Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I'm a native Californian headed north. I'll be applying for post-grad school in Vancouver but still have to finish my current Masters program. I have another almost 2 years. In the meantime, I'd like to move north, closer to Vancouver and Bellingham seems like a pretty decent place to me. I've read a lot of negative comments from the same couple of individuals who obviously haven't lived in California recently. I live in the Bay Area and the job market here is much worse than Bellingham. I graduated last year from my undergrad studies in a small college town here in Northern Cal that was kid friendly, but it was located in the valley, 100+ temps/humidity in the summer, far away from water. Had enough of that.
My grad school job at present is Social Work/Counseling and upon graduating from undergrad, and moving to the Bay Area, I was appalled to see that most jobs in my field paid as low as $10, without benefits, and these jobs are asking for a Masters degree! Most people I know, in their 30s, professionals, are living 3-5 to a house because they cannot afford a place on their own. People are getting married just to have two incomes to buy a house! And yes, we have the 8.5% tax that accompanies my one bedroom apartment rental at $1,000 a month (this is supposed to be cheap!). While I'm in my struggling college years, I'd rather struggle in a place like Bellingham. Oh, did I forget to mention the air quality that has been wrecking havoc on my daughter's lungs. Fortunately, she hasn't acquired asthma (we've only been in the bay area one year) but the asthma rate for kids who live here in most places is 80% and that's documented cases of children who had no previous respiratory ailments ( I know this info through my job in which I worked with these children along with collecting documented evidence provided by the state).
Belligham's schools seem to be decent, there is a University (great resource for me), lots of outdoor activities (I'm a cyclist), and lots for kids to do. I admit, I haven't been to Bellingham, but I do have a job lined up and I just cannot see how Bellingham can be that bad. I've looked on Craigslist at some fairly nice apartment/condo rentals in Bellingham and to know that I can have a 2-3 bedroom a little less than the $1,000 a month one bedroom I'm in now, I'll take being closer to the water and green, and great seafood, ANYDAY.
I don't mean to bash Cali. There are many great places here, if you can afford it, and I will still come here to visit and take my daughter to Disneyland. Houses are ridiculously overpriced, traffic is extreme, and it's just not for me right now. Hey, my car got broken into too and after the police report, nothing gets done, so no big news to me. I believe we all have good and bad experiences anywhere you go.
My questions to anyone who has had positive experiences living in Bellingham: I need to find an apartment and I wanted to know which are the best areas for kids? Also, is the University area decent? I'm not looking to move way out from where things are going on. Any suggestions appreciated.
Birch Bay to Bellingham is about a 25-30 minute drive (only about 16 miles as the crow flies...BB to Bellingham).....mostly freeway (I-5) and 5 or 6 miles of 2lane road into Birch Bay.
Not many apartments in Birch Bay but there are small houses, cottages, manufactured homes, etc.
There are also VERY large homes and gated neighborhoods around as well with some homes close to the million-dollar range...(Semiahmoo).
Saw a small....almost beachfront....3 BD house/cottage for rent earlier today in Birch Bay....across the street from the beach....$875/mo.
VERY easy commute into Bellingham...and a little less expensive....MUCH quieter and peaceful, IMO.
Birch Bay is part of the Blaine, Washington zip code (98230) and Blaine itself is only about 6 miles north of Birch Bay and RIGHT at the US-Canadian border.
Not much in Blaine....nice marina, a grocery store, a FEW restaurants.....but it IS RIGHT on the I-5 freeway and often there are huge traffic backups with people trying to get into the US or Canada....transients as well.
