Questions about Bellingham, WA

June 2, 2013 1:23 AM

I may be moving down for a job in a couple of weeks and have a few questions on Bellingham. Are there any areas someone who likes quiet sleeping times should avoid? Are there any areas to generally avoid? Are there any rental companies, individuals, or general problems to look out for that are specific to Bellingham? Are there any car dealerships to avoid or ones that are recommended? The job itself is within three miles of down town, if that helps. Thanks!
posted by Slackermagee to Home & Garden (3 answers total)

Best answer: For quiet times: you should avoid living anywhere between downtown and WWU, inclusive. You'll have better luck looking up Lakeway, out toward the lettered streets and up to the Northside, and further out Southside toward Fairhaven once you're beyond the campus (although it's pricier).

Places to avoid? Eh, there's some college rowdiness and some places where sketchies congregate, but I've never felt actually unsafe anywhere.

General problems: Standard college-town malaise. A lot of people come and go. Some people complain that Bellingham has its own version of the "Seattle Freeze" and I can see it, I guess.

I bought a used car recently and liked the people I dealt with at both Dewey Griffin and Wilson Motors (if you want specific names, MeMail me).

It's been a decade since I've rented a place to live, but if you like I can poll my Facebook friends and see what the current landscape is like.

You can always MeMail me with further questions. Also, I work downtown so feel free to hit me up once you're in town and I can give you a tour.

Oh, don't forget -- don't drive too far south or you'll fall into the Skagit River.
posted by Karlos the Jackal at 3:08 AM on June 2, 2013 [1 favorite]

Do you really need a car right away? Bellingham is fairly bike friendly, and there is a bus system. My uncle in Bellingham has biked to and from work for a few decades now. Also, you can take the train to Seattle, Portland, Vancouver, etc. The view is totally pretty.
posted by oceanjesse at 6:17 AM on June 2, 2013 [1 favorite]

Well, if you have a job lined up I'd say that 90% of my "problems" with Bham are solved for you. There's a really strange snobbishness about the place -- if you graduated from Western fantastic, if you graduated from an objectively better school you are professionally shunned.

The scenery is beautiful and there are so many great options for outdoor activities, so that makes up for a lot.

Still, IMHO it's a highly provincial town with an obvious inferiority complex re: Seattle being right down the road. Also, for its ostensible hippie-vibe it's pretty damn conservative in its own quirky way. There are a lot of retirees in the area which isn't a problem by itself, but I found the music and nightlife scene to be strangely boring for a college town.

Getting around the downtown area by bike is fine but you're going to want a reliable car if you have any interest in hiking or kayaking or skiing.
posted by bardic at 2:01 AM on June 3, 2013