By Genaro Shaffer, Bellwether Real Estate — Updated May 2026

Lettered Streets is Bellingham’s walkable downtown-adjacent indie neighborhood — named for the alphabetical streets (A Street, B Street, C Street, etc.) that grid the area between downtown and the Lettered Streets commercial pockets. Sibling to Columbia in feel.

60-second answer

Lettered Streets features early-1900s Craftsman + cottage homes on grid streets, with walkable downtown access + indie shop pockets within the neighborhood. Median home runs $550K-$800K. Best for: walkable urban buyers, downtown professionals, young creatives, indie-shop lovers. Worst for: families needing big yards, premium-residential seekers, suburban-density buyers.

Neighborhood scorecard

 

 

Viewing

This neighborhood

Compare with

 

Typical price 

Walkability 

Schools 

Known for 

 

Take the 60-second quiz → Compare side by side → See all 22 neighborhoods Talk it through with Genaro

What it feels like

Grid street pattern. Early-1900s Craftsman bungalows + cottage homes dominate. Walkable to downtown (10-15 min). Small commercial pockets within the neighborhood. Strong bike culture. Mature trees. Eclectic, indie energy.

The vibe is walkable-indie-character — sibling to Columbia. Many buyers consider them interchangeable.

Schools

Every school in Bellingham

All 22 Bellingham Public Schools, with their GreatSchools rating, grades, and size. Bellingham assigns schools by your exact home address — so for the schools tied to a specific house, use the district’s official locator.

Looking up a specific address? The district’s locator returns the assigned elementary, middle, and high school for any home.

Find schools by address →

Top-rated school at each level

The highest GreatSchools rating in each grade band, and the neighborhood where that school is located. (Location, not an attendance area — assignment is by address.)

Who fits

Fits: walkable urban buyers, downtown workers, young creatives + professionals, indie-shop + café lovers, character-home buyers Doesn’t fit: big-yard families, premium-estate buyers, suburban-density seekers

Schools

• Roosevelt Elementary or Carl Cozier Elementary
• Whatcom Middle School
• Bellingham High School

Verify boundary.

Outdoors + nearby

• Downtown Bellingham (10-15 min walk)
• Boulevard Park (15 min walk)
• South Bay Trail
• Cornwall Park (15 min walk)
• Maritime Heritage Park

Market 2026

• Median: $550K-$800K
• Entry: $450K starter
• Upper: $850K+ renovated
• DOM: tight; competitive
• Inventory: moderate

Common notes

• Pre-1940 homes typical — character + maintenance
• Smaller urban lots (3,500-6,000 sq ft)
• Some ADU + rental conversion potential
• Foundation considerations on hillside parcels
• Walkable downtown is real differentiator

FAQ

Versus Columbia? Very similar — adjacent neighborhoods with overlapping vibes. Lettered Streets has slightly more grid clarity (alphabetical streets); Columbia has slightly more mixed-use commercial pockets.

Walkable? Yes — one of Bellingham’s most walkable.

Median price? $550K-$800K.

Families? Possible with smaller-yard expectations. Less family-density than Sunnyland.

Schools? Roosevelt or Carl Cozier + Whatcom Middle + Bellingham High.

Investment potential? Strong — walkable urban demand consistent + ADU potential.

Sibling neighborhoods

Columbia · Downtown · Sehome · Sunnyland

Talk to Genaro

📞 (360) 389-6616 · ✉️ genaro@bellwetherrealestate.com · 📩 Contact

Don’t go generic — go with Genaro.

Genaro Shaffer · Licensed WA Real Estate Broker #27119 · Bellwether Real Estate · 11+ years · 67+ transactions · 5.0 Zillow 📞 (360) 389-6616, Bellingham WA 98225 Powered by Bellwether Real Estate · Member NWMLS · Equal Housing Opportunity