By Robert
Ashworth
In many ways, Bellingham is a typical mid sized American city. I
write a lot about local issues, but they aren't just local.
Cities all across America have similar problems. The things I
suggest for Bellingham could apply to other places as well. Many
"global issues" are really "local issues." For instance local
things like public transportation address issues like global
warming.
The
city of subdued excitement
Subdued
expectations
One can say there is a lot of
natural beauty
around town, but Bellingham is not that much different than many other
places to live. Where ever there are people, there are both good
and bad things. Most local people seem concerned about the
environment,
but the private automobile is still the main means of
transportation.
I-5 cuts right through the center of town.
Some are disappointed that
Bellingham is
just "another average city" in many ways, while others love living in
this
fairly friendly and relaxed community.
Cities,
water and mountains
Just East of town is the
North Cascade mountains.
Puget sound and the San Juan Islands are to the west.
Vancouver, B.C. is only about
50 miles north
while booming Seattle, WA. is only 90 miles south.
Some fear that those two
cities are growing
together and guess who is in the middle; Bellingham. The
Chuckanut
Mountains, just south of town, and the international border, just north
of town, help keep Bellingham in its own world. With out these
geographic
features, Bellingham could just get swallowed up by the big cities and
spit out as another "Lynwood, Washington." Lynwood is a sprawling
suburb of Seattle where there once was a T-shirt proclaiming it as a
"city
noted for absolutely nothing."
Subdued
weather
Some are disappointed by the
weather.
They come expecting a "lush green" environment, but forget the fact
that
a "cool damp" climate is needed to pay for that environment.
Often
it doesn't rain that hard, but we get our rain "one drop at a
time."
There are times when it feels like it is always threatening to rain,
but
never does. One can give up outdoor plans, due to threatening
skies,
only to have the sun come out a few hours later; as if to laugh at one
for canceling plans.
Subdued
economy
Others find the local job
market disappointing.
In Bellingham it is not unusual to find someone with advanced degrees
working
as a waiter. There seems to be a tremendous oversupply of highly
qualified people for the local job market. It may not be easy to
find high paying work, but there are a lot of interesting and highly
educated
people around. For those willing to count "quality of life" as
much
of their compensation, it can be a treat.
Western Washington
University, with its 11,000,
or so, students, plays a big part in the economy. Bellingham also
has a technical college, a community college and some other learning
places.
It draws interesting people from all over the country. On the
other
hand, the educational institutions, themselves, create a large share of
the professional jobs. Much of the rest of the local economy is
retailing.
Students who graduate from local institutions of higher learning often
try to go to work for those institutions after they graduate.
Blue
collar, white collar, grey collar ?
There are a few big old
industries;
a hold over from the lumber and shipping days. A paper mill and
some
refineries provide a few pay checks. Some high tech. employers
are
tucked away in surprising places; such as people's homes. There
are
some free lance writers, who can live anywhere they want as write for
national
markets. Often I wonder how many people make their livings.
Bellingham is also a retirement destination. "A grey collar
economy?"
Reader comments
From Ireland
We found your site most informative. It was
the first non-glossy, objective and independent portrait of the city
that sells itself so well on the internet. Although we do feel
somewhat guilty by our association with the throngs of new settlers
into the community; we selected Bellingham as the place where we want
to settle.
Funny, we are
already hoping that it doesn't grow anymore once we get there!
Unfortunately, growth is inevitable everywhere in the world. The
median population growth statistics suggests a world population of over
11 billion by 2030 (almost double what it was in the 1990s).
Yikes! Where are all of these people going to live? Ireland
is expected to have over 1million additional mouths to feed by 2025
alone, and it's a small island with very finite space.
Development here has gone completely high density, with small towns
becoming satellite cities, almost all-connected with concrete.
Not the Ireland that I once dreamed of living in. I imagine that
the long-term residents of Bellingham feel the same way. But,
alas, we must find a place to call home, and Bellingham is it!
We'll keep very quiet though, and as we are strong advocates of
recycling, pedestrianization, evironmental friendliness, etc., we
shouldn't corrupt the area too much.
More
reader comments
It was very interesting to read your
information about
Bellingham on your web site. I have been thinking about moving
there
from North Carolina, but after reading your information, will certainly
reconsider. You more or less confirmed my concerns about the
economy.
I have been checking monster.com
and hotjobs.com and
all I could find
in Bellingham was fast food or convenience store openings.
Their Chamber of Commerce web site makes
you believe
Bellingham is a lush green paradise of a place to live and that all is
perfect. But from what I can gather and what I read from your web
site, I would probably disagree with that. Also, home prices are
very high there.
Thanks for your website.
Best regards,
Janet
Another
reader
comment
We're back from our trip to northwest
Washington.
We were enthralled by what we saw on our
journey. The surprises were both positive and negative. Anacortes
turned out to be less than we'd hoped for... it's physically larger
than we'd imagined and very bland save for about two blocks of
Commercial Street. Nothing wrong with it mind you, just unflavored.
We looked at Mt. Vernon... too big! We
looked at Burlington and Sedro-Woolley... just right! We also looked at
LaConner and found a delightful little town, but far too tourist choked
to live with... imagine what it must be like in June, July, and August.
Then to Camano Island, nice but remote.
It's growing like a weed and prices are reflecting that. Whidbey
Island... only two villages worth considering there. Coupeville (very
quiet) and Langley, which we liked a lot. Langley has a very visible
alternate life style community. The trouble is... it's so far down
Whidbey Island you have to drive a hundred miles to get anywhere, or
take a ferry to Port Townsend or Mukilteo. That'd be a pain for us we
think.
The Kitsap peninsula was gorgeous: Port
Townsend, Sequim (what is it with that place?), Port Ludlow, Poulsbo
(the LaConner effect), and Port Orchard where we stayed two nights. But
we wouldn't want to live there.
Sorry we didn't get to Bellingham this
time. But we'll be back in the spring... armed with a lot more time.
Best wishes,
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