Bellingham
Lettered Streets
Victorian porches and alphabet blocks on the hill above Old Town.
On the map
Boundary is approximate — refined per neighborhood over time.
Pacific Relocation's take
Storybook Victorians for clients who want character on a budget.
The Lettered Streets — A through I, climbing the hill north of Old Town — are our pick for clients who fall for Columbia's craftsman charm but want to be closer to downtown and a little less expensive. The housing is genuinely storybook: 1890s–1910s Victorians and foursquares with deep porches, many now carefully subdivided into upper and lower flats, plus Elizabeth Park as the neighborhood's communal green. It is a five-to-ten-minute downhill walk to Old Town's cafes, the Saturday market and the Pickford cinema, which makes car-light living realistic. The trade-offs are honest: the subdivided Victorians vary wildly in upkeep and insulation, parking is on-street and tight, and the streets nearest the freeway and the Roeder Avenue industrial strip carry more noise. We place a lot of professionals and downsizing couples here, and a steady share of WWU faculty who want walkability without the student churn of the south-side hill. Inventory turns over more often than Columbia because so much of it is purpose-built rental flats.
Lifestyle figures
Best of Lettered Streets for you
Walkable / key streets
- Bellingham Farmers Market0.7 km
The Saturday market at Depot Market Square sits at the foot of the hill, an easy downhill walk.
Quiet / leafy streets
- Elizabeth Park0.3 km
Bellingham's oldest park — a full square block of century-old trees, a gazebo and summer concerts.
Directions ↗Pinned on map - Lettered Streets Historic Character0.1 km
Blocks of 1890s–1910s Victorian and foursquare houses climbing the hill above Old Town.
Outdoors / hiking / parks
- Maritime Heritage Park0.5 km
Whatcom Creek's salmon-spawning amphitheater park at the base of the neighborhood.
Directions ↗Pinned on map - Squalicum Creek Park1.0 km
Restored-creek park with a pump track, trails and ballfields on the neighborhood's north side.
Directions ↗Pinned on map
To buy (USD)
| Type | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 BR | 300,000 | 365,000 | 465,000 |
| 2 BR | 375,000 | 455,000 | 580,000 |
| 3 BR | 495,000 | 605,000 | 775,000 |
Estimated from local rents — placeholder, pending verified sale data.
Rent ranges (USD)
| Type | Low | Median | High | Δ 12mo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 BR | 1,425 | 1,600 | 1,850 | ↑ 2.0% |
| 2 BR | 1,700 | 2,000 | 2,400 | ↑ 1.7% |
| 3 BR | 2,200 | 2,650 | 3,100 | ↑ 1.4% |
Source: Rentals.ca + Zumper Q1 2026, refreshed weekly via our rent worker.
Our advice
Before you sign a lease
- Subdivided Victorians often share heating, laundry or a single panel between units — confirm in writing what is metered separately and who controls the thermostat
- Many of these houses pre-date 1920; ask about knob-and-tube wiring, foundation condition and lead paint before signing, especially in lower-level flats
- Washington's 2025 rent-stabilization law caps most increases at 7% plus inflation (max 10%) with 90-day notice — verify any proposed bump against it
Pacific Relocation
Want our help finding a place here?
Book a free 30-min Discovery Call with Pacific Relocation.
Last reviewed 2026-06-11.