Island home buyers almost always ask, “What’s it like to commute to Seattle on the ferry?“
The actual boat ride time is 35 minutes which you can spend reading or working in the “quiet room” (WiFi is available) or socializing with your commuter buddies (yes, we call them that!) in the galley area.
To the half hour of boat time, you need to factor in the time it takes on your means of transportation to get to the boat and to your office. Some bike and ride on the boat, some take the commuter-hours buses to the ferry and then walk to their Seattle office, and some drive and either park by the terminal or drive on the boat.
If you live fairly close to the ferry and your office is in downtown Seattle, you’ll probably have about an hour each way in commuting time, longer for farther locations.
Compared to living somewhere you must commute by car on congested highways, many Bainbridge commuters will tell you riding the ferry each day can’t be beat. It provides some “down time” before you even get home. Others take ferry time to continue their work day, go through their mail and otherwise put their commute to good use. It can be whatever you make it. Fridays will frequently find many workers enjoying a beer or wine with others on the way back to the island.
Not a bad start to a weekend, is it?
