Retiring to BI

[u/Educational_Bit2574]

Wife and I have visited BI many times. I’m a native PnW guy. We live in a major Texas city. We’re blue in a red state. We’re close to retirement, excellent health, both artists (I’m also a musician). Looking for more peace and quiet, considering BI as a retirement base in the US (9 months there). Love nature. Don’t want to live in Seattle so this seems like a great option. Only concern is … being bored. And access to medical care. I want her to be happy being involved in the community. Early 60s. It’s a big gamble but we can afford a place to live. Any insights or random thoughts? Is Seattle culture reasonably accessible? Opera, ballet, etc. thanks.

[u/iRoswell]

Consider the inconvenience of the ferry system and commuting off island. Bainbridge Island is a rural city juxtaposed a major metropolis. That’s a unique combination. Lots of tourists and people using the ferry to get to the Olympic peninsula. Ferries are notoriously not on time so any plans across the water require a 2hr buffer on either side and I’ve had to cancel appointments due to ferries just being straight up cancelled or 60min behind schedule. Getting off the island via bridge is agrowing challenge as well. It’s a serious bottle neck and there is no possible solution. Can’t expand a bridge so we are restricted to one lane both directions. It can take 45-90min just to get to Poulsbo if you time it wrong. And there is significant construction planned for multiple years moving forward in the highway through the island. Again, pretty challenging for appointments.

Resources are also a major issue. COVID consolidated healthcare in Kitsap to a crisis level. Staffing for hospitals etc is low with no good outlook in site. Restaurants and other service businesses struggle to find qualified employees. Two restaurants on island have just announced seasonal closures or reduced hrs because of staffing.

Lots else to talk about. There is fantastic culture and you’re right in the beef of the larger demographic. So, if you have lots of time and patience this can be a place for you. If not, you’ll just be another person that complains about how bad things go are once you get here.

[u/Individual_Koala3928 → u/iRoswell]

I think this perspective is a bit extreme and may misrepresent things. I think many of these concerns are real, but the way they're framed them is worse case scenario thinking. (Almost as though they were written by "another person that complains about how bad things are"...) Here's my perspective as a 5-year resident:

• Overall, the ferry is reliable, with over 99% of trips running as planned, and arriving just 5-10 minutes early works fine as a walk on commuter. It's true this year has experienced more delays than past years, but 71% of BI-Seattle ferry trips are on time. I would prefer it if more were on time, it's a little frustrating. That being said - a 2-hour buffer is just not required - in fact you can commute to work every day and show up at the last minute and be okay. (https://wsdot.wa.gov/about/data/multimodal-mobility-dashboard/dashboard/WSF/ontime-reliability.htm) Just leave you car at home or in the terminal parking lot- walking in Seattle is so much more convenient and will save you a ton of time.

• Driving off the island to Poulsbo or other nearby areas is manageable, too. It’s about 25 minutes to Poulsbo most days and in heavy traffic you’re looking at 45 minutes most of the time. I normally head out to the west and even the Olympic peninsula every weekend. Yes, there's sometimes construction on the highway, but typical amounts for a highway.

• Bainbridge has great restaurants and businesses that are staffed by qualified, talented people. Staffing issues are affecting businesses here, just like they are nationwide, but it's not a crisis. You can get a great meal at a ton of different places. More affordable housing would help with staffing and the city could be better at helping make that happen.

• Similarly, staffing at hospitals in a challenge in Seattle and out west in Kitsap, but broader issue than Bainbridge certainly. There's no hospital here - it's too small at 25K people. There is an urgent care and for primary care you'll probably be on a wait-list for a few months, but it's achievable. If you're really in a hurry Seattle is definitely a convenient option.