NorCal Quest - What area should we stay? (Oakland, Berkeley: relocating, housing)

[dubstyle247]

im in love with northern california! i lived in san diego for a couple of years and since moved back to NY where i grew up. my wife and i are looking to relocate to northern california. our last trip there took us from crescent city to san fran to yosemite to tahoe to sacramento! WOW! im looking for a nice little area (more rural than city) where we can go for a long weekend and stay at a B&B and just do some driving around. with this extremely vague question i'd like to hear from you all where we should go! thanks!!!

[Charles]

Originally Posted by dubstyle247

... my wife and i are looking to relocate to northern california. ....


im looking for a nice little area (more rural than city) where we can go for a long weekend .....

Are you asking about a vacation or relocating?

[dubstyle247]

im looking for a vacation that will allow me to do "research" regarding relocating. that makes sense right?
seriously its such a vast area and we loved so much of it.... i figured i'd ask here and get some input to try and narrow my search. for example, i've heard nice things about calaveras county.... we love the mountains and outdoor lifestyle but dont want to be covered in snow half the year.... but we wanna be near the snow. coastal isn't really that important.
thanks

[DMenscha]

www.gocalaveras.com

I'm happy to tell you more about Calaveras if you want to give me a PM. I have to get my moneys worth as a member of the Chamber of Commerce

[Charles]

Originally Posted by dubstyle247

im looking for a vacation that will allow me to do "research" regarding relocating. that makes sense right?
seriously its such a vast area and we loved so much of it.... i figured i'd ask here and get some input to try and narrow my search. for example, i've heard nice things about calaveras county.... we love the mountains and outdoor lifestyle but dont want to be covered in snow half the year.... but we wanna be near the snow. coastal isn't really that important.
thanks

What line of work are you in?
Where do you expect to work?
What would your housing price range or rental budget be?

[dubstyle247]

Originally Posted by Charles

What line of work are you in?
Where do you expect to work?
What would your housing price range or rental budget be?

i currently own a landscaping business - long island, ny.
when we relocate i will have a few bucks in my pocket to back me and would honestly like to start up a small lawn cutting/landscaping/snow removal business. pretty much like what i do here but just on a smaller more laid back level. as far as housing goes......
i would imagine $400K plus being a comfortable number.

to give you all a little better idea...... my wife and i have always dreamed of opening our own bed and breakfast in a big old country house.

[TheDragonslayer]

Look into the Humoldt bay region. The towns are Eureka, Arcata, McKinleyville, Fortuna and Ferndale being the major cities. Eureka is the county seat at 28,000, Arcata and Mck are in the 17,000 and Ferndale and Fortuna are smaller. There are a lot of small towns in the 1000 and under range. The whole county is around 130,000 strong. Humboldt bay sits between the ocean and the mountains, some up to 5000 and 6000 feet locally and even higher inland. I myself am a gardener in McKinleyville. I maintain about 7 yards in the winter and up to 14 in the summer during the longer growing season. I was a gardener in Berkeley and Oakland till I lost 9 yards in the Oakland hills fire of 91. I restarted my gardening business in 2000 here in McK and have never been without enough work.

Martin

[dubstyle247]

thanks. any good websites about the humboldt bay region?

[Kingsnkali]

So hard to give advice because northern California is extremely diverse. Totally different climates and features with each area.

If you want the Midwest feel, pick the Central Valley with orchards and crops. If you want the lush green/cloudy Pacific Northwest feel, pick the North Coast. If you want Italy or France, pick the valleys by Napa and Calistoga. If you want a rural, quiet and mysterious feel, pick the Coastal Range mountains/hills near Middletown/Cobb/Wilbur Springs/Clear Lake and Lake Berryessa. The Mother Lode foothills give you the the old 1850's Gold Rush feel. Close to the higher/wild areas of the Sierra Nevada/Tahoe too. Areas east of Redding and Chico give you a wild/volcanic look with woods and lava deposits and mountain streams and rivers. It's all different.

I myself, am captivated by little Downieville. You can do a search for Downieville California and find bed and breakfast arrangements there. Do a search for Wilbur Hot Springs for a unique bed and breakfast arrangement there as well.

[howefortunate]

Sonoma County is on the coast and known for its rural atmosphere and wine. My favorite bed and breakfast is in the town of Healdsburg. It's called Honor Mansion. (For info on this b & b visit Enjoy a Romantic Getaway at Honor Mansion). The area is beautiful. There are lots of bed and breakfasts in Sonoma County and being in the wine country is a big draw.

The Sierra Foothills is another region that you might consider. Calaveras, Amador, El Dorado, Tuolumne, and Nevada Counties. These are rural areas that are uncrowded and historic...google Gold Rush Country, Mother Lode as well as specific cities such as Jackson, Angels Camp, Murphys, Sutter Creek, Sonora, Arnold, Ione. My favorite bed and breakfasts in this area are Foxes Inn (Sutter Creek) and Dunbar House (Murphys). For information on the Sierra Foothill wineries visit The Sierra Foothills