Where

Fifth Street Commons is located in the heart of Langley, on the south end of Whidbey Island, 30 miles north of Seattle, Washington. In 5 minutes, you could walk from here to the post office, grocery store, cafes, theaters, school and the marina. But if you live here for any length of time, it may take you 30 minutes because of the chats you’ll have with friends and neighbors. Seattle is a bit more than an hour away via the ferry, assuming you don’t mess with commuters or weekenders. Then, bets are off. But why rush? Go for a walk on the beach.

If you’re from South Whidbey Island, you know the connections. If you’re off island, start by checking out Whidbey Life Magazine and Visit Langley. Write Drew(at)drewslist(dot)com to sign on to his daily offering of local events, meetings, funky for-sale items and more. Check out the Clyde Theater for close-to-first-run movies. Live theater? Langley is where it’s at: Whibey Island Center for the Arts, Whidbey Children’s Theater, Outcast Productions, and the outstanding Island Shakespeare Company. In the spring, don’t miss Welcome the Whales Day. Summer time brings the Choochokum Arts Festival and Street Dance. In September, our Djangofest draws musicians from around the world. Then there is the Soupbox Derby race down First Street. And in late winter, the town becomes a Whodunit game board with Mystery Weekend.

South Whidbey is a becoming a Mecca of new culture. Listen to the words in conversations: community resilience, local food, small is beautiful, new stories, interdependence, green building, common good, empowering leadership, thriving communities, ecosystem vitality, intergenerational, youth empowerment through the arts.  What are your words?

This is where you’ll find The Whidbey Institute, Hedgebrook Writer’s Retreat, Power of Hope, The StoryDome, Tahoma Zen Monastery, Good Cheer, South Whidbey Commons, Hearts & Hammers, Whidbey Island Nourishes, as well as multiple venues for yoga, meditation, massage, market gardens, whale watching and kayaking tours.