The Samish neighborhood residents enjoy the warm country like feel that can only be found in a somewhat sparsely settled area with a beautiful natural landscape. Here you will find a mixture of older dwelling from a more rural past and more contemporary homes in a suburban setting.

The Samish neighborhood contains one of Bellingham's most popular recreation spots, Lake Padden. Visitors of the lake and surrounding park enjoy swimming, golf courses, jogging trails, fishing, playgrounds, and non motorized boating. Lake Samish Park is also located nearby and offers a beach, swimming, and a playground for the youngsters.

Residents here do most of their shopping at Sehome Village which is located just across Interstate 5 and features a Haggen supermarket as well as other smaller shops. Just north of Sehome Village is Samish Way which contains several restaurants and gas stations.

The majority of neighborhood children will attend Happy Valley Elementary School with the exception of a few households on the northern border which are assigned to the Carl Cozier Elementary School. Most middle school students will attend Fairhaven Middle School, students in the far northeast corner of the neighborhood will attend Kulshan Middle School. Sehome High School will be the learning grounds for all the older teens in the area.