Bellingham for Retirement? (Birch Bay, Blaine: apartment, vacation home, to buy)

[Beenhere4ever]

I've spent a few days in Bellingham, walked the downtown, taken the transit, etc. Feel like I have a smattering of knowledge. But my wife says "Well, Bellingham may have problems, too". Can't totally argue with that. I know some problems it doesn't have. Some of the "problems" are things I like that don't appeal to other people.

What do people who live around there think are the "problems". One thing I definitely like is the shortness of the trip to B.C. I have relatives who live there. They are my brother's children. When he retired from the Post Office, he got an apartment in Bellingham to make his trips to B.C. easy. I was even looking at Blaine WA, a place I've never spent an hour in (the longest time to get through the border crossing). Based on what I know, Bellingham is better.

[NW-to-SE]

Well, we haven't always seen eye-to-eye on other threads, but I'd like to throw some things out there.

Blaine is "less desirable" than Bellingham. It tends to have a lot of crime, quite a bit of poverty, and isn't a place I'd want to spend a lot of time. I've know people who lived in Blaine, and they were constantly dealing with crime. People who I know who WORK in Blaine won't live there.

There are positives about Bellingham for retirement. It's a great place for spending time outdoors when weather permits. It's quite beautiful. There are buses throughout the city when a person can no longer drive, and several assisted living facilities when it gets to that point.

For earlier retirement? My parents are retired, and my mom mostly gardens. My dad gets involved in groups with other retired people. What there is available depends on what you're interested in. A lot of people find the humidity is hard on them as they age. A lot of older people here snowbird to Arizona or Florida.

Negatives? People talk about crime- I don't think it's worse in Bellingham than other places? At least, I never feel unsafe in Bellingham- at least in the majority of areas. People talk about drugs- yes, there are drugs.... where are there not drugs? I don't think drugs are a problem unless you're hanging out with drug dealers or people who do drugs. You're not touched by drugs if you don't go looking for them.

What other negatives? I guess the weather- my old nemesis. You can tell me you don't get depressed when it rains, and that your family doesn't. But until you've lived here year-round for several years, you can't really know what it feels like to have an ever-present blanket of clouds/mist/rain. But if I were from another place in the country, that wouldn't deter me- since it would feel maybe like a welcome change from where I came from. The grass is ALWAYS greener.

[jojo7]

Originally Posted by Beenhere4ever

I've spent a few days in Bellingham, walked the downtown, taken the transit, etc. Feel like I have a smattering of knowledge. But my wife says "Well, Bellingham may have problems, too". Can't totally argue with that. I know some problems it doesn't have. Some of the "problems" are things I like that don't appeal to other people.

What do people who live around there think are the "problems". One thing I definitely like is the shortness of the trip to B.C. I have relatives who live there. They are my brother's children. When he retired from the Post Office, he got an apartment in Bellingham to make his trips to B.C. easy. I was even looking at Blaine WA, a place I've never spent an hour in (the longest time to get through the border crossing). Based on what I know, Bellingham is better.

If you want to check out Blaine, check Birch Bay Village. I don't live there full time, but we purchased a summer vacation home but we will eventually retire there one day. The people we have met so far (our neighbors) are really nice and it's a mix of people who live there permanently, retired folks and people like us who use it as a vacation home. The only downside that I've seen so far is being far from major stores which you would have to drive to Bellingham and is a good 25 minute drive. There is a grocery store within 2 miles so you wouldn't have to drive out to Bellingham to buy groceries but for clothing, movie theaters, etc. you would need to. Downtown Blaine really has a lot of potential but it is rather drab. Maybe if the economy picks more business will move in.

I've attached the link for you to check it out. The neighbors I have talked to have lived there for years and love it. Good luck!

Birch Bay Village, Birch Bay WA

[NW-to-SE]

Birch Bay has a lot of Canadians who own vacation homes there. It's quiet most of the year- I lived there for a while. I like living by the water. And it's COLD and rainy there most of the year, so it may be right up your alley.

When we retire, we want to move to the Oregon Coast. Beautiful. It rains, but it's quiet and peaceful, and I'd rather live on the actual ocean than in a harbor.