Poulsbo

For as long as saltwater from Puget Sound has flowed west onto the Suquamish’s sandy shores, the Suquamish Tribe, from which the neighborhood gets its name, has lived here. The Port of Madison Reservation’s forested landscape is just under 20 miles away from Seattle and 6 miles from eastern neighbor Poulsbo. Suquamish’s downtown is anchored by a museum, a community space off the dock where ceremonies are held and a gravesite honoring Suquamish leader, Chief Seattle. The Clearwater Casino and Resort incorporates tribal stories through artwork and images on the property while providing additional dining and employment opportunities for the entire community. Chief Seattle Days are held each August at the House of Awakened Culture as a tribute to the Suquamish Tribe leader. The three-day event includes canoe races, honoring the tribe’s reputation as expert canoe builders. A salmon bake gathers the community and pays respect to the Suquamish’s fishing and hunting skills. Traditional song and dance are woven into activities too, such as the Coastal Jam. At JC’s Grocery & Deli, shoppers can buy weekly groceries and have a sandwich prepared at the deli. Poulsbo – roughly 6 miles west – has a Safeway and Town & Country Market for fresh produce. Sully’s Bistro & Bar has locally crafted beers on tap and serves American bar food with a back patio that overlooks the Puget Sound and Mount Rainier. Clearwater Casino and Resort’s menus range from The Clearwater’s seafood and steak to Beach Glass Café’s casual American food. Washington state Route 305 runs from the Clearwater Casino and Resort on the peninsula’s eastern coast to Poulsbo, 5 miles away on the west coast. Along SR-305 are Kitsap Transit bus stops, which also branch north along Suquamish Way Northeast toward downtown, which is centered around the gravesite of Chief Seattle, the Suquamish Museum and the House of Awakened Culture, a Suquamish community space. Miller Bay Road leads roughly 8 miles northeast of downtown to Port of Kingston, where ferries travel to Seattle and Edmonds. Mature fir and pine trees line the streets and shade the backyards of houses on both the Port of Madison Reservation and outside the community. “Suquamish is a very mixed bag, so you will find manufactured home communities off Highway 305 and multimillion waterfront properties,” says Tracy Wall, a RE/MAX Connect broker who has sold in the area for over seven years. While the 1970s manufactured homes list between $50,000 for a two-bedroom and $115,000 for a three-bedroom double-wide, the single-family early 2000s, such as bungalows, start roughly at $270,000 for a one-bedroom and go up to $500,000 for a three-bedroom. New traditionals and contemporary 2000s are prominent along the shoreline, where homes are raised above the water and list between $989,000 and $2.5 million, depending on size. Because most of the land in the area is tribal, it may be required for new homebuyers to register through the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Puget Sound saltwater flows beneath the Suquamish Dock, which is frequented for sightseeing and canoe outings. Old Man Horse Park is tucked in the Agate Passage, where green space creates a path to the sandy shoreline where dogs and owners splash around in the water. Children climb the whale and rope nets on the ocean and ship-themed playground at Suquamish Park. White Horse Golf Club’s 18-hole course is also nearby, built to complement the natural landscape, with cedar and pine trees lining the rolling fairways. North Kitsap School District serves the neighborhood, where kindergarteners may start at Suquamish Elementary School, which earns a B-plus grade from Niche. Kingston Middle School has a B-minus, and Kingston High School maintains a B-plus. Kingston High offers courses for earning college credits, including Advanced Placement (AP) classes in environmental science.