Bellingham Neighborhoods
Bellingham Neighborhoods
Alabama Hill Birchwood
Columbia
Cornwall Park
Edgemoor
Fairhaven
Guide Meridian
Happy Valley
Lettered Streets
Meridian
Mount Baker
Puget
Roosevelt
Samish
Sehome
Silver Beach
South
South Hill
Sudden Valley
Sunnyland
Whatcom Falls
York
Association of Bellingham Neighborhoods
1. Alabama Hill
Mailing Address:
Alabama Hill Association
PO Box 29902
Bellingham, WA 98228
This neighborhood is located on top of Alabama Hill, between Bellingham Bay and the northern end of Lake Whatcom. Homes facing east have an excellent view of Lake Whatcom, while those facing west look out over the city and Bellingham Bay beyond.
Alabama Hill is a residential neigborhood, comprised of mostly single family homes from the 1960s and 1970s. The north side of the hill has broad, winding culd-de-sacs with sidewalks and large homes with well-kept yards. The south side has some smaller, older homes, but with equally splendid views.
There are no commerical areas in the Alabama Hill Neighborhood. Barkley Village, located about one mile away, includes a Haggen supermarket, shops, banks, many restaurants and other services along Newmarket Street.
Whatcom Falls Park sits just south of Alabama Hill, offering swimming areas, play fields, trout fishing, picnic areas and playgrounds. The park is a quick walk or bike ride away along the Railroad Trail, a three mile trail that winds through the neighborhood, connecting Whatcom Falls and Bloedel Donovan Parks to Memorial Park.
There are also the smaller Highland Heights and St. Clair neighborhood parks in the area, providing grassy fields and playgrounds for local residents.
Alabama Hill is served by Roosevelt Elementary School. Older students on the north side of Alabama Street generally attend Whatcom Middle School and Squalicum High School, while those to the south attend Kulshan Middle School and Bellingham High School.
Alabama Hill
Alabama Neighborhood
2. Birchwood Neighborhood
The neighborhood is on the northwest side of town and has large streets, many tree-covered lots and ready access to Bellingham Bay. Squalicum Creek borders the neighborhood, giving kids a place to ride bike trails without leaving the neighborhood. Adults enjoy Bellingham Golf & Country Club, which has an 18-hole course and outdoor swimming pool.
While there are no major city parks within the neighborhood, Cornwall Park is nearby, just across Meridian Street to the east. Cornwall Park is populated mainly by large firs, hemlocks and cedars. There are tennis courts, jogging and fitness trails, bike routes, park benches, children’s' playground and public bathrooms. Horseshoe pits line the center of the park. Jogging trails can be found through the woods. At both edges of the park are areas for volleyball and baseball. The newer part of the park now offers a wading pool and covered picnic area. Here you will also find a bridge and an area to walk along Squalicum Creek where it flows through the park.
Birchwood Park, on Cedarwood Avenue, was built in 1998 after neighbors petitioned the city to built it. Little Squalicum Park, which includes a beach and natural area, is on the southwestern edge of Birchwood.
Shuksan Meadows Park is a smaller park near Shuksan Middle School.
Park Manor Center on Northwest Avenue anchors the retail district with an Albertson's supermarket and Big Lots Store. Yeager's Sporting Good and Rite Aid pharmacy are nearby. Smaller shops, restaurants and offices are also clustered around the commercial-retail area.
This neighborhood is also close to Bellis Fair mall, the region's major shopping center, located just across Interstate 5 to the northeast.
Schools
Schools are convenient for many families: Birchwood Elementary School and Shuksan Middle School are within the neighborhood's boundaries, as is Bellingham Technical College. Some students on the northwest end of the neighborhood attend Alderwood Elementary. Teens from the Birchwood neighborhood attend Squalicum High School.
