For years Oak Harbor has been whispered about as the “Navy’s best-kept secret,” a clue to the desirability of a set of orders here. Those of us who have lived and worked here for many years feel protective about preserving our small town image.
As I came to work last Friday morning, news had spread about Oak Harbor’s selection as one of the top 10 dream towns in “Best Places to Retire” magazine for its quality of life without metropolitan hassles. Outsiders can come out from behind the bushes and stow their binoculars. We’re pretty great and now the world knows it too.
Mayor Jim Slowik said, “It’s a great place to live, and great people live here. Right now, August and September, are ideal months to visit. I want to thank those who give so much of themselves to the community for making it so.”
Geri Morgan of Coldwell-Banker has been “selling paradise” for over 23 years and has lived on Whidbey Island since 1969. She knows how easy it is for people to fall in love with the area.
“Oak Harbor sells itself. I see people every day who are either coming through town to go camping or to visit family and friends who tell me they are drawn to this place. Every article that is favorable about a place is bound to draw the curious in search of their own dream town,” she said.
Marcia Van Dyke, Whidbey News-Times publisher, said, “This comes as no surprise to me. I feel very fortunate to have found my home here. If you’re not in the Navy and you didn’t grow up here, you might not know of Oak Harbor or be fortunate enough to find a good career path here,” she said.
When she discovered Oak Harbor 17 years ago, she knew she wanted to live here. “I worked hard to be ready for the opportunity to become publisher of the Whidbey News-Times. When I was offered the job, my dream for my dream town came true,” she said.
America’s top 10 dream towns are 1, Torrington, Conn.; 2, Bozeman, Mont.; 3, Lexington Park, Md.; 4, Lebanon, N.H.-Vt.; 5, Helena, Mont.; 6, Kalispell, Mont.; 7, Mankato-North Mankato, Minn.; 8, Oak Harbor, Wash.; 9, Stevens Point, Wisc.; and 10, Concord, N.H.
Towns fit into four clusters, reflecting their shared geographic characteristics. Two are regions (New England and the Midwest), one is the state of Montana, and the fourth is a pair of small towns that are both near large bodies of saltwater. These 10 dream towns also differ in important ways. Two of the most prominent are population and proximity to big cities.
Distances to big-city attractions vary by an even more substantial margin. Oak Harbor is just 40 air miles outside of Seattle, while Bozeman is 517 miles away from any major metropolitan area, in its case, Denver. (A major metro is defined as one with at least 2.5 million residents.)
The study was inspired by the heavy public interest in small-town life. Its aim was to identify communities that would be most attractive to people considering such a move. The highest scores went to well-rounded places with light traffic, healthy economies, moderate costs of living, impressive housing stocks, strong educational systems and easy access to big-city attractions.
U.S. News and World Report calls Oak Harbor a naval community with a picturesque mix of natural and small-town charm. “Weather tends to be overcast, but it rains less on the island than on the mainland,” the magazine writes. Also noted are the annual “Holland Happening” festival featuring Dutch arts and crafts, including a wooden shoe carver; the unique location on northern Whidbey Island, just off the shores of the Washington mainland; the historical significance of Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, built to support U.S. forces during World War II; and such recreation opportunities as saltwater or freshwater fishing, hiking, diving and horseback riding at Deception Pass State Park.
Jill Johnson, Greater Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce executive director and the city’s most vocal cheerleader, laughed and said, “So word has spread that we don’t roll up our sidewalks at 5 o’clock! Oak Harbor’s star is still rising and we welcome every newcomer with open arms.”
