Real Estate Nation: Bellingham Living - Top 50 Places to Live - Relocation

National Geographic has voted Bellingham in the Top 50 Places to Live and Play. Here are some reasons I love Bellingham!

1. The People! Bellingham is a great place to call home because of the people. Bellingham is a community that cares and it shows! The locals are friendly, open, and not afraid of being themselves. Wherever you go be prepared for a warm smile and a willingness to chat.

2. Bellingham's Recreation! There is so much to do in Bellingham...and so many active people. It truly is a lifestyle destination. Whether you like to sail, bike, run, hike, ski, kayak, mountain climb, swim, row, etc., Bellingham is the place to be. Bellingham is also the venue of many competitive races and its yearly springtime kickoff race...the ski to sea! It's an amazing thing to see...on a summer's day, the whole town is out and about enjoying the beautiful weather and life in general. The people here are happy!

3. Coffee Shops! Bellingham offers some of the finest coffee in the world. You can have coffee at a different caf everyday for a year and never have it at the same caf.

4. Summer Festivities! The community of Bellingham provides so much summer entertainment...and most of its free! The music scene is outrageously fantastic...offering Oceanside Venues to neighborhood and downtown alley concert series. Other Bellingham entertainment including arts and crafts festivals, sand castle contests, and much more!

5. Parks and Green Space! Bellingham is a community whose government is dedicated to preserving the community and parks which will allow Bellingham to grow gracefully. All around Bellingham you'll find parks throughout that are properly maintained, clean, and safe. My favorites are Boulevard Park and Point Park which are both Oceanside. On a warm summer day, you'll find vast amounts of people soaking up the sun. Many of these parks provide Frisbee golf, playgrounds, grills, volleyball for pure summer entertainment.

6. Vicinity to Vancouver and Seattle! Bellingham is a small version of both Seattle and Vancouver...if you feel the need for a bigger version, both are under a 2 hour drive.

7. Small business Owners! Bellingham is the home of a large number of independent business owners. People, who have the passion to live where they choose and work for themselves, have relocated to Bellingham because it's a lifestyle destination.

8. Fresh local foods and produce! During the summer you can find as many local veggie stands as coffee stands...all at very reasonable prices. Local growers offer you-pick fruits which is a local favorite pastime. These include raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries...yum! Bellingham local farmers also offer free range animal products.

9. Local transportation! Bellingham's offers local transit throughout the county along with Amtrak stations that provide service to Seattle and Vancouver. Bellingham also has inter city trail system that weaves in and out of downtown and all of the local neighborhoods. You can commute via these trails and get to wherever you need to be...all without a car.

10. Beauty of Bellingham! Once again Bellingham has it all...mountains, ocean, rivers, wildlife, beautiful terrain, and wonderful people!