Reviews & Comments
Bellingham, WA
Subdued Excitement -
4/20/2019Bellingham 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).