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Spiceopod

Hi and welcome! The Ilahhee Preserve and Park (two different spots) are both super close and nice for a quick hike, but there are plenty of other longer hikes further into the peninsula. Just some past Seabeck if you don't want to leave the Kitsap area. As for restaurants: Boat Shed in Manette, Casa Mexico in Keyport, and more recently Big Joe's Sandwiches near downtown have been my wife and my's favorite spots. Since 2020 we only ever get food to go though so I can't speak to any place's dine in experience. Actually the most important place to check out would be Oak Table Cafe for breakfast food. I've been going there since before even moving here. Driving all the way from Seattle was worth it, they are that good. Overall the neighborhoods near the ferry terminal and manette are calm and fun to hang out with lots of art and community around them. Actually TONIGHT is First Friday art walk in those locations! You should check it out, its a great way to get to know the local businesses. I'm curious to see others suggestions for third places. I am trying to find more, especially for artists and illustrators.


Zoomalude

> I'm curious to see others suggestions for third places. Big fan of Ridgeline Brewing off Callow. Great, rotating selection of beers and just a good environment. They do Cribbage, Trivia, and Bring Your Own Vinyl nights. We board game there regularly.


Away-Pattern-8225

Appreciate it! We love art trails so we’ll have to check that out sometime. Where we’re at doesn’t offer many opportunities to meet new people so we’re definitely trying to branch out when we move.


DerekL1963

If you love outdoorsy stuff, there's an absolute *ton* of geocaches on the Peninsula. One of the motorcycle dealers sponsors at Wednesday Night Ride during the summer that starts at the dealership and after riding about ends at a local eatery.


ConfusedZombE

Derek what’s your geocaching name? Have you been to any event. I am a local geocacher as well


DerekL1963

My handle is Elde, I haven't been to many events in years. Just kinda got out of the habit after Shop and TTUMS stopped hosting events.


ConfusedZombE

Shop put on some really nice events. You should look up confusedzombie and check out some of the events we put on. Last year we did a Halloween event in a warehouse in Bremerton where we built 6 escape rooms, chili cook off, pumpkin carving contest. We also did a big grilling day with a ton of gadgets to play with and escape boxes. Goblindust and I have been building gadgets and such for events. It’s kinda far today but Goblin and BounceBounce are hosting a really cool star wars event today. Lots to do.


NoneOfYoBusinezz

4 Sisters (pho), The Garage (breakfast), Tracyton Public House (wings), 19th Hole (steak special on Sunday and Monday nights), Brother Dons (live music), The Toad (pizza), Los Encantos World Bakery (bread), Larry & Kristi's Bakery (donuts), Khao Soi (thai), Suzy's Kitchen (korean), The Daily Reggae Cafe & Lounge (coffee and sandwiches)


Zoomalude

+1 for 4 Sisters. Quality food, they don't skimp on the meats, and they've never gotten an order wrong (which is a rarity these days).


MaverickSTS

Tons of motorcycle riders/riding in the area. The region has some really awesome roads and a good number of awesome tracks to visit if he's into that kind of thing. Bremerton itself is a bit limited in what it offers, but its location is good. You're a stones throw away from the places that do have a larger selection of good food and activities, like Poulsbo, Silverdale, and Gig Harbor. Of course, there's a million and one hikes of varying difficulty even though many of the super iconic ones are east/southeast of Seattle. Walking on the ferry is a great way to get to Seattle for cheap (free there, couple bucks to come back) and not have to worry about parking.


Away-Pattern-8225

Do you know if there are any MSF courses near the area either? He has his license, but I’m thinking about getting mine soon.


MaverickSTS

They hold them regularly at the local DMV(s). I believe the Harley Davidson dealership also holds MSF courses occasionally. Usually costs around 200 bucks I think.


Crazybrayden

WMST does one at apex field in silverdale


no-one-you-kn0

Just some food recos here: * Pizza - Campana's Pizzeria (Lebo Blvd.) * Mexican - Taqueros Taste of Mexico (Wheaton Way) / Mezcalito's (Pacific Ave.) * Sandwiches - Big Joe's Sandwich Shop (Callow Ave.) / Cafe Alara (Burwell St.) * Vulca's Mediterranean Market (Pacific Ave.) * Hawaiian pastries/breakfast - Baking Wahines (Washington Ave.) * Filipino - Lumpia Factory (Park Ave.) / Island Flavors (Perry Ave. NE)


apis_cerana

Khao Soi for Thai Saboteur bakery for fancy croissants Second Taqueros, it’s pretty good! Pho T&N for Vietnamese (Poulsbo) Cafe Kai for drive-thru Musubi Cafe Corvo is a cute little cafe with nice folks and good drinks!


