What do you think about the Eureka, Arcata, McKinleyville, Humboldt area? (Compton: how much, job market)

[siriusdeva]

I am seriously considering a move to this area from the midwest. I am a Universal Minister ready to step into the next chapter of my life. I would want to be safe and bring my chihuahua. How is the housing cost and can you see the beach? (Hippies ar obviously ok with me lol)

[siriusdeva]

I meant apt rental costs

[TheDragonslayer]

Originally Posted by Shadowplay

It wasn't aimed specifically at you, more at the general tone of multiple responses combined with the fact that I've heard this before while driving guests in from the airport... in fact it just happened a few weeks ago. It's interesting that I wouldn't willingly choose to live in that particular guests carefully maintained and spotless suburban home, but that's simply a matter of differing tastes and lifestyles. There's no right or wrong, just different.

It does make me aware that we're facing a perception problem in Humboldt. Curiously, I have mixed feelings on whether we should address that or not... the people who will be happy here seem to find us.

I'll take the opportunity though to address the individual communities in more detail, based on my seven and a half years here, and knowing a fair number of community leaders, and having discussed a lot of things with them.

Arcata: Stereotypical liberal university town. I looked when first considering the move here, and decided against Arcata on the basis of two things. First, there are signs on the Plaza that say "No..." with a list of about 10 things. A little too command-and-control for my taste. The obvious question was, what's it like to get a building permit in this town? My subsequent experience has only reinforced that. Citizen involvement and layers of regulations translate to, sometimes, near paralysis. The second thing was the Plaza shopkeepers negative attitude to the "travelers," the homeless dudes on the plaza. Having lived in Chicago and San Francisco, I thought the skraggly kids on an adventure in Arcata were cute compared to the older hardened ex-felons of the big city. Seven years later, I find the Arcata travelers to be an eyesore but harmless. The attitudes of the shopkeepers bother me more than the travelers do, because many of them are ex-hippies who did the same thing when they were kids. I'm also surprised that despite years of discussion, the city has done pretty much nothing either way on the issue, for example creating someplace less visible for the travelers to hang out... a good example of the above-mentioned paralysis.

Eureka: Diverse. The homeless problem is more severe than in Arcata, and it's centered on an encampment behind Bayshore Mall in the southern part of the city, and various nearby dive residency motels along 101... most of them owned by the same slumlord, I'm told. The problem spills over into petty crime in some nearby neighborhoods, but minor by big city standards. Unfortunately almost everyone drives by this area, so it's very visible. There are nice quiet neighborhoods inland... Hendersen Center (F and Hendersen) is a calm tidy working-class neighborhood with a vibrant shopping district and reasonable real estate prices; the ravines around the medical offices near Harris and Harrison are full of upscale doctors homes. Oldtown has gentrified nicely in recent years, although it's been slowed by city governments seeming lack of a clear policy and more recently by the economic downturn. A proposed mixed-use development at the west end of Oldtown, if it happens, will speed the process. Arts Alive (first saturday of each month) is a vibrant street party.

McKinleyville: I'm less familiar with this area, which is unincorporated but heavily developed. Lots of entry-level residential inhabited by younger couples, and a relative lack of urban planning because of the unincorporated status. I've heard some refer to this as "Oklahoma-by-the-Sea" and am not sure if that's a reference to the junk cars mentioned in a post above, or the fact that there really was an influx of Okies in the dust bowl years. In any case it's the closest thing we have to the suburbs in the world beyond, one of only two local communities that is friendly to big box stores.

Fortuna: The other big-box friendly town, although they don't have one yet... actually the attitude is more like we'll take any kind of development, unconditionally, which is a very un-Humboldt attitude (we're the folks who told WalMart where to stick it). It's hard to characterize; Main Street was trashed in the mid-60s when the old buildings were replaced with structures that have not stood up well to the test of time. The nice houses are up the hill (the doctors associated with the hospital) or on the outskirts of town on larger lots; the flats are mostly smaller houses and some are a little run down. There's still a visible contingent of logging-friendly good old boys, and they still pretty much control city politics.

Ferndale: The Victorian Village, all of Main Street on the National Historic Register, still reliant to some extent on tourism as well as on the local dairy industry. Cute and well above other regional towns for real estate value, not much affected so far by the recent downturn. Not the most exciting place in the world, with a population of only 1400 (or 3,000 counting the surrounding dairy lands), simply not enough people; there are plenty of events, but except for the kinetic sculpture race they don't draw huge crowds. The locals tend to avoid Main Street on peak tourist weekends. Economically doing pretty well, storefronts almost all full, etc. It's a unique mix of libertarians and crazy artists and ranchers and professionals and ordinary people.

