Central Business District

AT A GLANCE

Average age: 33.1

Housing units: 457

Assessed median home value: $115,525

Median home size: 1,405 square feet

Schools: Parkview Elementary, Whatcom/Kulshan Middle School, Bellingham High School

Shopping: Restaurants, clubs and antique shops abound, as do many other independent shops. Bellingham Food Co-Op is the nearest major grocer; open-air Farmer's Market runs April to October

Parks: Maritime Heritage Park, Paper Makers Park, Zuanich Point Park, and Harbor Loop Trail

Mayor's Advisory Committee member: Holly Barbo

City Council members: Bob Ryan, Gene Knutson, John Watts

Police calls in 2003: 4,380

Residential burglaries: 6

Vehicle prowls: 59

Population of neighborhood: 940

NEIGHBORS PROFILE: 'History does add energy to a place that can't be gained'

KATE CLAEYS

Age: 26

Lives on: Unity Street

Lived here: 2�years

Lives with: Roommate

What she does: Sous chef for Ciao Thyme Catering

Why did you decide to live in the area? "It's part convenience and part aesthetic. It's convenient in terms of being able to walk to work, to the restaurants I eat at, and to where I buy my food. It's aesthetic because I don't care to live in tract housing. I feel like I also live downtown because I want to support it."

What makes your neighborhood unique? "All the buildings are unique. I think history does add an energy to a place that can't be gained."

What's your favorite neighborhood moment? "I really love the Gallery Walk nights. I love seeing people out on the streets, people out at restaurants, seeing people looking at art. It's just a nice feeling."

PETER GUNN

Age: 54

Lives on: Commercial Street

Lived here: About 5 years in downtown

What he does: Maintenance and beautification manager for the Downtown Renaissance Network

Why do you like the neighborhood? "I grew up outside the city of New York, in the suburbs. And I lived in Los Angeles and it just doesn't have a city feel. Even though I spent most of my life in these two large metropolitan areas, I never really lived in a city. This is a city. I didn't have a car the first four years, so I walked all over or took the bus or road a bike."

What makes your neighborhood unique? "This is probably the most pedestrian-friendly area in the city."

What neighborhood amenities do you take advantage of? "There's a movie theater downtown, and good restaurants, record stores where the people are knowledgeable, bookstores that are local and a lot of independently owned businesses that it's important to support."

ANNA KONOPKA

Age: 48

Lives on: North State Street, in an apartment house that used to be an office building

Lived here: Since this summer

What she does: Student at Whatcom Community College, works part-time for a law firm and as a project assistant for the Downtown Renaissance Network

Why do you like the neighborhood? "Everything is there, within walking distance. There's something different about being in the core of a city - there's kind of a pulse of people that you don't feel when you live in a more isolated area."

What would you tell others about living downtown? "If you take a little bit of extra time and walk around, you discover all these really cool little shops and little coffee shops. When I walk somewhere, I see different things than I do from my car."