I love Bellingham - 8/10/2022

I've lived in so many cities in 5 west coast states and have come to a conclusion that Bellingham is the greatest city to live, work, play and raise a family. After growing up in the Midwest. I find Bellingham's simple lifestyle with so many different bodies of water to sit next to, appealing to the soul. The rain and the sunshine in Bellingham balances out what is needed to keep the forest in this part of the PNW always green. With Baker and North Cascades to the east, San Juan Islands to the west, Canada to the north and Seattle to the south, it's one giant playground for all walks of life. The cost of living has risen in every single city in the US with Bellingham being no different. Bellingham is a college town much like Ann Arbor. WWU offers programs for many students to succeed in life as well as to give back to Bellingham. Bellingham is what it is and it will provide a positive background for your creative projects.

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Bellingham is the shiz - 10/28/2021

From what I’ve seen and heard, the very liberal political/ethical beliefs of Bellingham residents, as well as the grey rainy weather, are the main things a few people have complained about. I absolutely love the liberal ethics of Bellingham. People with black skin matter, and unfortunately haven’t been treated like they do matter throughout our nation’s history. In Bellingham you can find Black Lives Matter signs on all the businesses and even the local church. The sign exists, along with the pride flag, in countless yards and store windows. This means that the majority of people in Bellingham believe you, and everyone on Earth, have an equal right to existence and fair treatment. This is not an opposable idea. This is the core of what America is supposed to be about. And the fact that the news media owned by oil interests has convinced half of Americans that to think all people deserve respect, equality, and protection is anti-American and a part of some “socialist agenda” to destroy America is the very thing destroying America. Bellingham is local. Local businesses, local descendants of hippies, local people who dress and walk and talk how they want, local farmers markets, locals who care deeply about wildlife and the environment. And the grey winters help us go inward and touch base with our deepest selves, sort of like a spiritual cave we return to every year for a few months before spring comes along and we all open up and stretch joyfully into the greatest summer weather the US has to offer. Bellingham is legit. But if you’re not so legit, you might not dig it. Remember, a superiority goal is inspired by an inferiority complex. Only secure people can embrace universal equality. Peace

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You’ll hate it here don’t move. - 10/17/2021

If you’re like many Americans and caught up in right vs left you won’t like the far left here in Bellingham wa. If you put politics away and you enjoy skiing, snowboarding, craft beers and ciders, mountain biking, sailing, international cuisine, power boating or kite flying you have found a Mecca of sorts. Nestled between the San Juan islands and the majesty that is Mt. Baker Bellingham is a wonderful place to live. Getting expensive for housing however with more telecommuting it’s doable and worth it. I dread going back to Seattle when we have too or leaving Bellingham in general.

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A place that will feel like home, if you let it. - 3/18/2021

I was born in Bellingham and have lived here for most of my life. I lived in 2 other states for a combined total of 8 years. The only reason I’m choosing to write this review is in reaction to the many negative reviews I read on this site that express dislike of characteristics that are knowable in advance and beyond practical control (“the weather sucks”; “it’s wet and dark”; “housing is ridiculously expensive”). Anyone moving to Bellingham expecting San Diego weather neither understands latitude nor has any awareness of our local climate. It rains.We have short days in the winter. We have extremely long days in the summer. That’s a function of geography. Housing has become quite expensive. Why? Because so many people have chosen to move here. Remarkable that so many people are moving here if it is such a terrible place. If you love skiing, mountain biking, kayaking, sailing, great parks and trails, locally owned businesses, a lively downtown, rich and diverse cultural opportunities, truly distinct and proud neighborhoods and good schools, you’ll like Bellingham. It is also , by far, the easiest place to live in I rated the city 4 stars, because no place is perfect.

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BELLINGHAM SUCKS - 12/13/2020

this place was remarkably poo. it was cold and dank and wet and i hated it. the people are rude and condesending and being around them is terrible

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Yeah...Not the best - 12/8/2020

I was born and raised in Bellingham, and loved it when I was little. The geographical location is nice. There are lakes, mountains, and lots of trees. But as I've gotten older I have realized its not a great place to live. First, there are too many liberals that will attack you if you say something they don't agree with. The downtown area is kind of disgusting and not a place where I like to go. The amount of homeless people is growing and it is becoming a major problem. The cost of houses in this area is ridiculously high and the houses aren't even that nice. I did elementary, middle, and high school here and honestly the school system is not the best. Especially with Corona, the schools have not done a good job of trying to get the kids back in school and providing good school work during online classes. I think it is really important to get the kids back in school and I think its absolutely ridiculous that "Its too dangerous to go back."