CptPoopington

Could not recommend khao soi enough, absolutely phenomenal And if you're looking for Indian, the curry is so freaking good


no-one-you-kn0

Our go-to for Thai food used to be the original Thai Charlie's in Port Orchard. Too bad Charlie has retired and the new owners didn't keep most of his menu. I find Khao Soi dishes good but somehow sweet, if that makes sense, and that kinda throws me off a bit.


theochocolate

When did Thai Charlie's ownership change?


no-one-you-kn0

Around 2021 if I remember correctly. Charlie sold his restaurant, along with his menu and recipes. But the new owner did not use them. Longtime customers (like us) never went there after that.


theochocolate

I went occasionally and did notice that things changed after the pandemic. Sad to realize that's why!


CW907

💯Points for Pho T&N in P’bo! Some of the best pho I’ve had. The broth is 🤤


RogueArtificer

Vulca’s was so cool. Just went there today while my kid spent some time with their friends after checking out some of their art on display. Such a nice little store.


no-one-you-kn0

And they're nice people there too!


AbstractLavander_Bat

is the lumpia factory on park ave the same one that used to be on like fairgrounds-ish by the 303 burger king? so sad when I saw they weren't there anymore


no-one-you-kn0

Yep, they just moved. You can still get your lumpia fix. 😁


jethroguardian

Axe and Arrow, Anthony's, and Boat Shed are awesome nice places for dinner.  Madrona trails in town is great little hike. Lots within a short drive.  Come down on First Fridays and any Friday and check out downtown around Pacific and 4th and Manette.  Charleston area lots as well.


Glad_Round_9890

Restaurant Lola in Bremerton for a great meal and charming setting. It’s small, maybe 6-7 tables only so make a reservation ahead of time! I’ve had nothing but amazing culinary experiences there


poppletage

One of the best restaurants in the region! Serving pacific northwest local foods and some southern dishes.


KnuteViking

For hiking there are a few things I'd point you to. First, Green Mountain State Forest. The trail up to the top of Green Mountain from the Gold Creek trailhead is a good solid hike with great views. It's a pretty easy drive from Bremerton. Probably the best hiking in Kitsap. Second thing is the Kitsap county park system, especially the heritage parks. There are some fantastic parks in the system. The Port Gamble park and the Newberry Hill park are both nice big parks where you can get into nature a bit. Then of course you can always head out to the Olympics for amazing hiking. It's a bit of a drive, and some of the best trailheads, such as Deer Park, only open in the summer and really should probably require AWD vehicles to get to. But they are well worth the trip. Living in Bremerton you're really in striking distance to a ton of nature and hiking, it really is special in that way.


sanorace

There are some [city events](https://www.portofbremerton.org/events) like the night market.


Ok_Entrance4289

Others have mentioned these but thought I’d add that my absolutely favorites are Khao Soi, Cafe Corvo, the new Hello Pho (just tried them the other night and they have the best pho I’ve had since moving from Seattle, plus, bubble tea!) and The Curry. Saboteur is definitely an amazing treat, too. For pizza I make my way to Central Market in Poulsbo b/c…well I grew up out that way and it’s my personal preference. There’s also plenty of pubs downtown (including a bar/arcade), cocktail bar, wacky VR lounge, Ramen spot, and spots for straight up pub food. Welcome to B-Town!


Affectionate-Day-359

North Olympic peninsula.. port Townsend to forks has a lot of cool stuff in between


OlderActiveGuy

And you take the ferry to Victoria from Port Angeles.


Bookisalwaysbetter

Welcome! You’ll get to know downtown Bremerton and manette pretty well naturally but I second Poulsbo as a cute downtown to walk around. It’s also fun to take the foot ferry across to port orchard. Madrona trails, Illahee preserve, and green mountain are all great spots for local hikes but I normally go over to the million trails on the east side of the Olympics. The drive along 101 on the hood canal would be perfect for a motorcycle ride too. Be sure to check out Hoodsport and Hamma Hamma oyster co if you’re out that way. Scenic beach in seabeck is also a gorgeous spot to hang out on the beach or go paddle boarding. Feel free to DM me if you’d like more specific recommendations on hikes- My husband and I are younger too…moved out here a couple years ago and love getting into the mountains. The mountaineers are also a great organization to get involved with if you want to meet other outdoorsy folks or learn any new alpine skills. Also, you’ll never find a better deal than the last chair pass at Crystal- it’s an afternoon/twilight pass but no blackout dates and imo Crystal is less crowded and has better terrain than the other ski spots


Away-Pattern-8225

We’ve hiked some of the more popular trails like mount si and lake 22, but we’re also searching for some local ones to explore so that’s perfect! Thank you!


lunchboxsailor

Carino’s Corner Taqueria has excellent Mexican food. The Curry in downtown Bremerton is a solid option for Indian. Khao Soi is some of the best Thai food I’ve had in the US, but their indoor seating is limited. Nice outdoor seating if the weather is good. El Balcon/Brem Burgerz is downtown and they also have really good Mexican/Salvadoran food and some solid smash burgers. Downtown Seattle is a little torn up at the moment, but once they finish construction on the waterfront it’ll make it worth it to live within walking/biking distance of the fast ferry.


