Fed up Seattleites escaping to ‘City of Subdued Excitement’

Whether it’s the ridiculous cost of living or the shrinking middle class or something even less tangible, there’s plenty of reasons older, self-employed people are ditching Seattle for a less-frustrating Bellingham.

The Seattle Weekly reported there is a northern migration of middle-aged people heading to the “City of Subdued Excitement.”

It’s completely understandable for former KIRO Radio host Luke Burbank, who told Tom Tangney he is in the process of buying a house up north. Burbank, who lived in Seattle and then Port Townsend, said Bellingham is a nice mix of vibrant, but not overwhelmingly busy.

“I think Bellingham is the perfect combination of what we liked,” he said as he described his plans.

Take buying a house for example. In Seattle, buying a house would mean a week’s worth of parking tickets and standing in long lines. In Bellingham, it took about an hour-and-a-half to get in and out of city hall &#8212 and the parking was free.

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It’s understandable that people are choosing Bellingham over Seattle, Tom said. Seattle is “hollowing out” the middle class and there is no sign the city is going to stop growing any time soon.

As of mid-July, there were 106 projects downtown that had been completed since January 2014, were under construction, or preparing to break ground. The city is seeing the highest level of activity since 2005, according to the Downtown Seattle Association.

“It’s just not a time to be here,” Tom added.

Bellingham, on the other hand, has a “perfect combination” of things going on, Burbank said. On top of that, some of the pockets of Bellingham have an “old Seattle” feel, Tom pointed out.

The one issue with Bellingham that Tom foresees is the lack of jobs. Unless you’re in health care, education, or self-employed there isn’t a whole lot going on.

But how long will Bellingham be a sanctuary for people trying to escape an ever-growing Seattle?

“Bellingham is probably where Seattle was 30 years ago,” Burbank said. In another 30 years, Burbank will probably be talking about how he’s leaving Bellingham for Bow, Washington.