3. Columbia Neighborhood
Meetings Quarterly (dates vary), 7 PM - St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
Postal Address P.O. Box 921, Bellingham, WA 98227
Development of the neighborhood began in the late 1880s. Approximately 90 percent of the neighborhood's housing is over 20 years old. With some notable exceptions, the area is platted into 5,000 square foot lots and most of the development has consisted of one house per lot. The city has identified three distinct areas within the neighborhood.
The southernmost portion of the neighborhood contains many large, older homes, some of historical significance. It is further characterized by narrow, often tree-lined streets and well kept yards with mature landscaping. The residents along the western side of Eldridge Avenue enjoy views of Bellingham Bay, but, due to the flat topography of the area, very few other residents enjoy the view. People living along Squalicum Creek value their private green spaces along the water. Much of this area is contained in the Eldridge Avenue Historic District.
The final distinct neighborhood area is bounded by Northwest Avenue, Illinois, Elizabeth, Oregon and Meridian Streets and Squalicum Creek. Platting and development of this area is more typical of the Birchwood Neighborhood than of the rest of the Columbia Neighborhood.
Adapted from Neighborhood Character section of the Columbia Neighborhood Plan, January 1, 2005.
4. Cornwall Park Neighborhood
The park is a landmark everyone should visit. Sky-high trees, beautiful fields and trails are the main attraction. Baseball fields, a playground, spray water park, horshoe pits, tennis courts, picinic shelters, and a disc golf course are some ammenities this park boasts. Squalicum Creek runs through this park and located on the corner is a well-kept rose garden.
The Roeder Home, which is owned by the Bellingham Parks Department, is a building used for weddings, recitals, and craft events. It was built in 1903 by the grandson of Henry Roeder who was one of Bellingham's founders.
Nearby you can find St. Joseph's Hospital and other medical facilities.
Cornwall Park
Cornwall Park Neighborhood
5. Downtown Bellingham
Downtown Bellingham offers urban living with many boutiques, restaurants and other business flooding the well-kept streets. Built above these businesses you can generally find apartments and condos for those who enjoy being close to the many amenities of Downtown Bellingham. More high-rises are expected to be built downtown in the next few years. The goal is to minimize the spreading out of buildings, but instead build up.
6. Edgemoor Neighborhood
The Edgemoor Neighborhood is a city designated neighborhood bounded by Cowgill Road on the north, Chuckanut Drive on the east, Briza Court and Sea Pines lane on the south, and Bellingham Bay on the west. It is on a semi-peninsula and boasts some of Bellingham's finest homes and beautiful landscaping. Looking out onto Chuckanut and Bellingham bay is what these residents are able to indulge in daily. This is a quiet and peaceful neighborhood with a low crime rate for peace of mind.
7. Fairhaven Neighborhood
Fairhaven, Washington was founded in the late 1880s and is now part of the City of Bellingham. It is the southernmost neighborhood of Bellingham, and borders Puget Sound on the west and Western Washington University on the south. Central is the Fairhaven business district which features a seasonal farmer's market.
It is the southernmost terminus of the Alaska Ferry and part of the Alaska Marine Highway System. Nearby is the Amtrack station as well as the Greyhound depot. Fairhaven is also served by the Whatcom Transit Authority.
Visit Fairhaven's Official Web Page: www.fairhaven.com
8. Guide Meridian/ Cordata Neighborhood
Spanning north and west of the Meridian neighborhood, the Guide Meridian neighborhood is an area of major growth and development. This major street runs miles through Ferndale, Lynden, and ending at the Canadian border only one half hour away. Being so close to Canada offers international visitation at a whim.
Many large businesses such as Costco, Walmart, Best Buy, Bellis Fair Mall, Home Depot and others are located in this industrial area. Because of the many businesses and Whatcom Community College, many condos and new homes have been and are being built.
The Guide Meridian has everything to offer from a variety of shopping, places of employmenet, restaurants, and homes.
Cornwall Park is nearby to offer peace and quiet from the city life.
Guide Meridian 1
Guide Meridian 2
9. Happy Valley Neighborhood
In Happy Valley you'll find that a large portion of it is reserved as the Connelly Creek Nature area and the train runs through the length of the neighborhood. Sehome Village is nearby for shopping, and Joe's Garden for organic products!
