With its pretty setting on Puget Sound, within a 15-minute drive of larger Port Orchard, the smaller community of Manchester offers suburban conveniences with the added bonus of peace, quiet, and more space. The sparkling waters of the sound are a big draw here and an influential part of the community’s personality, whether you’re exploring Manchester State Park on the shores of Rich Passage, or taking a sunset stroll along Beach Drive, from which you can see northward to downtown Seattle. Ideal for families looking for room to grow and roam, Manchester has shown a marked population rise in the past several years. The Fauntleroy ferry to West Seattle and Vashon Island is located a conveinent half-hour drive to the south, making it easy to pop over to the other side of the sound.