Spring Creek Apartments in Bellingham.. Anyone? (real estate, apartment complex, rentals)

[LaniSue22]

I found an apartment complex online called Spring Creek. It seems really nice. It has an apple orchard, horse land and even a garden where you can plant your own stuff. It seems to get good reviews. Is anyone familiar with Spring Creek Apartments? Spring Creek Apartments | Bellingham, WA

If so, Can you tell me about the area? About the complex?

[CoastieTX]

I know nothing of the complex itself, but can give you my thoughts.

Since there are so many apartment complexes to choose from here, I personally would find one closer to the south end of town but not immediately next to the university. BUT, that's because I like our downtown, and numerous parks (Lake Padden, Boulevard, Whatcom Falls), inner urban trails, and roads with bike lanes. Generally, the south end of town has a more residential feel to it with established neighborhoods and outdoor recreation.

If you like shopping at the mall, big box stores and eating out, the apartments you're looking at would be close to all of that. They'll also be close to the Guide Meridian which has the worst traffic in Whatcom County right in that spot, too. The north side of Bellingham, which you're considering, is newer, busier, and has a more commercial feel to it. The few neighborhoods near there (Cordata and the homes east on Kellogg) are all very cookie-cutter, and there's no parks or other outdoor attractions that can compare to the parks on the south side.

So, it depends on what you're looking for. I personally feel the south side of Bellingham is what makes Bellingham Bellingham - downtown, the university, running trails, parks, etc. It is very quaint and I love living here. The stuff on the north side off of the guide is ugly, busy, commercial and residential sprawl intermingled without a lot of character but more shopping and services amenities. That's where a lot of the new growth took place.

I run by Padden Creek apartments near Fairhaven all the time and though they're not brand new, it seems to be a nice complex in a really, really nice location. However, I just read some reviews and apparently it's under new management that isn't as good as the old. But, the management and tenants are going to be a mixed bag no matter where you live.

I wish I could give you specific information on different apartments, but I can't. Again, apartments are a dime a dozen here, so with that in mind, I'd at least focus on the south side of town. And there are lots of other rentals here in Bellingham, too - over half of Bellingham rents. Definitely look at listings on our Craigslist for houses and condos to rent, too. Personally, I'll never live in an apartment complex again when there's other options.

Hope this helped. One more thing, I'd try to avoid any rentals associated with Copper Mountain Real Estate and Derek Stebner. This outfit has quite a reputation here and you can find all you want to know with google.

[LaniSue22]

Great, info. Thanks! I head that the south side is a bit more expensive, is that true?

[MGMT333]

stick with north b'ham. south is overpriced because of its location to WWU and east has a higher crime rate.

also, while what coastie said is true that the south side has better parks/trails, keep in mind that these are only useable 4 months out of the year, unless you're a fan of bone chilling cold and constant drizzle while having a picnic. Not worth the premium of living in that area.

Originally Posted by CoastieTX

So, it depends on what you're looking for. I personally feel the south side of Bellingham is what makes Bellingham Bellingham - downtown, the university, running trails, parks, etc. It is very quaint and I love living here. The stuff on the north side off of the guide is ugly, busy, commercial and residential sprawl intermingled without a lot of character but more shopping and services amenities. That's where a lot of the new growth took place.

Take this with a grain of salt, as its borderline insulting to someone who lives in north Bellingham. There's plenty of dirt to spill on south Bellingham which I won't go into unless you want me to - but the comments of Coastie should be very telling about the kind of people that live there.

[Bill Loney]

Originally Posted by MGMT333

also, while what coastie said is true that the south side has better parks/trails, keep in mind that these are only useable 4 months out of the year, unless you're a fan of bone chilling cold and constant drizzle while having a picnic. Not worth the premium of living in that area.

I agree about the S end being over priced, but the rest of your comments are absurd. Boulevard Park is awesome all year round.

Originally Posted by MGMT333

Take this with a grain of salt, as its borderline insulting to someone who lives in north Bellingham. There's plenty of dirt to spill on south Bellingham which I won't go into unless you want me to - but the comments of Coastie should be very telling about the kind of people that live there.

Coastie's comments are true regarding the ugly nature of the Mall area in general. There are some nice areas that are adjacent to it, but overall the feel of the Mall/Guide area isn't a good vibe to me anyway. Your comments about folks and the south side are just plain uninformed.

Interestingly the apartment complex mentioned, Spring Creek, is nestled north of the Home Depot Complex and seems like it's got a decent flavor to it, although I've never been inside.



That said, the traffic getting in and out of that area is not pleasant.

The South Side is more expensive Lani,. But bear in mind, there's less congestion and the schools are much better as well.

[MGMT333]

"good vibes" and "quaintness" are relative. Spring Creek apartments are in a great area. Another thing to keep in mind is that most, if not all the apartments in the southside area will be filled with college students. I would live there if renting a house, but not an apartment...(this coming from someone who spent 4 years living in south Bellingham)

[Bill Loney]

Originally Posted by MGMT333

"good vibes" and "quaintness" are relative. Spring Creek apartments are in a great area. Another thing to keep in mind is that most, if not all the apartments in the southside area will be filled with college students. I would live there if renting a house, but not an apartment...(this coming from someone who spent 4 years living in south Bellingham)

That's not entirely accurate. Apartments in and around the campus in places like Happy Valley and Sehome you're 100% right. But places closer to Fairhaven and further from the campus that's simply not the case.

[LaniSue22]

I'm tied between both North and South. North seems great because it's not so congested, More open space, possibly more trees? (can anyone verify that?). The south side seems great because from what i've read, it has alot of recreational activities. Will it be hard to find a nice apartment under $950 a month, in either the north or south side of town?

[MGMT333]

Originally Posted by Bill Loney

That's not entirely accurate. Apartments in and around the campus in places like Happy Valley and Sehome you're 100% right. But places closer to Fairhaven and further from the campus that's simply not the case.

I lived in the Fairhaven Park apartments for 4 years. over 50% of the tenants were college students, and things definitely got loud on weekends. So yes, it simply is the case. Unless something has drastically changed since I moved out 2 months ago after graduating.

[MGMT333]

Originally Posted by LaniSue22

I'm tied between both North and South. North seems great because it's not so congested, More open space, possibly more trees? (can anyone verify that?). The south side seems great because from what i've read, it has alot of recreational activities. Will it be hard to find a nice apartment under $950 a month, in either the north or south side of town?

Are you moving here with a family or by yourself? We can't give you a good idea on the price unless you tell us how big of an apartment you need.