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The Port Blakely neighborhood is part of the greater Rockaway Beach community, located directly between South Beach and Bill Point. As is made obvious by the name, Port Blakely is located on the water, specifically a small inlet of the Puget Sound also shared by the northern section of South Beach. Because most of the homes here face south, Port Blakely residents enjoy stunning views of Mount Rainier. The few who are located out on the eastern tip are awarded with crystal-clear views of downtown Seattle. Similar to the homes in South Beach, many in Port Blakely are large, fairly new constructions ranging from about $700,000 to over $2,000,000. Almost across the board, Port Blakely residents share one thing in common: appreciation of recreation and leisure. They often take advantage of three trail systems: one that extends north along Rockaway Bluff Road and then branching off toward Taylor Ave and Pine Way, and the others branching off from Blakely Harbor Park both toward Island Wood Private Reserve and connecting to Fort Ward State Park. Blakely Harbor Park used to be home to the Port Blakely Mill, first operated by William Renton in 1863, and soon to become the largest single-building sawmill the world had ever seen [1]. As the mill was passed down to new owners, it eventually landed in the hands of the Eddy family who decided to close the mill and give back to the land. To this day, the Port Blakely legacy of stewardship persists by focusing on “intensive forest management, planting seedlings by hand and carefully balancing harvest and growth rates” [2]. You can be certain that the beautiful forestation surrounding your potential new home in Port Blakely will be well protected. Nowadays the 40 acre Blakely Harbor Park offers a trail system, beach access, and a kayak launch. On the eastern tip of Port Blakely lies Rockaway Beach Park. Though small, it is another area frequented by locals for recreation and leisure. In fact, its size is part of the draw when looking to get away from the sometimes chaotic larger parks. The biggest draw of Rockaway Beach Park, however, is the scuba diving [3]. Here, Blakely Rock, and Fort Ward State Park are the only three official scuba diving sites on the island (and they are all very proximal, so you can even afford to be choosy). In terms of proximity as a whole, Port Blakely is just a short distance away from the ferry terminal (just a little over a ten minute drive). So though you get to enjoy the peacefulness of the Port Blakely community, you will never be far from the island’s center of social life.
[1] http://www.biparks.org/parksandfacilities/pkblakelyharbor.html
[2] http://www.portblakely.com/pb-tree-farms/about/history
[3] http://www.biparks.org/parksandfacilities/pkrockawaybeach.html
