It’s the kind of place you can sit and read incognito, be online (they have wifi) , have coffee with a friend or not. The kind of place you can sit alone and watch the world go by while sipping tea and, of course, nibble on one of their luscious pastries. From the simple to the extravagant, cookies to tortes to breads to wedding cakes, all freshly made from scratch.  In fact today is Friday and they serve a couple of their specialty breads on Friday, Ryan’s Loaf and Multi-grain. Perfect with a bowl of soup, except today they ran out of their Split Pea Soup.  Ces’t La Vie!!! but their menu includes several quiches, fresh salads from green to pasta or fresh vegetable salads and the fun part, their menu changes daily.  Hmmm, decisions, decisions, well as the saying goes, life is unpredictable so eat dessert first. and I did.  Gateau au Chocolat, a rich layered, 4 layers to be exact of chocolate cake layered with and covered with chocolate ganache! all I can say is mmmmmmmm. Mouthwatering scrumptious!  and all those anti-oxidants did my body good!

La Vie en Rose is in downtown Bellingham on Holly st.   A wonderful and relaxing place to stop and unwind after window shopping or a great way to start the day.    Bon Appetit!

For  more information about Bellingham’s wonderful eateries, Bellingham Homes for Sale, or Bellingham real estate you can contact me here or via my mobile #,  360-303-3898.  We could meet at La Vie en Rose and discuss your real estate goals or just chat!

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111 w. Holly St.
Bellingham, WA 98225

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The annual Holiday Port Festival - Friday, Dec. 3 -5

Continuing the Holiday Spirit in Fairhaven, this weekend the action will be at the Bellingham Cruise Terminal. The annual Holiday Port Festival will have performances by local choirs, bands and dance groups. There are lots of free family activities, including horse drawn wagon rides, children’s art activities, complimentary gingerbread cookies and cider to name a few! Santa Claus will around.

The Gingerbread House Contest

Gingerbread Homes are open for public viewing all 3 days of the Festival. There are 9 categories each awarded a 1st prize as well as a people’s choice award.

Saturday is the Fairhaven Salmon BBQ. It has become a Fairhaven tradition every September. Live music and Pacific Northwest King salmon – cooked by fishermen who know the best barbequing techniques is the main stay, with some delicious side dishes, like coleslaw, bread, corn-on-the-cob, a beverage, and dessert. Hot-dog meals are available for the kids who haven’t learned to love our Northwest favorite dish.

The Sidewalk Sale throughout the Fairhaven district starts at 11 am and continues till 5 pm. Do your shopping while enjoy the tantalizing aromas of the bbq and the sounds of the party in the Village Green

This beautiful remodeled two bedroom one bathroom home listed for just $22,000 is in a quiet senior park near Fairhaven and Bellingham, Washington in South End Mobile Estates. This neighborhood has an age restriction of 55 years and older making this a great retirement home. It has a  new roof and has been recently repainted. Inside are European Wide plank laminate floors, Mohawk premium carpet and ideal storage space, but also included is a 10 x 12 shed which provides extra storage space. The appliances are newer and all are included in the sale of this home. South End Mobile Estates also has a home owners clubhouse with TV’s, a pool table, and an exercise room.

This home is in a very convenient location close to walking trails, shopping areas, Lake Padden, Fairhaven and Bellingham, Washington.

If you would like to know more about this conveniently located retirement property go to: http://bit.ly/a50wav

Take a tour of  one of Fairhaven’s most popular neighborhoods, close to Marine Park and the Bellingham Cruise terminal.

It’s a neighborhood of mostly older craftsman style homes with lots of character, with a sprinkling of condos as well as some newer homes and additions. It’s a nice short distance into the Historic District and also close to the dog park. Great for bicycles and close to the bay for kayakers.  A quiet neighborhood with no major thoroughfare, and limited access through only a few streets. It’s no wonder it’s such a popular neighborhood ’s.

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There are a few homes for sale in the neighborhood. I have one at 614 Donovan  Ave.

If you’d like to find a home in Fairhaven or any other neighborhood in Bellingham feel free to email me at or give me a call at 360-739-6981

There is a peace pole there at the site as well with the saying “May Peace Prevail on Earth” in four languages

Click on the thumbnails below to see the full-size versions. Click here for more full-size pictures from my gallery.

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, Part 7: Hotels

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

Rob LeRoy is a Seattle real estate agent and social media marketing coach with eXp Realty.

The library has gone through a renovation project that has taken seven months, it has gotten an exterior face lift with new stucco, new windows and other improvements including a complete rebuild of the entire stone entrance staircase, a comprehensive flashing system, with new gutters and downspout.  The Fireplace Room on the lower level received a major structural lift when rusted metal poles were replaced with a new beam system and the grounds around the library were re-graded to direct water away from the building, as well as landscaping being rearranged to provide better air circulation to the sandstone foundation.

The Fairhaven Branch will open to new operating hours: 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and closed Sunday and Monday.

The Library staff want to remind everyone that most of the changes that occurred affected the exterior of the library – this was not the complete renovation originally proposed over a year ago. The building still requires some TLC to bring it back to its original glory, and some major structural improvements to address seismic issues, but those improvements will have to wait for a better economy.

Thanks for reading, feel free to leave any comments below. For more information about Michael Eisenberg read my bio.

And there’s plenty, which you can read about in the other Fairhaven articles on this site, but once you’re in, you’re in.

The challenge?  The hurdle?  There are a lot of places to live in Fairhaven, and a lot of condos to choose, some in buildings built in 1964  (Skyline House off of Boulevard), some in the last year or so (Waldron building, 2008).

