, but so does the rest of the PNW. If you are looking for all of criterion listed above, you too will love it here. We have new shopping centers hidden among the trees in "Uptown" Gig Harbor, as well as, Gig Harbor "North" they are super cute with boutiques and fun restaurants that serve award winning food. My favorite new restaurant is The Blazing Onion. Down town Gig Harbor is where we walk in the evening and day time. The streets are lit, there more than 5 parks in the vicinity, summer time is the best with music festivals, art walks and more. I personally run through Canterwood which is an upscale community with a golf course it's right across the street from me. I just had a son and couldn't think of a better school district. The Peninsula District is rated among the best and have great sport teams and artistic programs. It definitely is a home town with a hidden luxury feel. Our town is a fishermen's village, with great history and friendly people. mod cut: I am excited for your move! Good Luck! Stephanie Johnson[/qu
OMG.......I need Seattle NOW!!!!

emouse · 12-14-2009, 01:28 AM

I lived in King County for fifteen years. Been gone for ten and am moving back soon.

I think it depends on where you work, if you do work. Some people don't, so that may not be an issue. I would put the commute considerations first.

As for Gig Harbor, I would advise reading the history of Gig Harbor. It's really interesting. Gig Harbor has been considered more of an outlying area until the last few years. Now people are discovering it's beauty and charm. Real estate prices are soaring there. I think its a real jewel in the crown for puget sound.

My only reservation are rumors about the Bremerton Shipyards. They can be hazardous for the whole Kitsap Peninsula area. Or so I have read. It's a controversial subject, but I err on the side of caution because I read there is a higher incidence of lukemia near Bremerton than other areas. Sorry for the damper, but I thought it worth mentioning.

You can research it for yourself. This is where I got my information.

US Navy Contractor Poisons Bremerton

You will have to extract the url from the line above. Then cut and past it. I don't think this forum allows links.
The website is full of information by a former navy shipyard employee.

Kirkland is above Bellevue. It's an upscale area with a lot to offer. You have to go across the bridge to get to Seattle. Or go over the top of the lake. So that is a consideration if you like going into the big city a lot. I remember it as being clean and manicured. And the schools are good from what I recall.

Good luck deciding. I hope you enjoy living here.

Inkpoe · 12-14-2009, 11:18 PM

Kirkland is a big area, but it also has some great schools too. Lake Washington School district has high ratings. But 405 runs through Kirkland, and you can expect a HUGE rush hour ache.

GH is a charming place. Have some relatives who live there, they say it literally has no traffic-- but they WORK in GH.

Either way, you can expect commuting to Seatac is going to be a pain during rush-hour. I would think GH be just a tad easier, but have no experience to back it up.

Look into Des Moines, Normandy Park, maybe even Federal Way-- its not as fancy as GH or Kirkland, but its on the water. Burien is revitalizing itself. Des Moines/Normandy Park has Mt. Rainier HS which offers IB programs, but otherwise the schools in that area are ok.

Jake840 · 12-15-2009, 07:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by emouse

My only reservation are rumors about the Bremerton Shipyards. They can be hazardous for the whole Kitsap Peninsula area. Or so I have read. It's a controversial subject, but I err on the side of caution because I read there is a higher incidence of lukemia near Bremerton than other areas. Sorry for the damper, but I thought it worth mentioning.

Seattle is just as close, if not closer to Bremerton as Gig Harbor is. I have never heard of there being an issue in Gig Harbor, Seattle or Bremerton for that matter.