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It should be pointed put, that up in that part of California is the Emerald Triangle, the center for Marijuana in the entire U.S.
The Mexican and native growers grow in the forests, and it can be dangerous for anyone to come near their growing areas hidden by the giant redwoods. It is estimated up in the triangle, as much as 2/3rds of the local economy is from growing weed.
It should be pointed put, that up in that part of California is the Emerald Triangle, the center for Marijuana in the entire U.S.
The Mexican and native growers grow in the forests, and it can be dangerous for anyone to come near their growing areas hidden by the giant redwoods. It is estimated up in the triangle, as much as 2/3rds of the local economy is from growing weed.
The OP did not point out the true picture. Kind of like saying that there was some in a little section of the NW California. It did not point out how big a situation it really is in the area, and the major source the economy in the entire area.
A fluff piece on how great it is, can draw people to an area. But I feel they need to know the truth about the area if they are considering living there.
I was raised as a 3rd generation Humboldt resident and my family on both sides were very early residents and helped build that area, so I have strong ties to it.
The OP did not point out the true picture. Kind of like saying that there was some in a little section of the NW California. It did not point out how big a situation it really is in the area, and the major source the economy in the entire area.
A fluff piece on how great it is, can draw people to an area. But I feel they need to know the truth about the area if they are considering living there.
I was raised as a 3rd generation Humboldt resident and my family on both sides were very early residents and helped build that area, so I have strong ties to it.
Really? So is your family in the "business" up in Humboldt? I have pretty strong ties up there myself. As a consumer. If you got connections maybe we can do a little C-D brother in law trading.
The OP did not point out the true picture. Kind of like saying that there was some in a little section of the NW California. It did not point out how big a situation it really is in the area, and the major source the economy in the entire area.
A fluff piece on how great it is, can draw people to an area. But I feel they need to know the truth about the area if they are considering living there.
I was raised as a 3rd generation Humboldt resident and my family on both sides were very early residents and helped build that area, so I have strong ties to it.
I probably should have touched on the marijuana culture more than I did because it really is an integral part of the economy/culture up here, and your links have a lot of great information. The illegal marijuana industry does wreak havoc on our streams, rivers, and forests, and it IS a problem, but honestly if you don't choose to be involved in the marijuana industry/culture it won't really affect your life at all. You'll hear about big busts like the recent one in Fortuna, and it's in the news all the time, but if you don't want it to be in your life it doesn't have to be.
By the way, the City of Arcata recently stomped out a fair number of illegal grows by imposing a huge tax burden on energy usage 600% above normal or something, and the County of Humboldt has been watching what Arcata did and thinking about implementing the tax County-wide.
Every once in a while a thread pops up on this forum where people ask about what it's like on the North Coast from Mendocino up to Crescent City. Rather than answering the same questions over and over the purpose of this thread is to bring everything together so people can get a better idea of what the different areas are like when looking to relocate to them. I'm going to cover the major towns right along the coast which include Mendocino, Fort Bragg, Fortuna (close enough to the coast to count, imo), Eureka, Arcata, McKinleyville, and Crescent City. I'll lightly touch on other areas of these counties as well such as Ukiah, Garberville, and Willow Creek but the dynamics in those places are very different from the coastal towns. I'm going to start from the town of Mendocino in the south and work my way all the way up to Crescent City in the north and I hope to cover as many bases as possible.
Unfortunately I'm not super well versed in the school systems of the coast other than what I've heard so that's going to be weak area of this post, so if anyone else knows more about the school systems up here feel free to chime in.
There is one thing that's generally true with every town along the coast though, and that's the climate. From Mendocino all the way up to Crescent City the coastal climate is defined by cool, foggy summers and cool, rainy winters. Average winter highs are typically in the mid 40s to mid 50s with gloomy skies and lots of rain, but every so often we'll have a clear, sunny, crisp day that's as beautiful as any other clear day throughout the year. Summer highs usually hang around the mid 60s though occasionally they'll get into the low 70s and on rare occasions it'll even hit 80. Make no mistake though: it does rain a LOT on the North Coast and fog is a fact of life throughout the year. If you don't think you can handle that, do NOT move here because you WILL be miserable. That said, there are still PLENTY of absolutely gorgeous days (and today is one of them actually - clear blue skies, about 62°, and a small breeze) and the good days more than make up for the less than ideal days in my opinion. And, even though June and July is the "foggy" season, the marine layer typically burns off between 11 and 1 anyway. Sometimes it burns off a little earlier or later, sometimes there's no marine layer at all, and sometimes it doesn't burn off all day. If it hasn't burned off by 3 PM it probably won't burn off at all, and when that happens you have to just kind of shrug and hope it'll burn off the next day. For me though, I'll gladly pay the price of foggy summer days to be able to live in an area where it literally never gets hot, so you take the good with the bad.
