More questions about Bellingham, WA

[JustCallMeTC]

Originally Posted by Stelinzoe

I have a few more questions about Bellingham:

1.) What is the feel like in Bellingham? The people? Is it country? Conservative? Diverse? Multi-cultural? Liberal? Young? A retirement community? Trendy? A mixture? Does it have some "happening" places? Would I be out of place if I dressed trendy (not punk, just trendy) and listened to modern music? (I know it sounds silly, but I am asking for a reason. Someone made a comment that its not a very "progressive" town, but then again, its a college town, so wouldn't it be a little bit more modern and hip?)

More Bohemian than Chic for sure. This is indeed a liberal town.

3.) What are the bad neighborhoods?

A simple drive through will tell you a great deal. South of Alabama Street, East of I5 is to be avoided The area in and around Shuksan Middle school.


Got kids? Aim for the South Side. Happy Valley ES, Lowell ES (will reopen in 2010) Fairhaven MS all are very good. As is Sehome HS, although quite dated.

4.) What do young families do for fun, especially during the winter months? (As I have two kids, age 6 and 3.)

Soccer is king in this town. Fabulous Soccer opportunities for the kids and a great outdoor Complex (NW Soccer Complex) And a great indoor Soccer Arena/Ice Rink (Sportsplex)

We're about an hour from great skiing at Mt. Baker. There's a great new children's museum opening in November. And the border is 20 minutes north of here. If you hit the border right, Vancouver is but 40 miles. Bear in mind though, you'll need either enhanced ID's or passports now.

Not sure if you have girls or boys, but there are plenty of music teachers here, ballet and dance groups. The Boy's and Girl's Club is also nice here.

Comedian Ryan Stiles, (a Bellingham Resident) built a theatre here dedicated to Improv (Upfront). They offer Improv classes for kids. Great program there. My youngest did it for years.

5.) And does anyone know anything about the Bellingham Athletic Club? The prices? It seems like a nice gym.

I'm a member of the YMCA. The facility is dated, but the equipment is well cared for. They have a pool, lots and lots of programs for kids too. Large Gym. Also they have a steam and sauna in the lockeroom.(At least in the men's, I suspect for the women's too) Lots of classes like Aerobics, spinning Yoga etc.

Also, is it really grey and overcast day after day after day in the winter, or do you get breaks with sunny days here and there?

Every year is different, but the winters here are indeed quite gray. And yes, you will actually see the sun now and then. Late Spring, Summer and early Fall are spectacular however.

The scenery here is as good as it gets.


I

t's not a little country hick town is it?

Definitely not. It's a liberal college town. The hicks are primarily further north in the county.

[leslie chesney]

Originally Posted by Stelinzoe

I have a few more questions about Bellingham:

1.) What is the feel like in Bellingham? The people? Is it country? Conservative? Diverse? Multi-cultural? Liberal? Young? A retirement community? Trendy? A mixture? Does it have some "happening" places? Would I be out of place if I dressed trendy (not punk, just trendy) and listened to modern music? (I know it sounds silly, but I am asking for a reason. Someone made a comment that its not a very "progressive" town, but then again, its a college town, so wouldn't it be a little bit more modern and hip?)

2.) Other than Trader Joe's what are some other whole foods/natural grocery stores?

3.) What are the bad neighborhoods?

4.) What do young families do for fun, especially during the winter months? (As I have two kids, age 6 and 3.)

5.) And does anyone know anything about the Bellingham Athletic Club? The prices? It seems like a nice gym.

Also, is it really grey and overcast day after day after day in the winter, or do you get breaks with sunny days here and there?
I know its a lot of questions but we may seriously end up moving there in a few weeks (if my husbands job sends him it will be next month!) so I am making sure I have a good idea for what we are in store for.
It's not a little country hick town is it? I mean, I have been there before but only for a day and I don't quite remember. I remember thinking it was really beautiful and the old historical look of the buildings were neat.

I'm new to Bellingham ( Hellingham) and to this forum. I'll probably be booted off before replying to my first message, but I'll take the risk. I was told that it was a very nice, quaint old "hippie town" and intended to write a book here, relax and be at peace while raising my child. (single mom). The town itself is beautiful. The people, on the other hand, dispell anything "nice" about this place. True, there is no "middle class". They
are either full blown tweekers and scammers, or hypocritical, judgemental ,conservatives who need to get the "sticks" out of you know where. It seems that you are financially sound enough to live the stereotypical "all american joe white guy" lifestyle that permeates this place so that probably helps alot. For single moms....go back to where ever you're considering coming from, as bad as it may seem. No place I'ver ever been has had such a negative effect on both my childs' and my spirit. I cannot wait to get my child away from here. They are so narrow-minded as to think that "hippies" (although recovered) are meth and crack heads. "Tweeker Hippies" is an oxymoron. Lotsa lotsa lotsa drug activity in this town, and not the "herbal" type. They will be just as glad to see us leave as we will be to get back on 5 south, outta here. Best to you, though...I hope it meets your needs. Best thing I like is listening to the sound of the quiet train whistle in the distance during the rain. That's about it.

