E-Mail
Print
tool name
close
tool goes here
SILVER BEACH: At home at the lake and the park
 |
| Bloedel-Donovan Park, on the north end of Lake Whatcom, is a prime attraction in the Silver Beach neighborhood. HERALD FILE PHOTO
|
Kira Millage
Lake Whatcom is the main drawing point of this sprawling neighborhood.
The neighborhood surrounds the northern tip of the lake and provides upscale lakeside property to those living along Northshore Drive. The southern part of the neighborhood is heavily wooded and populated with mostly smaller homes.
The windy streets don't have sidewalks, but traffic is light, making walking safe and easy.
Bloedel-Donovan Park - which has a boat ramp and public swimming area - sits on the north end of the lake, and the only retail center in the neighborhood is a mini-mart.
The area 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.
Average age: 38.8 Housing units: 1,414 Assessed median home value: $173,665 Median home size: 1,700 square feet Schools: Silver Beach/Geneva Elementary, Whatcom/Kulshan Middle Schools, Squalicum/Bellingham High School Shopping: Silver Beach Grocery and nearby mini-mall; Barkley Village and Sunset Square are to the west Parks: Big Rock Garden, Bloedel-Donovan Park, and Lake Whatcom Mayor's Advisory Committee member: Myron Wlaznak City Council member: Grant Deger Police calls in 2003: 358 Residential burglaries: 13 Vehicle prowls: 24 Population of neighborhood: 2,351
CAROL SMITH Age: 62
Lives on: Olivia Court
Lived here: For 21 years
What she does: Has owned the Silver Beach Grocery since 1986
Why do you like the area? "I like the location, but I like the people. There's an awful lot of nice people in the area. I've been here so long that I know them on a first-name basis and I know what they want and what they buy. It's a pleasure to come to work. I just really appreciate all my customers that come in."
What makes your neighborhood unique? "There's both ends of the spectrum as far as money here. We have some people that are very wealthy and some that aren't. We're a big happy family here."
What amenities do you take advantage of? "I use the trails. I'm a walker.
AT A GLANCE
NEIGHBORS PROFILE: 'We're a big happy family here'
- KIRA MILLAGE
BOB WINTERS
Age: 51
Lives on: Silver Beach Avenue
Lived here: About 12 years
Lives with: Wife Laurie and youngest daughter Claire
What he does: Teaches fifth grade at Carl Cozier Elementary
Why do you like the neighborhood? "The trails, the access to the lake, and to Big Rock Garden. There's just a very nice feel to the neighborhood. We know many of our neighbors. Many of the people living there have been there a good, long time, some of them upwards of most of their lives."
Why did you move there? "We knew the school. It was an excellent school and our kids were grade-school age. And, because we loved the flavor of the place."
How has the neighborhood changed? "Because of the views of the lake and the character of the neighborhood, it seems like every available lot has been built on in the last 10 years. It seems to be becoming a more desirable place to live."
- MARY LANE GALLAGHER
MYRON WLAZNAK
Age: 56
Lives on: East Oregon Street
Lived here: 12 years
Lives with: Wife and dog
What he does: Silver Beach Neighborhood Association president, science fiction writer.
Why do you like the neighborhood? "It's obviously a beautiful area and if you can put up with the Jet Skis during the summer, it's quiet the rest of the year. There isn't a lot of commercial development here. You can get into town relatively easily and can get out of town relatively easily. I love the lake, the environment and the people."
What makes your neighborhood unique? "Certainly the lake. You put up with the Jet Skis and the float planes, but it's also a great amenity. It's also a great responsibility. Living near the lake, you can't do some things. That's a responsibility people who live here have to learn to accept."
- KIRA MILLAGE
CareerBuilder.com Quick Job Search