Bellingham Freeze (crime, live, professionals)

[profnot]

Originally Posted by rkcarguy

That's Bellingham. Cost of living vs. income opportunity is a fail here. Students live here and they drink/party heavily, older people retire here, the rest get out to where the ratios are better. For example, we're only ~17% behind Seattle in the cost of living index(mostly housing), yet average income here is almost HALF of that of Seattle.

Bingo!

And if you are not into sports or craft beer, there is nothing to do.

Performances on the campus are hard to get to and expensive.

The classical music scene is pretty good. Several volunteer orchestras, concerts, and a few summer festivals. The museums have little to offer.

As soon as my project is over, I am outta here!

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by profnot

Bingo!

And if you are not into sports or craft beer, there is nothing to do.

Performances on the campus are hard to get to and expensive.

The classical music scene is pretty good. Several volunteer orchestras, concerts, and a few summer festivals. The museums have little to offer.

As soon as my project is over, I am outta here!

Why are events on campus hard to get to? Parking issues? It seems to me, that the Bellingham campus was poorly planned from the start; acreage acquisition was probably underfunded, so that, unlike the UW, there was no land to expand into, for parking, additional dorms, and other facilities. Even the existing campus design skimps on open space. I was shocked, when wandering around the main area, to find that there's no space to speak of, behind the academic buildings. You get back there, and there's only a delivery/service corridor. It's like the whole thing is a stage set, intended only to be viewed from the interior quadrangle.

I guess it was mainly designed and intended to be an undergrad campus, without professional schools, so that the designers didn't anticipate a need for new classroom building, unlike the UW, which had plenty of land for TWO (2) newer law buildings over the years, and other additions, as well as construction of housing for married students down the hill on the east side of campus, and more parking.

[CoastieTX]

Anecdotal story:

A while back, I was with some friends at Gruff Brewery watching what appeared to be a much-anticipated soccer game (I don’t watch soccer and can’t recall which teams were playing). In walk a group of nicely dressed and very attractive girls who clearly didn’t look like they were from around here. They casually approached our table and began talking about the game and everything else with us, and it became obvious they were a little tipsy, but not what I’d call “lit up.”

I was very surprised by this, because the brewery scene here typically involves groups of people who keep to themselves and don’t intermingle. As it turns out, these girls were from Houston and were up this way to attend their friend’s wedding. I know Texas well and enjoyed talking to them about it.

The fact their behavior surprised me really hammered home the fact I’ve been living here too long. But what was worse was my friends’ reaction afterwards to what had taken place...their criticisms and “Who the hell are they, and WTF just happened!?” attitudes were just nasty and completely inappropriate. This was the girls’ reactions; the guys in my group just sat there, dumbfounded.

Don’t let anyone tell you different: people, and their social habits, most certainly do differ depending on where they’re from. In this case, the differences were so stark that it was like watching worlds collide.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by coastietx

anecdotal story:

A while back, i was with some friends at gruff brewery watching what appeared to be a much-anticipated soccer game (i don’t watch soccer and can’t recall which teams were playing). In walk a group of nicely dressed and very attractive girls who clearly didn’t look like they were from around here. They casually approached our table and began talking about the game and everything else with us, and it became obvious they were a little tipsy, but not what i’d call “lit up.”

i was very surprised by this, because the brewery scene here typically involves groups of people who keep to themselves and don’t intermingle. As it turns out, these girls were from houston and were up this way to attend their friend’s wedding. I know texas well and enjoyed talking to them about it.

The fact their behavior surprised me really hammered home the fact i’ve been living here too long. But what was worse was my friends’ reaction afterwards to what had taken place...their criticisms and “who the hell are they, and wtf just happened!?” attitudes were just nasty and completely inappropriate. This was the girls’ reactions; the guys in my group just sat there, dumbfounded.

Don’t let anyone tell you different: People, and their social habits, most certainly do differ depending on where they’re from. In this case, the differences were so stark that it was like watching worlds collide.

TRUTH!

[Unicorn hunter]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

The OP's description makes it sound horrific! And yes, I'd heard it's the cloudiest and rainiest, but some residents disagree. I think the OP's main problem was that he didn't give it a good try. He was only there 2 months, spent most of his spare time in bars, and judges the city by that experience, which is a weird thing to judge a city by, IMO. The kind of people h'ed like to meet probably don't go to bars, or not much. I know a lot of women in the NW who don't step inside bars.

He didn't ask the forum, how people go about meeting new people. If he had, he'd have learned how, and his experience might have turned around 180 degrees. There's an active bookstore scene, I learned from this forum. And hiking clubs are always good, in the NW, and typically have singles hikes. There's a strong boating culture, so the local kayaking club could be helpful for making friends, or taking sailing lessons. The NW isn't known for people who chat up strangers in public, in stores, etc., which is what he was expecting. Being from CA, I've found that disappointing and frustrating, too. The NW has its own m.o. for making friends, and it's important to learn what that is.

This is a pretty old thread, so hopefully the OP has found a place that suits him better! I actually lived in Bellingham when I was in my late 30's; however, I was a Western student. Made friends easily there. I found the people to be surprisingly friendly.....I remember the first time going grocery shopping at Hagen's and having a complete stranger smile at me! Hadn't experienced that living in Eastern WA. Also agree with this poster to get into the literary scene or the hiking/camping scene if in B'ham. Went up a couple of years ago to watch the fireworks over the bay at the Marina and easily struck up a conversation with the guy on the blanket next to me. I just found it to be a really friendly place...and I am not at all outgoing or a hot mama! I really enjoyed living there and would love to retire there if I could afford it!

[rkcarguy]

Apparently hiking/walking in Bellingham can be dangerous, as these people found at around 11am last Saturday....

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle...in-bellingham/

[bartonizer]

Originally Posted by rkcarguy

Apparently hiking/walking in Bellingham can be dangerous, as these people found at around 11am last Saturday....

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle...in-bellingham/

It's unsettling- I ride my bike on that trail semi regularly. But it was a completely random thing, and the perp is in jail. It's not a pattern whatsoever, and random violence can and does occur anywhere in the country.

[CoastieTX]

Originally Posted by bartonizer

It's unsettling- I ride my bike on that trail semi regularly. But it was a completely random thing, and the perp is in jail. It's not a pattern whatsoever, and random violence can and does occur anywhere in the country.

So...it’s completely random that this scumbag with a mile-long rap sheet from Texas somehow ended up here in Bellingham..in assisted housing?

I think it’s high time this city examines why it seems to attract these people, while simultaneously driving out decent and hard-working families. It’s disgusting what’s being allowed to happen here.

[rkcarguy]

Originally Posted by CoastieTX

So...it’s completely random that this scumbag with a mile-long rap sheet from Texas somehow ended up here in Bellingham..in assisted housing?

I think it’s high time this city examines why it seems to attract these people, while simultaneously driving out decent and hard-working families. It’s disgusting what’s being allowed to happen here.

This state is broken in this aspect. I can't even go into anymore detail here.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by CoastieTX

So...it’s completely random that this scumbag with a mile-long rap sheet from Texas somehow ended up here in Bellingham..in assisted housing?

I think it’s high time this city examines why it seems to attract these people, while simultaneously driving out decent and hard-working families. It’s disgusting what’s being allowed to happen here.

Could you elaborate on why you believe Bellingham attracts criminals with a mile-long rap-sheet from other states?