Birch Bay....on the other hand....NONE of that "rat race" at all.
you make some good points in "promoting" this area. most of them tetter harmlessly over the edge of reality, well enough left alone. however, your statement about no "rat race" in birch bay could be downright dangerous to anybody who chooses to believe it. birch bay has been a haven for all kinds of riff-raff and a rough crowd for years. and, with the proliferation of meth labs and addicts in particular it has gotten a lot worse. sadly, we don't have anywhere near enough of whatcom counties finest to respond. the bad guys know that and drug crazies don't care. during the summer you have more strength in numbers. winters a different story. as a lifetime resident you'd have to offer me free rent to stay in one of those cottages. and, i surely would not keep any valuables in the place. read the local crime reports. better yet, get to know the real story from some of the deputies themselves before you make any more statements like that. by the way, bellingham has the second fastest growing crime rate per capita in washington state. and, on any average summer season around here you can expect both the lake whatcom and lake padden swim areas to be closed due to fecal bacteria. and littered with garbage and out of control patrons on any hot summer day because the city claims that it can no longer afford to hire life guards.
Personally, I have not seen much of the "negatives" you speak of regarding life in Birch Bay.....or with the conditions of the lakes around Bellingham.
I know that Lakes Padden and Whatcom are NOT closed "50% of the time to fecal matter" but they HAVE been restricted to swimming on a FEW occasions.....many of which are related to high levels of bacteria......often related to algae growth after any lengthy periods of warm weather with no rainfall or wind. Red tide IS often a problem in the SALTWATER bays of the North Sound....especially in the summer months so shellfish harvesting can and does get prohibited when this occurs and you sure don't want to swim in it!
As far as Birch Bay goes.......the area is DEFINITELY NOT as bad as it was just not too many years ago!
Yes....there are still drug users around.....here and EVERYWHERE else in the country....BUT....METH LABS are just NOT to be found so much anymore in MANY places.....since the ingredients needed to make the crap are now.....MUCH more DIFFICULT to obtain.....namely ephedra and psudoephedrine. MOST meth that is around thesedays is actually produced in HUGE labs in Mexico and smuggled in.....like cocaine. Nope....the "local neighborhood" labs are ALMOST a thing of the past and the Law Enforcement agencies HERE and elsewhere would likely agree that there are NOT nearly as many meth labs around as there were even 3 or 4 years ago. With meth now far less available than it was......COCAINE has reemerged in a dramatic way as the "replacement" drug to meth.....so yeah, there is apparently a LOT of it around now.
I AM very glad that efforts have finally been made to shut down or prevent meth labs in the community!
That meth crap leaves a property a TOXIC WASTE SITE and worthless forever, IMO!
Drugs will ALWAYS be around in ANY community though.....no matter what efforts are made to stop it so that IS just a FACT of life in AMERICA!
Birch Bay.....OVERALL.....IS a SAFE, beautiful, peaceful and laid back, little community.....(more so than Bellingham). It often feels like it's really dominated by Canadians though......who definitely have a substancial number of "vacation" homes here and continue to buy up real estate here(in the newer developments mostly), since their dollar is basically equal to the American dollar and since real estate IS ASTRONOMICALLY HIGH around Vancouver BC!
Home prices ARE a BARGAIN HERE for many Canadians and they know it!
Last edited by Skytripper; 10-25-2007 at 04:25 PM..
sorry, didn't mean to be so harsh with you. but your "no rat race" in birch bay statement hits pretty close to home. the last known whereabouts of my sister and brother-in-laws teen age niece was in that vicinity. she is now addicted to meth and her brain cells and life is basically shot. overall, birch bay is a safe place. but parts of it are not. don't get me wrong i love birch bay and will always have fond memories of the summers out there.
and the deteriorating water quality of lake padden and whatcom is a serious problem. between whatever alien weeds have invaded the sound end of padden, the increased algae and fecal bacteria, it's a tough call whether to put up with the swimmers itch and sinus attacks i get from swimming out there anymore. and, chances are, it won't be long after they get up to speed in developing the 700+ homes that have been permitted for the surrounding hillside, that swimming at all will be toast. i remember when padden was part of the cities water supply and have been there since day one when it was opened to the public, so it is really sad to see how far downhill it has come.
this is not somebody just spewing negatives, but facts that should be known.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Skytripper
Personally, I have not seen much of the "negatives" you speak of regarding life in Birch Bay.....or with the conditions of the lakes around Bellingham.