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Awful place to live. Never come here. - 12/8/2020

Being born and raised in Bellingham, I can tell you, its not the best. Very expensive cost of living, small houses average ridiculously high prices. No super special restaurants. Mediocre shops. Downtown is gross, and filled with awful people who you should stay away from. The education system is bad too. The people here are very close-minded. It's growing a lot with apartments and such, but not in anything else. The mall has okay shops but overall not fun to hang out at. The most redeeming quality about Bellingham is the nature. That's about it. But the thing about Bellingham is there are two types of people. Kind, nature loving friends who are here to enjoy life, or the rude, rich, entitled people. Sadly there are more rich entitled people here than the kind ones. It saddens me to have to speak so poorly about this town I've lived in all my life, but it must be said. Bellingham is absolutely awful, never live here if you value your mental health, stay away from Bellingham, and Washington in general.

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Nearly Perfect - 5/27/2020

I visited WWU at 16 and fell in love. I moved there for college and left for five years before moving back. Bellingham is beautiful; you can't beat the water, the mountains, the accessibility to Vancouver, Seattle, and the San Juan Islands. The town is an ideal size to keep traffic low, but to also give plenty of arts, shopping, and arts. The people are as nice as anywhere. I have lived in just about every area of Western Washington, and traveled the world, and there is a reason people call this Bellinghome. It is full of passionate people who love their community. You have to find your niche to fully assimilate into your people. Mine happens to be through family life and business. The only downside is housing costs and lack of good paying jobs. We have so many educated people because of WWU. Both problems are because we are in a bubble. Canada to the north, nothing to the east, water to the west, and the only community we can overlap of compete with is south. We are limited on land and there is only one direction to commute to jobs that pay more.

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Awful place to live...and that's being positive! - 1/25/2020

I wish I could give this awful place zero stars. I lived in Bellingham for 1 year and 19 days and I was never so glad to get out of a city and state as I was this awful place. I knew quickly that we were never going to fit in because we are professionals and didn't smoke dope! Several times I had to roll my car windows up because of the dope smoke from nearby cars at signal lights....no lie! I was relocated on a company transfer and couldn't find a decent home so we built a home. Yes, we built a home only because I had to build or purchase within a year to get my relo benefits. So overpriced and for nothing more than a spec house. The people here are so rude it became a joke to us. Even the people I worked with were rude and my boss that walked by my office door twice every morning to get coffee actually said "good morning" only once. We miss a couple restaurants but that's it. We found that the only people that like or say anything positive about B'ham were the people born and raised in B'ham because no one that has lived anywhere else wants to put up with the traffic, the weather, the high cost of living, the stoners, the homelessness, the pan handlers, the county government that is so narrow minded they stifle business grown, and that is just to name a few reasons. Overall an awful city with old run down homes, terrible traffic and a high cost of living! That should be the city slogan!

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Generations, born & raised here. That says a lot! - 10/30/2019

Been here 50 years. 2nd generation born & raised. I've been lots of places but I always come home. This is truly God country.

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~ Bohemia ~ .. Take it or Leave it ! - 10/19/2019

