Gig Harbor is the waterfront option for Bremerton sailors who don't mind a slightly longer commute. It sits south across the Tacoma Narrows in Pierce County — a picturesque working harbor with newer family neighborhoods and an easy hop to Tacoma and I-5 over the bridge.
What it's actually like, day one
The harbor itself is the postcard: fishing boats, a walkable downtown of shops and restaurants, and Mount Rainier on a clear day. Beyond it, Gig Harbor is comfortable, newer-built suburbia (Canterwood, the SR-16 corridor) with good schools in the Peninsula School District. Because it's on the Tacoma side of the Narrows, it pulls double duty — a reasonable Bremerton commute and quick access to Tacoma/I-5 for everything south.
The tradeoff
It's a Bremerton town, not a Bangor one — the drive north to Bangor is long, so this really fits sailors stationed at Bremerton (or who value the Tacoma connection). The harbor-side homes run expensive, and you're in a different county and school district than the rest of the Kitsap commute towns, so don't assume the same rules.
Verify before you sign
Confirm the Peninsula district school for the address, drive the SR-16 / Narrows commute to base at your report time (and budget the bridge toll), and check pricing — harbor-front and Canterwood are a different market than the SR-16 corridor.