Fancy A Fancy Bayside Town?

Ok, so Gig Harbor isn't super fancy (income level solid, not stellar), but it's pretty darn snazzy. Snazzy don't trump fancy, but it's still pretty good. This gorgeous photo may not do it all (like pay your rent), but it damn near says it all. One among a handful of cities that claim to be the gateway to the Olympic Penninsula, Gig Harbor may have the best claim of the bunch given its location smack dab in the armpit of the Evergreen gateway in question.

Gig Harbor's past is one manufacturing and commercial fishing, but like many a city that was once beholden to creaking, cranking, crusty ways of turning a buck, today the city relies more on tourism and the small business that cater to them for its economic livelihood.

Moving to Gig Harbor can be made easier by taking a look at our Apartment Guide. Dig deeper by checking out LocalTalk, where you can get advice and information relating to all things Gig and get answers to questions from reliable area experts using the ""Ask a Question"" feature.

Cutting To The Chase: Cost Concerns In Gig Harbor

So the time has come to get down to brass tacks, as they say. Views of crystal blue waters, fine dining, and an army of greenery dotting the hillsides mean little if you can't afford to be their neighbor. Face it, window shopping is a tease. So let us flesh out your options on the one, two, and three room fronts.

Check out our rental and census data tables as well as our other fact sheets for more info about affordability and options for your future new digs. Make like a tree and leave your worries behind by starting your apartment search via the rentals listed below.

Gig With It Folks! Move To Gig Harbor!

Don't be misled by the picture seen here, it doesn't actually snow very often in Gig Harbor. Like hardly ever. We think this picture may have been taken winter of 2008-2009 when the Pacific Northwest got plowed like the short kid by a torrent of snowballs. Gig Harbor does get cold (highs in the 40s in winter), but not usually all that frighteningly frigid.

Ah, but the summers? ""Beauty,"" the word, doesn't quite capture it. The concept does, just not the word, if we can get all philosophical for a moment. But pictures too, as you can see from this, this, and definitely this. As you may have guessed, Gig Harbor is a resort town of sorts. (Try saying that three times fast.) Though once an epicenter of just about every way to make moolah via the local bounty courtesy of mother nature, today it's almost entirely based on tourism and the economic livelihoods of the upscale residents that call it home year round. Fishing was once a really big deal, but in recent days, months, and years most fishermen (and fisherwomen) find it more worthwhile to make the long haul up to Alaska to secure their liquid lovin' loot.

Oh and here's a factoid that you may find of some value in your next desperate attempt at small talk: Jennifer Lopez's film Enough was filmed in Gig Harbor. Yea. It's true.

So, uh, what'd you say did for a living again?

Take Yourself For A Ride In Gig Harbor

In a seafaring craft like this one, with the help of Gig Harbor Rent-A-Boat and other companies in the business of taking long boat rides off of short piers. Power boats, canoes, kayaks, and even stand-up paddle boards (think surf boards that you ride like a skateboard - uh, but with a paddle) are yours for the taking. Scratch that, borrowing.

Land lovers may prefer to a city walking tour. There are no tour guides needed, not really. With the help of this map any visitor with a functional pair of legs and an itch to get kinetic is encouraged to strike out on their own. Speaking of striking out, you'll find ample opportunity to do just that among the city's numerous parks. It looks like Kenneth Leo Marvin Veterans Memorial Park is the go-to place for baseball and softball, but skaters will love to know that 3510 Grandview Street, Gig Harbor, Washington harbors (so to speak) a skate park that judging from this picture is a surefire winner.

Food. You need it, Gig Harbor's got it. And not just fish, but a veritable horn of plenty of wine bars, seafood, and even Indian. Now we don't link to places with bad reviews, so all of the above are guaranteed gastrointestinal game changers.

Ok, now we're hungry. See what you did?