OT: Bellingham WA

[2LeftCleats]

Wife and I are visiting Portland to see our son and scout out possible retirement locations. We like Eugene and Corvallis but son pointed out how much he liked Bellingham on visits. It wasn't on our radar but doing some research online suggests the climate would be similar, cycling and other outdoor activities plentiful, and taxes and housing cheaper. Don't have time this trip to give it a look, but probably this fall. What do folks from that area like/dislike? As a point of reference we'd be leaving southern Indiana. Economy, healthcare, politics, general vibe? Thanks for any input.

[Ralph]

As a Floridian....and retired.....I like states with NO state income tax. Believe WA one of those.

Our state gets much of it's tax revenue from a consumption tax....sales tax.....and how much I spend, especially on big ticket items....is up to me.

All states have to get their revenue from somewhere....and states with income taxes probable have lower taxes on some things than we do.....but overall.....for my retired lifestyle.....I think living in a state with NO state income tax saves me considerable money. And not having to file a state income tax form saves some hassle.

[jlyon]

Yes I love Bellingham and am considering it for my own retirement location.
Much less rain and more sun than Seattle close to ferries and Mountains and Vancouver for city fun. Housing is already expensive.

Good college town good healthcare clean air.

Hopefully you are not too Rich because Washington will take almost 20% of your Estate when you die.

I live in Texas so another no tax state. For me I think it is better to accumulate your nest egg in a no tax state and then retire to a state with income tax when you are earning almost nothing and others will be paying in more to cover your share.

If you need more sun look closer to Bend Or.

But I think it is going to be hard to beat Corvallis another city high on my list.

[Ssalmon]

My brother lives in a one room shack in Everson, which is just a little North East of Bellingham and he LOVES it there. All the pictures he sends me of his hiking trips look like Patagonia adds. He done a lot of riding, but I think it is because he has only lived in that area since January so I think its a little chilly for him. I thought I heard him mention that Whatcom is trying to clean up their beaches and become more of an outdoor destination too.

[11.4]

From a cultural perspective, Bellingham makes you accessible to both Seattle and Vancouver. Both are wonderful towns if you don't have to live there every day. You also have a host of towns along the coast and out into the islands that are readily accessible from Bellingham.

If you are considering Bellingham, consider Langley on Whidbey and consider Bainbridge. They give you many of the amenities with a little more urban access. Two superb bike shops right on Bainbridge and uniformly great roads, plus access to roads up into Kitsap County and of course east across Seattle and the Snoqualmie valley. Langley has great roads as well. You get water in these towns which you don't get in your options in Oregon.

Riding is mixed around Bellingham -- you are riding in a fairly narrow corridor with some beautiful seaside routes but not all that many great loops unless you go a bit afield. Everyone talks about Chuckanut Drive, but it's one road and then you have to make a viable loop (or several) from it. Inland the roads peter out pretty quickly. There are some good logging roads and other kinds of gravel, but not as much as elsewhere. However, if you go south a bit, more roads open up into LaConner, Stanwood, and so on.

Costs are higher in Bellingham -- significantly higher in real estate. However, you can cross the Canadian border at Bellingham and benefit from a very favorable exchange rate. A lot of things don't really net out cheaper in Canada, bikes included, but it's good for entertainment, culture, dining, etc. Generally, Bellingham is an expensive place to retire. Eugene isn't cheap but more cost effective than Bellingham. However, the Oregon state economy is much weaker than Washington's, and things swing pretty wildly if the overall economy turns sour. Anywhere in the Northwest is good for access to good wine country, riding areas, riding events, and so on.

The towns are very different in many ways, especially in their style and ambiance. If you like one, you may not be as likely to enjoy the other.

[William]

Though I have not lived in Bellingham, I know a few people who do and they love it there.

Bellevue has grown a lot since I lived there but I've always enjoyed visiting.

Corvallis is high on my list of places I've lived that I really miss. Small, but a college town so there are always events and activities to attend. For riding it's my number one place. You have any type of riding you want right out side your door. Rolling terrain North and South of town, the flat valley floor to your East, and great climbs in the Coast Range to your West. I logged thousands of miles in the area during my time there and I would seriously consider going back there again.








William

[dustyrider]

Wife and I are visiting Portland to see our son and scout out possible retirement locations. We like Eugene and Corvallis but son pointed out how much he liked Bellingham on visits. It wasn't on our radar but doing some research online suggests the climate would be similar, cycling and other outdoor activities plentiful, and taxes and housing cheaper. Don't have time this trip to give it a look, but probably this fall. What do folks from that area like/dislike? As a point of reference we'd be leaving southern Indiana. Economy, healthcare, politics, general vibe? Thanks for any input.

