Gig Harbor Undressed

Great way to support our local Troops

If you, like me, feel indebted to our Troops serving in the military, follow this link to learn about a great way to support our Troops.  Find out what a Puyallup mom is doing and how you can help.

Bald Eagles

I was just looking through my photo file and found this shot that I took this past summer while on a friend’s boat just outside of the literal Gig Harbor.  Bald eagles are fairly common around here, but they still amaze me.  Their size and beauty are truly awe inspiring when you see them up close.   The photo below was taken last week when my wife and I were walking our baby girl and our dog along the Gig Harbor waterfront.  This bald eagle was just walking the beach at low tide looking for some food, right there in the Harbor.  Pretty cool to live in a place where this is the norm!

Gig Harbor YMCA

I finally used the new Gig Harbor YMCA last night.  The Y has been open on this side of the bridge for about 2 months now, but yesterday was the first time I’ve actually taken advantage of it.  Wow!  What a great facility.  There’s a very nice indoor track (which I will never use…too boring), several aerobics/pilates/yoga rooms, some spin cycle rooms, a very nice sized gym for basketball, volleyball, pickleball, etc, racquetball courts are almost done, a HUGE pool with lap lanes, kid play area, and really fun looking water-slide, free weights, machine weights, and enough cardio machines to accommodate the entire city (or so it seems).  Oh yeah, and a climbing wall for the kids!

My wife and I used some various cardio machines, the ones in front of the large flat screen, not the ones upstairs with their own TV’s mounted on them.  Each machine has a port for your headphones, with volume and channel control on the machine.  They were nicely spaced apart, plenty of ventilation, and just tons of them.

Swimming lessons for the kids are FREE!  Kids dropped off in the awesome nursery can also do the swimming lessons.  There is a free 12-week fitness program with personal trainer for members.  The Y was crawling with kids hanging out after school, and there were no problems at all.  These kids were having fun working out, not messing around.  It was a great experience all around…but now I’m sore.

Gig Harbor Homes For Sale

In this blog, I periodically look at the current local real estate market.  Today, I want to look again at homes currently for sale versus homes pending sales.  These numbers show that now is a great time to buy real estate in Gig Harbor.  Prices continue to rise all over Western Washington, which is good news for sellers, but the saturated home market indicates that this is one of the best opportunities for home buyers.

In Gig Harbor, there are currently only 34 homes pending sale, versus 599 actively for sale.  On the Key Peninsula, 20 homes are pending, while 273 are active.  Port Orchard has 64 pending homes, and 597 homes for sale.  Below is a look at the price range break down for homes actively for sale in Gig Harbor.  For the breakdown on other areas, please call or email me at mthomson@kw.com.

Gig Harbor

<$300,000                         30

$300,000-$399,999       102

$400,000-$499,999       80

$500,000-$599,999        81

$600,000-$699,999        71

$700,000-$799,999        79

$800,000-$899,999        45

$900,000-$999,999        26

$1M-$1.5M                       54

$1.5M-$2M                       19

$2M+                                 10

Gig Harbor is Beautiful!

I just wanted to share this quick photo collage that showed some of the true beauty of Gig Harbor, WA.  Basically, this is me learning new and fun things to do with photos on the computer!

Beautiful fall day @ Tides Tavern

My wife and I took a walk on a beautiful fall day here in Gig Harbor, the type of day others think we don’t get here in Washington.  Above is my oldest child, 8 year old Sebastian, watching over my youngest (and only human) child, 7 week old Reese.  Below is a shot of the Tides Tavern through some fall leaves.  The Tides Tavern is perhaps Gig Harbor’s most popular and most well-known spot to grab a bite.  You can reach the Tides however you’d like…many people boat up to the dock, others slide their kayaks right on shore, many motorcyclists will cruise in, others take the standard method of driving their car, and many walk to the convenient downtown Gig Harbor location. 

It is a Tavern, so you do have to be over 21 (bring your ID), but it’s a great spot for burgers, fish, salads, whatever you like.  The view can’t be beat, the atmosphere is exciting, the food is well worth the trip, and the price is right.  Be sure to visit their website for full details. 

