Aberdeen/Hoquiam area (Seattle, Bellevue, Olympia: rent, mobile home, buying)

[Alaska49er]

Hello all,

Looking for folks who live in Aberdeen/Hoquiam or lived there in the past. I am in Seattle and planned on buying a retirement home in Bremerton or Port Orchard, however the home prices in Aberdeen and Hoquiam are so attractive that I would like to at least consider it as a place to live. yes, I have been there, for one day, and I do know it is a depressed area. However, what has the trend been lately? If there is a lot of promise for an up and coming area, I would consider buying there. What do you like and dislike about the area. What does it have to offer seniors? I also like Ocean Shores but it is a bit more expensive and seems like it would be fairly cold and windy year round. Any and all thoughts and replies are appreciated!

[rheadabovewater]

I was there late last year and I hate to say it, but Aberdeen is still a ghost town. I haven't been to the other areas you mentioned (I live in CA but my daughter is in Elma), but I really love Elma - it seems to be more sunny than other places I've seen around Aberdeen, less windy, and if I didn't like CA so much, I'd move there myself.

[KidBlue]

I'm planning on retiring in either Elma, Shelton, or Olympia. Any thoughts you have on Elma would be appreciated. I also live in CA (near Placerville) but need to settle somewhere cooler and less crazy.

[ralphhogaboom]

Alright, I'll bite.

I moved (back) to Hoquiam last year and I really like it. I moved from Port Townsend, WA - so it did take some time to adjust. There are some happening things in the two towns if you take a little time to check it out.

In Hoquiam, I've been a volunteer for the 7th Street Theatre - this 1928 atmospheric old theatre that shows old movies once a month. It's really taking off this year with community support, and redoing the seats, rigging, and looking at upgrading to a digital projector. It's cool - 7th Street Theatre ~ Hoquiam's Theatre Beautiful.

Aberdeen has a developer from Bellevue in town now. He's an old Aberdeenian from what I understand, and he's pouring money into renovating the old D&R Theatre. The neon is up now, and it looks georgeous - sorry, can't find a Flickr photo of what it looks like now. The same guy doing that is starting a farmer's market - check Grays Harbor Street Market.

And, one thing to note - the area did recently get approved for building pontoons for the 520 floating bridge. That means that there will be sustained income flowing into the area for four years or so once that starts. Imperium Renewables has the biodiesel plant that opened here as well, another indicator of industry that helps supply income to the community.

Now, if WalMart et al would stop draining that money right back out ...

I like living here. I work at the college in south Aberdeen, and my family does a number of things to connect with the community. She self-publishes a zine (sure nail & fire ~ hoquiam's lifestyle zine), and bikes with our kids as much as possible. I run a digital video enthusiasts group (Hoquiam Film & Video Group | Google Groups), and we both volunteer at the 7th Street Theatre. My wife does a day or two a week at Emerson Elementary with my daughter's class, and participates in a few sewing / knitting groups around town.

We like it here, and we're not crazy. The housing prices are especially appealing, and we're looking from here to Elma. Elma is a neat little town for sure.

[AngelaE8654]

Great post from Ralphhogaboom. He's right; if you do things to connect with the community, you'll love it here. I've lived here almost all of my life and I love the community spirit here. If you are retirees, it being a depressed area is not that big of a problem, really. There are many other retirees in the area and many things you can find to do. Housing prices just can't be beat here, that's for sure.

One thing about Wal Mart is it IS a very large employer of people in the community, and that's a good thing. My sister has been working there for about 15 years. She's also a junior at St. Martin's University; we are close enough for people here to attend great colleges after finishing at Grays Harbor College.

[dogmom]

We have a little mobile home in Elma as our vacation 'cottage'. We live in Southern Utah so bought it as a summer escape from the heat, but the main reason is my mom is from Montesano and I have an aunt in Shelton, an uncle across the road from us in Elma, and lots of cousins from Tukwila, Oly, Shelton, Monte and Hoquiam..

I love the charm of Aberdeen and Hoquiam, but yes it does seem still fairly depressed, but with the biodiesel plant something good has to happen.

I have not been to my 'cottage' since August and getting really, really anxious to get up there and get my 'fix' of green and family!

[paulg01]

May be someone could think that I’m still too young to think about place where to live after my retirement, but I do not think like that I would like to find calm and quiet place, where I can listen to the silence and hear the whisper of morning stars…And of course, people around you, community play a big role. What about criminals in your city, and how people build their relations with newcomers?
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[Fat Freddy]

If you want to see Aberdeen, Hoquiam or the surrounding area as it really is, rent the movie “About a Son”.

The audio track is comprised of old interviews with Curt Cobain and have little to do with the visuals, so unless you are interested in Nirvana, Cobain, or junkie angst, just turn off the sound and watch the film as a slide show.

The film was shot around 2006, so the scenes which show various lumber mill operations are obsolete as the mills are now closed.

And there is no footage of people shopping at WalMart, which is probably the high point of life in Aberdeen, but other than that, what you see on the film is exactly what you will see driving through town.

[KrazyKatMan]

Our experience in Hoquiam:
On June 30, 2009 my wife and I stayed at the Econo Lodge in Hoquiam, and, IMHO, while the room was clean and well kept, if we pass through again, we'd rather sleep in the car than stay there. The owner is a sarcastic, arogant a--hole. With "people" like that its no wonder the place looked depressed and deserted