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Old 09-29-2011, 03:33 AM
 
3 posts, read 6,851 times
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I'm from SoCal looking to move to WA by next summer, and I need help finding New England style towns or villages. Something close to the water, maybe by a harbor or docking bays for boats. Also, preferably cloudy/rainy weather.

An example would be like the town filmed in the movie Charlie St. Cloud, if anyone has seen the movie. I know it was filmed around Vancouver but I'm looking for and towns similar.

Any help would be great. Thanks!
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Old 09-29-2011, 07:03 AM
 
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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Port Gamble was built intentionally to resemble an old Boston waterfront area. Unfortunately not much for sale or rent there. Other old waterfront towns in this area seem to be more European. I have seen some new England style homes in Port Townsend.


Port Gamble WA - Experience this jewel of the Kitsap Peninsula situated on the shores of scenic Hood Canal. - Port Gamble
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Old 09-29-2011, 01:19 PM
 
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Aberdeen. It was once the state's 4th largest population center so it has lots of affordable older houses and buildings. It is a harbor town, with gray skies and rain. Nearby Hoquiam and Comsopolis also have lots of historic homes. About 20 minutes from Aberdeen is Westport, home to the largest marina on the NW outer coast. 20 minutes away on the opposite side of the harbor is Ocean Shores, the largest Pacific coast beach town in Washington.
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Old 10-01-2011, 01:05 PM
 
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Thanks guys for the help. I will definitely look into these towns. Any more suggestions you guys have please share! I could use all the help I can get.

Thanks again!
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Old 10-05-2011, 12:07 PM
 
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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Quote:
Originally Posted by isaiahdc View Post
...Any more suggestions you guys have please share! I could use all the help I can get.
Depends what you want in the form of resemblance, but Definitely give a look to Poulsbo
Poulsbo - Kitsap County, WA USA

and Port Townsend (both on Olympic Peninsula).

There are many other likely choices on the east side of the Puget Sound, it just happens to be busier, and development $$ seem to change the ambiance of a 'village'. Might look to LaConner and Fairhaven as a couple choices, maybe the Boston Harbor area of Olympia.
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Old 10-05-2011, 12:33 PM
 
Location: Olympia
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No disrespect, but I wouldn't rate Aberdeen as a New England type town. It may have had charm a century ago, but large parts of it are quite run down and neglected.
A new version of a New England type village is Seabrook, just up the coast a bit from Ocean Shores. I would also second Port Townsend.
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Old 10-05-2011, 04:49 PM
 
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What aspect of a "New England Village" are you looking for? I've spent time here and there and there isn't much that captures that feeling here. There are lots of communities on the water, some of them are more insular and don't get much in the way of outside visitors and others go out of their way to cater to tourists.

But do expect significant amounts of rain and cloudy days 9 - 10 months out of the year, and expect summers to be cool. Days above 70 on the coast are few even in the summer. Even in the inland waterways like Puget Sound and Hood Canal you are still are going to have cooler days than even a few miles inland. It isn't unusual for the temperatures to be 10 -15 degrees cooler around Admiralty Inlet or the Strait than in Seattle.

You might be setting yourself up for disappointment if you are coming to the Pacific Northwest looking for New England. Things here are as different from New England as Southern California is.
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Old 10-05-2011, 07:53 PM
 
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I'd especially agree with Port Townsend and LaConner as have been mentioned. The other candidates listed are worth a look too and will give you a broad range of choices to review. I'd also throw out Anacortes and maybe Port Angeles. Gig Harbor.

If you are flexible about the state, you might also look at Astoria, Seaside, Manzanita, Bandon and Brookings OR.

If you want a village of under 5,000 people that will cut down the list. If you want or need a bigger place that criteria will also cut down the list.

If a certain architecture is very important than you'll probably want to look mainly (but not entirely) at the resort towns. If having more than a few folks actually working the water in traditional ways (as opposed to pure recreation) is important then look at the more blue collar towns. Some places have a decent amount of the architecture and traditional sea-based employment. Astoria might be one such place, Anacortes and Brookings might be as well.

If you can afford it, there is also the San Juan Islands- Friday Harbor, Orcas and Lopez.

They are not all equal on rain. The rainiest (Aberdeen, Astoria and Brookings and most of the Oregon coast average about 80 inches per year) get 3 times the amount of the least rainy (Port Townsend, Port Angeles and Anacortes average 20-25 inches of rain). Poulsbo get 50, Bandon gets 60.

Olympia is a moderate sized city but it has a nice main downtown harbor and lots of waterfront along several coves. 50 inches of rain.

Last edited by NW Crow; 10-05-2011 at 08:48 PM..
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Old 10-06-2011, 10:07 PM
 
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Originally Posted by Sandy Nelson View Post
No disrespect, but I wouldn't rate Aberdeen as a New England type town. It may have had charm a century ago, but large parts of it are quite run down and neglected.
Run down and neglected, just like much of New England. Fall River west.


But after researching the movie more, you probably want Pt. Townsend, but it doesn't get the rain Aberdeen does.
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Old 10-10-2011, 05:18 PM
 
3 posts, read 6,851 times
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Sorry, just wanted to shed more light on my situation. I'm a 22 year old student (sort of on a financial budget) looking to just rent an apt. Maybe you guys can help narrow down my search by not including expensive towns to live in. But not dirt cheap either.

I've looked into Port Townsend a little bit, but how affordable is it to live there? (renting apts and such).



Thanks again for the help & keep the suggestions coming!
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