If you have chosen Bellingham as the area, next you’ll want to learn more about the 27 neighborhoods that make up Bellingham so you can intelligently decide on your perfect location. Here is a recent article written by Roberta Soares that that really captures the Columbia neighborhood sights, as well as a blog I wrote a while back about Elizabeth Park.

Now to tell you about this newly listed charmer located at 2711 Utter Street in Bellingham

.

This home was built in 1949 with all the charm of that era.  Home has:

• hardwood floors in living and bed rooms
• wood burning fireplace
• 2 bedrooms
• 1 bath
• dining room off kitchen
• 2 car garage with room for workshop
• room for storage in the basement
• fenced courtyard in back

[srpmap lat="48.766244" lng="-122.49327900000003"]

2711 Utter Street
Bellingham, WA 98225

[/srpmap]

Take a minute to notice it’s proximity to all the local parks and the bay.  Give me a call or email for a personal tour of this character home.

Here’s the line up:

• June 23
  “Matt Audette and ‘Circle of Friends’ Band”
• June 30
  “Stirred Not Shaken”
• July 7
  “Kris Orlowski”
• July 14
  “Clearbrook Dixie Band”
• July 21
  “Juba Marimba”
• July 28
  “bandZandt”
• August 4
  “What the Chelm”
• August 11
  “Armadilla Slim & the Jaded Lovers”
• August 18
  “Prozac Mountain Boys”
• August 25
  “Beatlebilly”

This is a family event. If you want to try Scottish Country dancing, this is your chance, all dances will be taught and there will be easy dances for beginners. No partner is required.

There is also a benifit concert and art show tonight, at The Amadeus Project to raise money for Rishi’s Gift Foundation, a foundation provideing gifts to children struggling with illness.

The show will begin at 7 p.m. at 1209 Cornwall Ave. Proceeds go to Rishi’s Gift Foundation.

Columbia Eldridge is a many faceted community with local businesses set amongst old and new residential architecture as well as beautiful old churches, and a few community parks.
One of the many attributes enjoyed by not only the residents but other visitors to Columbia is how walkable it is. So many enjoy walking the different blocks and viewing all of the different homes, colors and gardens.

Take a walk to Elizabeth Park  with walking paths, playground and tennis courts, not to mention its own set of ” residents” -  the local squirrel family.  Carl Lobe Park is a small park on Eldridge Ave. with a small grassy area and newly remodeled playground.  To the north is the Squalicum  Creek Park and Baseball Diamond, a great place, of course, to take in a ball game, or a great place to take the dog for a walk with its large bowl set back away from the road.

As I stated earlier, there are also quite a few local businesses that sit on the eastern border of Columbia on Meridian St.
To name a few, Cascade Pizza, Coffee Bean, The newly opened The Fountain, a coffee and wine bistro and of course, ReStore, a home remodeling center filled with architectural details from local teardowns or donations.  You name it you can find it at ReStore, from cabinetry to glass door knobs to paint to bath fixtures, Very cool place.

Columbia elementary school,  a highly rated public school, is here in this neighborhood, hence the namesake.

Click on the link to view the  photo tour of this wonderful community.

http://picasaweb.google.com/Roberta1318/ColumbiaEldridgeAPhotoEssay02#

Squalicum Beach is one of Bellingham’s relatively unknown parks. It is a small area of sand and gravel beach, a century-old abandoned pier, an area with great views of the bay and islands.  It is a a great place to get outside to watch the sun set over the bay. Even on a cloudy day, the views of Bellingham Bay and the islands are incredible.

But be warned that the area, beautiful as it is, has the stigma from the past, Little Squalicum Park is an EPA Superfund clean up site. Portions of the park and Little Squalicum Creek have been contaminated by chemicals from past operations at the Oeser Co.,  a wood treating business adjacent to the park, that contaminated water and soils.

That disclaimer out of the way, the times I’ve been there Ihave never noticed a smell but some have told me they have noticed it at times.  Another nice thing about this beach is that at on low tide you can walk all the way to the Nooksack River tide flats, (be careful the tide doesn’t come back in.)  There are trails that take you to the new Squalicum park as well. This will really be another gem when the city gets it cleaned up. It is a dog friendly off leash area.

You can get there by heading down Roeder Ave past Squalicum Harbor, and keep going straight when the road curves to the right and becomes Squalicum Parkway. or from the trail at Eldridge and Lindbergh.

The park is in the city’s site for an upgrade. Their is a master plan in place that calls for developing play areas, a picnic shelter, places for quiet contemplation, expanding parking at the Marine Drive trailhead for up to 27 vehicles and building restrooms there. The proposal includes wetland enhancements and the creation of a marine estuary. The plan notes that structures and facilities “will be low key and blend with the park’s natural setting to “maintain the park’s uncluttered and natural appearance”

In the center of the Park is a large fountain and benches to enjoy the serene environment and dream about what it must have been like in similiar benches 100 years ago.  During the summer time the park has a music series playing.

[viddler id=358cffe3&w=545&h=451] Join me for a stroll through Elizabeth Park.

All the big trees on the photo (pictured below), on the left are those of Elizabeth Park.  The trees range from walnut, chestnut and big-leaf maple trees.  You’ll also see a variety of wildlife from squirrels to deer enjoying the serenity and protection of the Park.  Notice the turn of the century homes lining the streets around The Park.  

 These large torch lamp must be 25 feet high.

Inventory of the 47 Trees in the Park.

Check out this great climbing tree below.  It’s branches are worn smooth from the clamboring of children trying to reach the top.

If you are looking for a neighborhood with character and charm, you would be hard pressed to find anything like the Eldridge – Columbia neighborhoods.  Give me a call and allow me to show you the various neighborhoods in Bellingham.

The historical Columbia district is the second oldest neighborhood in Bellingham. The community is mostly made up of turn of the century single-family homes, tree-lined streets, and parks. The selection of older, well-kept character homes gives the neighborhood an established Northwest feeling, and the number of parks in the neighborhood, the largest being Elizabeth Park, makes the community very child friendly. Columbia also has a “neighborhood” elementary school in the middle of the neighborhood, Columbia Elementary, reputable for the students’ high WASL scores