So with all that said, let's get started!
Mendocino
Mendocino is a small, picturesque town of about 900 people 10 miles south of Fort Bragg. The town sits on a high bluff overlooking the ocean and on a warm, clear day it's one of the most beautiful little towns along the North Coast. Most people who live in Mendocino work in Fort Bragg or, if they work in hospitality industry, probably live in Fort Bragg and commute. Housing in Mendocino is quite expensive and a good chunk of the people who live there are retired Bay Area transplants. There are several quaint little shops including an awesome jams and jellies store with local jams, jellies, and honey, as well as a fairly large book store, "science" shop, and fudge shop.
Fort Bragg
Fort Bragg was my first introduction to the North Coast as a kid and it'll always have a special place in my heart, along with Mendocino. I loved our annual summer trip to the coast because it got us out of the baking Sacramento Valley and onto the rugged, beautiful, and most importantly, cool North Coast. Actually living in Fort Bragg can be difficult though because the town has been very slow to recover after the logging and fishing industries downsized dramatically over the past 50 years or so. Tourism is the main industry of Fort Bragg and Mendocino now, though logging and fishing still goes on albeit on a much smaller scale. Poverty is high despite relatively expensive housing prices, and if you're fully reliant on the local economy to make a living you're going to have a tough time at it. My advice if you want to move to Fort Bragg or Mendocino is to get a city, state, or federal government job, or bring your work with you. If you can work remotely or in a government job you can live fairly comfortably in Fort Bragg.
Unfortunately I know next to nothing about the schools in Fort Bragg but greatschools ranks the area overall as 5/10, which is mediocre but not bad. If your kids are placed in advanced classes they'll probably do well, but if they have special needs then you're probably going to want to look elsewhere.
Medical care is sub par in Fort Bragg and most people have to go to Santa Rosa for pretty much anything beyond routine check ups. Fortunately it's not a brutal drive to Santa Rosa from Fort Bragg but it does take a solid two hours and you have to take highway 20 through some pretty rugged and twisty country, so it's something to consider.
North of Fort Bragg there are a few more small coastal towns like Westport and Rockport, but those places are barely blips on the map and I wouldn't recommend moving there unless you're 1) independently wealthy, or 2) retired, and even then I wouldn't really recommend it unless all you want are peace, quiet, and beautiful views.
Fortuna
Fortuna is the first "real" city of coastal Humboldt, though it does sit some 7 miles inland. Known as the "friendly city" or "sunny Fortuna" there's really not a whole lot to say about it. I think it's a decent enough city but I haven't had as much exposure to the people/culture of Fortuna as my fiancee has and she's told me she doesn't much like the vibe of the city. She's told me the people are definitely friendly, but it comes off as fake friendly to her like they're just putting on a show or something. It can be significantly warmer in Fortuna during summer; it'll be 65 in Eureka and 80 or higher in Fortuna on the same day. Just goes to show just how narrow the coastal influence really is!
Ferndale
Ferndale is a lovely Victorian village about 15 miles south of Eureka. Houses are expensive but gorgeous and I wouldn't mind living in Ferndale at all. The entire city is a National Historic Landmark due to its Victorian nature, but make no mistake: Ferndale is a cow/farming town through and through and many of the families living there have been living there for 4, 5, or even more generations going back to when white settlers first came to the area. An unfortunate result of this is that Ferndale can be very "cliqueish" at times and outsiders are sometimes looked upon with suspicion, derision, or both, though a lot of it depends on how you present yourself and the amount of effort you put into the community. Another bad thing about Ferndale is that it lies in the flood plain of the Eel River so flooding can be a concern during very wet winters. Ferndale also lies in a tsunami zone as well so those are things you should consider if you decide to move there.
Eureka
Eureka is the largest city along the coast north of San Francisco at about 26,000 people, though that number may be closer to 30,000 if you count the periphery areas such as Field's Landing, King Salmon, Cutten, Humboldt Hill, and Myrtletown. Eureka is the seat of Humboldt County and it's actually a pretty decent place for the most part. The areas immediately adjacent to Highway 101 (Broadway in the south end of the city and 4th and 5th streets nearer the downtown area) are fairly dumpy and give an overall bad impression, but if you look a little more closely you'll find some very lovely neighborhoods throughout the city. The Cutten area on the east side of town is gorgeous and I personally wouldn't mind living there, but generally speaking the prettier the area the more expensive it's going to be. Still though, housing is relatively affordable in Eureka and the city boasts a fair number of nice amenities including a Costco, Kohl's, Target, and Walmart, plus a multitude of local businesses.
