Does anyone here know anything about the Bellingham, WA area?

[staceyobu]

Inquiring minds would like to know!  There is a very slim chance of a job opportunity for DH there.  It would require a cross country move.  

[Melinda in VT]

My brother lives a bit north of there (although still in Washington, so not too far north).

 

His family loves it.

 

I've driven through Bellingham. It seemed to have a cute downtown. The community college there is supposedly very good. My brother travels a lot for work and Navy and finds the Bellingham airport convenient.

 

If you have specific questions, I can try to get specific answers, although response time might not be too speedy. (See earlier comment about traveling for work.)

[trulycrabby]

I lived there in my teens (I am 51). It's a lovely town. My mom got her Master's degree at WWU. Gosh, on a clear day when the sun is shining, it's the most beautiful view with the ocean, gorgeous green islands, I could see Mount Baker, an active, glaciated volcano that's within the Snoqualmie National Forest, from my bedroom window and I would stare at it for hours and hours while listening to Peter Frampton and the Bay City Rollers. :o

 

The people are friendly, the schools are good, and even though it rains a lot, the climate is mild and there a ton of things to do outdoors: clam digging, hiking, fishing, sniw skiing. There is a great community park with a beautiful lake that has a very popular public swimming area and some of the coldest water I have ever experienced-it was a shock to the system every single time I jumped in, but still a lot of fun.

 

The downtown area is lovely with restaurants and a shopping district.

 

The only thing I didn't like about Bellingham was the sulphur smell from the nearby pulp mills, but it was only in the downtown area and only on sunny days when the wind was right. It gave me headaches, but I imagine the mills have gotten more environmentally friendly and the smell is gone or at least diminished. The smell was only a few days per month, so don't let it factor into your decision.

 

There are a few earthquakes; but they are not common occurrances like some places in California. The largest one I was in was 5.5, and it shook the house but no damage.

 

Honestly, I have such fond memories of the place that I would jump at the chance to live there again. It's a great place to raise a family. :)

[Chocolate Rose]

It's the best!! I went to WWU and ended up living in B'ham for many years. We ended up moving south, but I'd love to move back. Still have lots of friends there. There's lots of cultural/art type things going on all the time. It's got a small town feel, but you are so close to Seattle or Vancouver, BC that you pretty much do anything. Any specific questions?

[Colleen]

I've lived here for 18+ years and love Bellingham & Whatcom County.  Let me know if you have specific questions. : ) 

[staceyobu]

I've lived here for 18+ years and love Bellingham & Whatcom County.  Let me know if you have specific questions. : ) 

 

 

Okay... a few questions off the top of my head that any of you can feel free to answer!

 

What is the political climate?  We currently live in an extremely conservative small Texas city.  I would actually like to get away from that.  The only place I have visited in the PNW is Portland.  Where would Bellingham fall on the spectrum between my current location and Portland?

 

I've heard winters are really, really hard due to lack of sunshine.  Is it manageable?  

 

Do you feel cooped up in the house a lot due to rain?  

 

Does Bellingham have lots of good activities for kids? Homeschool groups?  Libraries?  Swimming?  Ballet?  We are in a town about twice the size of Bellingham and it sometimes seems like there isn't enough to do here.  However, we also don't have Seattle close by, either!  

 

The housing cost in Bellingham looks high.  I don't know if that is really a question... just a concern, maybe.

 

Have most people lived in Bellingham their entire lives?  Or is it easy to move in and make friends?

 

Any specifics anyone can give me on general PNW culture?  It appeared to us in Portland area that people were friendly, laid back.  Is that an accurate assessment?

 

Hmm.  I'm sure I can think of more...

[pollyanna]

Bellingham is very liberal. The enire area west of the cascades from Seattle up to Canada is going to be much more liberal than what my impression of a conservative Texan town are like. That said, there are evangelicals, there are conservatives, but overall it tends liberal.

 

I moved from the NE to the Seattle area about ten years ago. I find the winters dreary. It can be rough. I make sure I spend some time outside when there is sunshine. Summers are lovely- not too hot, mostly sunny, not nearly as humid as other areas of the US. While the winters are cool and damp, its not super cold, nor do we get tons of torrential rain. With proper gear (good raincoats/pants/boots and warm layers, we cna and do go outside year round.

 

I cna't speak to Bellingham itself for kid activities, but Seattle is pretty far- 2+h each way? You'd have some occasional trips down here go to something specific, but you probably won't make that drive regularly for activities. South of Bellingham for about an hour is rural with a low population density. You would be quite close to the Canadian border and Vancouver attractions though.

 

PNW cultrue is very casual. Sometimes distressingly so for my NE roots! People show up late, people never dress up. My husband's office is T shirts and jeans and if he wears a casual polo people think its funny. I find it diffcult to hire contractors who can get a job done ina  reasonable amount of time. None of it is bad persay, but my expectations needed some major adjustments.

