Central hub for dining and entertainment in Bellingham
Set at the confluence of Whatcom Creek and Bellingham Bay, City Center is Bellingham’s cultural capital, with its highest concentration of museums, bars and eateries. Locals refer to City Center as "downtown Bellingham," and flock here in the evenings and on weekends, bouncing from shop to shop along wide sidewalks, enjoying happy hour on a starlit brewery patio, or attending events and festivals held throughout the year. Historic theatres and museums surround City Hall in the northwest corner. Homes within walking or biking distance of downtown are in extremely high demand, whether they're condos and apartments inside City Center's boundaries or single-family houses in adjacent communities.
Subareas within the neighborhood include the Waterfront District, a collection of harbors and former wood-pulp industrial sites, and Old Town, where 19th-century brick storefronts surround the mouth of Whatcom Creek. The city is planning to redevelop these areas over several decades, adding new parks and high-density housing, though plans are in the early stages as of 2024.
The City Center neighborhood is located in thriving Downtown Bellingham.
City Center offers parks and breweries with nightly events for all to enjoy.
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Cafes, breweries and the Bellingham Farmers Market
City Center is packed with cafes, bars, and breweries. Old Town Café was first opened in 1904 as The Mobile Restaurant, then renamed in 1967; with a rustic, exposed-brick interior, the café serves house-made pastries and sources its ingredients from local vendors. Schweinhaus Biergarten is an outdoor beer garden decorated with fairy lights and offering German beer and sausages. A handful of waterfront restaurants surround Squalicum Harbor, including Lombardi’s Italian Restaurant & Wine Bar, founded in 1987 and offering regional dishes from Northern Italy. For groceries, residents can head to Trader Joe’s about a mile away, or visit the downtown Bellingham Farmers Market on Saturdays from April to December. “Our farmers' market is an amazing attraction,” says Julian Friedman, owner and real estate agent with Julian & Company of the Muljat Group. “Some of the best purveyors and farmers come from all around to sell their produce or handmade crafts.”
Enjoy great food and live music at the Old Town Cafe in City Center.
City Center offers a Trader Joe's for fun and healthy food options.
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Historic theatres and museums surrounding City Hall
Local landmarks, theaters and museums are concentrated in the northwest. City Hall is here, as well as the central branch of the Bellingham Public Library, and the First Baptist Church of Bellingham, founded in 1883. The Pickford Film Center is the only non-seasonal independent cinema between Seattle and Vancouver and a central feature for Bellingham’s cinephile community, screening a mix of classic films and new releases. Mount Baker Theatre, built in 1926 as a silent movie house, now hosts touring musicians and performers. Smaller museums like the SPARK Museum of Electrical Invention tend to attract tourists with interactive displays and activities, but the Whatcom Museum is more of a mainstay with locals; featuring a mix of art exhibits and historical artifacts, this museum pays tribute to Whatcom County and the Lummi and Nooksack peoples who first occupied the local land.
Head to the Bake Theatre in City Center for live performances.
The Bellingham Public Library is a great resource for people in City Center.
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Annual music festivals and summer concert series
Downtown Sounds, a free, weekly outdoor concert series held on Bell Street for five weeks each summer, celebrated its 20th anniversary in June 2024. Larger downtown events include the Northwest Tune-Up Festival, a four-day music festival held each July at Waterfront Waypoint Park; in addition to the main music stage, the event celebrates Pacific Northwest culture with a craft beer garden and several dirt bike pump tracks. During the annual Bellingham Celtic Festival in September, downtown businesses celebrate Celtic culture with individual concerts, workshops, and other activities over the course of a weekend.
Downtown Sounds is celebrating it's 20th year in City Center.
Boundary Bay Brewery offers live music every Monday at their Blue Mondays event.
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Mid-rise condo and apartment complexes on the south side
Most City Center residents live in apartments or condos, but along the neighborhood’s north edge, there are a handful of Craftsman houses and bungalows built between 1900 and 1920, shrouded in overgrown shrubbery and mossy pine trees. When one of these historic properties goes on the market, it sells for between $500,000 and $1 million, depending on the home's condition. On the neighborhood’s south side, mid-rise condo complexes from the early 2000s offer one- or two-bedroom units with private balconies; prices range from $350,000 to $650,000. As the city redevelops the Waterfront District over the next several decades, more high-density housing options like condos and apartments will be added.
New apartments line the waterfront in City Center.
Eldridge Avenue homes enjoy sunset views over City Center.
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Waterfront parks on Whatcom Creek and Bellingham Bay
Set on the banks of Whatcom Creek, next to the Whatcom Museum, Maritime Heritage Park showcases Bellingham’s natural landscapes as they were before European contact. The park’s biggest attractions are its fish hatchery and the Nature Plant Trail, filled with cattails, western hemlock trees and bald hip roses. Waypoint Park was built over defunct pulp mills on the banks of Bellingham Bay, and features a playground, a small rocky beach area and a spherical, metallic art installation named "Waypoint," made from old industrial equipment. The rest of the waterfront is lined with harbors, private yacht clubs and the ASB hiking trail; named for the local Georgia Pacific Aeration Stabilization Basin, this wide gravel path offers panoramic views of Bellingham Bay and the distant San Juan Islands.