Speaking of local businesses, that's something worth touching on: local businesses are HUGE around here. The community is fiercely proud of its local businesses and people make a point of shopping at them. There's a lovely old world charm to many of the local businesses around Humboldt and I for one enjoy shopping at them and just chatting with the owners and other shoppers and stuff. It all feels very "homey" and I love it.
I find Old Town Eureka to be very beautiful and I'm a huge sucker for all the Victorian architecture in the city and surrounding areas. Eureka is also home to California's oldest zoo, though it is quite small. The zoo sits immediately adjacent to Sequoia Park which is a lovely redwood forest smack dab in the middle of the city.
While there are many good things to like about Eureka, the city does have its fair share of problems. Drugs are a serious issue, and it's an unfortunate fact that meth has a firm grip on a lot of people here. Homelessness is also a big issue here and transient populations tend to swell in summer as people move from hotter to cooler climates. During summer a fair number of the people you see holding "hungry" or "need help" signs are only in the area temporarily before moving on, though we do have a good number of permanent homeless partly due to our mild climate and partly due to our liberal social programs. Honestly though I think the homeless issue isn't as bad as some people say, and the vast majority of them are harmless even if they seem a little loopy. In fact, just the other day I was walking along the sidewalk and I walked past a guy having a full on conversation with himself. He wasn't yelling or hurting anyone and that seems to be the case with almost all of them.
Medical care is fairly adequate in Humboldt County, but for any sort of specialized procedure most people either head to Redding or down to Santa Rosa. I don't have any experience with the medical system up here yet but everyone I've talked to said it's okay. It's not great, but it's decent enough for most things and a lot of people supplement their insurance with an airlift policy in case something major happens (this is also true in Fort Bragg). The "medical" area of Eureka is centered around St. Joseph's on the east side of town and besides the main hospital there are private practice centers, vision centers, chiropractors, acupuncturists, foot doctors, etc., etc.
Overall Eureka is a pretty blue collar, down to earth town and I think its reputation isn't nearly as bad as some people may say or think.
Arcata
Arcata is a college town to the letter. The city government is currently run by the Green Party and it's where the majority of the hippy/progressive movement of Humboldt County stems from. The downtown area around the plaza reminds me a bit of a mini San Francisco, and anywhere within about a 2 - 3 mile radius from HSU is dominated by that sort of culture. Arcata is very "enlightened" so to speak and it's the center of art and culture in the county. The homeless/transient population seems to be slightly higher in Arcata than in Eureka and that's probably due to the fact that the political environment there is much further to the left than elsewhere in the county.
There are some decent areas in Arcata but if you're looking to raise a family I'd probably avoid it unless you're a solid 5 or more miles from the college. If you're a student looking to go to HSU though and you like the idea of a laid back, liberal town with very easy access to marijuana then I'd say go for it.
McKinleyville
McKinleyville, known both affectionately and infamously as "Oklahoma by the Sea," is a bedroom community of mostly suburbs about 10 miles north of Arcata. McKinleyville is the fasted growing community in the entire county and possibly the fastest growing community along the entire North Coast. Population wise it's currently about the size of Arcata but it will likely pass Arcata in population in 5 years. McKinleyville is not incorporated as a city and people aren't entirely sure if it ever will. I think that if it continues to grow as it is it'll eventually incorporate, but change is very slow to come to Humboldt County so it may not happen for many years to come.
Housing in McKinleyville is comparable in price to Arcata, and while there are many lovely houses in McKinleyville a lot of them are very cookie cutter "burb" houses, which I find unfortunate given the Victorian history of the area. Still though I really like McKinleyville and I wouldn't mind living up there if the opportunity presented itself. I do know that the schools in McKinleyville are excellent and ranked as some of the best in the entire state.
Trinidad
Stunningly beautiful Trinidad is just a few miles north of McKinleyville, but don't bother trying to move there unless you're absolutely loaded. Houses are big, beautiful, and have incredible ocean views. There's a casino in Trinidad and a lot of folks camping at Patrick's Point a little further to the north come into Trinidad for supplies. Other than that there's not much in Trinidad, though here's an interesting fact: at just over 300 people Trinidad is one of the smallest incorporated cities in the state.
