Downtown Bellingham

Rob LeRoy’s Guide to Bellingham, Part 4: Dive Bars

Now that I’ve offered up my picks for the best Bellingham restaurants for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, I think it’s time to move on to the nightlife.  We all need a place to go after work to blow off some steam, regroup with friends, and suck down a few glasses of “medicine,” whether that comes in the form of a well-crafted micro-brew, a $10 martini, or a fine, overpriced Cabernet. As a connoisseur of Bellingham’s rich and varied nightlife, I have arranged my favorites into three categories: Dive Bars, Live Bars, and Classy Pubs.

Part 4: Bellingham’s Best Dive Bars

• The Beaver: My #1, all-time favorite dive bar. The Beaver Inn has everything you could you want in a dive bar. Low ceilings, brick walls, really cheap beer, darts and a pair of pool tables. Don the Bartender (who can generously be described as “ill-humored”) has been there, 86-ing troublemakers, since the dinosaurs roamed the Earth. The only bartender I’ve ever known who will ban someone “for life”…a fate suffered by more than a few dear friends of mine over the years. No live music…but they have a popcorn machine. And it’s FREE!!!  1315 N State St. Bellingham, WA 98225 (360) 733-3460

• The Up&Up Tavern: My second favorite dive bar of all-time. Back in college (when they had $1 pitchers of Busch Light! Mmmmm…), I think I spent more time at “The Up” than I did in class… The vintage sign claims the place is “World Famous”… I can’t say for sure, but it seems reasonable enough.  Unfortunately, the Up&Up has been remodeled and renovated in recent years, making it kind of nice inside…and half the size of its former self (long story).  However, they still have two pool tables, a huge selection of beer, cheap and micro, and one of Bellingham’s largest outdoor seating areas, a nice perk in the Spring and Summer.  1234 N State St. Bellingham, WA  98225 (360) 733-9739

• Cap Hansen’s: Small and crowded, like every good dive bar should be, Cap’s has, in my humble opinion, THE best jukebox in town. Lots of Tom Waits, Pixies, and Willie Nelson… They have a good selection of beer on tap, including the essential PBR. The tall cans of Oly are a nice bonus… They have occasional live music, but the place is so small that the bands take up most of the room. Cap’s is a great place to warm up before a show at the Nightelight, located next door.  209 E Chestnut St. Bellingham, WA 98225 (360) 733-0878

• The Waterfront: Home to bikers and about 300 neon beer signs, The Waterfront is lit to the point of being obnoxious…but then again, so are the patrons. (see, I just made a pun on the word “lit”…I know…clever) No live music, but they’ve got pool, pull tabs, and Rainier on tap.  If you like to drink during the day, you can get a nice view of Bellingham Bay, upon which the Waterfront sits, hence the name.  Located next door to the Chuckanut Brewery. 521 W Holly St Bellingham, WA 98225 (360) 676-1755

• The Cabin: The little brother of the Waterfront, The Cabin is old-school dive. They’ve got a couple of pool tables and lots of pull-tabs, and a surprisingly nice bathroom. Have a couple of beers here before a show at the Wild Buffalo, just a block  away.  307 W. Holly St. Bellingham, WA (360) 733-9685

• The Ranch Room: Dive bars don’t get darker or funkier than The Ranch Room, nestled in the back of the Horseshoe Cafe, in the center of downtown Bellingham.  They’ve got the cheap beer, but it’s the potency of the  cocktails that really defines the atmosphere…that, and the huge murals of cowboys and wagon-wheel chandeliers. The jukebox selection is excellent. No pool tables or live music, but that’s OK. The Ranch Room is better suited to being a hide-out from bad weather, obnoxious college kids, and just about anything else that ails the mind or body.  113 E Holly St, Bellingham, WA‎ (360) 734-0380.

Follow these links to read Part 1: Breakfast, Part 2: Lunch, Part 3: Dinner, Part 4: Dive Bars, Part 5: Live Bars, Part 6: Classy Pubs

Thanks for reading!  Please leave your comments below. If you have any questions about Bellingham or real estate, in general, please feel free to email me directly at rob.leroy@exprealty.com or call me at 206.883.6668

This post simultaneously published by Rob LeRoy at theRealEstateNovelist.com

Downtown Bellingham

Why the Lettered Streets Continue to Rock Bellingham’s World

When you walk down A Street, G Street, any of the Lettered streets, and looking for a potential home, what are you thinking?

I’m a New Englander, I’m thinking Providence, RI, Portland, ME, parts of Conneticut, I’m thinking tight home placement, I’m thinking fixer.  Within a half of a mile on all sides, your walk includes neighborhoods as old as Bellingham, priced from” bring your convertible”, to “bring your toolbelt.  And your cousin with a truck”.

Many have in the past, taking some of the homes, (12 on the market today)  that are currently on the market, and turning homes between 1898 and 1940 into the antithesis of recent new construction, by making the best of modest square footage, inside and outside the domicile.  Most aren’t over 1400 square feet, some have updated by adding a half bathroom,  have refinished original wood floors, maybe even replaced the knob-and-tube wiring.

The Lettered Streets are the sand of the coliseum for Bellingham, i.e. this was, is, and always will be working Bellingham.  There isn’t a whole lot of granite counter top, and jetted tub going on here.  But it was close to the water, close to the rail, close to the store fronts, and provides that small town charm that drew the folks who built mansions here.

Between these homes andthe  criteria of clients, I start to rationalize, and think Would I exchange an extra bathroom to have my kids THIS close to the parks here? or Gourmet kitchen or walk to one of the 5 gazillion breakfast places in DT Bellingham this Sunday?  Which are you going to remember when you’re 80?

Is it worth the extra money?  You decide.  With most of the homes here being between $200-300,000, these are going to be more of the sales we’ll see in Bellingham this year. Check the roof, check the basement, check the fuse box, check the floors, and prioritize.

The small square footage means you’re going to be interacting with those you’re living with.  The postage stamp yard means your kids are going to have to meet other kids.

That could be great for you.  I’d be happy to help you try one on….

Downtown Bellingham

South Hill Neighborhood

South Hill is one of Bellingham’s affluent neighborhoods and is famous for its sweeping views of Bellingham Bay and large, well kept variety of character homes that range from Tudors to Craftsman and grand castle-styled homes at some corners. Because of its proximity to Fairhaven, WWU, Boulevard Park, and Downtown Bellingham, the location is extremely desirable. The neighborhood is strictly residential, with homes on the hill and condos on the main strip along the water, Boulevard and South State. The condos also boast great views of the bay and some can be purchased at a very reasonable price tag.