AT A GLANCE

Average age: 37

Housing units: 1,458

Assessed median home value: $206,350

Median home size: 1,637 square feet

Schools: Lowell Elementary, Fairhaven Middle School, Sehome High School

Shopping: Fairhaven Business District has shops, restaurants and galleries, plus Red Apple Market on 12th Street; Sehome Village, downtown Bellingham are nearby

Parks: Boulevard Park, South Bay Trail, Taylor Street Dock, Forest and Cedar Park

Mayor's Advisory Committee member: Donna Auer

On the Web: shna.ws

City Council member: Terry Bornemann

Police calls in 2003: 498

Residential burglaries: 23

Vehicle prowls: 42

Population of neighborhood: 3,249

NEIGHBORS PROFILE: 'Living on a hill gives you some unique perspectives'

TIM CRANDALL

Age: 43

Lives on: 12th Street

Lived here: 4 years

Lives with: His wife Wendy, their four daughters and their female cat. "I'm seriously outnumbered."

What he does: Works as a project manager for a company based in Canada and as a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity

Why do you like the neighborhood? "Because we're so close to so many services, we tend to walk a lot, more than we did in other places we've lived. We often run into our neighbors while we're out and can spend a few minutes catching up on things that are happening in our lives."

Why did you move there? "We moved to the South Hill area to be close to Lowell Elementary School, our church, and the Fairhaven Library. We love that we can walk to all these places and also to the market and all the shops in Fairhaven."

SCOTT HIGHLEYMAN

Age: 44

Lives on: 16th Street

Lived here: 4 years

Lives with: His wife Emily and their three children, as well as one dog, one rabbit and two gerbils

What he does: An environmental consultant working on projects to protect oceans and forests

Why do you like the neighborhood? "It's a mix of old and new houses with sidewalks on most streets so people can actually get out and walk around the block and interact with each other."

What makes your neighborhood unique? "Living on a hill gives you some unique perspectives and access. From the top of the hill you can look down onto the bay in one direction and Mount Baker in the other."

What's your favorite neighborhood moment? "Heavy snowfall shutting down the streets and bringing out all the kids and adults to sled down Taylor Avenue."

KRISTINE SMITH

Age: 38

Lives on: North Forest Street

Lived here: 10 years

Lives with: Her husband Jeff and their children, Maya, 6, and Reed, 4

What she does: Stay-at-home mom and board member of Reed's co-op preschool

Why do you like the neighborhood? "The community is probably the first thing. We have lots of families with young children."

What's your favorite neighborhood moment? "On our street it seems like if there's someone standing on the sidewalk, talking to another neighbor, that's sort of the green flag to say, 'There's a social moment.' "

What's the biggest thing that's happened there? "Taylor Dock. It's a new running route and walking route. Just the other day, I met some friends at Boulevard Park and had an errand to run in Fairhaven. The kids and I just walked. It adds so much to be able to be close to the water."