Crescent City
Crescent City is the largest settlement and only incorporated city in Del Norte (pronounced "nort") County, and it also serves as the county seat. Despite being only 90 miles north of Eureka, Crescent City tends to get much more rain during the winter, and it tends to be foggier than coastal Humboldt as well. The two biggest employers in Crescent City are Pelican Bay State Prison and the County of Del Norte, and Crescent City is much, much smaller than coastal Humboldt; it's comparable in size to Fort Bragg.
Due to the presence of the prison there seems to be a higher concentration of sketchy people in Crescent City, but also due to the presence of the prison there's a higher concentration of law enforcement type folks living up there as well, so it kind of balances out in a way. Personally I don't think I could live in Crescent City but I don't think it's all that bad despite its "Cretin City" nickname.
So that's it for the major coastal towns. I just want to go back and briefly touch on the inland towns in Mendocino and Humboldt Counties. I know very little about inland towns in Del Norte County and honestly they're so small and rural I don't think they're worth discussing; the sort of folks who thrive in that sort of environment tend to find their way there eventually anyway.
For the inland towns I'm again going to start with Ukiah in the south and end with Willow Creek in central Humboldt.
Ukiah
Ukiah is Mendocino County's county seat, and honestly it's a pretty meh place. It straddles highway 101 and sits in a valley east of the coast range. As a result it can get very hot during summer (mid 90s - low 100s) and there doesn't seem to be a whole heck of a lot going on there besides government work and a handful of vineyards. I wouldn't really recommend Ukiah unless you're moving there specifically for work or family obligations.
Garberville
Garberville is the first "major" town in Humboldt County as you drive north along Highway 101. It sits in a valley east of the coast range as well, so it too gets quite hot during summer. The main industry sustaining Garberville is marijuana cultivation, and that is no exaggeration. People in SoHum (southern Humboldt) have a culture that's completely different from the coastal culture in the north, and people are very suspicious of newcomers until they find out that you're not a narc. If you're just passing through though people in SoHum are very friendly if not a little scruffy looking. Not much else to say about Garberville or SoHum in general other than the fact that it's absolutely beautiful there, as the surrounding hillsides are completely blanketed in thick pine forests, and some of the most magnificent coast redwoods are a stone's throw away from Garberville.
Blue Lake
Blue Lake is a charming little town about 10 miles east of Arcata off 299. There's a casino in Blue Lake which is absolutely massive and due to its inland location it tends to get much more sun and warmth than Arcata. I actually really like Blue Lake though it can have a bit of a "wind tunnel" effect due to the mountains on either side of the town.
Willow Creek
The entire section from Willow Creek all the way up to Hoopa has a very high Native population and rural living taken to the extreme. Again, cultivation of marijuana is the main industry in this area, and drug use and alcoholism is unfortunately quite rampant which is unfortunate because it's absolutely beautiful. Summers are quite hot in Willow Creek, and a lot of the coastal residents come up this way for sun and warmth during summer. There's lots of good camping and river swimming, plus hiking, but it's important to stay on designated trails because growers WILL protect their crops from any perceived threat, which includes you accidentally bungling onto their farm. While plenty of the growers in Humboldt and elsewhere in the triangle are friendly and willing to overlook you mistakenly stumbling upon their grow, many other growers are armed, dangerous, unstable people, so it's best to err on the side of caution and stay on the trails.
Well I think that just about does it for all of the major towns in Mendocino, Humboldt, and Del Norte Counties! As far as outdoor activities are concerned there's a lot to choose from: hiking, boating, fishing, kayaking, or just lazing about in the warm coastal sunshine.
If you're looking to move to the North Coast from a more populated/urban area here are some things you should keep in mind before you come here:
1. The North Coast is historically rural, and change is very slow to come here. Like I said earlier, the area is just now beginning to recover from the logging/fishing declines and the majority of the decline happened before I was even born.
2. Community, community, COMMUNITY. Know your chosen community, and get involved. People are very tight knit with each other here and if you don't actively try to get involved with your local community you will find yourself feeling very left out almost everywhere you go.
3. Another note on community: get involved, but do NOT try to affect ANY sort of change until you're very well established, and even then tread lightly because you MUST remember that most power resides in the hands of old families. Again, these are people whose families have been here since the 1800s and they are fiercely proud. Suggestions are almost always welcomed, but it's important to emphasize that you like things the way they are and are merely making a suggestion that could potentially make things even better for everyone.
