Commute To Vancouver, BC From Bellingham, Cities On The Way (Seattle: to rent, crime) - Washington (WA) - City-Data Forum

RotseCherut · 01-01-2014, 03:30 PM

Does anybody know realistically how long it takes to commute from Bellingham to Vancouver, BC? I was told there is some type of pass you can buy that will help shorten your time at the border. Does anybody know the details about this? What are the best times and days to go to Vancouver, BC if you are coming from Bellingham?

Also, does anyone know any other interesting cities with culture, shopping, amenities that would be of interest that are on the way to Vancouver, but closer to the WA border? I am a mid 30 something male, so I am thinking towns like White Rock, which I hear are mostly composed of older, wealthy retirees would probably not be so interesting to me. I am interested to learn what other cities are in the Vancouver metro that may be interested to somebody in my demographic.

bler144 · 01-02-2014, 11:06 AM

There are no U.S. 'cities' closer to the border than Bellingham. En route you'll pass through Ferndale (11k pop) and Blaine right at the border (5k). I haven't used the Nexus Pass, personally. Reviews I've read of it seem mixed.

On the Canadian side (as White Rock is), Surrey would be larger, but if you're looking on that side honestly I'd probably look at trying to rent in Vancouver itself if you can afford it. You'll pay a bit more on housing, but you'll save a chunk of money (and a lot of time) on commuting.

You probably want to make a post in the Vancouver BC forum if you haven't already.

RotseCherut · 01-02-2014, 12:06 PM

Sorry, I don't think people understood my comment.. I may be living up in B'Ham and was wanting to go to Vancouver to enjoy city life and culture, which B'Ham is somewhat lacking. I was wondering about Canadian cities on the way to Vancouver, not American ones.. Yes, I know Blaine , Birch Bay, Ferndale, those are not what I was asking about.

I am not going to rent or live in Canada, but rather just visit and I was wondering about Canadian cities closer to the border that would fit the description in my OP. Also, can you give me any realistic numbers as far as wait times at the border and the availability of those special passes that are suppose to speed up the process?

bler144 · 01-02-2014, 03:59 PM

Travel often? Apply for NEXUS - Official Web site

I used to have an inside connection, but alas, now I just have to rely on what they publish for public consumption. It costs $50 for app/processing, but the requirements seem pretty minimal.

They added new NEXUS designated lanes in 2012, but I haven't actually crossed since then, sorry. Still, they seem intent on getting it back to pre-2001 crossing times, which were pretty good most days.

For things to do in the communities surrounding Vancouver, I'd re-ask this question in those forums. Richmond has a few nice parks but doesn't strike me as a destination otherwise. Surrey has golfing. Tsawassen has a ferry to Vancouver Island if you have a couple days to check out Victoria or Tofino. But personally I suspect you'll end up going into Vancouver itself 99% of the time.

Whistler's worth the trip, but obviously that's farther up the road.

Things to Do | Surrey, BC | Destination BC - Official Site

aliss2 · 01-02-2014, 04:11 PM

Hi,
I grew up on the Canadian side.

In the summer, White Rock is full of people your age - the retirees are those who stick around year round. There is a nice bar scene along the main beach. Surrey is a fairly large city (around 400,000) - it's more suburbia, but once you get to Vancouver, the surrounding cities (Burnaby, Coquitlam, North Van), you'll find lots of those amenities. I lived in Surrey, but it was a very local scene and people didn't travel there - they went to Vancouver when they wanted to get out on the town.

The commute really depends on the border - it can be as quick as 25 minutes, it can be up to several hours.

Botev1912 · 01-03-2014, 02:19 AM

Does Surrey have a downtown area?

aliss2 · 01-03-2014, 04:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Botev1912

Does Surrey have a downtown area?

Not really - it's quite large but suburbia, so there are downtown areas of neighbourhoods. The busiest one is very skid-row (compared to what you would find in Seattle), around the main skytrain stations. It's not the kind of place you would want to really visit after dark.

RotseCherut · 01-03-2014, 12:49 PM

I was told Surrey has a crime problem and it appears to have more murders than Seattle and even that being with 200,000 less people. However, looking around the city on google street view, it looks like it has a lot of wealthy neighborhoods and looks pretty upscale. I don't quite know the whole situation with Surrey. Is it a place best avoided or does it have some redeeming value? It sounds like for the most part it is a giant sized suburb with not much to do. I have been told though it has some sketchy areas. Somebody told me that it is the center of gang violence between two Canadian gangs known as the United Nations and Red Scorpions. How true that is, I feel can be up to debate. For all I know, most of these murders were random rather than gang-related, but I am not too familiar with the Vancouver area and crime.

Some of the places I was wondering about were Richmond, Burnaby, Coquitlam, Newtown, White Rock and Langley. I hear Abbotsford is somewhat like a larger version of Lynden, WA, a conservative CHristian town. I wonder if Abbotsford has any value for a visit?

Obviously, I will be spending most time in Vancouver when I visit, but I was just wondering about other places, especially closer to Bellingham.

Botev1912 · 01-03-2014, 01:37 PM

White Rock is something like Edmonds or Kirkland.

aliss2 · 01-03-2014, 04:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RotseCherut

I was told Surrey has a crime problem and it appears to have more murders than Seattle and even that being with 200,000 less people. However, looking around the city on google street view, it looks like it has a lot of wealthy neighborhoods and looks pretty upscale. I don't quite know the whole situation with Surrey. Is it a place best avoided or does it have some redeeming value? It sounds like for the most part it is a giant sized suburb with not much to do. I have been told though it has some sketchy areas. Somebody told me that it is the center of gang violence between two Canadian gangs known as the United Nations and Red Scorpions. How true that is, I feel can be up to debate. For all I know, most of these murders were random rather than gang-related, but I am not too familiar with the Vancouver area and crime.

Some of the places I was wondering about were Richmond, Burnaby, Coquitlam, Newtown, White Rock and Langley. I hear Abbotsford is somewhat like a larger version of Lynden, WA, a conservative CHristian town. I wonder if Abbotsford has any value for a visit?

Obviously, I will be spending most time in Vancouver when I visit, but I was just wondering about other places, especially closer to Bellingham.

Correct, Surrey ranges from neighbourhoods that are borderline condemned (Whalley, with crack shacks galore) to luxury living (Morgan Creek, where under $1 million is rare). Whalley is a bit more of the centre but Surrey is spread out over a large area - you can't really define a downtown. The gang violence is not central to any location but Surrey and Abbotsford are the origins - however, those gangs have sharply declined as the main players have since been murdered or in long-term prison. You are probably familiar with the Surrey 6 murders, but that was some time ago. The murders in Vancouver area are nearly all gang-related, it isn't something to be concerned about.

Abbotsford is a large town - I would say a blend of Surrey and Lynden! Think of Lynden but with intermixing of crime. It is the bible belt but with it's own selection of the underworld.