Living in Bremerton - Illahee - Anne

What is your first name? Anne

How long have you lived in Bremerton? Moved back to Bremerton in 2018

What neighborhood do you live in? Illahee

Do you have pets? Yes, we have two kittens, Evie and Ellie

Do you own or rent your place? We own a house. After living in Denmark for 22 years, I am finally home again and able to show two of my sons who live here with me, more about their Mom's roots. We live on the same property that I did growing up here in Illahee, and we are so thankful for the spectacular view of the Sound and Bainbridge Island. From our house we can watch the boats go by, see sea lions, otters, and even orca whales. We have deer on our property, bald eagles and many other types of birds. I had missed the nature of this area so much while in Denmark, so it is a blessing that we now can appreciate every day.

How many people live in your household? Three. One adult and two children. I work for Central Kitsap Schools and also do Design & Stagin work. Sander is a freshman in High School, and Gabriel is a freshman at Olympic College.

Where do you buy your groceries? Trader Joe's and Costco mostly. Need to check out the new Sprouts in Silverdale.

Do you purchase from online retailers with home delivery--like Amazon, Walmart, etc.? What do you think about it? We use Amazon Prime a lot because of their fast delivery and easy return policy. Although, in the best double-moralistic fashion, I wish there was a better alternative--or that Amazon would contribute more to their employees and to society through taxes.

Do you have a car? Yes, We don't use it as much now with Covid. We park in the driveway or garage at the house.

Do you have a job? Yes, I'm a Behavioral Response Team Assistant. I've been doing that since October 2019 at Central Kitsap School District. I also am self-employed doing Design and Staging work. I drive to work. When school is not out because of Covid or vacation, I use the car a lot because my job is to drive to many different schools within the District every day and assist with behavior.

Favorite 'go-to' restaurant? Silver City and The Loft, Poulsbo

Favorite special occasion restaurant? Anthony's, Gig Harbor

What did you do your last three-day weekend? Skiing at Mt. Bachelor, Bend Oregon.

What do you do for fun/recreation? Eating out with friends. Skiing. The Bridge walk. Design & Staging.

What do you think of the Covid-19 epidemic in Bremerton? I am worried about how Covid will affect my work within the Schools, and also within the Real Estate market. Luckily we have many Federal and Military jobs here in this area. With more people able to work from home, maybe it will be easier for families from Seattle to move to Bremerton and enjoy the many advantages have in this area.

What is the best thing about Bremerton? Some of the best things about Bremerton. #1) It's home. #2)I t's very unpretentious #3) The absolutely stunning nature #4) Less traffic!

What is the biggest challenge for Bremerton? I feel one of the biggest challenges in Bremerton is the somewhat lower wages here in some fields as opposed to the Seattle/Bellevue/Kirkland area. Luckily our housing market here in Bremerton is strong, yet the properties here are still reasonably priced as opposed to those areas.

What do most people think of Bremerton? It is hard for me to say what people think about Bremerton now, because it has changed so much since I grew up here. I personally like that the area has grown and progressed, and has a bit more of a urban feel now. One thing that really has not changed though is The Shipyard and the influence of the military here. I think if you were coming here for the first time I would imagine you would be amazed by the nature and the charm of this area.

Anything else you want to say about Bremerton? It's great to be back.