Longbranch

Quietness, still waters, neighbors you can count on. Welcome to Lakebay. “You’re far enough away from the big city where the big city doesn’t influence you. You’re close enough that if you need services, you can get to them,” says Dave Walker, a Realtor with eXp Realty who has been selling around here and developing plats of land for nearly three decades. “Just the clarity of the water in Puget Sound is pretty amazing.” From Lakebay’s shores, you watch the water flow gently into the bay as it has for generations. At one time waterways were the most efficient way to move timber in and out of here. <br><br>Today, narrow roadways slope downward toward the water’s edge and up back up to flatter land lined with Cape Cods, modern farmhouses, some contemporaries and even transitional housing shrouded by towering trees.<br><br>Whether you’re value shopping or have greater spending flexibility, Lakebay offers pricing options. “What they can get for $600,000 in town, they can get out here for $350,000. There’s probably a 30 percent difference,” Walker shares. The median home price in Lakebay is $400,000. But with homes available from as low as $200,000 to as high as $1 million or more, homebuyers have a wide range of prices to select from. Walker explains, “There are quite a few entry-level homes in the middle $300,000s and up. You’ll find houses on the waterfront for $1 million.”<br><br>Peninsula School District, which Niche rates A-minus, serves Lakebay. Students attend Evergreen Elementary School, Key Peninsula Middle School and Peninsula High School, all of which Niche rates B-plus. Niche ranks the high school among the best in Washington. Beyond the school’s academic mission, compassionate Peninsula High students collected 1,000 teddy bears to send to children in war-torn Ukraine.<br><br>Meanwhile at home, it’s all about the great outdoors and folks spending recreational time at Penrose Point State Park on Mayo Cove. Named for Stephen Penrose, president of Whitman College at the turn of the 20th century, the park features more than 2 miles of saltwater shoreline plus 2.5 miles of hiking, biking and nature trails. Parkgoers can swim, boat, scuba dive, fish, water ski, birdwatch and more. “The park is the big draw. And the Puget Sound is a boating mecca,” Walker says.<br><br>As nice as having a boat is, it’s a car that you’ll need to grab food, and you’ll need to plan because nothing is close. Expect to spend time on the highway driving north into the next closest town for a sit-down meal at a place like 2 Margaritas, one of a handful of eateries and pubs. More likely, you’ll head 30 minutes away to Gig Harbor for a wider variety of menu options.<br><br>You’ll probably need to pack a lunch if any kind of serious shopping is in your sights. Gig Harbor, about 30 minutes away, is your closest option for grocery and retail options at places like Fred Meyer and Metropolitan Market. It’s also a good idea to make a list of what you’ve come for because there’s no such thing as heading back out for what you forgot to get. “Once you get home, it’s not like you’re going to say I forgot something and just find it up the road,” Walker admonishes.<br><br>That distance from so much of the mainstream makes it unlikely that Lakebay would host many major events or festivals. To be sure, Bluegrass music is popular out this way, and you’ll catch musical acts stopping by. More likely events include Key Peninsula celebrations like the Fourth of July Parade. For most of your bigger events, once more, plan to spend road time traveling to Gig Harbor. <br><br>Key Peninsula Highway is the primary and practically singular way into and out of town. So, prepare to become very familiar with the road as you’re navigating your trips to festivals and the like, especially as there’s no real mass transit system to speak of around here. If driving’s not your favorite activity, staying in will have to do. And for folks here, that’s just fine.