All reviews will be biased by personal experience. Clearly mine is coloured by living amidst intentional communities. *There are many, here*, however, and you might benefit from an overview of what that scene contributes, in a larger community that leans more teamwork- & connectivity-oriented anyway. (It /is/ possible to manifest productive isolation, in some respects, but i personally afforded that by living out of my car. You also could barter someone landkeeping for a secluded place; it's very tradey here, when you want it to be.) ~ Culture ~ -•Rich•- People often live communally. If that doesn't work for you, it may be less affordable than otherwise- check that index, of course. There is a lot of creativity basically everywhere you go, here. Even the bar scene (which is usually something i personally loathe) feels a great deal more whimsical, amusing, and generally worth seeing. If you think outside the box about what is mentally healthy, you will likely love it here, at least in part. Expect superstitions- some with cult followings, but some stemming from individuals' personal confusions that would get them ostracised anywhere else. (In my opinion, at least be thankful that they feel they can be transparent; no one wins when they aren't!.. Realisticly, everyone is trustworthy in a different set of ways.) Many people become more spiritual while living here because of what the culture (and, i personally believe, ether) rewards, here: collaboration & optimism. If that sort of thing annoys you, i also see some of whence you're coming, so i'll say that it definitely comes with its drawbacks. For example, in my humble opinion, communal living in general is a magnet for trauma-coping-natural-mind-chemical-addicted people who like to view toxic situations with rose colored glasses rather than leaving them. .. That can hurt to watch, as someone who disagrees with it. That being stated, many of us will vaguely agree that there /are/ a lot of social guidelines we'd be better off without. You name it: People tend to challenge it all, here. If you want to meet people who band together and do something when anything is outrage-worthy, this direct-activism-happy place is for you! My personal echo chamber leaned in the nonviolent direction, and that is quite prevalent. Additionally, though, the whole culture (including my sub-community's dissenters) seems more open to scholarly discourse and unconditional respect. (Again- the culture is very spiritually inclined!.. This even burns some of us out, to be honest! So... it's a good idea to accept people's ideas but stay grounded in one's own sanity, no matter how agreeable people are being about their own thoughts. Openminded consideration is wise, and one more piece of input can seem harmless, but there can be too much of a good thing, if you try to incorporate everyone's perspective.) There is an emphasis on leadership by example in people i know here, and the highly entwined community compels people to disagree more peacably. The food banks are healthier, here. This is definitely a back-to-nature hub. Expect to traverse a lot of hills, if you live near the bay. It is culturally encouraged to use public transit and bicycles as well as foot travel. That doesn't mean that it's worse to drive here than anywhere else on the i-5 corridor. If you check out the local Craigslist, however, you will realise that community-sourced solutions (including rideshares/carpools) are so popular here that the mixed bag of crowdsourcing is likely to pull up something less desperate and a great deal more interesting. I hope i explained this well.. You'll see what i mean. (i feel like almost everyone /should/ probably witness an environment like this at least once, to consider it, take what works for them, and leave the rest. :) If it feels unsafe for you, no one should pressure you, but you might consider braving it briefly with someone you trust at your side.) Pretty much everything usually-sketchy has a little more wonderful mixed into it, here, for those who can safely maneuvre it. It's a strange thing... :-) Try not to get too used to it & forget your common sense. .. Lol.... It's surprisingly easy to! *** ** If hippies annoy you, you might be miserable here, but i /am/ a bit biased by my echo chamber. ** *** ~ Know what you want. Ask for it. Seize nonsketchy opportunities. Be grateful. *Please* use radical consent. ~ May the Universe bless you with your most needed revelations. :-) P.S.~ This review might seem frivolous to some people, but i strongly suspect that some will discover how relevant it was after all. Also, sorryish for being so verbose; it takes a while to explain some of why the advise is so topically pertinent. It seems like different strokes work here than other places; you have to decide whether those strokes are for you! :) P.P.S.- I lived near the bay- first in Fairhaven, then near Western Washington University. :)

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Subdued Excitement - 4/20/2019

Bellingham calls itself "The City of Subdued Excitement." You have to ask yourself, why is the excitement so subdued? First of all, it's too damn expensive. Unless you want to live in a condo, it's nearly impossible to buy a good property within the city if you're not making at least $100k and/or have cashed in somewhere else. Very challenging market for first-time homebuyers. Much of the available housing is old, shabby, and needs renovation. Low-income and even middle-income people who didn't acquire property decades ago are quite bitter about housing costs. For newcomers, salaries are generally not equal to the cost of living, even at the university, where I know people with professional degrees who have to work a second job to make ends meet. Renting is a nightmare. Apartment vacancy is extremely low, and there is always high competition for apartments from students. Everybody has stories about predatory landlords. Good luck finding pet-friendly apartments. I agree with the other reviewer that for such a supposedly laid-back West Coast city, people in Bellingham can be really uptight, aggressive, and easily offended. I have never experienced so much workplace tension in my life, and I have had others tell me it's the same where they work. The social justice warrior movement, for all its merits, has caused an enormous amount of angst here. Marijuana is legal in Washington. I wish people would just smoke something and chill out. Get subdued, dudes. Bellingham likes to think it is the most progressive community in the world. Personally, I don't think very many folks here practice the diversity, equity, and inclusion they preach, and often discriminate with or without realizing it. This is ground zero for the failings of the left. Don't get me wrong, Bellingham has many advantages. Nature. Recreation. Clean air. Low crime. Lots of local businesses. Beautiful views. No traffic. Good public transportation. Close to Vancouver and Seattle. That said, the city's drawbacks are significant (though hardly unique, unfortunately).