I spent about a year and a half there and have returned a couple times for the culture(liberal compared to here), ecosystem(maritime and mountains inland) and friends. If it weren't for the weather it's where I'd be living. However, I like the sun!

Grand Junction, CO(where I live now)vs Bellingham, WA is night and day.
Last I looked we get close to 300 days of sun per year here in GJ, whereas Bellingham gets like 150...I hit day 21 of non-stop rain in Bellingham and decided it was a wonderful place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there.

[Wolfman]

I went to WWU years ago and loved it and still have friends with a place outside of Oak Harbor on Whidbey Island. Haven't been back in a few years, but that part of WA, including Whidbey Island, is great. I'd probably consider it for retirement, but it's got moderately cold winters, which I'm not used to anymore! Like all of the Northwest, the best time of year is between 4th of July and Halloween when the days are long, the lakes are warm enough swim in, and there's plenty of fresh fruit growing.

[Steelman]

If you are looking for something relatively affordable, and on/near the water, Birch Bay is worth a look, probably only 30mins or so from Bellingham. I suspect the surrounding area is much quieter than that of Bellingham.

Lynden seems like a nice town/area as well.

[john903]

I used to live there from 96-99, then from 03-12 then we moved to sunny Sequim we are glad we moved. My views are jaded because I saw the town change a lot it basically it got discovered and blew up then after 08 things settled down and I just did not care for it anymore. Anyway the negatives first. Rain it rains a lot like 30"-40" of rain and lots of grey blah days. Basically late October to April is rain and grey. April through June still rain but getting better and June well there is a reason we call it Junuary. After 4th of July (it always rains on 4th of July) it will and can be absolutely beautiful. Bellingham has gotten discovered so there is a lot more traffic, crowds, and everyone is in a rush to go do what everyone else is doing. Seattle is 2 hours away but count on lots of traffic. Vancouver Canada is only 45min away and 30-45 min border crossing. On your return count on a 1 to 1-1/2 border crossing. Housing prices have gone up but that is a tough one because if your coming from an expensive area it will seem reasonable. If you live there and are trying to buy a house forget it. locales can't afford the houses so we move away.
Ok enough of the negative. Bellingham is "the city of subdude excitment" There are 5 bike shops and at least three that are very good and know what they are doing. Coffee, Bellingham is known for having the most coffee shops per capita in the state, this is intierly here say of course. Bakeries and bagel shops, of course. Resturants you want resturants name the cuisine and they have it. Thai, Vietnamese, Mexican, Russian, Indian, seafood, good ole 'merican they got it and they are all out standing.
Oh man La' fiame wood fired Piazza and Mallards ice cream, oh man I miss those two a lot. Museums oh yes 3 I believe, two are are right by the outstanding library and the beautiful 1920's era Mt. Baker theater (outstanding plays) and of course used book stores. Parks, Bellingham has lots of parks in all there cool little neighborhoods. Water sports, Lake Whatcom is a large lake and great for boating, sail preferred. Of course the San Juan islands are only a couple hour sail away on your nice old ranger 30'. Hiking, snow boarding, climbing, mt. biking, road riding are all very good and there are many outstanding athletes living there.
Now that all said just keep in mind you will be doing all this fun stuff in the cold blah grey 9-10 months out of the year. But that is why everyone has really good out door gear and fenders on there bikes year round. It is expensive to just live very basically their, but it can be worth it if it fits your life style. We moved to Sequim were it gets 12"-16" of rain and a lot less people and is still affordable. Anyway if you have more questions you can always send me a PM. I would suggest to visit in the summer and winter to get a feel for the area that would probably really help you decide.
I apologize if this is a bit negative I am just trying to be realistic and I have to admit B'ham used to be even cooler then what it has become now.
Have a great day.

[notsew]

Wife and I are visiting Portland to see our son and scout out possible retirement locations. We like Eugene and Corvallis but son pointed out how much he liked Bellingham on visits. It wasn't on our radar but doing some research online suggests the climate would be similar, cycling and other outdoor activities plentiful, and taxes and housing cheaper. Don't have time this trip to give it a look, but probably this fall. What do folks from that area like/dislike? As a point of reference we'd be leaving southern Indiana. Economy, healthcare, politics, general vibe? Thanks for any input.

I live in Bellingham. It's great. The general vibe is very laid back and outdoor focused. I can get on a trail a block from my house and ride/hike for 50 miles. You can jump in a boat and be in the San Juans in no time (we have a sailboat and it takes us about 3 hours to get to the first anchorage). In the winter Mt. Baker is 1.5 hours away and often gets the most snow in the country. Vancouver and Seattle are both about 90 minutes away if you want to get to the city. Lots of breweries and coffee.

