A Walk Around Seabrook with the Town Founder

I recently shared with you about one of the most adorable ocean front communities on the Washington Coast that I have ever seen.  Our family was able to have one last end of summer hurrah at the beach before the rain and cold hits the Seattle area.

  Seabrook, WA is a relatively new community that was established in 2004.  It's located just a few hour drive away from several of Washington's large city's like Olympia, Tacoma and Seattle.

A Walk Around Seabrook, WA with the Town Founder

When we checked into Seabrook, the front desk clerk ran down a list of activities that were specifically happening the weekend that we were visiting.  During the summer, one of those activities is a Saturday walk through the town of Seabrook, WA with the founder and resident Casey Roloff.  I was very excited to spend my Saturday morning with a cup of hot coffee and some very interesting insight about this adorable beach community from Casey himself.

Our morning tour started off in the sales office with some amazing artist renditions of the master plan of Seabrook.  As I mentioned, Seabrook is a relatively new community practicing the philosophy that building a great town isn't something that happens overnight.  As I would learn, the art of town building is something that requires a keen eye for detail, patience and a strong visionary that isn't afraid of taking risks and going against the normal home and town building practices.

Inspired by Seaside, FL , Casey had a dry run as a town builder building Bella Beach in Oregon.  I found it quite endearing that Casey teared up when mentioning how proud he was at the success of Bella Beach.

  Seabrook has had similar success over the past eight years riding out the recession in this tough second home market.  The recession seems to not have even touched this well-thought-out beach town and sales continue to surpass the national averages.  Mainly, I feel, because this town is far from average!

Coastal Living Magazine has taken notice of this small town and in 2010, built the Ultimate Beach House in Seabrook's first ocean-front neighborhood.

One of the things that was most surprising about Casey {pictured on the bottom left} is that he is quite young.  At a mere 40 years old, he's building towns and raising his four young daughters as a resident of Seabrook, WA.

While on the tour, I learned how very intentional this founder's vision for Seabrook is.  Every little detail has been given thought down to the type of siding that casts the proper shadow on the homes and what type of curb the roads have in their various positions throughout the town.

I learned the architecture term terminated vistas, which is term used to describe a prominent building or structure {think flag pole or pagoda}  placed directly at the end of the street that becomes the focal point.   Homes with terminated vistas will have a widow's walk or other architectural details that will set it out from the other homes in the same row of houses.  Home lots are smaller at Seabrook and that has been very intentional.  In order to create a feeling of community and connectedness, home lots are smaller but shared community space is highlighted and focused.

Larger homes flank and bookend smaller homes. Pavement walkways turn to crushed oyster shelled paths as you walk further out of the town center and deeper into the naturally landscaped surroundings. Sidewalks are sometimes as close as four feet away from the homes depending on the height of the porch and the distance to the curb.  According to Casey, this is to make it awkward enough that you are encouraged to communicate with your neighbors as you pass by.

Each of the homes in Seabrook has very similar but distinct features that make each neighborhood just a little different than the next without really being able to put your finger on those differences.  

All of the homes have distinct architectural features that are common in beach towns with the goal of having a timeless elegance.  The decorating on the insides of the houses will make you feel like you have stepped into a Pottery Barn catalog.

This is by far my favorite home in the whole town.  The last time we were visiting Seabrook four years ago, this house was in the process of being built and we were renting the home next to it.  I would peek out the third-floor bathroom window of our rental home and make mental notes of the details that I loved.

  It's amazing to see it upon completion.  I don't know if it's the grey and white color that draws me in or all of the architectural details that I love it!

While Seabrook doesn't advertise the fact that they "do" weddings {unpredictable Washington weather makes it difficult}, there was an outdoor wedding the weekend that we were visiting.  The happy couple lucked out with some amazing sunshine and warm temperatures for their big day.  Not to worry, construction of a town hall is just beginning and the ability to accommodate several hundred people in one place is well on the way.

Update February 2022: Seabrook has been the backdrop for many weddings. Visit the Seabrook website or call for more information. 

Seabrook has a thriving retail market that is ever-expanding with a new town center that is currently under construction.  You can drop into Blind Dog books to pick up a new beach read, have dinner or listen to live music at Mill 109, gather with friends and family at Crescent park and buy some lemonade from the local children, pick up your groceries at Lil's Market, grab a treat for Fido at the Salty Dog or paint your own souvenir at Colours pottery studio.

Update: Seabrook has a thriving list of town merchants. You can see them all here. 

Of course, I spent some time at Christine's Craft shed!  Activities and crafts can be made or purchased at this adorable little hut in Seabrook's retail area.

I can't mention this town and not highlight its best feature.  The beach at Seabrook is an amazing stretch of flat fine sand with large wooded bluffs and dunes.  Several large staircases in three different locations throughout the town, lead residents and renters down into the soft sand.

We spent hours as a family playing and exploring the beach.  While the Washington coast is notorious for its mild weather and cold beaches, a beach is a beach and it always draws you in.  I started my mornings with a soul-refreshing run on the beach with my Golden Retriever splashing in the surf behind me.

Fires are allowed on the beach and we spent each day crafting the perfect beach fire and roasted smores and hot dogs to snack on.

The kids spent hours digging holes, skimboarding, kite flying, and exploring.
They even found a washed-up sting ray to investigate!

This is actually typical WA beach attire {bottom right}.

From the beach to old-growth forest, I think this town is perfectly planned out.

If you find yourself on the Washington coast, Seabrook is the perfect destination for your family!
Hopefully, when you visit, you will have a much deeper appreciation for the thought that went into making this town the perfect example of community.

You can read more about the Art of Townmaking here.

Don't you want to move to Seabrook?
I know I do!

disclaimer: our family was given a weekend stay in one of Seabrook's rental cottages in exchange for a blog post.  All opinions are 100% my own.