bellingham

Lowdown in the Hometown: Best Places for Entertainment

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One of the things I really love about Bellingham is the plethora of entertainment available on a regular basis. So for this time of the lowdown in the hometown, I thought I’d write about some of my favorite places to go for entertainment!

Best Movie Theater(s)

The Pickford Theater and the Limelight Theater are two independent movie theaters both owned and operated by the nonprofit Pickford Film Center. I really love these theaters and have watched the Pickford Film Center grow from a tiny little theater with terrible seats into the three screen theater it currently is. Mostly, there are independent movies shown on a regular basis but the theaters also do the occasional weekend showings of family movies, different film festivals, and regularly show old sci-fi and noir films. Plus, I’ve recently started volunteering there, giving me even more reasons to love this theater.

Best Live Theater

The Idiom is actually located right behind the Limelight theater in downtown Bellingham and is home to some of the most original productions. It was founded in 2001 and has (in my opinion) thrived as a part of Bellingham culture. There are always an array of amazing and original plays being produced there and the small size of the theater really allows for the audience to be caught in the magic of the performances.

Best Bookstore

Village Books is located in the Fairhaven neighborhood of Bellingham, one that’s not too far from where I grew up. It was renovated and made more modern roughly 11 years ago, losing some of the lovely and homey charm I remember from my childhood. But this independent bookstore still remains one of my favorites to visit. Dogs are always welcome (and treats are at the counter!) and there are author readings, story times, open mics, and so many other events. While this bookstore has drastically changed from the one I remember growing up, it’s still one of my favorite places in Bellingham and favorite bookstores out there.

Low down in the Hometown: Best places for food and coffee

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On the first and third Wednesday of each month from now on, I’ll be writing about some of my favorite places in my hometown. Being back after college for an indefinite period of time has made it really difficult to see the things that I do still love about my hometown of Bellingham, Washington. This month, my top three favorite places for food and coffee.

Best Breakfast: Old Town Cafe

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Old Town is definitely my favorite place to go for breakfast/brunch, in part because most of the menu is vegetarian and local but also because of the vibe of the cafe. The food is simple and delicious and many of their vendors come from the Bellingham/Whatcom area. Musicians occassionally fill the cafe with great background music (but aren’t loud enough to overpower any conversation). The wait (especially on the weekends) can be long but with antique and thrift stores next store, the wait is never boring.

Best Sandwich: Avenue Bread

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Avenue Bread has three locations in the Bellingham area but by far my favorite is the one in Fairhaven (mostly because of the people working there). The menu is filled with amazing food, including breakfast sandwiches (called eggenues), wraps, grilled sandwiches, cold sandwiches, salads, soup, pastries, and coffee. Each cafe is also filled with amazing art and the bakers occasionally make amazing art pieces from bread. (One thanksgiving, they made a turkey out out bread, which I found much too hilarious.)

Best Coffee: Black Drop Coffee House and Tony’s Coffee

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I honestly could not decide between my favorite place for coffee so this has ended up being a tie between my favorites. Black Drop is in downtown Bellingham, offering the usual coffeehouse menu and their own unique espresso drinks. Plus, I actually just found out that the Black Drop is an employee owned cooperative, making it even more special for me. Tony’s, on the other hand, is in Fairhaven and still offers that local and old spirit I remember of the neighborhood that seems to be fading as the city develops. The coffee there is really great and has a really great atmosphere for hanging out and getting some writing done.