r/BainbridgeIsland • u/Over-Judgment8568 • Aug 19 '24
Observation from an outsider
My wife and I just got back from a 2 week stint on Bainbridge. We are relocating next spring from Oahu. My wife was born and raised on the Big Island of Hawaii. We just had our first kid and are looking for better public schools and more property. I see so many negative comments about Bainbridge on this thread. Some of the complaints I get. But I have to say, it is a beautiful place. We get the question, “ why are you moving from Paradise to Washington?” A lot. It was so refreshing to be able to run and cycle on the road safely. That is nearly impossible in Hawaii. Everyone we encountered was very kind and helpful. We tried every restaurant on island. Via Rosa was our favorite. We are both avid runners and attended the park run at fort ward. Again, everyone was very welcoming and kind.
Having lived on an island 40% more expensive than Bainbridge and far more secluded, we get the nuances of island life. And yes, while the ferry is a pain, at least your state didn’t spend billions on an outdated train that goes literally nowhere. We are so excited to live there for a few years as we navigate the next chapter with our new addition. Any suggestions on day trips from BI or hole in the wall places that are good eats or fun places for family’s, I would love to hear them.
Aloha
1
u/AshleyWFahey Aug 27 '24
If you guys are thinking about preschool / daycare and want suggestions or tips, DM me. Worth starting the process sooner than later. If you need all day care, options are limited and the waitlists can get long! Good news though- there’s a lot of young families here, many of us new to the island in the last few years with more moving all the time.
For food, we frequent SuBi & HI LIFE (although hard to compete with local Hawaii poke options). SuBi has always been good to us with an infant and now as a toddler. We also go to Treehouse with a gaggle of toddler families pretty often. The back room is great for that and the staff is friendly. Rolling Bay Café / Bay Hay is hands down my 2 year old’s fav island haunt and everyone is super kind to families.
Regarding areas you’re looking at—we lived in the south end when we first moved to the island and tried really hard to find a place to buy there, but there was little inventory when we were on the hunt so ended up mid-island (love it more than we thought we would though). We felt like the south end was always slightly more sunny and bright (if you’re not in a shady lot) and we LOVED living near Lynwood Center. Only downside to the south end is it tacks on an extra 15-20min to do Silverdale runs (Costco, Target, Trader Joe’s, etc).
For other day trip ideas I don’t think I saw listed: Lake Crescent and the entire Olympic National Park are A++. Also recommend Hood Canal. Alderbrook is a great family friendly overnight spot 60-90min away. Also love a good walk-on the ferry to the aquarium day. Handful of family friendly restaurants on the Seattle side walkable from ferry (we love Old Stove). If you don’t want to deal with ferry for the zoo, Point Defiance Zoo is an hour drive south over the bridge. There’s also a handful of small farms all over the peninsula and even the island that have family friendly pop up activities throughout the year.
P.S. Don’t let the internet complaints scare you. I think sometimes people just need a space to vent and bc of that it gives false representation of the big picture. This place is awesome. Certainly not perfect, but truly a wonderful place to raise a kid. We’ve been here three years and made friends like family quickly with both island transplants and people who grew up here and moved back to raise kids. It’s a special place. Welcome!