10. Lettered Streets Neighborhood
In the 1850’s a sawmill was situated at the mouth of Whatcom Creek. This caused construction of many homes for working families in the Lettered Streets area and some of which still stand today.
Need a grocery store? The original Haggen store is located nearby. Two minutes away you can find downtown shopping and many other stores at your fingertips.
Lettered Streets 1
Lettered Streets 2
11. Meridian Neighborhood
The Meridian Neighborhood in the past was part of the Guide Meridian Neighborhood; however, this new portion created in 1995 was seperated because of its intense commercial nature. Two of the city's busiest traffic lights are located in this area as well as the on and off ramp to the I-5 Highway and the nearby Bellis Fair Mall, McDonalds, Red Robin and Boston Pizza.
Just minutes away you can find Cornwall Park, one of the most popular parks in Bellingham.
New housing development and many many apartment and condo buildings have been erected recently with a plan for even larger urban growth.
12. Mt Baker Neighborhood Association
Website - http://www.mtbakerna.org
Email list - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mtbakerna/
The Mount Baker neighborhood is growing quickly with new beautiful homes perched on top of Barkely Boulevard. Nearby you can find commercial developments at Barkley Village, Sunset Square, Hanngegan Road, and East Bakerview Road. As the residential areas become more expansive, apartment buildings have been erected near Sunset Square and the development of new commercial/business use buildings in Barkley Village. On James Street you can find a manufactured home park which is known for it's Christmas light show every year. Sunset Drive become the Mt. Baker Highway which takes you all the way up to the top of Mt. Baker. This is where we get the name for the neighborhood: Mt. Baker.
North Ridge Park is a new area built on Barkely Hill which includes trails leading to Whatcom Falls Park and Lake Whatcom. Sunset Pond, meanwhile, provides a great nature walk, fishing, and picnics for the nearby residents.
Many shopping venues can be found in this area. Lowes, Walgreens, fast food restaurants, K-Mart, Haggen Foods and Pharmacy, and many others.
13. Puget Neighborhood Association
Puget may be the place to live if you don’t want to leave your neighborhood for anything.
Lakeway Drive runs through the neighborhood and provides gas stations, Cost Cutter grocery, Fred Meyer, a health food outlet, a state liquor store, and many other business. Carl Cozier Elementary school is nearby providing easy access for taking the kids to school. For entertainment, the Civic Athletic Complex provides sporting events including soccer, baseball, ice skating and swimming. The neighborhood consists of mostly single-family homes, but apartments are here and there, providing college students with housing right along a bus line to Western Washington University. Whatcom Creek runs along the border of the neighborhood as it spills out of Whatcom Falls Park. The southern and eastern portions of the neighborhood, on higher-elevation real estate that affords some stunning views of Bellingham Bay or the Canadian Cascades, are dominated by single-family homes on medium-sized lots.
14. Roosevelt Neighborhood
Website: http://aobn.org
Welcome to the neighborhood where major improvements have been made to lower the crime rate and clean up the parks. A Boys and Girls Club, and plans to build a community center are all part of the plan to make this great neighborhood even better.
Alabama Street cuts this neighborhood in half with mostly residential homes and duplexes. Many college students rent here as well as more permanent residents further up Alabama Hill. More people are moving to this area to stay rather than rent in the recent past. Many existing homes are renovated and the neighborhood become more attractive with each one.
Roosevelt Park is a newly renovated park and has a playground, large fields, basketball courts and public bathrooms. Pacific Trails Park also lies within neighborhood boundaries, and Whatcom Falls Park. Whatcom Falls is a sprawling, shady city park with playgrounds, fishing ponds, trails and courts.
The Railroad Trail, following the abandoned rail line that once served a lumber mill on the shores of Lake Whatcom, provides pleasant strolling and biking through marshy woodland to Bloedel-Donovan Park, another prime city park.
