E-Mail
Print
tool name
close
tool goes here
SOUTH: A little bit of country in the city
 |
| Fairhaven Park is a popular destination for family and group outings and adds to the allure of Bellingham's quiet South neighborhood. HERALD FILE PHOTO
|
Kira Millage
The South neighborhood is about as close as the city comes to a pastoral lifestyle. Most homes sit on large lots, sometimes large enough for horses, and the area is heavily wooded. Much of the neighborhood has been left undeveloped to allow for trails up Chuckanut Mountain and through Arroyo Park.
Homes in the southern region vary from older farm houses to small, one-story houses. At the northern end of the hilly neighborhood are some new housing developments, where the city is expanding into the woods.
Access can be a challenge because many of the streets are dead ends or gravel roads. The only through streets are Chuckanut Drive, Old Samish Highway and 24th Street.
Although there are no major businesses to attract people to this area of town, the Interurban Trail and Fairhaven Park add to the appeal of this quiet and remote neighborhood.
Average age: 40.2 Housing units: 799 Assessed median home value: $129,525 Median home size: 1,330 square feet Schools: Larrabee/Lowell Elementary, Fairhaven Middle School, Sehome High School Shopping: Fairhaven Business District has shops, restaurants and galleries; Sehome Village, downtown Bellingham are nearby. Major grocers are Food Pavilion on Old Fairhaven Parkway and Haggen at Sehome VIllage Parks: Arroyo Park, Chuckanut Creek, Interurban Trail, Hoag's Pond, Hoag's creek, Fairhaven Park Mayor's Advisory Committee member: Vacant City Council member: Barbara Ryan Police calls in 2003: 262 Residential burglaries: 9 Vehicle prowls: 10 Population of neighborhood: 3,462
HILARY HIGGINS Age: 38
Lives on: 30th St.
Lived here: 5 years
Lives with: Husband James (above right), son Ronan and dog Huck Finn
What she does: Self-employed as a German-to-English translator and new mom
Why do you like the neighborhood? "It has one foot in the town and one in the countryside."
What makes your neighborhood unique? "As James says, it's like living in Larabee Park, with houses instead of campsites."
Is there anything special about your neighbors? "I think the folks in this area are very down-to-earth, easy-going and, I think, artsy. It seems like a certain kind of person is attracted to this neighborhood, someone who likes to do their own thing, individual thinkers, independent, nature-lovers (who in Bellingham isn't?), like to have space. "
AT A GLANCE
NEIGHBORS PROFILE: 'It has one foot in the town and one in the countryside'
- MARY LANE GALLAGHER
STEVE WILSON
Age: 52
Lives on: Old Samish Road
Lived here: 23 1/2 years
Lives with: His wife Kathie and Childlife Montessori Preschool, which they run in their home
What he does: Teaches in the preschool; recently helped organize the South Neighborhood Association and is the current chairman
What makes your neighborhood unique? "Lots of hiking and biking trails. Our neighborhood is the gateway to Chuckanut Mountain and Chuckanut Bay."
What's your favorite neighborhood moment? "I love to ride my bike home in the dark of night. Just before I get to my home, there are no street lights to spoil the view of the night sky!"
What neighborhood amenities do you take advantage of? "Kathie and I take advantage of launching our kayaks at Chuckanut Village for evening paddles. This is paradise!"
- MARY LANE GALLAGHER
GAZHONG YUEN
Age: 40
Lives on: Chuckanut Avenue
Lived here: 3 years
Lives with: Husband Frank and their son TaiMing
What she does: Ex-software engineer, now a full time mom assisting husband with a prostate cancer prevention study
Why she likes the neighborhood: "It's quiet, low-key, no big flashy houses. I also like the fact that it's an old, established neighborhood. Our neighbor was born in the house he lives in now and his father was born and died at age 99 in that same house."
What makes her neighborhood unique: "It feels like we're in the middle of nowhere, and yet we are still in the city limits and are only a couple miles from the stores and conveniences in Fairhaven."
Why she moved there: "I fell in love with a man who lives here. We met when we were both doing volunteer work in Dharamsala, India three years ago."
- MARY LANE GALLAGHER
CareerBuilder.com Quick Job Search