The Whatcom Museum towers over Maritime Heritage Park.
Families enjoy watching sunsets at Waypoint Park.
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Extensive bike lane and bus networks
Downtown Bellingham is known for its walkability and many bike lanes. “Over the course of the last five years, the predominance of bike lanes has skyrocketed,” says Jeff Braimes, Bellingham local and Realtor with eXp Realty. “There is some controversy with it taking away traffic lanes and street parking. It can be difficult to get used to, but we’re seeing more pedestrians and less reliance on cars.” Traffic and parking can get congested on the weekend when locals from all over Bellingham flock to the City Center. The amount of foot traffic leads to a high risk of crimes like burglary and motor vehicle theft; City Center receives a CAP Index Crime Score of 9 out of 10, compared to a national score of 4.
The nearest interchange onto Interstate 5 is less than a mile east; I-5 leads 89 miles south to Seattle and 24 miles north to the Canadian border. The central Whatcom Transportation Authority bus station, a hub for many of the city’s bus routes, is in the neighborhood’s northeast corner. PeaceHealth Saint Joseph Medical Center is 2 miles away, while Bellingham International Airport is about 5 miles away.
Saint Joseph Medical Center offers health care to City Center residents.
Enjoy direct flights to City Center through the Bellingham International Airport.
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Nearby Bellingham Schools scoring A and B ratings
Local kids may start school at Parkview Elementary, rated B-minus by Niche, before moving on to the B-plus-rated Whatcom Middle. The A-rated Bellingham High, set just north of downtown, offers more than 35 after-school activities, including a Computational Linguistics Club and the Bayhawk Book Club.
Your children are the priority at Parkview Elementary School.
Students have many options for success at Bellingham High School.
GreatSchools:
The GreatSchools Rating helps parents compare schools within a state based on a variety of school quality indicators and provides a helpful picture of how effectively each school serves all of its students. Ratings are on a scale of 1 (below average) to 10 (above average) and can include test scores, college readiness, academic progress, advanced courses, equity, discipline and attendance data. We also advise parents to visit schools, consider other information on school performance and programs, and consider family needs as part of the school selection process.
View GreatSchools Rating Methodology
Bay view condo in the heart of Bellingham. Centrally located & walkable to many local favorites. Enjoy endless sunsets from your private patio with access from the living room & primary suite. Spacious 2 bed, 2 bath condo offers 9’ ceilings, crown molding, gas fireplace & elegant hardwood floors. Open kitchen includes granite counters, slate tile backsplash, shaker cabinets & stainless steel
Move in ready 1 bed, 1.5 bath one level city view condominium. Discover luxury living in Bellingham, a step away from Way Point Beach. Our condos are a testament to elegance, constructed w/premium materials and featuring fine finishes. Beyond the comfort of your home, embrace a lifestyle enriched w/recreation. Witness majestic sunsets, expansive views of Bellingham Bay & the San Juan Islands. The
Move in ready 1 bed, 1.5 bath one level waterfront condominium. Discover luxury living in Bellingham, a step away from Way Point Beach. Our condos are a testament to elegance, constructed w/premium materials and featuring fine finishes. Beyond the comfort of your home, embrace a lifestyle enriched w/recreation. Witness majestic sunsets, expansive views of Bellingham Bay & the San Juan Islands.
Check out our sister buildings- Shearwater, Turnstone, & Condor!The Sandpiper is a modern apartment building located in the heart of Downtown Bellingham! The building features a brand-new controlled access security system, assigned parking, stainless-steel appliances, and contemporary fixtures and finishes. Some units have views of Bellingham Bay! Be sure to check out our sister
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Interested in learning more about homes in this area?
Reach out to
Julian Friedman,
an experienced agent in this neighborhood.
Average Home Value
Source: Public Records
Property Mix - Square Feet
This Neighborhood Has More Renters
Demographics
Total Population
2,488
Median Age
33
Population Density
3 ppl/acre
Population under 18
14.9%
Below the national average
23.8%
Population over 65
9.4%
Below the national average
19.1%
Finances
Median Household Income
$31,162
Significantly below the national average
$71,702
Average Household Income
$43,468
Education and Workforce
High School Graduates
89.9%
College Graduates
37.4%
On par with the national average
34.1%
Advanced Degrees
10.3%
% Population in Labor Force
47.8%
Below the national average
65.1%
Weather
Annual Precipitation
34''
Average Winter Low Temperature
34°F
Average Summer High Temperature
73°F
Annual Snowfall
2''
Area Factors
Bikeable
Bike Score®
62/ 100
Car-Dependent
Walk Score®
4/ 100
Some Transit
Transit Score®
43/ 100
Source: Walk Score
Source: Walk Score
Sound Score® measures the noise level of any address. Transit Score® measures access to public transit. Bike Score® measures the bikeability of any address.
Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