Gig Harbor’s best Mexican Food–El Pueblito!

I was scolded today by a friend who knows me well.  They were shocked that I could write a blog about Gig Harbor and go this long without mentioning El Pueblito.  You see, my wife’s from Southern California, and real Mexican food is kind of like oxygen to her; it’s absolutely necessary.  We struggled to find a good Mexican food restaurant when we moved to this area, but we found El Pueblito about 4 years ago.

Located right across Harborview Drive from the Gig Harbor Marina (at the corner of Harborview and Rosedale), El Pueblito is not only Gig Harbor’s premier Mexican food restaurant, it’s got a prime location as well.  This is a family owned and operated business, and the service and atmosphere display the pride that they take in their work.

My wife and I have eaten at El Pueblito every Thursday night for 4 years, almost without fail.  It is our feel good spot, the place that we went for great Mexican food and also a place that made us feel like part of the community.  We are greeted with a smile, no longer are given menus as we order the same thing each time (#17, all chicken, and a Coke!), and feel like Norm on “Cheers” everytime we go there.

We’ve had birthday parties there, baby showers, my wife’s class party last year, celebratory meals, and just date nights.  Whatever the occasion, if you need a great Mexican food restaurant in Gig Harbor, El Pueblito is your place! 

SalmonChanted Evening coming to Gig Harbor

It’s back!  SalmonChanted Evening is Saturday, November 10th.  This is the auction and dinner held at the Best Western Wesley Inn on Kimball Drive in Gig Harbor, Wa.  15 artistically created salmon will be auctioned off, with proceeds benefiting the Peninsula Hands on Art and Harbor WildWatch foundations. 

The evening kicks off at 5:30pm.  Tickets for the event are $60.  To order tickets, you must call 253-853-4514.

Viewing Gig Harbor from One Point Fosdick

One Pt. Fosdick is one of the truly elite neighborhoods in Gig Harbor, perhaps in all of Western Washington.  This gated community is known for two things…large, beautiful homes and larger, more beautiful views.

Sitting on the hillside at the very point of Point Fosdick, One Point Fosdick offers views of Mt. Rainier, Tacoma, University Place (including the new championship golf course), Steilacoom, and Fox Island.  In addition to the great views, the location of this neighborhood is a plus.  Pt. Fosdick is just a quick jaunt from the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, offering you easy access to Tacoma.  For those who work in Seattle but want more house for less money, you’ll be less than one hour from downtown Seattle! 

Homes in this neighborhood range from 2500 square feet to over 6000 square feet!  Large home sizes, combined with the steep topography, mean that most homes won’t have much of a usable yard.  Home owners in One Pt. Fosdick are more than willing to trade in the maintenance of a large yard for the luxury of huge homes and great views. 

According to the NWMLS, only 6 homes have come for sale in this neighborhood in the past 3 years, with 4 of those closing sales.  All four of those sales were in 2004.  Currently, there are no homes for sale in this neighborhood. One of the things that makes this neighborhood so sought after is the fact that the homes rarely come for sale, and there are few if any vacant lots to build on.  The simple law of supply and demand help make this one of Gig Harbor’s finest neighborhoods.

Gig Harbor High School Tides Win @ State Cross Country

Gig Harbor High School narrowly missed a double championship today in Pasco, WA, at the Washington State Cross Country Championships.  The girls’ team won their 3rd consecutive State title in convincing fashion.  The Tides defeated 2nd place Eastlake High by 20 points, a huge margin at this level.  Congrats to these girls for an amazing accomplishment!

The boys’ team placed 2nd, a mere 4 points behind state powerhouse Mead High School from Spokane.  Senior Miles Unterreiner was the individual state champ, covering the 5k course in 15:39.  Just how dominant has Mead been?  In the past 20 years, they have won 13 state titles, placed 2nd 5 times, and 3rd twice.  For the Tides to come within 4 points of a state title is truly a great accomplishment, but I’m sure a heart breaker for the guys as well.

A huge congrats to both teams and Coach Patty Ley for a remarkable run.  Click here for complete state results.

Peninsula High School managed a 10th place finish in the 3A boys’ race, a great achievement from this team that missed the state meet last year.