Bellingham, WA

I have been trying to move back to Bellingham since the day I left. Throughout the Goldilocks Project, the City of Subdued Excitement has been the one to beat. Despite Bellingham being the only place on the list that I have previously lived, we wanted to revisit it with new scrutiny. That said, it was hard to judge a city that I once knew so intimately.

One of the appeals of Bellingham is its two downtowns. We spent an evening in Fairhaven and one in main downtown, sprinkling in a mix of checking out old and new businesses. We skied at Mount Baker for a day, and of course, despite the weather I went for a walk along the waterfront while eating Mallard ice cream.

Walking around, the city felt dumpier than I remembered. It also was colder and damper than I remembered. It still has the same appeal it’s always had – proximity to water and mountains, environmentally focused, a true college town with an abundant variety of entertainment, and so much more – but maybe my priorities have changed.

The Good

• The City of Subdued Excitement is a truly excellent nickname for Bellingham. You can have a lazy day at Boulevard Park and then spend the evening at a live show, mixed in with just about anything in between. 
• Really beautiful (on a nice days). I love seeing Mount Baker from a kayak in Bellingham Bay. 
• I am culturally aligned with the general population: environmentally and actively minded. 
• We have friends and family who currently live here.

The Bad

• I already know about all of the local secrets, so the fun of discovery is severely lessened compare to other possible choices. 
• It’s pretty expensive to buy a home. That’s partially because there’s a lot of Seattle money moving into the area, but I also think the waterfront creates an up in costs. I’ve expressed before I’m not a water person, so I’m not really willing to pay extra for something I don’t want or need. 
• Seems like Bellingham has already peaked and it’s starting to experience the negative side effects of growth. All of the people who I know currently living in Bellingham have expressed interest in leaving for this reason.
• You don’t have to go far to find land for sale, but it gets extra dreary in those areas, especially as you head east towards Mount Baker Ski Area. 
• Speaking of Baker, it’s about 1.5 hour drive from Bellingham and it is a kooky ski area. If I was picking my town based solely on skiing, Bellingham/Baker would be very low on the list. 

The Verdict

No. 

Wow, did I just write that about my beloved Bellingham?! I really struggled with this one and even got kind of emotional over it but ultimately decided that Bellingham was the perfect college town for me when I was in college. I don’t want to sully or override those memories, and I want the new chapter of my life to be completely independent of that past one. 

The fish and chips bus in Fairhaven has now converted to a taco bus. 

One of the bummers of nostalgia is not being able to appreciate what is there now – without knowing anything about it, I disrespect Chubs Hut for replacing Rocket Doughnuts, but leaving the iconic rocket. 

Fairhaven is still really stinking cute, especially this plaza outside of Village Books where they have a seasonal farmers market and outdoor movies. 

Bellingham had a nice seasonal farmers market (independent of the Fairhaven market), but so does every other place we’re seriously considering. 

There are a handful of smaller museums, but Mindport has always been my favorite. It’s just a few bucks to get in and it’s a hand-on art and science space. 

No one knows if it’s Mallard or Mallard’s, but they have great quirky ice cream flavors. This time I went with black sesame and quince. 

Somehow I have never seen a show at the Mount Baker Theater. 

Nor have I watched a movie at the Pickford.

Oh no – I may be starting to rethink my verdict as I go back through these pictures. There’s something charming about the art and trash bins in the restaurant alley. 

Although I was complaining earlier about new businesses taking over, it was nice to check out this new cocktail bar, Galloway. 

Railroad Street is the hub of cheap eats. Cameron and I once attempted a crepe eating challenge at AB Crepes. 

Little Cheerful is also on Railroad and it is possibly the best breakfast place in town. Normally you have to wait to be seated, but it was sparsely attended on Tuesday morning, meaning there were two free tables.

Mount Baker is a wird ski area, but there are great hikes in summer.