Bellingham vs Port Townsend vs Blaine (Seattle, Spokane: apartments, home, schools)

[coltoncity]

I was wondering what you thougt about comparing these 2 cities.

Is one safer then the other, have more arts then the other?

Any thoughts on other towns like this around maybe Blaine? It is so close to Vancouver BC I would love that, but much farther to Seattle.

Hope to get info and advice ... any appreciated!

Thank you so much!!!

(O yes and I do have a teen if that changes anything )

[Gio850]

Hi. I can't help you much, but I did live in Bellingham for one year and I found it to be a very nice "medium size" town. Lynden is a cute little dutch town between there and Blaine that I'm sure you would enjoy checking out. Birch Bay is a lovely cottage country type place to visit in the summer. I don't know why, but I never considered Blaine as a place to live. Maybe because i don't care for Van. BC. I'm not into art so I didn't really notice about that. You will find it a long drive to Seattle. I'm on this site coz I'm planning a move to Spokane...nobody replied to my thread either

[coltoncity]

Thank you so much for your response!!! I know what you mean i keep coming back hoping someone will answer Interesting you mentionLynden my Mom said that name just yesterday. Are they very tolerant of other races around there? My daughter is 1/2 hispanic, here not so much. She also has a friend up in Bothel that says the summers are better there and such do you have any thought on that for the area? What didnt you like about Vancouver BC? We are going there in June for a week and I was also llooking for info in the canada page on area to go to or stay away from. Must see's and such. No One answered me there either! Must have cooties. As far as Spokane goes it wasnt for me but it might be for you. I think it is quiet, close knit, conservative and very small town feel for the size. Everything to do around there for the outdoors. The Gonzaga State U is a great school and not a party place or it sure didnt seem like one to me. You are close to Idaho and all the outdoors stuff there. Even in the phone book they have a couple sections for Idaho. It is green not like south at the tri cities area. Cops get the job done and things close down real early. It wasnt for me and I worried about whether it would be accepting to other races, although I saw nothing that said it wouldnt. It actually is a real Americana type city that is now retaining people where as the kids used to have to leave for jobs. Very good place to raise a family. Hope that helps!

[Gio850]

Perhaps your thread was too specific to get many replies. I suspect that's why I didn't get the replies. I wanted to find a decent area of Spokane, but with apartments, and within walking distance to the bike trail. And I KNOW that I don't have cooties
I can't comment on racism anywhere in WA, and I must be very naive coz I wouldn't have expected that anyone would even notice someone being half hispanic. But then my history is not small towns.
Van.BC is just too big for me now. I don't want to pay big city prices now that I'm retired, and I do want easy access to outdoors activities. You might like it for your vacation though...or Victoria!! (which I've never been to.)
Have you considered living in some suburb of Portland such as Gresham or Beaverton or Van WA which is just a click away from Portland. Wouldn't those choices better serve your interest in art??

[jsmill]

Colton City:
The cities you've selected are not all that comparable. Blaine and Port Townsend are under 10,000 population and both on the water, but Port Townsend is a tourist town with lots of art and antique stores, and Blaine is really just a border crossing, unless you count the Semi-ah-moo Resort (very posh). Bellingham has nearly 70,000 people and a university with a student population above Pt Townsend and Blaine. There is more of an arts community in Bellingham but if you need regular access to museums, the trip to Vancouver BC or Seattle might get a little old. That depends on your tolerance for driving.

Portland and its suburbs, including Vancouver WA will probably place you closer to a big-city arts community but you should be aware of a factor that might affect your child: from what I've read, most of Oregon is suffering from a public eduation crisis because the taxes are covering what is needed. You should investigate for yourself and see if the community that most interests you is having financial problems. I know that when my children were school-age, the quality of education (schools and libraries in particular) was the single most important factor in selecting where we chose to live.

Good luck! (and no, you don't have cooties!)

[coltoncity]

Thank you for all your information . I am now in Vancouver Washington and for personal reasons we want to get away. I do agree the arts in Portland is ideal and we do love that. I was hoping to find something similar elsewhere. Harder then I thought though. I thought maybe a drive to Vancouver would be good. From leaving our home to the places we go to in Portland and be close to 30 minutes. Or a bit more. I dont mind the drive to much at all. I dont want to go into Oregon with the school problem Ive cecked into so many othher States and thought maybe I could stay in Washington. Just go north. I guess Ill keep looking but any help is appreciated. Thanks again

[dondegroovily]

Colton, Blaine to Vancouver is 40 minutes if there is no border delay. Half of that is congested urban traffic, as the freeway doesn't reach downtown. From Bellingham, add 30 minutes. It is a painful, gruelling drive, much worse than Seattle-to-Portland.

[Bill Loney]

Originally Posted by coltoncity

Thank you so much for your response!!! I know what you mean i keep coming back hoping someone will answer Interesting you mentionLynden my Mom said that name just yesterday. Are they very tolerant of other races around there? My daughter is 1/2 hispanic, here not so much. She also has a friend up in Bothel that says the summers are better there and such do you have any thought on that for the area? What didnt you like about Vancouver BC? We are going there in June for a week and I was also llooking for info in the canada page on area to go to or stay away from. Must see's and such. No One answered me there either! Must have cooties. As far as Spokane goes it wasnt for me but it might be for you. I think it is quiet, close knit, conservative and very small town feel for the size. Everything to do around there for the outdoors. The Gonzaga State U is a great school and not a party place or it sure didnt seem like one to me. You are close to Idaho and all the outdoors stuff there. Even in the phone book they have a couple sections for Idaho. It is green not like south at the tri cities area. Cops get the job done and things close down real early. It wasnt for me and I worried about whether it would be accepting to other races, although I saw nothing that said it wouldnt. It actually is a real Americana type city that is now retaining people where as the kids used to have to leave for jobs. Very good place to raise a family. Hope that helps!

Avoid Lynden like the plague. Unless Dutch Reform Christians are your idea of "tolerant"