Good options for me in Northern Cali opinions please (San Francisco: to rent, homes)

[spyoptic]

Hello all, so here is my situation -- looking for a relatively peaceful, beautiful place to live in northern california. Here are some of the criteria, I would LOVE some options so I can start to narrow down my search.

(doesnt have to meet all these standards but heres what I'm looking for
-- Looking to rent
-- 1,500/month (this is bare minimum, both tenants will have master degrees, both veterans working for the government)
-- be near a Veteran's Affairs office / hospital / whatever
-- RELATIVELY peaceful and beautiful scenery.. like, nobody poorer than me around.
-- Must be within around 2 hours of Oregon

Well, in a nutshell, this would be my paradise.. these are all flexible, and I thank you very much for your input.

Franck

[Snort]

Eureka.
How fast do you drive?

[WesternPilgrim]

Originally Posted by spyoptic

Hello all, so here is my situation -- looking for a relatively peaceful, beautiful place to live in northern california. Here are some of the criteria, I would LOVE some options so I can start to narrow down my search.

(doesnt have to meet all these standards but heres what I'm looking for
-- Looking to rent
-- 1,500/month (this is bare minimum, both tenants will have master degrees, both veterans working for the government)
-- be near a Veteran's Affairs office / hospital / whatever
-- RELATIVELY peaceful and beautiful scenery.. like, nobody poorer than me around.
-- Must be within around 2 hours of Oregon

Well, in a nutshell, this would be my paradise.. these are all flexible, and I thank you very much for your input.

Franck

Your VA hospital requirement is a killer, I think.

If that weren't the case you belong somewhere in Shasta County, on the outskirts of Redding. Maybe Palo Cedro, Bella Vista, or Shingletown.

The VA hospital nearest to the Oregon border is in Sacramento if I'm not mistaken. So you could live in Placerville, Auburn, or Grass Valley but you'll be 5-6 hours from the OR border.

[MtnSurfer]

I would first start comparing coastal NorCal to inland areas. The climates and cultures are quite a bit different. Places to start your search:

* Humboldt
* Redding
Go a little further south:
* Chico
* Paradise

Of course there are a bunch of little towns in between. But they may not have the Veteran's facilities you seek. The most Northern VA Medical Center appears to be in San Francisco. Maybe these other facilities interest you as well such as Outpatient clinics. Take a look here:
Facilities in California - Locations

** Edit: I noticed someone menitoned Sacramento. Even though its not listed on the govy website above it does look like there is one there as well.

http://www.northerncalifornia.va.gov...directions.asp

Derek

[Jaybee]

Originally Posted by spyoptic

Hello all, so here is my situation -- looking for a relatively peaceful, beautiful place to live in northern california. Here are some of the criteria, I would LOVE some options so I can start to narrow down my search.

(doesnt have to meet all these standards but heres what I'm looking for
-- Looking to rent
-- 1,500/month (this is bare minimum, both tenants will have master degrees, both veterans working for the government)
-- be near a Veteran's Affairs office / hospital / whatever
-- RELATIVELY peaceful and beautiful scenery.. like, nobody poorer than me around.
-- Must be within around 2 hours of Oregon

Well, in a nutshell, this would be my paradise.. these are all flexible, and I thank you very much for your input.

Franck

OK, let's see if I can help. I live in the Red Bluff/Cottonwood area-about 2 hours from the Oregon border, so you should regard that as the southern limit of interior Northern CA via I-5. If that's flexible, other communities further south are available that'll likely provide more lifestyle options. Someone mentioned Chico for example. It's roughly the same size as Redding, but has a different "feel" due in part the state college (Chico State). It's also nearer metro areas like Sacramento-and the Bay area. If you're truly looking for "Paradise", look no further than a few miles east of Chico. That's right, the Town of Paradise, California truly exists.

Redding is picturesque and has some nicer neighborhoods with homes that'd certainly come in under your $1500 limit. But I'm confused about the term "minimum". Do you mean that the least you'd expect to pay would be $1500?

If you're both working for the government, won't the location of those jobs drive where you live? Redding is home to the Shasta-Trinity National Forest that employs many. There are also many employed at the satellite Ranger Stations throughout the forest. In addition, Redding's home to a Caltrans (CA Dept. of Transportation) District office. That's a huge government employer.

Now, you could opt for the coast. In that case, two hours south on Highway 101 would get you to the Eureka-Arcata area of Humboldt County. Arcata is home to Humboldt State university and is naturally quite "liberal minded". Eureka is a former blue collar mill (redwood lumber) town that's struggling to find a new identity (in my humble opinion). Redwood National Park is between here and the OR border. Several state parks that also protect the giant trees are both north and south from here. I'm not in the business, but believe housing is generally more expensive on the coast. Weather here is much cooler during the summer due ocean influence and the fog, which can hang around for days at a time. Some find the foggy conditions just too depressing. But, others prefer it over the stiffling summer heat in the central valley (Redding area). If Redding is "remote", and some feel it is; Eureka will be regarded as "isolated".

The last primary route south from Oregon would be Highway 395. Two hours driving on 395 would put you near the southern boundary of Modoc County. That's high desert-very rural and sparsely populated ranching country. It's open vistas and desert-like terrain is akin to much of northern Nevada. Winters can be brutally cold with significant snow. The people here are hearty, self-reliant hard workers. Very conservative politically. County seat is Alturas. The town has been losing population for some time. I think I heard that the short line railroad that served it has ceased operations. There are very few jobs here and very limited services.

I believe the nearest (if you want to call it that) location of veteran's hospitals has been covered by others. Good luck in your quest. If I can provide any additional info, please feel free to contact me.

[eureka1]

There is a small VA clinic in Eureka which is moving into larger quarters. May be something to check out. Unfortunately I think you will find that the vast majority of the population here is far worse off than the typical Federal employee.

[AKACarmen]

Well posted, it answered a few questions I had @ relocating due to a job offer at HSU.