Help honing in on locations (Seattle, Vancouver: apartment, to rent, how much)

[exp01020]

I'm a 50-something single retired person, currently living in an older neighborhood in Boise (fairly close to the capitol). I love my neighborhood, the size of the city, access to trails (2 blocks away), access to the river, walk-ability, bike-ability and more. I've lived here for 4 years. The problem is, I can't take the heat in the summer and I do miss "green". I could leave in the summer, sure, but that doesn't do wonders for developing friendships.

I don't normally do snow sports. I do hiking, birding, nature photography, camping, rafting, kayaking, mountain biking, gym. I can do cross-country skiing but am not interested in downhill skiing.

I lived in Portland for about 14 years and know the weather patterns on that side of the Cascades... it's probably a better fit for me, weather-wise. I don't want to go back to Portland -- it's become to congested and grungy for me.

I could use some help honing in on a location. One other thing - I can't stand frenetic city traffic. I'd rather not deal with that.

Rent or buy? Buy, once I'm sure of a good, walkable location.
Preferred housing cost? It depends on how much I can get for my house - maybe $500K - $600K
How large living space is required? 900 sq ft plus a garage. Current lot is 2000 sq ft which is fine.
Do you prefer rural or urban? Urban
Apartment or home? Home
Is mobile home park OK? Not sure yet - open to mobile home if location is right but would not want to rent a lot
How many minutes to groceries / services? 15
Walkable neighborhood? YES
Recreational and hobby activities? Hiking, biking, camping, volunteering outdoors, fishing
How many trips / month / yr to urban setting?(Seattle or Sea-Tac) 3 or 4 times per month maybe. Some access to major airport needed
How far is too far from urban needs? 20 min? or 2 hrs? (Medical / international airport) No medical needs now EXCEPT I do need ACA/Obamacare coverage. I have checked Anacortes, Bellingham, Sequim, Snohomish and all are doable, though choices are more limited in Snohomish. Boise has excellent healthcare and ACA market choices which include a gym membership, so I'm spoiled
Do you garden? (Available water, soils, sun, and micro climates) No

I'm thinking Anacortes or Bellingham. I prefer Anacortes because of the slower life-style, but I'm afraid I'll be driving a lot to Bellingham to meet people for hikes, birding trips, shopping at better grocery stores, etc. But I also think housing prices are higher there and it's grungier.

Any help, or am I on the right track? I think I'll have to rent a room up there before I sell my current house, but right now it's hard to tell where I'll be because there are so few houses on the market.


Edited to add one more comment: The "Growler noise" would drive me crazy if it is something that occurs often. I don't know if it is a normal, regular thing in Anacortes, and I don't know if it occurs at all in Bellingham.

[texasdiver]

Camas or Washougal WA across the river from Portland will check off all your requirements. You have Portland next door but the river and geography keep most of the traffic and Portland riff raff away. Camas and Washougal aren't really on the way to any place else so local traffic is never very heavy. About the only reason we ever go into Portland is for REI or Powell's. Vancouver and Camas have everything else we need. For recreation the Gorge is right at your footsteps and there are endless hiking and cross country skiing options on both sides of the Columbia as you already know if you lived in Portland for that long.

Get a place like this near downtown Camas and you can walk to pretty much all your needs including a good nearby Safeway, hardware store, and lots of shops and restaurants: https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1...23246454_zpid/

[StealthRabbit]

For your age and desires, I would look to areas around Bellingham. Several retired friends live in Ferndale, Birch Bay and near "The Firs" camp on Lake Whatcom. Having BC and San Juan and Gulf Islands nearby is a huge plus for outdoors / water activities. The climate is cooler there than southwestern WA (my current domicile) . Growler noise is infrequent near Bellingham, but there are other noises, and lots of traffic


When you are age 70+ you might like Vancouver/ Camas area for close proximity to many services and recreation, but.... You will miss access to inland ocean waters of NW WA. (We lived on Thetis Island (telegraph harbor) Daily kayaking and sailing.) Eagles perched on our deck railing each morning taunting the cat sitting safely behind the window on the back of the sofa.

