LETTERED STREETS
Tree-Lined Streets & Character Homes in Bellingham, WA
There's a reason the Lettered Streets neighborhood feels like the heartbeat of Bellingham. Located just north of downtown, this walkable, tree-lined area is where you'll find some of the most architecturally distinctive homes in the city — and a community that takes enormous pride in them.
A Bit of History
The neighborhood's name is literal: streets A through J run lengthwise through the grid, platted in the 1890s when Bellingham was still being built out. But the perpendicular cross-streets have a story too. When the surrounding towns consolidated in 1903–1904, the old numbered streets had to be renamed to avoid duplicates across the new city. The city council could only agree they should go in alphabetical order — so they handed the actual naming to Lottie Roeder Roth, Bellingham's leading historian at the time. She named them after historical figures: Astor, Bancroft, Clinton, Dupont, Ellsworth, Farragut, and so on. So the next time you're navigating by letter in one direction and historical figure in the other, you have one very organized historian to thank.
The neighborhood gets its name from the streets running alphabetically — Alabama, Broadway, Carolina, and so on — which gives it a charming, navigable grid that long-time residents navigate almost instinctively. The canopy of mature elms and maples overhead makes even a simple walk to the coffee shop feel like something worth doing.
Homes here are predominantly older Craftsman bungalows, Foursquares, and Victorian-era houses — many of them beautifully restored and maintained. This is not a neighborhood of cookie-cutter construction; every block has something visually interesting. That said, buyers should be prepared for the realities of older homes — charm often comes with updates needed, and home inspections matter here more than most.
Prices in Lettered Streets reflect the neighborhood's desirability and central location, with a current median around $670k*. The mix includes everything from original unrenovated bungalows to fully updated showpiece homes, so there's real range within that median. Buyers should be prepared for the realities of older homes — charm often comes paired with updates needed, and a thorough home inspection matters here more than most. The walkability is exceptional — downtown restaurants, the farmers market, and the waterfront trail are all easily reached on foot.
This neighborhood tends to attract buyers who want to feel connected to Bellingham's culture and community, and who appreciate the character of a genuinely historic place.
Curious about what's available in Lettered Streets right now? I'd love to help you explore it.
*pricing reflects recent market data and is subject to change.