Outer Silverdale - Silverdale, WA

Outer Silverdale's proximity to the Naval Base Kitsap attracts young families and defense-industry employees. Typical of many rural Washington areas, the community started out as a logging center, but by 1878, deforestation transformed the area to an agricultural center. Outer Silverdale's strong farming tradition remains in some areas.

The Bangor naval station and submarine base added engineers, defense contractors and technical workers to the mix and set the stage for Outer Silverdale's population growth. The Naval Undersea Museum showcases many of the advancements that helped spur growth in the area.

The unincorporated city continues to be Kitsap County's center for shopping, but Outer Silverdale remains an outdoorsman's paradise. The Great Peninsula Conservancy hosts interactive tours and activities celebrating Outer Silverdale's natural beauty. The Chico Creek Salmon Walk, a guided tour heralding the return of the salmon, follows part of the Kitsap Peninsula salmon run every November. The conservancy also leads walks along wild Cowling Creek and hosts Discovery Play Days for kids.

Though the area does not have a central restaurant location, an eclectic selection of dining options awaits anyone hungry in Outer Silverdale.

Hospital food hardly garners any critic's attention, but diners at the Chipmunk Grill might say otherwise. This little diner in the lobby of the Silverdale Hospital disguises itself as a hospital cafeteria, but serves up sumptuous breakfast and brunch items at agreeable prices. Imagine what students all really want out of school lunch; biting into a hot melty Reuben sandwich at the Chipmunk Grill might make your dreams come true. The place also serves classic dinner items like burgers and fries, pasta dishes and pizza.

Northwest staples and flights of local beer grace the menu at the more upscale Silver City Restaurant and Bar. Clean lines and modern décor define the interior and diners often face a wait to get in. Locals love the northwest staples like panko-crusted mac and cheese and grilled Alaskan Sockeye salmon, as well as the craft beers served on tap. The house also makes its own ginger beer and root beer and has a quick weekday lunch service.

Happy hour gets a makeover as "Power Hour" at Silverdale's Old Town Pub. The pub holds the coveted position of local watering hole, where new and familiar friends gather for cold beers, sports watching and general carousing. This giant barn a few blocks from the waterfront has little aesthetic appeal but welcomes customers like an old friend.

Outer Silverdale manages a decent mix of business and pleasure, which adds up to a few surprises if you're heading for drinks after a day of shopping. One Ten Lounge in Poulsbo continues to expand its gargantuan martini menu, featuring everything from muddled blueberry martinis to cosmopolitans and desserts in a martini glass. Locals swear by the perfectly made classic martini, but it helps to have one style for every mood. Things can get rowdy during happy hour or when the place hosts live bands, but finding a seat at this neighborhood fave continues to be surprisingly easy. The lounge is a good example of the fun and exciting nightlife in the area.

The main thoroughfares through Outer Silverdale are Silverdale Way Northwest and Ridgetop Boulevard. Both run roughly north and south. Commuters take highway 308 to reach the 3 freeway with connections to Tacoma and the Olympic Peninsula. Kitsap Transit operates buses along Silverdale Way and Ridgetop Boulevard all the way into downtown and the Clear Creek Valley shopping area. Slower traffic along Ridgetop makes the roadway more scenic and locals often utilize the sidewalks that line the entire length off the roadway.

Cyclists must use caution as they do not have access to bike lanes and shoulders are relatively narrow. Locals looking for a cab can check with Lyft or Yellow Cab. These services can shuttle travelers to Bremerton National Airport.

Although Outer Silverdale abuts the northern coast of the Dyes Inlet, no ferries service the waterway. The upshot comes in the form of the occasional Orca pod visiting the inlet. Seattle commuters catch the closest ferry in Bremerton, a 9-mile journey south. Similarly remote is the Amtrak system, which comes no closer than Tacoma.

Outer Silverdale residents consider their town a hiking rather than walking neighborhood. The Clear Creek Trail winds throughout almost the entire neighborhood and many locals use the trail to reach shopping and recreation destinations.

It could be said that Outer Silverdale is one big park. The meandering Clear Creek Trail surrounds and intersects the neighborhood, making each loop and cul-de-sac an individual outdoor experience. The trail reaches as far south as the Dyes Inlet, and skirts the wetlands along the coast. A mix of paved and unpaved trails takes joggers and hikers through an astounding variety of park land.

Neighborhood residents consider Island Lake their neighborhood lake for canoe fishing, swimming and boating. The 23-acre Island Lake Park surrounds the lake with forested walking trails, picnic areas and a kids' playground. Summer concerts in the park occur annually. Weddings, reunions and parties hold sway at the park's rentable John Horsey Community Center, a spacious log cabin with vaulted wood ceilings and water views.

Dogs love the Silverdale Rotary Gateway Park for its shrubby off-leash area, and the added benefit of egress by means of the Clear Creek Trail. Both Silverdale Rotary and Island Lake Park provide free parking and recreational use.

A different kind of waterfront awaits Silverdale visitors and residents, and that's just how the locals like it. In contrast to Tacoma, Seattle and Bremerton, most of the Dyes Inlet shoreline remains pristine and wild.

Living costs hit surprisingly high in this somewhat isolated unincorporated district, ranking slightly lower than Poulsbo and considerably higher than Bremerton. Outer Silverdale's natural beauty and proximity to park land may account for this higher cost.

Rents run about $970 for a 1-bedroom apartment, and apartments and houses alike loop around and within the wetlands, open farmland and municipal park land of Silverdale. A pint of beer at happy hour can fizzle down to $2, while gas prices hover about 10 percent above than the national average.

Residents of Nearby Poulsbo and Bremerton and even folks from as far away as Tacoma roll into Silverdale for big box shopping. Costco, Best Buy and other big box stores dominate the shopping area north of Ridgetop Boulevard. For groceries locals hit up the Trader Joe's along Mickleberry Road, or the Safeway in the Clear Creek Valley shopping center.

Out-of-towners might be forgiven for being surprised at the smart local street styles in Outer Silverdale. Texas Glad Rags mends the style rift between Silverdale and Seattle with upscale women's clothing and accessories. The buyers at Texas Glad Rags seem to have an eye for great deals from Chanel, Prada, Gucci, Manolo's and lots of other designers. Shoppers feel welcome here and find the owners helpful and hands off.

Weekly from April through September Old Town Silverdale hosts one of the more picturesque local farmers markets, nestled between the boat launch and Waterfront Park. The market buzzes with local crafts and locally grown and raised vegetables and meat, and also hosts the annual Lavender Festival in July.

Many locals bypass the middleman and head straight for the supplier: Abundantly Green Certified Organic Produce. These guys supply local farmers markets and also run a CSA program during summer and a farm store open every Tuesday. Shoppers can find certified organic local chicken and pasture-raised beef and pork in addition to an abundance of fresh local fruit and veggies.

To complement the abundance of local goods, the simply named Asian Market under the 3 Freeway on Myhre Place stocks Asian staples like pickled items, noodles, wonton and lumpia wrappers and a wide array of Asian snacks and drinks.