I know that Lakes Padden and Whatcom are NOT closed "50% of the time to fecal matter" but they HAVE been restricted to swimming on a FEW occasions.....many of which are related to high levels of bacteria......often related to algae growth after any lengthy periods of warm weather with no rainfall or wind. Red tide IS often a problem in the SALTWATER bays of the North Sound....especially in the summer months so shellfish harvesting can and does get prohibited when this occurs and you sure don't want to swim in it!
As far as Birch Bay goes.......the area is DEFINITELY NOT as bad as it was just not too many years ago!
Yes....there are still drug users around.....here and EVERYWHERE else in the country....BUT....METH LABS are just NOT to be found so much anymore in MANY places.....since the ingredients needed to make the crap are now.....MUCH more DIFFICULT to obtain.....namely ephedra and psudoephedrine. MOST meth that is around thesedays is actually produced in HUGE labs in Mexico and smuggled in.....like cocaine. Nope....the "local neighborhood" labs are ALMOST a thing of the past and the Law Enforcement agencies HERE and elsewhere would likely agree that there are NOT nearly as many meth labs around as there were even 3 or 4 years ago. With meth now far less available than it was......COCAINE has reemerged in a dramatic way as the "replacement" drug to meth.....so yeah, there is apparently a LOT of it around now.
I AM very glad that efforts have finally been made to shut down or prevent meth labs in the community!
That meth crap leaves a property a TOXIC WASTE SITE and worthless forever, IMO!
Drugs will ALWAYS be around in ANY community though.....no matter what efforts are made to stop it so that IS just a FACT of life in AMERICA!
Birch Bay.....OVERALL.....IS a SAFE, beautiful, peaceful and laid back, little community.....(more so than Bellingham). It often feels like it's really dominated by Canadians though......who definitely have a substancial number of "vacation" homes here and continue to buy up real estate here(in the newer developments mostly), since their dollar is basically equal to the American dollar and since real estate IS ASTRONOMICALLY HIGH around Vancouver BC!
Home prices ARE a BARGAIN HERE for many Canadians and they know it!
I might be making the move to the area between Ferndale and Bellingham and I had a hockey question. Is there a strong youth hockey base in the Bellingham area? Would it be more realistic that I would have to drive to the Vancouver area to play some good hockey? How is the drive from Bellingham to Vancouver? I don't want to move to a town where my kids will be limited to some C level hockey programs.
Birch Bay is cleaning up a bit and it has come a long way from meth labs. however, a lot of the problem is from the poorer areas of Birch Bay and sad to say, you want a much cleaner Birch Bay like White Rock, then you got to get rid of the trailer parks.
I come here quite often to visit relatives. I got to tell you, they need to develop the area a lot more. I find it quite ludicrous that one grocery store has a monopoly in the area and the quality of their merchandise is terrible not to mention they sell alcohol to kids frequently. I think Birch Bay could benefit from a Albertsons. Also, more police presence is needed. There are a lot of drunks driving in the area and future to be criminals roaming cars causing a lot of vandalism.
There is a great thread about Bham on this forum - - it is 20 or so pages of the good, bad and ugly of the area. I posted there our experiences in Bham having moved from S. California 5 years ago. We are moving south to Centralia - tired of the hillbilly crap and political junk that keeps this place in the dark ages. If you are from a cosmopolitian area at all, after a short time living here you will find out that there is a lot of small minded thinking. It bleeds into everything. Also, if you are female - wind the clock back about 25-30 years as far as your liberty. If you are from California you are used to a certain level of social importance and equality that you will not have here. Bham is a very isolated place - - FAR from the influence of the city life in Seattle or areas south.
One word to the wise - - when people ask you where you are from - - just say "south." People here HATE Californians - fer' real, no joke.