Right in the middle of Roosevelt there is a 7-Eleven, Gas station, pharmacy, Mexican restaurant, and others. Only a couple of minutes away on Iowa Street you can find many car dealerships and other commercial businesses. Haggen grocery can be found in Barkely Village just a couple blocks away.
15. Samish Neighborhood
The Samish neighborhood is special because it is almost a little town on its own. Located on Samish Way is a large shopping center which consists of Haggen, Starbucks, REI, various restaurants, and much more. Many gas stations, hotels, and other businesses line the streets. Being so close to Western Washington University, many students use this area as their resource.
Now what about for fun? Lake Padden is located on the North end of Samish and is the most popular for runners. A 2.6 mile trail winds around the lake and is surrounded in woods and lakefront. Swimming, sports, BBQs, sun tanning and exercise are all part of what Lake Padden has to offer.
16. Sehome Neighborhood
This neighborhood is located just north of Western Washington University on Sehome Hill and is home to many college students as well as others.
The area was used in the early 1850s for coal mining and was one of the four original towns that now make up Bellingham. The Sehome neighborhood is a hilly section of town, offering sweeping views of Bellingham Bay and the city and nestling against the Sehome Hill Arboretum.
Among Bellingham's older neighborhoods, Sehome includes a number of turn-of-the century structures, along with an array of Craftsman-style bungalows. Register for its architectural significance. Many of the homes in the Historic District were built before 1930 and retain most of their original features.
The south campus of St. Joseph Hospital is within the neighborhood's boundaries. It provides elder care, chemical dependency rehabilitation and mental health services.
The Sehome Hill Arboretum is an 180 acre park adjacent to the campus of Western Washington University. The Arboretum was the focus of both mining in the 1870's and logging operations as recently as 1906. The land became a park in 1922 and an arboretum in 1967, with the closure of the park to automobiles. The hilly, naturally wooded arboretum is jointly managed by both the university and the city. The park offers students and city dwellers over 5 miles (8 km) of public trails to explore. Unique features of the park include an 80-foot wooden observation tower atop Sehome Hill, with aerial views of Bellingham Bay to the south. There is also a large tunnel, cut into rock, through in which hikers can walk.
Sehome Village provides convenient shopping with a Haggen supermarket, restaurants, offices and shops. Samish Way is a strip of restaurants, motels, convenience stores and gas stations. A short drive away you can find Fred Meyer Shopping Center. Across Lincoln Street, Lakeway Center features a Cost Cutter grocery, along with other stores and restaurants.
17. Silver Beach
Silver Beach is a gorgeous community located at the North end of Lake Whatcom, which is the main drinking source for the area. Many lavish homes are built around the lake with affordable housing scattered here and there.
Bloedel Donovan Park is located on the shores of Lake Whatcom and is a popular place to swim, play sports, walk the dog, BBQ, bring your kids to the playground, launch your boat, and much more!
Interested in the history? Bloedel Donovan Park once was the site of a lumber mill served by a railroad line and by steamboats that hauled logs up the lake. The area also was home to the White City Amusement Park in the early 1900s, which had a large wooden rollercoaster, a Ferris wheel and the Silver Beach Hotel.
This is one of Bellingham's most fantastic neighborhoods in which to reside. Don't miss the view!
18. South Neighborhood
As one of the city's most secluded neighborhoods, the South neighborhood is located along Chuckanut Drive. With majestic, sometimes palatial homes overlooking Chuckanut Bay and winding, dead end roads, much of the area is left undeveloped. Featured attractions include the Interurban Trail and Fairhaven Park
19. South Hill Neighborhood
Nestled elegantly between Western Washington University and Bellingham Bay, South Hill is one of Bellingham's most exclusive neighborhoods. Featuring magnificent, historic homes, South Hill offers its residents views of the sparkling bay below in a peaceful, family-friendly setting. Lined with sidewalks and seasonal gardens, the neighborhood is popular with young and old alike. At the neighborhood's western edge sits Boulevard Park, a popular picnic and recreation spot.