Here is the active retiree local rag in SW WA. FYI, it's a pretty active place.
https://www.cityofvancouver.us/messenger
SWWA currently works well for my active retirement yrs (since I left employment at age 49), only because I'm gone as soon as the weather turns wet.

Have you checked out Moscow, CDL,, Hayden, Sandpoint as potential options?
I know ID has got hammered with growth, and housing costs.
Boise was one of my (3) NW choices when I left CO in 1980. Liberty Lake was my top choice, but the job was better in Vancouver, so I got wet for 37 miserable yrs. (prairie born and raised)

Also check https://rocusa.org/meet-the-communities/
As we've added some NW WA locations.

You sound like a good candidate for the cottage community I'm trying to find or create. I hear there is one near Camino Island, but have not gone to visit. There are some in Davis , CA, and also TN, VT and NH. I'm sure many I have not yet found.

[exp01020]

Thanks, Texasdiver and StealthRabbit. Yeah, I've already "done" the whole Portland area - I did consider Vancouver, WA but think I'd really enjoy the different ecosystems up north. There is so much exploring to do - new territory up there. It sounds like I'm on the right track. I'll check out the messenger and communities link. There's also a new co-housing unit going into Anacortes.

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by exp01020

... I'd really enjoy the different ecosystems up north. There is so much exploring to do - new territory up there. .

Here is a Bellingham senior report (for when you need / get old!)
https://www.bellinghamma.org/sites/g...2022_final.pdf

SWA recently added Bellingham Airport, so that will enhance your future sun-escapes.

I use San Diego, Bay area, LV (Utah parks) and Tucson for frequent trips to sun.
Spouse uses Hawaii

But we have (very cheap) homes in CO and Hill Country TX for long term PNW weather escapes. (Fly between them, not driving)

BTW, (3) retired friends live in Lynden and love it (but they are used to dairy farm smells)
Another friend from NC just bought a place in Birch Bay, others live at Pt Roberts (very low traffic, but you have to drive for services (when the border is open). Rough for ACA . Covid.

BTW... WA has great ACA rates if you keep earnings low, and live off savings / cash / barter. (Apple Care)

Get yourself a view home / apartment with a lot of south facing windows! Very important for our Boise and CO co-workers who moved to PNW we_tside.

[Blondebaerde]

Originally Posted by texasdiver

Camas or Washougal WA across the river from Portland will check off all your requirements. You have Portland next door but the river and geography keep most of the traffic and Portland riff raff away. Camas and Washougal aren't really on the way to any place else so local traffic is never very heavy. About the only reason we ever go into Portland is for REI or Powell's. Vancouver and Camas have everything else we need. For recreation the Gorge is right at your footsteps and there are endless hiking and cross country skiing options on both sides of the Columbia as you already know if you lived in Portland for that long.

Get a place like this near downtown Camas and you can walk to pretty much all your needs including a good nearby Safeway, hardware store, and lots of shops and restaurants: https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1...23246454_zpid/

Took a motorcycle loop through Washougal and Camas mid-July, just for something to do. Kirkland - Yakima - The Dalles / Hood River ....then west to Vancouver on the WA side this time. The Oregon side...I-84...is beautiful too. Took in a 5 mile run shoreline at Hood River and watched a wind surfing conference / event awhile too. Hundreds out, no great shock as that's probably a constant thing in the summer. About a 500 mile riding loop, easy enough as once I get going on the BMW sometimes I do substantial mileage in a day.

Anyway, wanted to see Camas as a possible retirement place along the lines of what OP describes. Couple observations when I eased into Camas: one, as you say there's little reason anyone would arrive non-deliberately, thus a bit quieter and out of the way. Two, downtown core was cute and quaint, dating from who knows when. And three, the suburbia-type homes (like the link you posted) were about what I'd expect in WA. I live in a similar place in Kirkland.

