What can you folks from the Seattle area tell me about Vashon Island?

The ferries are reliable for the most part, but ferry runs are sometimes canceled or delayed due to high wind, low tides or mechanical problems and the ferries don't run 24 hours a day. If you miss the last one of the day, you are stuck for several hours until they start up again in the morning. It is expensive taking a car back and forth on the ferry: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/fares/FaresDetail.... You can walk on as a passenger for a more reasonable price, but unless you have a destination within walking distance of the ferry dock, you incur additional expense for bus or taxi fare: http://tripplanner.kingcounty.gov/

Bainbridge is more expensive because the ferry from there lands on a dock on the Seattle waterfront making it convenient for people who work right in downtown Seattle to either walk right from the ferry dock to their job or hop one of many frequent bus routes for a short trip: http://pnwtravels.hubpages.com/hub/seattle-ferry-t...

The ferry landing from Vashon Island is the Fauntleroy dock in West Seattle where you must then catch a bus (or buses) and pay an additional bus fare to get anywhere besides West Seattle. Between the ferry and the bus(es) you are probably looking at a minimum of an hour to an hour and a half commute time each way. If you try to drive, the ferry only holds so many cars so at busy times, you sometimes end up waiting for a boat or two before there is room to get on, making the commute time even longer. Some people consider the island life worth the hassle, but it is definitely not as affordable as it might seem when you add in the cost of commuting.

If you are new to the area, I'd try to find something in the Burien or DesMoines area which is fairly affordable and an easy commute to SeaTac. While renting there, take a few trips to Vashon and look around, see how you think you would feel about living there to get a better idea of whether or not taking the ferry every day would be worth the hassle. You can always move after your initial lease is up.

The Ferries are reliable for the most part, but delays do happen. Its highly unlikely you'd be stranded with no way to get off the island, but things such as unusually low tides or mechanical issues can affect schedules.

One of the main reasons Vashon Island is cheaper is because the cost of the ferries. There are very few jobs on the island, and leaving the island means an expensive ferry ride. So if you're commuting to the mainland daily, you'll spend more money on ferry rides than what you save on mortgage or rent payments.

You could save money by walking on the ferry. But then you'd need to rely on buses and other "inconvenient" forms of transportation once you reach the mainland. Its certainly possible, especially if you are heading someplace like the airport where there are always buses coming & going, but most people aren't willing to deal with the hassle - which is why real estate prices are so much cheaper.

Bainbridge Island is different because you don't have to rely on the ferries every single time. It connects to the mainland via a bridge on the north-west poriton of the island. So people who work in Poulsbo, Silverdale or Bremerton can simply drive to work without ever taking a ferry. Plus, as Tori mentioned some people walk-on the ferry and can easily get to work in Seattle via bus or walking from the ferry terminal. The walk-on rates for ferries are much cheaper vs taking your car.