Love Island Life

Learn about life as an islander, along with some insider secrets!

BAINBRIDGE ISLAND NEIGHBORHOODS

  • Located at the “northern” part of the island, these neighborhoods are in closer proximity to the Agate Pass Bridge. Many describe the feeling as East Coast / New England; with access to Port Madison Bay and Agate Pass waterfronts as well as some smaller bays like Manzanita.

    Elementary School

    • Captain Charles Wilkes Elementary

    Neighborhoods:

    • Agate Point

    • Port Madison

    • Sunrise/Rolling Bay

    • Manzanita/Seabold

    • Hidden Cove

  • Neighborhoods “mid-island” are centrally located and closer to Winslow. Here you’ll find a mix of townhomes, condos, and single-family residences; pockets of rural acreage in the Fletcher Bay and Battlepoint areas as well as paved streets and sidewalks in the Meadowmeer and Northtown Woods area.

    Elementary Schools:

    • Captain Charles Wilkes

    • Ordway Elementary

    Neighborhoods:

    • Meadowmeer

    • Arrow Point / Battlepoint

    • Fletcher Bay

    • Northtown Woods

    • Murden Cove / Manitou Beach

    • Ferncliff/Yeomalt

    • Northtown Woods

    • Winslow

    • Wingpoint

  • Often referred to as the “sunny southend”, many neighborhoods in this area enjoy southwest and western exposure. View and waterfront homes capture Rainier, Rich Pass, and Illahee Pass views. Lynwood Center and Pleasant Beach Village are home to dining, shops, and the historic Lynwood Theater. Crystal Springs, Blakely Harbor, and Fort Ward attract bikers, walkers, and runners alike and a popular destination for recreational activities.

    Neighborhoods:

    • Bill Point

    • Eagledale

    • Rockaway

    • Blakely Harbor

    • South Beach

    • Fort Ward

    • Lynwood Center

    • Point White

    • Crystal Springs

    • Baker Hill

The Commute | Life by Ferries

They say if you can make it on the island the first year, you’ll be here forever. Commuting by ferry can be both a pleasure and a pain, but I like to think of it as a privilege. Every day, we enjoy the scenic views of the island and Seattle skyline, without the hassle of bumper-to-bumper traffic and clogged highways. But it does take time to adjust. Dock to dock, the ferry is a 35-minute ride. But plan on 60-90 minutes door to door. Commute times vary when you travel by car, foot, or bike:

Car Commute

“Driving on” is a term you’ll hear frequently as this references driving your car onto the ferry. Cars are charged ferry fees both east and west travel.

Walk Commute

“Walking on” is just that - you’ll walk onto the ferry and can hop on the boat up until 2 minutes before the scheduled departure. Passengers only pay on westbound travel.

Bike & Motorcycle Commute

If you ride either, you’ll load and unload first. This is a great way to commute. Fees are less than car, more than passenger.

The Weather

As a native Californian, it took me a few years to adjust to our PNW weather, but now I wouldn’t trade it for anything! The island and Kitsap County and beyond is home to gorgeous parks, trails and scenic walks that can be enjoyed even in the rain.

You can expect a beautiful fall where we see temps up to 75 degrees through October. In November and December, we feel the cold settle in and rain begins along with shorter days - becoming dark as early as 4 pm. January and February bring colder weather and if we’re lucky, we’ll experience snow on the island. And it is truly magical. By March, the rain will continue, but this is when we see the light at the end of the tunnel with warmer and longer days!  Winter sports enthusiasts can still head to the mountains for snow! June is sometimes referred to as “JUNE-uary”, but we enter summer with the weather we wait for all year.

We love the four seasons and embrace the beauty island offers year-round!

Bainbridge Island FAQS

Where do I grocery shop?

Safeway is great and provides the affordable staples you need; they now offer curbside pick up as well as delivery.

Town & Country, known as T&C, is downtown in Winslow and is basically the Whole Foods of Bainbridge. Local, specialty products, deli, great wines, excellent produce and you’ll run into everyone you know there - haha (actually same with Safeway).

We’ve heard about power outages - what’s the deal?

Certain parts of the island have more than others. Our greatest hope is that someday, our lines will be buried;) But usually the heavily forested areas are the first to experience power outages due to downed trees. Power is usually restored within 24 hours. 

Where is the closest ….?

Truth be told, buying the basics in person can be challenging. To purchase the staples and literal staples, you’ll need to drive across the Agate Pass bridge for these. Target, Costco, Trader Joe’s are all in Silverdale which is a 30+ minute drive; I usually plan a day when I can swing through all those places at one time.

BUT, with that said you can order anything from Amazon and receive it the next day - we’ve had no issues with deliveries other than the pandemic supply chain issues everyone had.

What about heating, water, and cable?

Heating: is in the form of electric, forced air, and propane. A heat pump is a huge advantage for efficient heating. The island does not have natural gas.

Septic/Water: Many homes are on a septic system and some are on sewer. For water, we have public water and some homes have water provided by wells. 

Wifi/Cable: Almost all homes are equipped with high-speed connection and cable. I have only encountered one home that didn’t have either and it was very “off the grid”