Vashon Island has many things to choose from to do on the Island. In the summer time you can find yourself going on a hike a mountain bike ride, or riding your horse throughout the many trails we have or even enjoy some time at the equestrian park for some practice time in the arena.
You can bike around the island on your own bicycle, or rent one at Vashon Adventures or Spider’s Ski and Sports. You can even bring your kayak or SUP, or rent one at Vashon Watersports. There are many beaches to enjoy (as long as you are familiar with public and private ones).

We are a foodies paradise with many restaurants to choose from, and to follow-up your meal you can enjoy a show at Vashon Center for the Arts or a fun movie at our Vashon Theater. There are plenty of fun happenings at Open Space and don’t forget to get some shopping in for Vashon memorabilia at our Pharmacy (and gift shop).

There are a lot of local artists on the Island. You can shop at Starving Artists Works (SAW) or enjoy an art tour of the many studios. We even have our very own event the first Friday of every month in which our local establishments highlight local artists works with music, dancing and art tours.

Whatever it is you would like to try while visiting Vashon, we are sure you’ll have a great time while you’re here.

Vashon’s waterfront spans roughly 80 square miles with most of that being waterfront properties. Vashon’s waterfront homes can price upwards of 40% more than the median cost of ~$750k though in November of 2021 the median price was up 14% compared to the previous year (according to Redfin).

Rentals on the Island can run roughly $2,000 for a 2 bedroom home, with yearly rentals being very scarce. Unfortunately this is pricing a majority of our residents off of the Island. Though there is some action being taken to alleviate the high rents for qualifying residents.

The crime rate in Vashon is somewhat higher than the national average of all communities in America from the largest to the smallest. However, at 15 crimes per one thousand residents, Vashon is not among the communities with a very high crime rate.

The chance of becoming a victim of either violent or property crime in Vashon is 1 in 69. Based on FBI crime data, Vashon is not one of the safest communities in America. Relative to Washington, Vashon has a crime rate that is higher than 44% of the state’s cities and towns of all sizes.

We like to think of our community as being nice, however there will be the occasional run-in with a resident is you cut them off at the four way stop or steal their parking at Thriftway.

Long term Islanders will often ask you how long you have lived here to get a feel for how dedicated you are to living here. 2 or more years, and we know that you are here for good. In which case, we are more likely to buy you a cup of coffee and make conversation that if you have only been here a short time.

So, as you can see, we are very nice people and very welcoming, however we must feel safe that you’re just as invested in sticking around as we are.

Vashon takes a bit of an effort to make a go of living here full time. The ferries are an adjustment and a true lesson in patience. Not to mention the West Seattle bridge being down, adding to the complication that keeps us on the Island more.

The cost of living can be a bit of an adjustment, and, while we have many shops to choose from, you aren’t always going to be able to find the things you need readily. You delivery drivers will become your closest friends, and will even provide you nice dog with a biscuit now and again.

The schools are some of the best in the Seattle area, and the community of families is close knit. We have many restaurants to choose from for an evening out, a well as many activities to keep you busy.

In conclusion, if you can adjust to the Island way of life, Vashon can be a good place to live.

Vashon Island has three swimming pools to choose from. There is the public Pool just outside of uptown, the pool for Vashon Athletic Club members to use, and the swimming pool available to the Golf and Swim Club closer to the South end of the Island.

Of course there are plenty of public beaches for you to take a dip in the 40-50 degree Fahrenheit saltwaters of Puget Sound if you dare.

One does not necessarily need a car to get around Vashon Island, though it does make your life a bit easier if you do.

There are buses that run along our Vashon Highway from the Tahlequah ferry terminal to the North end ferry terminal. Buses often coincide with the commuter ferry times, especially the passenger ferry that take commuters to the downtown Seattle dock Monday through Friday.

The residents are always happy to provide you with a lift should you need one. Just post what you need and the time on the Vashonites Facebook group, or you can let Jana know you need a ride and she’ll walk you through the Uber app for her to pick you up.

There is an Uber on Vashon Island, however it is a bit tricky on how you go about getting your ride set up. Due to the Island being surrounded by water and the need to take a ferry to get here, the Uber app doesn’t adjust for the mote that surrounds us. Therefore, drivers on the mainland will unknowingly pick up your ride request and get frustrated when they realize they need to take a boat to get to you.

Your best option is to contact Jana (you’ll have to get her number through the grapevine on the Island) and she will walk you through how to request a ride and she picks it up directly.

Vashon Island most definitely has a “Downtown”, however, the locals refer to it as “uptown”. It’s a term that was coined many, many years ago and tends to get used as new folks enter our sphere.

Uptown is located in the heart of the Island. Just under 5 miles from the North end ferry dock and 9 miles from the Tahlequah (South end) ferry terminal.

The ferry routes from both the North End and South End docks are roughly 15-20 minutes each (depending on the weather and the tides).