Riding: I'd disagree with the comment about limited road riding options. I have a pretty good selection of 30-40 mi routes right out my front door. Maybe not as many as some places, but most of them on roads with very little traffic and drivers who are used to seeing a lot of bikes. World class mountain biking is right in town. Tons of gravel roads in every direction. Local cyclocross series.

Healthcare: As a retirement destination Bellingham has the advantage over lots of the other smallish towns listed because we have the only major hospital in the north part of the state. For almost everything you can be treated by qualified specialists in town.

Politics: In town is deep blue. Very liberal. As you get farther out in the county it gets redder and redder. The northern part of the county was one of the birthplaces of the tea party. So you can have a little bit of everything no matter what you believe. :beer:

Housing is going to be on the more expensive side. I would imagine more expensive than Southern Indiana. Like $250k+ for a nice condo or a fixer upper house.

The downsides I would say are the limited economic opportunities (not a big deal if retired), somewhat limited shopping/eating options (but thats going to be true of any smaller town) and the weather. Its 40s and pretty wet for about 9 months of the year. But! the summer is fantastic, 70s or 80s, 16 hours of daylight and no rain.

Feel free to PM if you want to get in touch.

[bironi]

I live in Bellingham. It's great. The general vibe is very laid back and outdoor focused. I can get on a trail a block from my house and ride/hike for 50 miles. You can jump in a boat and be in the San Juans in no time (we have a sailboat and it takes us about 3 hours to get to the first anchorage). In the winter Mt. Baker is 1.5 hours away and often gets the most snow in the country. Vancouver and Seattle are both about 90 minutes away if you want to get to the city. Lots of breweries and coffee.

Riding: I'd disagree with the comment about limited road riding options. I have a pretty good selection of 30-40 mi routes right out my front door. Maybe not as many as some places, but most of them on roads with very little traffic and drivers who are used to seeing a lot of bikes. World class mountain biking is right in town. Tons of gravel roads in every direction. Local cyclocross series.

Healthcare: As a retirement destination Bellingham has the advantage over lots of the other smallish towns listed because we have the only major hospital in the north part of the state. For almost everything you can be treated by qualified specialists in town.

Politics: In town is deep blue. Very liberal. As you get farther out in the county it gets redder and redder. The northern part of the county was one of the birthplaces of the tea party. So you can have a little bit of everything no matter what you believe. :beer:

Housing is going to be on the more expensive side. I would imagine more expensive than Southern Indiana. Like $250k+ for a nice condo or a fixer upper house.

The downsides I would say are the limited economic opportunities (not a big deal if retired), somewhat limited shopping/eating options (but thats going to be true of any smaller town) and the weather. Its 40s and pretty wet for about 9 months of the year. But! the summer is fantastic, 70s or 80s, 16 hours of daylight and no rain.

Feel free to PM if you want to get in touch.

Where is that like button. He nails it.

[cadence90]

Where is that like button. He nails it.

No kidding. Makes me sort of wish I had indeed gone to college at WWU, all those years ago...I was this II close.

[Dead Man]

One word:

Weather.

https://68.media.tumblr.com/538637e02e94abee3ce36796129b78e0/tumblr_n599rfk8Oo1qz4sowo1_500.gif

[2LeftCleats]

Thanks for all the helpful comments. We checked out home prices on Trulia and it seemed that $250-300k buys more in Bellingham than Eugene, which in turn was more than Corvallis.

Agree weather isn't great half the year and that is a consideration. But southern IN has lots of gray days. The appeal for us would be more moderate temps--fewer freezing days and fewer in the 90s.

Having said that, the last several days in the Portland area have been unusually wet and I have a cold.

[mjb266]

I moved out here a dozen years ago and can echo some of what has been said while adding some. To start, housing is soaring. You're not going to find anything in the $250 range unless you're out in Sudden Valley, or Birchwood, or Ferndale. Once you're out that far, you lose all of the charm of The town. This leads to my larger point, that Whatcom County is extremely diverse and you'd better know the neighborhood you're moving to before you buy. There are conservative enclaves like Lynden, Everson, and Blaine which encircle the town. Farther out in the unincorporated county and in Maple Falls and Glacier attitudes shift.

The county is also geographically diverse. Big portions are set up in township and range grids, and riding in Lynden consists of nothing but riding in straight lines with the occasional 90 degree turn. Other areas have roads like Mosquito Lake, Silver Lake, and Reese Hill that have topography and turns. There are plenty of roads you could ride on, but the grids get old real quick. Other spots, like out on the Lummi reservation, might be attractive, but socioeconomic challenges bring things like dogs and ignorant cars which make it inhospitable.