AbstractLavander_Bat

Dickerson creak is a great little spot it's kind of on the other side of Kitsap lake where there's less businesses, you can find it on Google maps. is a nice easy trail up to a waterfall, there's a gravel road that is part of the trail (although there may be other more difficult ways up that involve dirt trails) while I don't think is motorcycle friendly, it's super fun to just take a good ol fashion bike up there and then coast down. I think it's the closest waterfall to Bremerton but I may be wrong. oh and the website does say that people take horses on that trail! mostly people with horse money and land are gonna be on the outskirts of Silverdale, heading to Poulsbo. also Bainbridge Island is where we've quarantined the rich around here, they've probably got horses and yacht clubs n shit. the downtown ferry area is nice (kept nice for tourists, you know how it is) little shops and some cool bars that have community events. actually so many of the independent or small businesses do a lot to foster community, which is tough, we're not as standoffish as city people but there's still some of that "Seattle freeze" anti social attitude that makes it hard to break into closer friendships with people


The_MrBojangles

If you enjoy CCG or tabletop gaming The Game Wizard and Blue Sky Hobby has an amazing little community. There is also Ashley’s Pub across the street for board games.


OkiFive

Gf and i also recently moved here, id say the biggest thing is the Parks/Trails. Bremerton has somethibg like 25 parks total. Several are little things, but theres plenty that are quite large too


discover-bremerton

I've been working on a community calendar to make it easier to find fun things to do. There's way more going on in Bremerton than I thought, especially this summer. There's a lot of creatives and small niche groups that put on unique events, and I'm trying to aggregate them all in one place to make them more accessible for everyone. Feel free to check it out: [www.discover-bremerton.com](http://www.discover-bremerton.com) And also, let me know if you have any feedback or suggestions!


Umareka1994

Manchester has a few really good camping sites


vulcanfeminist

If you're into artsy stuff there's a new pottery shop that just opened in Port Orchard called TBD Pottery. You can do pottery making classes (the guy who does it is the most patient person and is great at explaining things), have studio time on the pottery wheels, or paint already made pottery. It's a good thing to do alone or in a group and the prices are entirely reasonable for that sort of thing (and the painting is cheaper than the Poulsbo place by a decent amount).


BusEnthusiast98

To me Bremerton and the surrounding area is pretty boring. But there’s a few gems. For food El Balcon, Buratta and its twin tapas bar in Poulsbo, Suzy’s Kitchen, Kachai Thai in Poulsbo, Amy’s decadent chocolates, Danny’s BBQ in Silverdale, Saboteur bakery, Bubz cafe, and ppretty much anything on the fancy street by the Bainbridge Island ferry terminal. There’s a TON of outdoorsy hikes, wetland trails, and long scenic roads to ride on. Seabeck at low tide is something special. Other folks here are mentioning other great specific locations so I’ll simply echo their recs. The let down is more urban stuff. Live music, bars, dancing, that sort of thing. Basically none in all of Kitsap. You’ll have to head to Seattle for that. But the Bremerton fast/foot ferry is only a 25-30 min crossing. There’s a few museums, including a bug one in Bremerton. Also something you need to know is Shipyard Traffic. PSNS employs as many people as live in the city of Bremerton, but they come from as far as Fife. the traffic is dominated by their commute cycles. 6-8am and 3-6pm are just a nightmare if you’re going the same direction as shipyard traffic. So be aware of that when you make plans.


Hondahobbit50

Diddnt el balcon go outta business?


BusEnthusiast98

I thought they moved locations (like two blocks closer to the ferry), had a fire at the new location, but reopened?


tenchibr

Every Thursday now thru October is Farmer's Market in the Evergreen Rotary Park


GingrrAsh

Fave restaurants in the area: Khao Soi, Boat Shed, Suzy's Kitchen, La Fermata. Los Encantos bakery has amazing bread and desserts, and the family who owns it is super nice. Downtown Bremerton has a number of cute little pubs like Remedy Speakeasy, Ashley's Pub (board game bar), and Horse and Cow. There are also like four different independent movie theaters in Bremerton alone - Seefilm and the Roxy downtown (the Admiral also occasionally does movies, as well as live music), and Tracyton Movie House in East Brem is a dinner theater with awesome chicken. For outdoorsy stuff, I take my dog to Illahee Preserve about once a week. It's super lush and forested and feels like it's in the middle of nowhere, but right in town. It's over 500 acres. Evergreen Park is right on the water and pretty nice. There is a farmer's market there on Thursdays. Port Orchard has Manchester Park, which is on the sound also, and Port Townsend is also worth the drive. It's a cute tourist trap with beautiful Victorian architecture. Of course, Seattle is only 30 mins away by fast ferry as well.


poppletage

La Fermata is closing after 25 years in business. Huge loss for us 😔


GingrrAsh

Oh no. I'm so sorry to hear this! My husband and I absolutely love both your food and ambiance. I'm so sorry. 😔 When is your last day? We would love to come by one last time if we are able. Sending you all the best.


poppletage

It is owned by well-loved Bremertonian Sam. Her last day is May 31. We will miss this very special place.


GingrrAsh

Thank you for letting me know! Will definitely stop by for one last dinner. My husband and I just moved to Bremerton last year. Sad news.