Best downtowns of Puget Sound cities/towns (besides the obvious) (Seattle: sales, neighborhoods)

[jabogitlu]

Redmond's transformation has been huge over the past 10 years, and especially over the past 15 years. Now it finally feels like the city where Microsoft lives.

[mayfair]

Originally Posted by bartonizer

Sometimes I feel like I'm living in an alternative universe when reading comments from others online about Bellingham. I was down there for Artwalk on Friday night with guests from out of town, went to the Farmers' Market and lunch on Saturday, and then back with my wife on Sunday as the Pride parade was going on. All three days, DT Bellingham was absolutely PACKED with people having a great time and milling around. Families, people of all ages- seemingly enjoying themselves, no one fearing for their lives, how did we all survive? https://nwtuneup.com/

I think it's not about surviving the homeless people, besides the rare attack. Some people are more sensitive to human suffering and the overall stress of seeing homeless people in obvious addiction and misery and don't enjoy just going about their lives around them. For some it's just part of the landscape, for others it's kind of deal breaker about what makes a good downtown.

Bellingham is a great outdoor town in a gorgeous location and no one denies that. But the opinions also have to do with what people are comfortable tolerating. In the PNW, people have been desensitized to the homeless and if you point it out, you're called a fearful of cities wacko, when in reality, some people still find the homeless situation kind of horrifying and sad.

The way here seems to be "let's ignore the problem and it will go away." Most people just do live their lives around the problem, because what else can you do as an individual?

[homesinseattle]

I reinforce the Everett idea!

[xPlorer48]

Originally Posted by rkcarguy

Fairhaven, like many areas, has gentrified and grown. Development has outpaced and even absorbed available parking so it's almost always full. There was a thread on a local forum about the paid parking Bellingham added to Fairhaven questioning the whole system because the cost of the equipment and the enforcement was more than the city would ever recover from the fees, and the elderly complained that they have to walk to the kiosk enter the space # then go back to their car to put the receipt in it.

I go to the Southside (what we locals call Fairhaven, Happy Valley and South Hills) for blood draws and banking. Easy to find free parking in the morning and no crazy homeless hassling you for money. I don’t shop there as I am not a shopper. But, I like that the historic Victorian era architecture remains in the Fairhaven District. It was one of four original towns that became Bellingham.

[TheTimidBlueBars]

Originally Posted by xPlorer48

I go to the Southside (what we locals call Fairhaven, Happy Valley and South Hills) for blood draws and banking. Easy to find free parking in the morning and no crazy homeless hassling you for money. I don’t shop there as I am not a shopper. But, I like that the historic Victorian era architecture remains in the Fairhaven District. It was one of four original towns that became Bellingham.

There were four? I thought it was just Whatcom and Fairhaven.

[JOinGA]

Originally Posted by homesinseattle

I reinforce the Everett idea!

I know you like Everett, but I was reading a review by a resident that talked about being afraid to go out at night because of the crime, mainly drug fueled. Is it getting better or worse?

[homesinseattle]

Better. I don’t like all of Everett, I like Historic North Everett, Rucker Hill and View Ridge.

[SusVelo]

Half the posts in here aren’t on topic, surely there’s another place to solve those problems.

Walls Walla has a great downtown! Waterfront in Vancouver is close enough to include that I’d say it’s overlooked as an up and coming destination.

[bartonizer]

Originally Posted by TheTimidBlueBars

There were four? I thought it was just Whatcom and Fairhaven.

The four original towns on Bellingham Bay were Whatcom, Fairhaven, Sehome, and Bellingham. Whatcom merged with Sehome to become New Whatcom (and back to Whatcom). But Fairhaven and Whatcom were rivals, so when consolidation was proposed, Bellingham was the compromise selected as the official name. Consolidation took place in 1903, which made Bellingham the 4th largest city at that time. https://www.historylink.org/file/7904

[xPlorer48]

Originally Posted by TheTimidBlueBars

There were four? I thought it was just Whatcom and Fairhaven.

Whatcom, Fairhaven, Sehome and Bellingham. We were taught local history in the 3rd grade.