[JustCallMeTC]

Originally Posted by leslie chesney

I'm new to Bellingham ( Hellingham) and to this forum. I'll probably be booted off before replying to my first message, but I'll take the risk. I was told that it was a very nice, quaint old "hippie town" and intended to write a book here, relax and be at peace while raising my child. (single mom). The town itself is beautiful. The people, on the other hand, dispell anything "nice" about this place. True, there is no "middle class". They
are either full blown tweekers and scammers, or hypocritical, judgemental ,conservatives who need to get the "sticks" out of you know where. It seems that you are financially sound enough to live the stereotypical "all american joe white guy" lifestyle that permeates this place so that probably helps alot. For single moms....go back to where ever you're considering coming from, as bad as it may seem. No place I'ver ever been has had such a negative effect on both my childs' and my spirit. I cannot wait to get my child away from here. They are so narrow-minded as to think that "hippies" (although recovered) are meth and crack heads. "Tweeker Hippies" is an oxymoron. Lotsa lotsa lotsa drug activity in this town, and not the "herbal" type. They will be just as glad to see us leave as we will be to get back on 5 south, outta here. Best to you, though...I hope it meets your needs. Best thing I like is listening to the sound of the quiet train whistle in the distance during the rain. That's about it.

I've seen none of what you're referring to in my years here.

I have no doubt that if you look long and hard enough you'll find trouble just about anywhere.

Good luck on your journey.

[gshurley]

Originally Posted by Dogs4us

And there are a few rural areas that are Meth Central!

Which rural areas would people living there suggest avoiding living in? This comment peaked my interest, but not being from Bellingham (and looking to move to a rural areas outside Bellingham) I am curious what rural communities are not desirable.

[susansolin]

I would stay away from the Kendall, Maple Falls areas... Pretty heavy drug use there, kind of scary places to be.

[Fiddlehead]

Seems like you got a great range of replies here. I would add only one more thing about Bellingham. It is cold and clammy much of the year. No, not freezing, though arctic blasts coming down the Fraser do occur briefly each winter, but rather the sustained lack of warmth for beaches, swimming, shorts, backyard BBQs, etc. might be trying. My office mate grew up in Bellingham, and he has no desire to go back. He said he never knew you could go hiking for days and things would be dry and warm (like here in S. Oregon). It is a damp, cool place, and people from the Deep South or SoCal should know that and consider whether it is a good fit for them. Gorgeous though!

[JustCallMeTC]

Originally Posted by Fiddlehead

It is a damp, cool place, and people from the Deep South or SoCal should know that and consider whether it is a good fit for them. Gorgeous though!

Sounds like you lived in Sudden Valley or somewhere similar. Your observations are true for those living without southern or western exposure. Certainly not for areas exposed to longer daylight.

[susansolin]

In my opinion, Sudden Valley isn't any damper or cooler than Bellingham. I live in Sudden Valley and work in Bellingham so I spend lots of time in both places. There are lots of houses in Sudden Valley that are surrounded by trees and don't get sun but our lot gets quite a bit. When it snows in the area you get lots more snow in Sudden Valley than Bellingham. The amount of snow even varies in Sudden Valley depending on what gate you are in! Bellingham will get 2-3 inches of snow and Sudden Valley will get 7-9 inches! It never sticks around for more than a few days though!

Maybe if you are used to sun all the time like those in the deep south or SoCal you would think winters are damp and cold here but compared to Wisconsin (where I came from) they aren't bad at all and summers are downright sunny with almost no rain.

[Dogs4us]

Hi,
This might be off-topic but I'm writing a column about Bellingham for The Examiner. The link is here: Bellingham Examiner.

I'm planning to write about all things Bellingham, so drop me a note and let me know what you'd like to see!

We've lived & worked here for seven years, so we have a pretty good idea for the good, the bad and the ugly about B'ham, plus we have some frame of reference re: what it's like compared to other cities in Washington and the rest of the US (my husband is retired Navy so he's lived all over).

Looking forward to your ideas!