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ALABAMA HILL: Views are tops atop this hilltop
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| A view of Lake Whatcom greets motorists descending the east side of Alabama Hill on Alabama Street. In the opposite direction, motorists take in an equally impressive view of Bellingham. PETE KENDALL HERALD PHOTO
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Kira Millage
This neighborhood is perched at the top of Alabama Hill and is home to Alabama Street, the steep arterial most people take to get to Lake Whatcom from the city center.
Most residents in this neighborhood have views of the lake or the city, depending on which side of the hill they live. On the north side of the neighborhood, sidewalk-lined streets wind around the crest of the hill and the well-kept yards in front of large homes. The south side of the neighborhood has a less-planned feel, with older houses and no sidewalks but similarly spectacular views.
The popular Railroad Trail winds through the neighborhood to Whatcom Falls Park and Bloedel Donovan Park. The smaller Highland Heights Park and St. Clair Park are also in this neighborhood, providing grassy fields and playgrounds for children.
Average age: 44 Housing units: 1,155 Assessed median home value: $152,133 Median home size: 1,782 square feet Schools: Roosevelt Elementary, Kulshan/Whatcom Middle School, Squalicum/Bellingham High School Shopping: Yew Street Center mini-mall, Barkley Village to the northwest Parks: Bloedel-Donovan and Whatcom Falls parks border the neighborhood; smaller parks are Highland Heights, St. Clair, Big Rock Garden and Railroad Trail Mayor's Advisory Committee member: Vacant On the Web: www.geocities.com/alabamahill City Council member: Grant Deger Police calls in 2003: 296 Residential burglaries: 9 Vehicle prowls: 39 Population of neighborhood: 2,833
JEFF BRAIMES Age: 39
Lives on: Niagara Drive
Lived here: 4 years
Lives with: Wife, two kids and cat
What he does: President of the Alabama Hill Association
What do you like about this neighborhood? "The best thing about Alabama Hill is the trail system. It really allows you to go anywhere in the neighborhood."
Is there anything special about your neighborhood? "Feels like people really do know their neighbors. I think that comes from being a friendly neighborhood to walk in. Also, it takes a close community to get over the Olympic pipeline explosion in 1999."
What's your favorite neighborhood moment? "I would say our Alabama Hill barbecues. The neighborhood gets together the first Tuesday of August. It's a great time to get together with people in an informal setting, have a bite, and sort of be neighbors all together."
AT A GLANCE
NEIGHBORS PROFILE: 'Feels like people really do know their neighbors'
- KIRA MILLAGE
DEAN HASKINS
Age: 47
Lives on: Huron Street
Lived here: 15 years (he's also lived on St. Clair Street from 1959-1967 and Erie Street from 1967-1975)
Lives with: Wife, two sons and daughter
What he does: Business development manager for Trans-Ocean Products, Inc.
Why have you stayed in the neighborhood so long? "It's the neighbors I think we're blessed with that keep us there."
Why do you like this neighborhood? "Whatcom Falls Park. You can walk through on the trail (and) St. Clair Park was just redone two months ago."
How has the neighborhood changed? "The speed of traffic, a lot as the result of Wintree and newer developments over the last five years. It used to be people only coming up my road that lived there and now it's a throughway to zip through."
- KIRA MILLAGE
ROBERT THOMAS
Age: 67
Lives on: Huron Street
Lived here: 7 years
Lives with: Wife and dog Kirby
What he does: Alabama Hill Block Watch Captain for the St. Clair area
Why do you like the neighborhood? "The park is right there near us; there are lots of opportunities to hike and do walks in the park. It's just very convenient to town."
What makes your neighborhood unique? "National Night Out (an anti-crime initiative), we had 80-plus people. The better you know neighbors, the more you know your neighbors, the better it's going to be against crime."
What's your favorite neighborhood moment? "One thing that I really did feel real good about is when the pipeline exploded down there, the neighbors all got together; we took care of what we had to do over here, from directing traffic, searching for neighborhood kids, to helping elderly people."
- KIRA MILLAGE
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