Can someone describe upstate california? (Los Angeles, San Francisco: organic, beaches, land)

[bradlywhite]

Just wanted to add: Population of Northern CA without Population of Sacramento County and South, and without Bay Area is approx. 2.25 million. Add those areas that most say is part of Northern CA, and you get approx. 11,600,000.

[mrsltd]

Originally Posted by pch1013

In some parts of Humboldt, particularly Garberville, they're the same people.

Grapes meet ganja.

[72bug]

I have never heard of upstate CA. The bay area, sacramento, and everything north is considered northern CA. I know this having lived most of my life in the region (bay area, central valley, chico, arcata). Anybody who lives in the bay area knows that it is considered northern california. Maybe some people north of the bay don't think so but in reality that's like twenty people compared to the rest of the world.

[Sierravillian]

Originally Posted by bradlywhite

Just wanted to add: Population of Northern CA without Population of Sacramento County and South, and without Bay Area is approx. 2.25 million. Add those areas that most say is part of Northern CA, and you get approx. 11,600,000.

A darned good reason to build that fence the rightwingers yap about, except, build it from Jenner to Tahoe across the top of the Bay Area, Sacramento, etc.

North CA is about the size of Ohio and has 20% as many people, makes it a fine place.

[BayAreaHillbilly]

"Upstate CA" sounds like something concocted by an NYC transplant.

[OwlKaMyst]

Originally Posted by Chimérique
Hippies meet rednecks.

Originally Posted by pch1013

In some parts of Humboldt, particularly Garberville, they're the same people.

as my mother puts it...everyone has dog nose-prints on the back window of their truck...

however....having lived in Southern Humboldt and working in Garberville, there is some tension at times between the 'good ol' boys' and the hippies. I had to call 911 because a drunk redneck randomly picked a hippie to beat up and broke his leg.

[Rcsligar]

I can definitely provide you with some info on this as I have been working my way up the coast from San Diego for the past few weeks and am currently in a hotel in Arcata, CA. Not sure where you conjured up the term "upstate," I'm pretty sure everyone refers to it as "far north" California.
First off, I must say that I have been extremely dissapointed with this area. I ignornantly presumed that the stretch of mendocino and humboldt county would be the highlight of the trip with quaint, vibrant small towns nestled in lush redwoods on the coast. I was thinking that I would pick up coastal property here for a reasonable price to use as a vacation home.
Boy, my assumptions were WAY off.
I immediately noticed as I entered mendocino county that the area was extremely desolate, lacking amenities, and possessed a pretty dull vibe as a result of lots of retirees, far left wingnuts, and a few other seedy, psuedo ghetto looking types. However, there were very, very few of all of these people because the population of the towns was extremely scarce, with only a few hundred people or so. The largest town for a while was Gualala, with a population of around two thousand, until I reached fort Bragg, which was about an hour and a half away. We did come across a decent town called Mendocino, however I was very deterred by the cultural climate. While ordering lunch in a fresh food joint, I was basically scoffed at by the lady behind the desk for not opting for a vegetarian option. There was also an extremely obnoxious, outspoken democrat that would not shut her mouth about why people didnt like her. I was revolted by this woman and her disregard for the peace and quiet of others and was relieved to leave the establishment. Overall, mendocino county was a huge bust and I was relieved to cross the county line into humboldt. There were some pretty beaches in the area, but there were also a lot of very unappealing beaches that possessed gray sand, run off from rivers, and barren cliffs. Some beachfront areas (Point Arena and Fort Bragg), had a gross industrial feel as a result of run down harbors in the area.
I tried giving myself some pep talk as I crossed the county line into Humboldt. I told myself that this would be the place where my dreams would be fulfilled in finding a quaint house in a vibrant coastal town nestled in redwoods. Once again I couldn't have been more wrong.
I will say that as I made my way into Redwood national park, I was in awe of the natural beauty of the surrounding country. It was the most scenic drive I had been on in the state by far, which gave me a glimmer of hope. Dense forests filled with redwoods and pines with your occasional cow pasture or river made for a very pleasing landscape. Once again, there were very, very few towns in this area with the exception of your occasional logging community. There was no vibrancy to be witnessed.
The fine taste in my mouth as a result of the county promptly dissipated as I entered the repulsive town of Eureka. Lush greenery could not be seen through the fog and the buildings looked so dilapidated that I thought they might crumble to the ground at any minute. The beach was desolate but not necessarily attractive, so I decided to look for lodging in nearby Arcata.
This area brings the down and out hippy concept to a new level. Although Eureka was bad, Arcata was ten times worse! There seemed to be a central downtown area where drugged out burnouts would smoke the green and ingest psychedelics. The downtown was not cute and appeared like it hadn't changed a bit in 50+ years. It's a shame because the Humboldt State campus is kind of cute and quaint, after all.
Lack of industry, a generally uneducated populace, and extreme isolation make for a generally undesirable area despite nice scenery in certain areas. It's a shame because this area could have potential if the development went in a different direction. Oh well.
Hope I've given you some insight.
- Reed S

[Rcsligar]

Added input from my father: The Indian casino in Arcata sucked and was one of the seediest he's been in.

[BayAreaHillbilly]

Grey sand, cliffs, cold kelpy water, oh my! (repeat)

Fine then, you can have your coral reefer monoculture crowded by the overflow of BOSWASH (backwash?).

(BTW I am also annoyed at times by Communists and Deep Greens, but I will defend the North Coast at length ... )

[Rcsligar]

Originally Posted by BayAreaHillbilly

Grey sand, cliffs, cold kelpy water, oh my! (repeat)

Fine then, you can have your coral reefer monoculture crowded by the overflow of BOSWASH (backwash?).

(BTW I am also annoyed at times by Communists and Deep Greens, but I will defend the North Coast at length ... )

Fair enough, and I don't care for SoCal or mono culture either. I prefer the oregon coast.