Finding Yourself in The Woods

The next time you find yourself driving north on I-5 through Bellingham be sure to take exit 250 and fallow Old Fairhaven Parkway to Boulevard Drive. If you are already a resident of Bellingham, you should already be familiar with Boulevard Park and if you are not, I encourage you to go check it out. Overlooking the pristine Bellingham Bay sits a tiny little coffee shop in the center of Boulevard Park. People come from all walks of life to walk along the waterfront and sip a Woods Coffee beverage. This space serves as a multipurpose hotspot. There is no doubt that Woods Coffee is a popular place. No matter what time of day, I am always surprised by the hustle and bustle of the little coffee shop. Considering the constant commotion, it’s a little shocking that one of the most widely used purposes of this location is a study space for college students. Boulevard Park in itself has many great amenities. Located between Downtown Bellingham and Fairhaven, Woods Coffee in Boulevard Park serves as a great pit stop while enjoying a nice stroll on the South Bay Trail.

Inside the shop, the space is used for a multitude of things. The bottom level is divided into several different spaces. First is the counter, this is where the magic happens. Behind the counter baristas run around busily making drinks, heating up pastries, and balancing orders between the indoor counter and outdoor pickup window. The majority of the main floor is filled with tables and chairs occupied by couples on coffee dates, families on snack breaks and, bookworms with their noises deep in their literature. Oh, and don’t forget the fireplace! In the middle of it all is a fireplace and four plush leather chairs. This is a perfect spot to curl up with a book and a hot cup of coffee. In the back is the kiln room. The kiln room is a multipurpose conference room where community groups can come together and students can go if they need a quieter place to study. The second floor of Woods is primarily where students go to study. This space is almost always packed with college students typing away on their laptops. Woods also has an area of outdoor seating. This is the perfect place to sit on a sunny day and watch the sailboats glide across the bay.

When you first walk into Woods Coffee in Boulevard Park you are immediately met by the strong aroma of coffee and the loud hum of espresso machines and voices. You can get a Woods coffee at any of Woods’ ten locations in Bellingham (another good location is Downtown on the corner of Railroad and Chestnut), but this location has something none of the others do and that is the fabulous view. Kaylee, one of Woods Coffee’s baristas, says, “I personally think we have the best location.” I, as one of Woods Coffee’s frequent regulars, would definitely agree. No matter what time of day, nothing beats the view of the sparkling Bellingham Bay and the snow capped mountains that sit over downtown Bellingham. If you are looking for the perfect time of day to gaze out of Woods Coffee’s floor-to-ceiling window, try sunset. Anacortes resident and frequent Boulevard Park visitor, Marty, says that, “nothing beats the sunsets in Boulevard park.” And Kaylee says, “They just keep getting better and better.” For me, taking a walk down the boardwalk and gazing across the water makes for a great study break and an even better Saturday afternoon.

The Woods Coffee company fits the Bellingham angle quite nicely. Woods Coffee strives to be more environmentally friendly by using 100% compostable cups and constructing their buildings to fit LEED standards. Woods Coffee also donates scholarship money to Western Washington University through the purchase of their specialty Viking Blend coffee. You can find out more about what The Woods Coffee Company does for the community at the same place I got my info, thewoodscoffee.com.

Maybe it’s because I love the place so much, but it’s hard for me to see the down side to this location. That being said, if you are not one who likes to be surrounded by people in a crowded place, then this may not be the place for you. Sometimes I wish Woods was a little bigger and a little less crowded. If you are a college student living on campus, like me, then you may find that this Woods location is not always easy to get to. It is about a 25 minute walk from north campus. On a nice day this walk can be very pleasant but this is far from the truth on a rainy or cold and windy day. Getting there by bus can be time consuming. There is no direct route and it takes about the same amount of time, if not longer, than if you were to walk.

I first used Woods as a place to study. Later I returned with some friends for a pit stop during an afternoon walk. A few weeks after that, I stopped by the pickup window to order something while taking my dogs for a stroll through the park. Woods is the center of all sorts of goings on. It’s more than just a place to grab a cup of coffee. People use this space to meet with friends, family, clubs, and as a place to stop and relax while running around the exciting town of Bellingham. I will continue to use this space in the future in a multitude of ways. I encourage you to check it out and see how the space best fits into your lifestyle.