South Hill
South Hill Neighborhood
20. Sunnyland Neighborhood Association
Website: http://www.sunnylandneighbors.org/
Email/Posting -- http://groups.google.com/group/sunnyland
The Sunnyland neighborhood is a diverse mix of residential and commercial developments.
The southern end of the neighborhood is home to several local businesses and restaurants lining busy James Street, from hardware and tire stores to an open-air market. Shopping is easy, with downtown to the south, Sunset Square to the north and a host of businesses along James Street.
Moving north, businesses and warehouses give way to quaint houses on the typical small lots found in the center of Bellingham. The homes vary between rentals and permanent residences, and the condition of the old homes also varies. Lots and homes become larger toward the northwestern side of the neighborhood.
This neighborhood might be a good choice for anyone needing convenient access to St. Joseph Hospital and the medical offices that surround it. The hospital campus is just a few blocks north of the neighborhood boundary.
Memorial Park, established to honor war veterans, is off Illinois Street behind Sunnyland Elementary School. The newer Sunnyland Park is on the other side of Alabama Street. Community members rallied together to get the park built, providing kids from the other side of the neighborhood a safe place to play.
Groceries are available at Red Apple Market at James and Alabama streets. A bit farther away is Haggen supermarket, to the northwest on Meridian Street.
Sunset Square, which features a K-Mart Discount Store, Rite Aid pharmacy, multiplex theater and several other stores, lies to the west across Interstate 5.
Sunnyland Elementary School
Parkview Elementary School
Lowell Elementary School
Whatcom Middle School
Kulshan Middle School
Bellingham High School
Sunnyland
Sunnyland Neighborhood
21. Sudden Valley
Sudden Valley is a private community which consists of 1,800 acres located on the shores of Lake Whatcom and the surrounding hills. Many amenities are available to the residents of Sudden Valley such as a dry dock and marina for boats, designated swimming areas, sports field, clubhouse, swimming pool, 24-hour security, golf, and much more.
Sudden Valley is known for having gorgeous wooded areas and nature preserves. The close proximity to Bellingham, only 12 minutes away, has made this place desirable and is becoming more popular with time. Sudden Valley has made steps to become its own city. This proposal may be a long time in coming, but is a possibility for the future. There are many styles of living, from cottages to mansions with lake views. This area is known as more affordable living in good proximity to Bellingham. Make this your next stop!
Bob’s Burger and Brew
Tino’s Pizza & Pasta Company
Gas Station
Post Office
Salon & Day Spa
22. Whatcom Falls Neighborhood
Website: http://www.whatcomfalls.org
The Whatcom Falls neighborhood is not too densly populated and boasts one of the most popular parks in Bellingham. Its name comes from the gorgeous waterfall that runs through the park. A quaint bridge allows full view of the river and mossy surroundings that draw you into the beauty. Pools of water gather swimmers year round. A trout hatchery is located in this area and is operated by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Bayview Cemetary is a picturesque cemetary with great landscaping and sweeping trees located on Lakeway Drive. Bloedel Donovan Park is another park just minutes away on the shores of Lake Whatcom.
Whatcom Falls 1
Whatcom Falls 2
23. York Neighborhood
York is a mix of residences and small businesses. More than 50% of residences are "owner occupied". The 50% mark was surpassed in the late 80's and has gradually risen since. However, there are a number of apartment buildings scattered throughout as well as a number of single residence rental properties, some of which have been remodeled to accommodate multiple renters. Most of the latter are rented by students attending Western Washington University (WWU) or Whatcom Community College (WCC); other renters include some of the University's professors and other residents just getting started in life.
Geneva Neighborhood
Western Wash University
Alabama Hill Birchwood Chuckanut Dr. Columbia Cornwall Park Edgemoor Fairhaven Geneva Guide Meridian Lettered Streets Meridian Mt. Baker Puget Happy Valley Roosevelt Samish Hill Sehome Silver Beach South South Hill Sudden Valley Sunnyland Whatcom Falls York