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SEHOME: A friendly mix of families, students
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| A place in the shade can be found in Bellingham's Sehome neighborhood. This view looks up Newell Street toward Sehome Hill. PETE KENDALL HERALD PHOTO
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Kira Millage
The neighborhood next to Western Washington University atop Sehome Hill is home to an eclectic mixture of retirees, college students and families.
The area was used in the early 1850s for coal mining and was one of the four original towns that now make up Bellingham. The Sehome neighborhood is a hilly section of town, offering sweeping views of Bellingham Bay and the city and nestling against the Sehome Hill Arboretum.
Parking restrictions now keep students and other commuters from parking along many of the narrow streets lined with owner-occupied homes. Close to campus along North Forest, North Garden, and High streets are small apartment complexes and older homes that have been converted into duplexes for rent to students.
The center of the neighborhood is called the Sehome Historic District and is recognized by the National Register. It is quieter and more family oriented than the rest of the neighborhood. The old houses are on small lots, but two parks offer open grassy areas for people to play Frisbee or soccer.
Pine and Cedar Park and Laurel Park are both small, but the arboretum offers trails, trees, and views for those who enjoy the outdoors. Most of the neighborhood has sidewalks, and people can be seen on family walks or running up the hill to class.
Average age: 23.8 Housing units: 1,403 Assessed median home value: $117,495 Median home size: 1,345 square feet Schools: Lowell Elementary, Fairhaven Middle School, Sehome High School Shopping: Sehome Village to the south has a Haggen grocery, restaurants, shops and offices Parks: Sehome Hill Arboretum, Laurel Park, Forest and Cedar Park Mayor's Advisory Committee member: Anne Poulson City Council member: Terry Bornemann Police calls in 2003: 2,166 Residential burglaries: 29 Vehicle prowls: 71 Population of neighborhood: 3,404
KEVIN BURKE Age: 40
Lives on: Key Street
Lived here: 16 years
Lives with: Wife, 2 daughters, dog
What do you like about the neighborhood? "It's a small neighborhood. It's wedged against the (Sehome) arboretum and the through traffic is limited."
What's your favorite neighborhood moment? "Across the street has a couple of young boys and they had a 'Slip and Slide' that we kept adding plastic to until it was half a block long... Kids and adults came out and used it or watched. That kind of thing, when you have everyone together, is great."
Do you take advantage of any amenities in the area? "The arboretum, but I go up there more when it's rainy than when it's dry. If I can spend the weekend without getting in my car and staying in the neighborhood visiting, I think it's great."
AT A GLANCE
NEIGHBORS PROFILE: 'We've always had a cohesive neighborhood'
DAR NEW
Age: Over 40
Lives on: Liberty Street
Lived here: 28 years
Lives with: Husband Dave (above right) and dog
What she does: Silver Beach Elementary School librarian and teacher; co-chairwoman of Sehome historical group
Why have you stayed in the neighborhood so long? "It's just really a great place to live. We have amazing neighbors, we've always had a really cohesive neighborhood, we still love our house, we love our garden. People who live in this neighborhood tend to stay here; there's not a lot of turnover."
What's your favorite part of living there? "I just think it's easy to get places. If I take my dog for a walk around the block, I know most of the people who live here, even on the other streets."
How has it changed? "I don't think it really has. It's changed in the sense that because we have the historic designation, people take more pride in their houses."
ANNE POULSON
Age: 45
Lives on: Liberty Street
Lived here: 6 years
Lives with: Husband Eric and children Abigail, 13, and Isaac, 11
What she does: Jewelry designer and maker, Sehome neighborhood representative to the Mayor's Neighborhood Advisory Council
Why do you like the neighborhood? "There's a real variety of interesting people. Generally, people with social consciousness - there's young families with little kids, there's older people, there's students. People are involved in all different aspects of the community in this neighborhood."
Why did you move there? "We really liked the style of the houses. They were Craftsman-style houses."
What neighborhood amenities do you take advantage of? "I get together with neighbors. We have potlucks at each other's houses."
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