[gardenmom5]

I live near seattle. 

western Washington university is situated there.  they get their weather directly down the strait of juan de fuca.  it's just over the border to Vancouver bc (if you want large science center, museums, good Chinese food . .  .) - and you can get a ez-pass so you can go back and forth quickly without having to wait in the border lines.

 

has some very pretty scenery. 

 

eta: per rain:  Chicago and NYC get more rain than seattle.  this area get's it in "drizzle".  we don't bother with umbrella's. snow is an 'event' - as in, outside the norm, even in winter.  there's been a lot of rain this year - but we are setting records for rain. (and it's been rain, not drizzle.)

there are areas in the rain shadow of the olympics - and are dry.  there is even desert at the south end of san juan island.

it does tend to be the gray that gets to people. lots of overcast in the winter, but there will be sunbreaks.

Bellingham gets more precip than seattle, and potentially higher winds during storms.

[gardenmom5]

as to real estate prices, compared to almost anywhere in texas, they probably are more expensive.  compared to seattle/eastside, they're cheap.

[Colleen]

Bellingham gets more precip than seattle, 

 

Just a side note, but this isn't the case.  B'ham on average has slightly less rainfall than does Seattle.

[Colleen]

What is the political climate?  We currently live in an extremely conservative small Texas city.  I would actually like to get away from that.  The only place I have visited in the PNW is Portland.  Where would Bellingham fall on the spectrum between my current location and Portland?

 

I'm a native Western Washingtonian but lived in Texas (Houston) for a time after college.   I think I can safely say that just about anywhere in this region will feel liberal in comparison to TX (save for Austin).  Bellingham proper is politically liberal, akin to Portland.  Unincorporated Whatcom County tends to be more conservative, with my town (Lynden) as the stand-out right wing pocket of the entire area.

 

I've heard winters are really, really hard due to lack of sunshine.  Is it manageable? 

 

As I said, I'm native to this area, so I'm accustomed to the weather here.  Imo it's manageable in that one can engage in outdoor activities year-round, which really isn't the case in many regions.  Summer running in New Orleans and Houston, for me, was darn near impossible!

 

Do you feel cooped up in the house a lot due to rain?  

 

No, not at all.  Drizzle, not downpours, are more the norm here, and drizzle doesn't prevent one from doing things outside.  But there are many times when it doesn't even rain anyway.  I actually wish we had more rain in the summer, but as it is, the precipitation tends to be bunched up toward other seasons.

 

Does Bellingham have lots of good activities for kids? Homeschool groups?  Libraries?  Swimming?  Ballet?  We are in a town about twice the size of Bellingham and it sometimes seems like there isn't enough to do here.  However, we also don't have Seattle close by, either!  

 

Yes, there are plenty of things to do here with children ~ especially outdoor activities ~ and homeschooling is very common.  It's not necessarily true that Seattle is "close by".  I mean, it may seem that way in terms of mileage, but traffic in and around the Puget Sound corridor (Everett, Seattle, Tacoma) is unpleasant, to put it mildly.  Seattle is a nice occasional outing but not a place you want (or need) to rely on for regular activities.  Same is true of Vancouver, which mileage-wise is closer.  The border has become a real problem ~ at times, even with the pass that allows one to "zip" through the fast lane ~ and traffic is a significant issue in the lower B.C. mainland.

 

The housing cost in Bellingham looks high.  I don't know if that is really a question... just a concern, maybe.

 

B'ham real estate is much lower than in & around Seattle, but will still seem high to people in many parts of the country.  Whatcom County prices (gas and real estate, for example) are actually inflated in part due to the proximity to Canada.

 

Have most people lived in Bellingham their entire lives?  Or is it easy to move in and make friends?

 

It's a mix of people.  Definitely more newbies now than ten years ago, even.

 

Any specifics anyone can give me on general PNW culture?  It appeared to us in Portland area that people were friendly, laid back.  Is that an accurate assessment?

 

Bellingham is laid back and very outdoors-oriented.  In general, native Pacific Northwesterners are friendly, but not as open as people in the South (including Texas).  

 

 

 

[Jean in Newcastle]

1.  Bellingham is more liberal than a conservative Texas town.  But probably a bit more conservative than Portland.  But really, I don't think most people care so much what you believe and vote for.  

 

2.  Winters aren't so bad.  Fall is a lot of rain but winter itself can be cold and sunny.  But then not super cold either.  Take your vitamin D!

 

3.  When the weather forcast says "rain" or "showers" it usually is not all day.  Our weather is very variable so just take advantage of sun breaks to get outside.

 

4.  Washington Homeschool Organization is a good source of everything homeschooling for Washington state.  http://www.washhomeschool.org/homeschooling/whoReg5.html  Bellingham is in Whatcom county.  Some homeschool groups are listed in the link.

 

5.  http://www.livebellingham.com/ThingsToDo/KidsActivities/tabid/5710/default.aspx

 

6.  As Kristen said, all Washington (and PNW) housing costs are high.  Bellingham will be less than Seattle area prices.  

 

7.  I don't know.

 

8.  Yes, people are friendly and laid back.