Anyone in Washington hates a Californian in the most general aspect. They carry themselves in a very pompous manner as far as we are all stereotyping. People in Bellingham aren't going to care about your social importance, what class you are, what car you drive. Its a very outdoorsy community, green minded, Hippieville of sorts with Western Washington University there.
Good luck Leap of Belief on moving to a far more conservative, more politically backward, greater hating of Californians community in Centralia. Women aren't treated any more equal than Bellingham thats for sure.
Bellingham is a great fit for what you are looking for. I'd suggest something from the letter streets-broadway-elizabeth park area. eldridge to marine on out to north bellingham is a good ride, and better to avoid meridian, northwest, bakerview traffic. from this area you can also shoot downtown and over to the southside, or up to wwu. suggest to stay away from maplewood and texas street (alabama hill).
Good luck
Quote:
Originally Posted by manj
I'm a native Californian headed north. I'll be applying for post-grad school in Vancouver but still have to finish my current Masters program. I have another almost 2 years. In the meantime, I'd like to move north, closer to Vancouver and Bellingham seems like a pretty decent place to me. I've read a lot of negative comments from the same couple of individuals who obviously haven't lived in California recently. I live in the Bay Area and the job market here is much worse than Bellingham. I graduated last year from my undergrad studies in a small college town here in Northern Cal that was kid friendly, but it was located in the valley, 100+ temps/humidity in the summer, far away from water. Had enough of that.
My grad school job at present is Social Work/Counseling and upon graduating from undergrad, and moving to the Bay Area, I was appalled to see that most jobs in my field paid as low as $10, without benefits, and these jobs are asking for a Masters degree! Most people I know, in their 30s, professionals, are living 3-5 to a house because they cannot afford a place on their own. People are getting married just to have two incomes to buy a house! And yes, we have the 8.5% tax that accompanies my one bedroom apartment rental at $1,000 a month (this is supposed to be cheap!). While I'm in my struggling college years, I'd rather struggle in a place like Bellingham. Oh, did I forget to mention the air quality that has been wrecking havoc on my daughter's lungs. Fortunately, she hasn't acquired asthma (we've only been in the bay area one year) but the asthma rate for kids who live here in most places is 80% and that's documented cases of children who had no previous respiratory ailments ( I know this info through my job in which I worked with these children along with collecting documented evidence provided by the state).
Belligham's schools seem to be decent, there is a University (great resource for me), lots of outdoor activities (I'm a cyclist), and lots for kids to do. I admit, I haven't been to Bellingham, but I do have a job lined up and I just cannot see how Bellingham can be that bad. I've looked on Craigslist at some fairly nice apartment/condo rentals in Bellingham and to know that I can have a 2-3 bedroom a little less than the $1,000 a month one bedroom I'm in now, I'll take being closer to the water and green, and great seafood, ANYDAY.
I don't mean to bash Cali. There are many great places here, if you can afford it, and I will still come here to visit and take my daughter to Disneyland. Houses are ridiculously overpriced, traffic is extreme, and it's just not for me right now. Hey, my car got broken into too and after the police report, nothing gets done, so no big news to me. I believe we all have good and bad experiences anywhere you go.
My questions to anyone who has had positive experiences living in Bellingham: I need to find an apartment and I wanted to know which are the best areas for kids? Also, is the University area decent? I'm not looking to move way out from where things are going on. Any suggestions appreciated.
Check with the Sportplex arena, they can fill you in on the junior and adult leagues. Obviously, Vancouver and the lower mainland is where it's at for leagues, but unless you can really pick your times and which crossing to take the border line-ups are horrible!
Quote:
Originally Posted by akmitch1
I might be making the move to the area between Ferndale and Bellingham and I had a hockey question. Is there a strong youth hockey base in the Bellingham area? Would it be more realistic that I would have to drive to the Vancouver area to play some good hockey? How is the drive from Bellingham to Vancouver? I don't want to move to a town where my kids will be limited to some C level hockey programs.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Reg5057....