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Boring, Not Progressive, and Overpriced - 3/19/2019

This is not a progressive or forward-thinking town. It’s more of the place that follows trends set by others. It seems like all the white hipsters that couldn’t make it in Portland languish here, brewing beer, smoking a ton of weed, working 10 hours a week if at all, preaching values that they don’t actually act upon (There are exceptions of course, but this is the trend). Don’t expect a Seattle or Portland vibe-this place is surprisingly uptight and narrow-minded. Don’t let the nose rings and tattoos fool you. Very little diversity; a Lily white town. As the vacancy rate for rentals is less than 1%, you will be at the mercy of slumlords and crooked property management companies, competing with privileged college kids for rentals, unless you are wealthy enough to buy...houses are starting at over $400k. As a result, there is almost no middle class, an overwhelming amount of homeless roaming the streets for the size of the town, and countless homeless camps in parks and open spaces. It’s definitely the type of place that preaches inclusion, compassion and forward-thinking, but is filled with self-absorbed 20 and 30 something’s with no goals or direction, who don’t even volunteer or help to make their community better. There is also an increasing amount of privileged white retirees pouring in from Seattle, Arizona, California and Texas (yes, Texas!) who drive up prices across the board and contribute nothing to the health and vitality of the community. And sadly, the “cultural life” is run of the mill, cliched and tired, based on trends that hit major cities over 5-10 years ago. If you like bluegrass, this is your place. Want to learn to brew your own kombucha or watch yet another aerial acrobats performance? Yawn. It is a very cold, unfriendly town. There is endless entitlement and snobbery. Like everywhere at this point, there is a very noticeable public health crisis in the form of illegal and prescription drug abuse, visible in many areas of town. The nature is gorgeous but it doesn’t make up for the massive failings of this town and many of its citizens.

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Love Bellingham - 11/1/2018

I’ve lived all over the US & Bellingham was one of my favorites overall. I’d move back if I could.

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Worst place I have ever lived - 8/20/2018

I cannot emphasize strongly enough why you should NOT move to Bellingham. There is NOTHING that living in this city adds to my life that is worth the cost and annoyance of living here. Real estate isn't as bad as Seattle but it is still out of control, and my rent just went up 20% (uh, whose salary goes up 20% per year?!?). Most of the restaurants are average at best. Crazy number of rednecks and just plain weird people. Entertainment scene is boring and you have to drive at least two hours to get to Seattle. Bipolar climate with nine months of constant gloom and three months of constant sun. Getting out as soon as I can.

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Beautiful Bellingham - 8/11/2017

Close to snowcapped mountains and the excitement of Vancouvet, B C, Bellingham has,a relatively mild climate and an active cultural scene. We do pay for the serene green forests and wildlife with days of showers but by mid-summer I find myself ready to perform a rain dance. I moved here from San Diego and love the change. It is a much more sustainable environment. The scenery is breathtaking.

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Great combination of benefits and nice people - 5/8/2017

After visiting and owning property there for 13 years, we have selected Bellingham as our retirement location. It has a combination of physical beauty, access to a university and incredibly friendly people that have impressed us. That it sits between Vancouver and Seattle is also a big plus. We have visited throughout the year, and know the winter months will be cloudy and grey. However, we may use January and February as months to be in a sunnier location, and I think it will work out.

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It all depends - 4/7/2017

If you do not like liberalism, rain and clouds, cold and trees, you might not like it here. Housing prices are getting up there. Unless you are from Seattle, SD, LA, etc, you are in store for price shock. If you like outdoor activities, this is a good place. I like hiking and there are too many places to hike within 100 square miles. Food and services are a bit expensive. Bellingham is dog friendly and child friendly. Predatory crime is low, but property crime and thefts are high. Gang violence is moving in from Mount Vernon.

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Great place.............for the wealthy - 12/28/2016

Bellingham is God's country, don't get me wrong. What it has in beauty and things to do outdoors, it more than makes up for in cost of living and sources of revenue. We have lived here for 4 years now and we quickly figured out that the people that make ends meet here are those that come from "old money". A quick Sperling search will yield that the average house value is $375,000 and the average household income is $56,000. Not even close to making ends meet. Unless you are a successful real estate broker that has been in the area for a while, or an executive at BP, Phillips 66, Intalco or the College, good luck. Every other job in the area is under $20/hr. The schools are really behind national average, despite the ratings you see. We came from the Midwest when our child was in third grade. She is on the advanced side, but she finally started to learn new concepts in 6th grade. The elementary school she attended had an advanced program, but it consisted of sitting her in front of a computer. Overall, I think this is a great place to be if you have a ton of cash to blow, love fish, love the Seahawks and love nature. If not, seek out a city much closer to Seattle such as Bellvue as there are far more good paying jobs and a relatively cheaper cost of living.

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Bellingham rocks - 5/20/2015

the college and town are awesome. Chuckanut is cool drive. Great getaway from Vancouver BC or Seattle for a weekend.

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