Kingston

Kingston is a blissful slice of paradise planted on Apple Tree Cove. The community is mainly comprised of 1,500 and growing. It’s characterized by an active civic pride that has been crafting plans to create a more walkable community. .From watering hanging flower pots along the roads to organizing the Kingston Farmers Market — from April to October — and the Fourth of July celebration, the Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Kingston Association, Kingston Stakeholders or the Kingston Citizen Advisory Council supplies the volunteers. Work is under way with the county to create a central park and community center called Kingston Village Green. Antique shops, restaurants, cafes, a library and a community center line the town’s main thoroughfare. Kingston’s recently opened Firehouse Theater plays both blockbusters and indie flicks. The two-screen movie house boasts comfortable seating and popcorn with real butter in what used to be the area’s fire station. Mike Wallace Memorial Park at the Port of Kingston Marina is the site of Kingston’s biggest community celebration: the Fourth of July concerts and fireworks. Other congregation spots in Kingston include Village Green Community Park, Arness Park and the Stillwater’s Environmental Education Center. Billie Johnson Skate Park is located at 26200 Lindvog Road, is a favorite hangout for teens honing their skateboarding and BMX tricks. Kingston was a rip-roaring lumber town in the early 1850’s. It’s quieter now as the sawmill is gone and the only sound is the occasional blast of a ferry whistle. Known as the “Little City by the Sea”, Kingston is the northern gateway to the Kitsap Peninsula and Olympic Peninsula. Founded in 1853 by Benjamin Bannister, the community was originally known as Apple Tree Cove. Although there was a wharf for shipping trade, extending to deep water as early as 1890, it was the little ships of the “mosquito fleet” that provided freight and passenger transport for the area. Kingston orchards and fields supplied fruit and produce for the Seattle markets. Passenger ferries began running to Seattle in the 1920’s, and the Kingston-Edmonds car ferry began as a private run in 1923. Since then much of Kingston’s community has been centered on the ferry link, which made Kingston a gateway for thousands of annual visitors to the Kitsap and Olympic Peninsulas Kingston serves as the western terminus of one of the busiest ferry runs on Puget Sound. A 30-minute ferry ride from Edmonds attracts commuters who spend their daytime hours on the east side, then leave the bigger cities to enjoy the peace and solitude of Kingston. Kingston is also now proud to host its own high school. Port of Kingston has over 50 visitor moorage slips and space for vessels up to 80’. Numerous amenities include Fuel Dock/pump-out, complimentary showers for visiting guests, Wi-Fi internet, gift shops, restaurants and coffee shops. Port of Kingston www.portofkingston.org