Bill Radke speaks with Marie Vila, co-chair of Bremerton Neighborhoods Now!, about why she thinks block parties, potlucks and "crappy dinner parties" are what Bremerton needs right now.
00000181-fa79-da89-a38d-fb7f2bdc0000Seattle is the fastest-growing city in the country. That’s pushing housing costs higher. And it’s snarling traffic faster than we can build light rail.But just an hour across the water, there’s the town of Bremerton. It grew up around the Navy base there, and has long been a haven for artists and others drawn by low rents.Now it wants in on Seattle’s action. It’s hoping the new fast ferry, which starts running in July and will cut commute time in half, will make Bremerton appealing to Seattleites looking to escape.We look at the stakes for the little city across the water that wants to be big and prosperous, and what people fear they’ll lose when the new residents arrive.
Keep Bremerton gritty: Try ‘a crappy dinner party’

KUOW Photo/Megan Farmer
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