Crescent City CA, would like to know more (Oakland, Eureka: crime, homes)

[Modest_retirement]

I have been looking at cheap places to retire and crescent city ca seems like a good fit. I would appreciate it if someone with experience living in the area could tell me what they think of it. I have indeed searched the forum for this topic and read many posts about it. People say it’s small but I wonder if it’s so small that you cannot fly under the radar so to speak, and avoid being talked about by locals? Another problem is jobs but that is not a concern for me. And yet another problem is isolation but I actually prefer this and the lack of shopping and activities also doesn’t matter at all. I also prefer the kind of weather they have there.

One thing that does concern me is crime and homelessness. I am curious if these things are still a problem. I am puzzled by posts that contradict each other, some saying there is crime and others saying that the police presence is healthy and proactive.

There is always one guy named eureka1 who posts the exact same post in CC threads. “CC is hell. Stay for a week before moving.” Eureka1, if you post here would you please explain why it’s hell instead of just saying it is?

[eureka1]

Because it's a dreary, sad little town where the main employer is the prison. If you've really been following my posts, you know that I always recommend visiting before making plans to move anywhere. Especially true for Crescent City. Good luck in your research.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by Modest_retirement

I have been looking at cheap places to retire and crescent city ca seems like a good fit. I would appreciate it if someone with experience living in the area could tell me what they think of it. I have indeed searched the forum for this topic and read many posts about it. People say it’s small but I wonder if it’s so small that you cannot fly under the radar so to speak, and avoid being talked about by locals? Another problem is jobs but that is not a concern for me. And yet another problem is isolation but I actually prefer this and the lack of shopping and activities also doesn’t matter at all. I also prefer the kind of weather they have there.

One thing that does concern me is crime and homelessness. I am curious if these things are still a problem. I am puzzled by posts that contradict each other, some saying there is crime and others saying that the police presence is healthy and proactive.

There is always one guy named eureka1 who posts the exact same post in CC threads. “CC is hell. Stay for a week before moving.” Eureka1, if you post here would you please explain why it’s hell instead of just saying it is?

lol! There's also NoMoreSnowForMe who rants about Crescent City, but for good reason. She'll see your thread title and will drop in, no doubt.

Crescent City apparently gets the worst of the weather up in that area; gale-force winds at times, lots of rain. IMO rain is good, considering the state was in a severe drought for years. But the town did sound a bit dreary from her description. There's not much social life. I've been looking at some of the towns south of there, and they have more going on, and more of a community vibe, than Crescent City does, by the reports I've heard.

If you don't mind summer heat, another cheap place to live is Clear Lake, but it's been a bit fire prone the last few years. At least in Crescent City and along the coast further south, it's wet enough that wildfires wouldn't be a concern. Smoke from fires elsewhere would, from time to time, as is becoming the case throughout the Pacific NW and parts of CA, but that's a different matter.

But yes, visiting the area is a must, before making a life-changing move. I plan to head up there myself, next year, to scope it out.

P.S. We've been having a discussion about the availability and quality of medical care in those northwestern counties, on another thread. The hospitals seem to be understaffed, especially on the evening and night shifts, so there are long waits, even for emergency patients in some cases. But there are hospitals in the Bay Area that have the same problem with even longer waits, so maybe that's par for the course in today's world. Availability of primary care MD's for new arrivals can also be an issue. This doesn't deter some people. YMMV.

[Mr5150]

Given the choice between Crescent City or Lake County is akin to choosing between a broken leg or a broken arm. There are much better affordable choices to be had in CA

[sacreole]

Well, if you don't mind the isolation and the cool windy overcast, Crescent City may be a good fit for you. One of the challenges facing that part of the state is access. There are only two land routes that access Del Norte County/Crescent City: US-101 and US-199. US-101 is the main highway that connects Crescent City and Del Norte County with Humboldt County and the rest of California to the south and the Oregon state line to the north. US-199 runs from the junction with US-101 just north of Crescent City into Oregon towards Grants Pass and the Rogue Valley.

Those highways are often subject to slides during the rainy season, particularly along US-101 at Last Chance Grade south of Crescent City. The local transportation commission has been lobbying Caltrans and the California Transportation Commission to fund improvements to stabilize US-101 along Last Chance Grade. The public transit system, Redwood Coast Transit, operates four local routes in Crescent City and several regional routes including three trips to Arcata where it connects with the Amtrak Connection/Greyhound bus to the Bay Area and local Humboldt bus routes. The airport was recently remodeled and is served by Contour Airlines, which operates one to two flights daily between Crescent City and Oakland.

The town has your basic retail stores, such as a Safeway, Walmart, Walgreens, Rite Aid, Grocery Outlet and Home Depot. There's also a small cineplex that shows the latest movie releases. College of the Redwoods has a satellite campus in town.

[opossum1]

Originally Posted by Mr5150

Given the choice between Crescent City or Lake County is akin to choosing between a broken leg or a broken arm. There are much better affordable choices to be had in CA

More like a choice between a broken leg and broken skull. I think Crescent City is an upgrade from Clear Lake.

[aslowdodge]

Originally Posted by Mr5150

Given the choice between Crescent City or Lake County is akin to choosing between a broken leg or a broken arm. There are much better affordable choices to be had in CA

How’s the housing cost difference? I’d be looking to the foothills like where you are at well before those two places, even if homes are a bit more, I’d find something to sacrifice to move there. Crescent city is so remote and much of lake county just feels depressed.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by aslowdodge

How’s the housing cost difference? I’d be looking to the foothills like where you are at well before those two places, even if homes are a bit more, I’d find something to sacrifice to move there. Crescent city is so remote and much of lake county just feels depressed.

Well, remote and depressed areas are the cheapest; that's the way it works. Lake Co. wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for the fire risk. The vineyards are coming in and developing the area a little, there's Hidden Valley Lake, which was a fairly popular development; not sure what its status is now. There are issues, but there's also potential. It might almost be preferable over Crescent City in some ways. Depends on personal preferences.

Then there's Susanville. Though it's a bit of a heat trap in summers, too. Maybe the OP should consider Eureka over Crescent City. It can't be much more expensive, can it?

[aslowdodge]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

Well, remote and depressed areas are the cheapest; that's the way it works. Lake Co. wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for the fire risk. The vineyards are coming in and developing the area a little, there's Hidden Valley Lake, which was a fairly popular development; not sure what its status is now. There are issues, but there's also potential. It might almost be preferable over Crescent City in some ways. Depends on personal preferences.

Then there's Susanville. Though it's a bit of a heat trap in summers, too. Maybe the OP should consider Eureka over Crescent City. It can't be much more expensive, can it?

Ruth I know you considered these areas. Did you look into the sierra foothills at all? I did a lot of driving and was even up at lake county last year. It just felt depressing to me there. The foothills seemed a bit more vibrant and I liked the proximity to the Bay Area which I think you grew up and would enjoy visiting from time time, no?

[Hawk J]

Years ago, in the spring & summer, i used to visit my friend in Selma, OR. We used to go fishing quite often at Lake Selmac//Illinois River/ Applegate River/ Smith River. It was sunny & warm/hot. Not usually much wind. We had many good times in the area. Grocery shopping isn't far, in Grants Pass.