4. As a newcomer, it's important to mold yourself in a way that fits with the community, and not the other way around. Again this comes back to adapting to your new community, but it's such an important point it needs to be stressed over and over. Don't tell people how great things were where you came from because that will only earn you derision and a suggestion to just go back where you came from if it's so great there.
5. Try not to complain about the weather too much if you can avoid it. We know that sometimes the weather sucks. Sometimes an otherwise lovely day is ruined by a wind that's just a little too cold and strong, or sometimes the slate gray sky simply won't quit for a few days, and sometimes when it rains for days on end it can be annoying, but it's the price we pay in order to live in such close proximity to the beautiful north coast and absolutely unbelievable ancient redwood forests. The fact that it never gets hot is also a huge plus, so we just take the bad with the good, and honestly the good far outweighs the bad in my opinion.
6. Lastly, and most importantly, I would absolutely advise against anyone moving anywhere along the North Coast unless you have a job already lined up. If you find yourself totally reliant on the local economy in any of the communities mentioned above you're probably going to struggle financially. If you can work remotely and are just looking for a simpler, more chill life (both figuratively and literally), then I would absolutely recommend the North Coast. If you can find gainful employment with a city, county, the state, or the federal government that allows you to live on the North Coast, then I say go for it! There's something truly magical about this place, and if you can make it you'll find that your life will be greatly enhanced. Sure we don't have a ton of shopping or dining options, and yes, we are quite isolated behind the redwood curtain, but honestly my life has never been better since moving here and if you think it's a good fit for you too, then I am of the opinion that it's absolutely worth it.
So that about covers it! If you have any further questions feel free to ask, and if I missed anything that a North Coast local would like to add then I certainly encourage it. Good luck to everyone considering a move to California's beautiful North Coast! I'm going to close out this post by adding some of my favorite pictures that I've taken in the 6 months that I've been living here.
A lovely shot of the place I now call home. Loleta, CA:
Old Town Eureka on a crisp winter day:
The Carson Mansion - one of the most photographed buildings in the state:
Overlooking Ferndale from the cemetary - November 2013:
The mountains near Willow Creek on December 7, 2013:
Trinidad State Beach, also on December 7, 2013:
The Carson Mansion on a foggy day:
Elk grazing near Orick, about a month ago:
Punta Gorda Lighthouse, south of Petrolia along the rugged and beautiful Lost Coast - March 2014:
A church near downtown Eureka, built in the 1880s (I believe):
A lovely Victorian home in Ferndale, April 2014:
What if you live in a highly elevated ranch along the coast? Should you worry about flooding and tsunamis then?
Ukiah is Mendocino County's county seat, and honestly it's a pretty meh place. It straddles highway 101 and sits in a valley east of the coast range. As a result it can get very hot during summer (mid 90s - low 100s) and there doesn't seem to be a whole heck of a lot going on there besides government work and a handful of vineyards. I wouldn't really recommend Ukiah unless you're moving there specifically for work or family obligations.
I lived in Ukiah for 15 years and have to agree. We moved to the Sierra and DO NOT miss Ukiah one bit. My only regret is I should have moved 10 years sooner.
As a side note it does cool off at night in the summer.
If you like Marijuana it is a good place to be. On my way to visit a friend in Comptche last fall I stopped in Ukiah and the first question I asked was: "Am I the only person not smoking dope?
Northern and Central California resident my entire life, but I can count on one hand the times I've been to the North Coast. I guess that's a testament (at least for me) of how removed it is from the rest of the state. Sure looks pretty though.
The Mexican and native growers grow in the forests, and it can be dangerous for anyone to come near their growing areas hidden by the giant redwoods.
One will NEVER stumble across a marijuana grow under the redwoods. Marijuana requires full sun which is not provided under the redwoods. Also, the vast majority of redwoods are in state parks or private property. A large percent of the marijuana grown outdoors is done east of HWY 101 at a higher elevation, where redwoods do not grow.
Most native growers grow on their own land or other private property. The cartel grow in areas so remote, there is little chance that someone will stumble upon it.
For anyone looking to come to the area, do not be fearful when hearing about 'the dangers'. Unless someone puts themselves into the thick of it, the area is not 'dangerous' that way.
In my 20 plus years of living in the area and going into the hills, I have never found myself in someone else's garden. One person I know did, but like I said, it was an extremely remote area that was hard to get to. The average person won't wander off the beaten path.
So no worries.
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