Since Real Estate has beaten the “location” horse like it stole something from the beginning of time, I want to flesh out what it means in Fairhaven terms.

Walkability:  If you’re interested in a short walk to the stores right out your door, the Harris Square Buildings (2005) , Fairhaven Gardens Buildings, aka Finnnegan Way (2005), and the Fairhaven Square Building as well.   All have the brick-faced look that keeps Harris Ave and it’s neighboring streets with the quaint look that ushered Fairhaven through the last 100+ years, but with updated interiors. Caution: The Home Owner Dues on these condo units are something to keep an eye on with your purchasing budget as some of the units can push your monthly payment up to $500 more that you were expecting to pay.

Ocean View: The older buildings are going to have some of the better views, strictly from Super-positioning. The

Village Books and Colophon Cafe

idea that they were here first, had their pick of spots and perch looking at 180 degrees of San Juan sunsets are what’s going to account for most of the listing price. Buildings like Spinnaker Reach, the Skyline House, and  Riptide all have unsurpassable views, but older accoutrements.  If you’re looking for a higher level of comfort, you may have your work cut out for you (baseboard heat, formica countertops, 3 inch shag carpet, metal framed windows, and sliding doors). BENEFIT: they weren’t built in the last 4 years, and the listing price may have a little more margin to work with.  Whatever you offer, remember: The seller still has to agree with you.

Hidden Gems:  Buildings like the Creekside at Fairhaven, or Fairhaven Heights get overlooked yet still offer the proximity to Fairhaven, views mere moments from the front door, newer construction (2005, 2006), but aren’t front and center, and priced accordingly.

The condos inside these units are going to be as different as the owners, some ecletic, some simple, but they’re all looking to sell.  And with 190 days as the average of being on the market, their motivation might be increasing as the promise of spending the holidays somewhere else might be wavering.

Which is the oldest condo on the market?  E-mail me to find out. You might be surprised……

1. The Big Beers at Dos Padres, esp. Dos Equis Amber.  I don’t remember exactly how big they are…but, then again, isn’t that kind of the point?

2. Melanie at Dirty Dan’s – Best bartender in B’ham. She is also an up-and-coming Bellingham Roller Betty, so proceed with caution. She can crush your head like a peanut… (Sad-faced update: Melanie has retired from bartending to pursue her new career with the Border Patrol.  Note- don’t try to order drinks from her when you are crossing the border…it’s not technically “legal”, as it turns out…)

3. Le Chat Noir (the Black Cat, for laymen/ non-pretentious L.A.-types)… On that note… I ate there recently and saw a guy in his late 50′s/early 60′s who looked like Robert Redford’s stunt double. He was well dressed- wearing, among other things,  a nice zip-up jacket with a Guns ‘N Roses logo on the front left. I still can’t decide what was stranger-  that this guy was wearing that jacket- or that the jacket existed in the first place.

4.  The Fairhaven Dog park – …also comes with bonus sewage treatment plant…

5. Pasta Carbonara at Mambo Italiano – tastes amazing…stays with you for hours…

6. Tony’s/ Harris Cafe… Still is, and always will be the best coffee around.

7. Village Books…  On the list again because they’re awesome…and because they were cool enough to re-Tweet my last post…

8. Avenue Bread Eggenue breakfast sammies.  Homemade English muffins, sausage, cheese and eggs. Is there a better way to start the day?  Well, I suppose that dream about being a millionaire super-hero could turn out to be true. That would probably be better.

9. Fairhaven Runners – Every pair of running shoes I’ve ever purchased. Great personalized service…and they never make fun of my beer belly. At least, not to my face…

10. Archer’s Alehouse – Best place that feels like Cheers, if Cheers was in England

11. Greyhound/train/Alaska ferry terminal – best place to from which to leave the best place in the world….or return to it.

12. The Waldron – If I had a million dollars… This is the perfect example of how to renovate an old, classic building… (Note: link leads to a site controlled by other real estate agents. Use extreme caution…).

13. Fairhaven Boardwalk – look at the picture….

14. Chrysalis Inn and Spa – Best place to stay if you like to listen to trains while you watch the sunset.

15. The Fairhaven bus – Most famous and oft-noticed place I’ve never actually been to for even so much as a cup of coffee. Note to self – stop by there soon for a cup of coffee.

16. Free Parking – Anywhere in Fairhaven – enough said

17. Gelato place…something something, gelato is good…

18.  The old Kalamalka tattoo/piercing shop – Best place to make strange decisions in college that isn’t actually there anymore. Plus, it’s in an old train car. Well…it was…when it was still in Fairhaven.

19.  On Rice Thai – Best Thai food in Bellingham, even though I still prefer their Samish Way location

20. Fairhaven Smoke Shop – old-school cool in an “I care more about my image than my health” kind of way… but hey, they actually have a website!

21. The Superstore – most ironically titled business in Fairhaven….or the World, for that matter… unless “super” is analogous to “biggest selection of 40′s”…

22.  Hippies with guitars. Stay strong, Brother. Don’t let the bastards grind you down! Peace.

23. Did I mention Boulevard Park? Oh yes, I did. I mentioned it in a fantastic article right here.

There you go…23 things that make Fairhaven awesome.  Be sure to click on the links and visit these businesses when you get the chance. They help to make Bellingham the best place to live IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD!.  If you think I’ve missed anything, please let me know by commenting below.  Or, you can contact me directly at 360.510.2230 or by e-mail at rob@buyertours.com.

Click here for my Bio page and more of my articles.

Thanks for reading!

Rob LeRoy is a Seattle real estate agent and social media marketing coach with eXp Realty.