The weather in winter is also all over the place. As I write this, we have 25-30" of snow on the ground and elsewhere in the county it's 30 mph winds blowing huge snow drifts. Bellingham itself is dealing with ice. Having spent time along the I-5 corridor, there is a noticable cooling as you head north past Stanwood and again as you drive through the Chuckanuts. Similar shifts occur as you approach the Fraser Valley, gain elevation, or head east.

The riding is all over the place. No one is riding the logging roads out here, but that is in part because most inviolve 2-4,000 feet of climbing which is often out and back. The sustained 15-20% grades on Black mountain are brutal. On the other hand, singletrack abounds. There is a huge mountain bike scene in the area, and it's growing. The road scene includes organized rides, and is what I would characterize as healthy.

In short, if you want the small town vibe that Bellingham has, plan on paying a lot and plan on moving into the city proper. Neighborhoods like Columbia, York, or Fairhaven are vibrant and close to ammenities.

Oh yeah, Be forewarned, we've had an explosion of homeless folks in town as of late. I'm not sure if this is a lasting phenomenon, but I've been surprised. Might be related to Seattle's closure of a big encampment, or might not.

[mgm777]

One word:

Weather.

https://68.media.tumblr.com/538637e02e94abee3ce36796129b78e0/tumblr_n599rfk8Oo1qz4sowo1_500.gif

Okay, Dead Man this just flat out cracked me up. Subtle, but to the point. LoL! I don't know anything about Bellingham, never been there. Sounds like a nice place, but don't know if I could give up the copious amount of sunshine I get here, in CO. I have a friend who lives in Bellingham and she loves it.

[jimcav]

Wife and I are visiting Portland to see our son and scout out possible retirement locations. We like Eugene and Corvallis but son pointed out how much he liked Bellingham on visits. It wasn't on our radar but doing some research online suggests the climate would be similar, cycling and other outdoor activities plentiful, and taxes and housing cheaper. Don't have time this trip to give it a look, but probably this fall. What do folks from that area like/dislike? As a point of reference we'd be leaving southern Indiana. Economy, healthcare, politics, general vibe? Thanks for any input.

I really encourage you to rent out there for a year before you decide. at least try a house swap for an extended period (maybe to a family with someone at IU).
I am from central Indiana, and was in WA (kitsap county) for 3 years and we went to Seattle, Port Townsend, Bellingham, etc). One, it wasn't cheaper for us as once you actually found the areas that fit what you want in a place to live--not cheaper. Two, the vibe was really varied--from very liberal to very conservative. I personally dislike in your face religious conservatives, and there are plenty of those in both areas. I prefer a more tolerant and easy going vibe, and that was much easier to find in WA. Finally, the grey is not to be underestimated. When we were about to move there, I heard the phrase " oh man, you are going to the green hell". Well, it is green, and i've never had better summers, anywhere, but the other 9+ months were quite literally grey with varying degrees of wet/damp. I live to run and ride, and did it there, but I would certainly have much preferred to be retired there: as if your day is yours to schedule, then there are often breaks in the drizzle that make it more enjoyable to be out. I did okay, but it was tiring to endure at times, and was happy to leave. Many have real SAD problems with the prolonged grey.
good luck

[Louis]

Wife and I are visiting Portland to see our son and scout out possible retirement locations. We like Eugene and Corvallis but son pointed out how much he liked Bellingham on visits.

I'm no expert on the PNW, but just out of curiosity, have you also considered the Medford / Ashland area? I know there's a limit to the number of places one can have on their search radar, but I'm pretty sure that I've read some good things about that part of Oregon on the forum (or maybe it was ATH).

Good luck with the search - in a few years I'll be doing the same thing myself, and that part of the country is certainly at the top of my list.

[m_sasso]

Newer video with a bit of summer Mt bike riding in Bellingham http://www.pinkbike.com/video/460299/?utm_source=MailingList&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=PB+Best+-+January+2017

[notsew]

A local drone video operator put this vid together: https://vimeo.com/195260295. Little bit of everything.

[drewellison]

Oh yeah, Be forewarned, we've had an explosion of homeless folks in town as of late. I'm not sure if this is a lasting phenomenon, but I've been surprised. Might be related to Seattle's closure of a big encampment, or might not.

I believe this is a problem much wider than Bellingham. I live in Everett and work in Seattle, and it's worse in both those places. And from what I read/hear, it's worse all over. I'm just trying to make the point that this is likely going to be the situation wherever one looks.

Reading this thread makes me think I might want to move to B'ham!