Looking for Beautiful, Affordable, Liberal, Outdoors Town! (Seattle, Bellingham: houses, schools)

[ericwrenn]

Is this possible!?!

I'm looking (possibly in the Olympia area) for a place that has good access to outdoor mountain/water activities. My wife doesn't like too harsh winters, though.

If possible, I'd like to be in the 350-550 range for a large house with some property for my family and mother in law while still being within distance to great hiking (but also somewhat near an airport for other family).

We like nice, relaxed, friendly people--we're both teachers and I'm a photographer as well.

Any ideas?

[wythors]

I can't speak for the Olympia area, but Bellingham/Whatcom county fits all of your criteria very well.

College town with very liberal social and political leanings. MUCH more affordable housing than the Seattle area. Lots of open space and acreage in The County, as the city folks call it. They have a yearly event called Ski to Sea where they start snow skiing at Mt. Baker, bike to the city, then swim in Bellingham bay. Downtown Bellingham is about an hour from the Mt. Baker ski area, two hours from the North Cascade wilderness, on Puget Sound and a half hour from the Canadian border. Winters are very mild and summers are slightly warmer than Seattle.

[scirocco22]

Hi Eric. I'm pretty sure the above poster meant to say it the other way around pertaining to summer temperatures in that Bellingham will have slightly cooler temperatures than Seattle.

Average high temperature for the month of July for Bellingham is 73 degrees.

Average high temperature for the month of July for Seattle is 76 degrees.

Olympia is just a hair over that of Seattle. Average high temperature for the month of July is 77 degrees. Olympia will also have slightly cooler winter temperatures than either Seattle or Bellingham which sounds strange but really not.

I'd also favor Bellingham over Olympia.


Thanks, more later...

--'rocco

[Screenial]

Just wanted to add, the south side of Bellingham is liberal. The north side and out into Whatcom County can be very conservative.

[Toidd]

Bellingham and Olympia are very similar. The sound, lakes and mountains. Bellingham is 2+ hours to the airport and Olympia is less than an hour. For the price range you are looking at you couln't go wrong in either town. The avg. home sold in Olympia last month was $270,000.

[xboxmas]

Originally Posted by Toidd

Bellingham and Olympia are very similar. The sound, lakes and mountains. Bellingham is 2+ hours to the airport and Olympia is less than an hour. For the price range you are looking at you couln't go wrong in either town. The avg. home sold in Olympia last month was $270,000.

Bellingham actually has an airport

[wythors]

Originally Posted by scirocco22

Hi Eric. I'm pretty sure the above poster meant to say it the other way around pertaining to summer temperatures in that Bellingham will have slightly cooler temperatures than Seattle.

Average high temperature for the month of July for Bellingham is 73 degrees.

Average high temperature for the month of July for Seattle is 76 degrees.

Olympia is just a hair over that of Seattle. Average high temperature for the month of July is 77 degrees. Olympia will also have slightly cooler winter temperatures than either Seattle or Bellingham which sounds strange but really not.

I'd also favor Bellingham over Olympia.


Thanks, more later...

--'rocco

I speak from personal experience, not what I look up on the computer. During the period I lived in the area, it was usually a few degrees warmer, on average, than the Seattle area.

[scirocco22]

You didn't say that. I also lived there and found it to be just the opposite and that was the reason for my posting the averages from the NWS. A difference in 2 or 3 degrees should be inconsequential to anybody reading this thread. We shouldn't be arguing; sorry.

Thanks, more later...

--'rocco

[brightcopperkettles]

May I suggest Kitsap County? It is an hour away from the Seatac airport, which should meet all of your travel needs quite easily (I have flown everywhere from Germany to Denmark to India, etc., on direct flights from Seatac). Kitsap has a lot of housing that would fit your criteria very nicely. You could live in any of the areas in the county; as a matter of fact, my husband and I just drove by a new (gorgeous) community going up in Poulsbo now, and he thinks most of the houses there would fit your price range. The reason I mention Poulsbo is, like so much of Kitsap County, it has water everywhere, and all you have to do is go over on the Kingston ferry (about 15 min north of Poulsbo) to catch the ferry, and you can get up to Mount Baker in no time. Or, if you prefer, you can go the other direction over the Hood Canal Bridge and go up towards Port Townsend and go to the Olympic Mountains and Hoh rainforest (yep, we have a real, honest-to-goodness rain forest with trees hundreds of years old; that place will take your breath away, truly). If you are going to live in Washington, honestly you cannot beat Kitsap County...period. It has it all.

Good luck!

[WilliamTygart]

I live in Allyn and it is a great town to live in. During the summer time this area (Hood Canal) is where everyone comes to for their vacations. Hiking, camping, fishing, everything you can imagine!

In our area there are two different Salmon Enhancement groups that help with preserving the fish habitat and there are always opportunities to help out. The golfing community Lakeland Village has homes in your price range and a very active community group (with a high number of retired folks) that meet often.

The local schools have community advisory communities and active PTA's that could use the knowledge of some retired teachers. I have lived around the country (as a child growing up) as well as in the Orient and I fell in love with this area 15 years ago.

The other areas mentioned are beautiful as well, WA State has a lot to offer. If you like mountains, rivers, lakes, habitat, and a small community that allows you to be as involved as you want I think Belfair/Allyn is the place.

Get ahold of me if you would like any more info.