Trinidad: Upscale ocean view fancy houses on top of the bluff, not hard to spend $800K here. But only about 800 people. A fairly low-key place, a cute coastal town.

Rio Dell: A former logging town in transition, with a sophisticated new city manager. Small basic inexpensive houses but larger/fancier new developments just under way. The recent takeover of Palco by Humboldt Redwood Company has revived talk of annexation of the company town of Scotia just over the bridge. Main Street needs a kick but is handicapped by a scarcity of good quality commercial buildings.

Blue Lake: 15 minutes inland from Arcata, quite a bit warmer in summer, a unique nice small town handicapped for now by the recent police scandal, which will blow over now that the chief has been convicted. Home to world-renowned Dell Art'e Theatre.

Fieldbrook: Unincorporated, between Arcata and Blue Lake; upscale and discrete, almost unknown to the outside world but home to some of the local CEOs.

Willow Creek: 45 minutes inland on 299. Hot summers, Trinity River recreation opportunities, reasonable real estate, but I don't know a lot else about it.

Still pretty basic, but hope that helps a little.

You are dead on about the local towns and communities, except for McKinleyville. I moved here a little more than 8 years ago when it was just over 13,000 people and it was referred of as " Oklahoma by the sea" a term derived from all the supposed people from Oklahoma that moved here during the dust bowl era. McKinleyville has grow phenominally in the past 8 years. Our Ace hardware more than doubled in size, a nine plex theatre was built, many business' added, a large sports complex, cross town trails, improved streets, new sidewalks and many homes and apartments. I estimate the population is now nearing 18,000 and by the next census in 2010 we may hit 20,000 people. A big K only came in to town less than 15 years ago and it brought in a complex of business' when it did. The town is still growing fast and it is following a general city plan.

[rugbynurse]

Originally Posted by Happy Cells

Nice area, in general.
Be careful where you go hiking though....

So what's this about? I like hiking, do you get shot if you go on private property or something? Booby traps protecting crops? Thinking about moving to humboldt county in a couple of months, just curious about that comment...

[georgiamom]

I think they mean that people "protect" their "pot farms" any way they can. You wouldn't want to wander onto one of those farms for fear of being shot.

[grannypeggy9]

i love eureka and surounding area's i consider the area home, i lived in area from 1955 to 64, moved away, then moved back in 1969, and raised my own kids there, and inland willowcreek.
i have lived almost 8 years in the south, its ok, BUT ITS NOT HOME., I MISS MY HOME, ON THE WEST COAST.
i have read some of the cut down things people have said in this forum, everyone is allowed their opinions, BUT, there are bad things everywhere you go, its really better in the rural area's, because it comes in smaller doses. lol

[grannypeggy9]

you have described the towns of eureka, and surounding area to a tee.
i grew up in the area, eureka, McKinleyville(when it was very small- in the 60's.
my friends and i went to watch workers put up the totom pole, thats how long its been, i have moved to the south,8 and 1/2 years ago. and sure miss living out there.
i have also lived in land, willow creek, hoopa, salyer, orleans.

[TheDragonslayer]

Grannypeggy9 you will like these pictures. The Totem pole is the central part of a Safeway shopping complex now. McK has grown phenomenally and is now about the same size as Arcata, about 18,000. We have a nine plex theater behind the Rays - K mart complex and Hiller park has a full sports complex now and an enclosed swimming pool is slated for the lot past the theater. The McKinleyville library is getting an expansion soon and we now have a staffed sheriffs department next to it.

[FrozenSnow85]

Ugh, I was in Eureka for about four months last year and I absolutely hated it. Could not wait to get back home on the east coast. I do not like being panhandled everyday when I'm trying to go out and get groceries, or go see a movie. I do not like the fact that there isn't much to do, and the houses seemed so run down. If someone put a gun to my head and told me to go back, I'd choose Fortuna or McKinleyville as those are the only two towns in that general area that had a hometown feel to it. Eureka and Arcata are just cesspools of drugs and homeless [hippies].

[coyote58]

Originally Posted by FrozenSnow85

Ugh, I was in Eureka for about four months last year and I absolutely hated it. Could not wait to get back home on the east coast. I do not like being panhandled everyday when I'm trying to go out and get groceries, or go see a movie. I do not like the fact that there isn't much to do, and the houses seemed so run down. If someone put a gun to my head and told me to go back, I'd choose Fortuna or McKinleyville as those are the only two towns in that general area that had a hometown feel to it. Eureka and Arcata are just cesspools of drugs and homeless [hippies].

D'hoe! Too bad frozensnow didnt drive north 7 more miles north of Mckinleyville. He would have come to Trinidad Harbor/bay. Just google it, youll see.