I'd like the amenities of Vancouver not too far down the road, and the recreation not too far east as-well. PDX is maybe 15 min away on a non-traffic day per Google Maps. Probably like SEA, one needs to time the traffic: SEA is 20-30 min from my house in slow traffic, a disaster at the wrong time of day. No surprise there.

Thx for description. Filing away in my head to reexamine in 10 years or so (TBD) when I decide to retire. The world will take funny turns between now and then, so who really knows but as my father used to say: plan for what you'll assume will happen, in my case retirement sometime between 62-67.

[mayfair]

Originally Posted by exp01020

Edited to add one more comment: The "Growler noise" would drive me crazy if it is something that occurs often. I don't know if it is a normal, regular thing in Anacortes, and I don't know if it occurs at all in Bellingham.

Anacortes gets Growler noise when they fly in certain paths. It can be very loud, just as loud as parts of Whidbey. Anacortes is nice town and would fit the criteria otherwise. There are tons of hiking trails, community forest lands, Washington Park etc. for birding and ferry access to the San Juans.

I haven't heard Growler noise in Bellingham. Bellingham gets train noise, and has an airport, so avoid those areas of town if noise is an issue.

[texasdiver]

Originally Posted by exp01020

Thanks, Texasdiver and StealthRabbit. Yeah, I've already "done" the whole Portland area - I did consider Vancouver, WA but think I'd really enjoy the different ecosystems up north. There is so much exploring to do - new territory up there. It sounds like I'm on the right track. I'll check out the messenger and communities link. There's also a new co-housing unit going into Anacortes.

Anacortes and Bellingham are good options if you don't need local employment. I would personally gravitate towards Bellingham as there is just a lot more to do in a town that size compared to Anacortes. Having access to Vancouver BC and the Vancouver BC airport for international flights is also a plus. At some point the Amtrak Cascades service between Bellingham and Vancouver should be restored (it was shut down for Covid) which means you will be able to take the train north to Vancouver or south to Seattle and not need a car for your urban adventures.

If you are looking for outdoor recreation and exploration there is a LOT of it on the BC side of the border on Vancouver Island and basically all of British Columbia.

[kavm]

Originally Posted by StealthRabbit

Here is a Bellingham senior report (for when you need / get old!)
https://www.bellinghamma.org/sites/g...2022_final.pdf

SWA recently added Bellingham Airport, so that will enhance your future sun-escapes.

I use San Diego, Bay area, LV (Utah parks) and Tucson for frequent trips to sun.
Spouse uses Hawaii

But we have (very cheap) homes in CO and Hill Country TX for long term PNW weather escapes. (Fly between them, not driving)

BTW, (3) retired friends live in Lynden and love it (but they are used to dairy farm smells)
Another friend from NC just bought a place in Birch Bay, others live at Pt Roberts (very low traffic, but you have to drive for services (when the border is open). Rough for ACA . Covid.

BTW... WA has great ACA rates if you keep earnings low, and live off savings / cash / barter. (Apple Care)

Get yourself a view home / apartment with a lot of south facing windows! Very important for our Boise and CO co-workers who moved to PNW we_tside.

SR - The Bellingham senior report is from Bellingham, MA. I think the OP is talking about Bellingham, WA…

[CrazyDonkey]

You seem to want somewhat contradictory things: urban, walkable, ungrungy, not far from shopping/services, a garage, minimal traffic, and affordable. Something's got to give.

Here's about as close as you're going to get:

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1...23367407_zpid/ (Anacortes, 82 walk score)

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/3...58466961_zpid/ (Olympia, 53 bike score)

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/7...23651598_zpid/ (Birch Bay, short walk to long beach)

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/2...23624540_zpid/ (Bellingham, 62 walk score/86 bike score)

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/2...38491811_zpid/ (North Everett, 76 walk score/78 bike score)

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/2...54048806_zpid/ (Poulsbo, 75 walk score)

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/4...49362408_zpid/ (Olympia, not walkable/bikeable, but natural setting and close to water)