Best Beach town in Washington? (Seattle, Everett: to buy, living in, restaurant)

[CrazyDonkey]

Also, if you check out Zillow, you'll see that sale prices along the coast have turned up over the last couple years, but are still far below their peaks before the mortgage crisis. There are a LOT of Ocean Shores properties on the market (but few on the beach), which could be helping to hold values down.

[shaylahc]

Are there any beach towns that are "hopping" year round? I know the San Juan Islands tends to be more seasonal.

[BellevueNative]

It's not that I don't like the Washington coast - on the contrary, it's very beautiful - it's just that there isn't much to do in the Washington coastal towns. Cannon Beach and Seaside in Oregon have more stuff for the family to do.

Seattlefun, it depends on what your motivations are. If you're just looking for an easy getaway for your family, Washington coast, San Juans or even Whidbey Island (VERY popular with families around here that want a weekend cabin) would all be good. But if you're hoping to often rent it out for vacationers, the Oregon coast or maybe San Juan island (whale tours) would be a better bet.

[kaday]

Does it have to be a beach town? Lots of people enjoy Lake Chelan. Friends have a rental there and do very well.

[seattlelatte]

Originally Posted by kaday

Does it have to be a beach town? Lots of people enjoy Lake Chelan. Friends have a rental there and do very well.

Love Chelan especially in the summer months

The weather is very predictable (sunny and warm, sometimes hot) unlike many WA coastal beach towns. It sometimes doesn't even feel like I'm in WA to me......more like Northern CA, NV.

[fy10fyr]

Originally Posted by shaylahc

Are there any beach towns that are "hopping" year round? I know the San Juan Islands tends to be more seasonal.

"Hopping" year round beach towns in Washington? On the Northern coast of the Pacific Ocean?

No.

Beach towns in Washington (for the most part) shut down after Labor Day, and are deserted by Halloween.

Not too hopping when there's only 6-8 hours of daylight, and pretty much constant fog, wind and rain.

[CrazyDonkey]

Originally Posted by fy10fyr

"Hopping" year round beach towns in Washington? On the Northern coast of the Pacific Ocean?

No.

Beach towns in Washington (for the most part) shut down after Labor Day, and are deserted by Halloween.

Not too hopping when there's only 6-8 hours of daylight, and pretty much constant fog, wind and rain.

Westsport has stuff going on pretty much year-round:

Westport, WA Events

Including: Storm watching, whale watching, fishing derbies (bottom-fish, halibut, salmon, tuna), festivals (Shorebird, Kite, Pirate Daze, Art, Seafood, Blues, Wine, Cranberry), oyster feeds, surfing contest, razor clam seasons, etc.

[tommy64]

Originally Posted by BellevueNative

For the coast: Long Beach. Otherwise, I'd pick a spot in the San Juans instead.

My family - and a lot of my friends' families - always went to the OREGON coast in the summers. The beaches there are more typical of summer beaches. Washington's coast is more rustic, and not as warm.

I agree. The Oregon coast is much better, and the towns are much cleaner and economically healthier. Astoria, Warrenton, even Coos Bay in my opinion beat Washington hands down.

[Botev1912]

I agree. Seaside, Cannon Beach and Florence are much better looking than any coastal town in WA

[Transmition]

Are there any good sandy beaches within an hour or two of Everett? I've checked out a few but none of them have much sand of any quality, either mostly pebbles or a dirt mixture.