7-26-18 The number of unique businesses on Whidbey

I love walking around our two iconic towns on South and Central Whidbey: Langley and Coupeville. What I enjoy most is that each of the businesses in the towns is unique.

When I have off-island friends who come for a visit, I usually take them to one or both of the towns for  a walking tour. You don't have to enter every store to get the feeling of how special every business is. 

When I go off-island, or for that matter when I drive up to the City of Oak Harbor (except for the old town area), most businesses are now in shopping malls, and whichever shopping center you visit, you will see many (or in some cases, most) of the same businesses. It has become increasingly difficult to find individual, unique businesses.

But, for Langley and Coupeville, that's not true. Not only is each storefront business unique, but it's common to walk in and meet the owner of the business. Chatting with a business owner is often a special experience too!