Crescent City, CA (Los Angeles, San Francisco, McKinleyville: Home Depot, theater, living in)

[onlyonejudy]

Crescent City is the last city of any size (and it is small) before the Oregon border. Pebble Beach Drive is beautiful. The city itself is a little dreary. Anyone familiar with it?
Pelican Bay Prison is on the North end which doesn't help.

[cityexplorer01]

Yes, I'm familiar with the beautiful/dreary city of Crescent City.
But Fort Dick, Smith River, Hiouchi, and Gasquet are all California places with city limit signs of population 200+ that are closer to the Oregon border.
I don't know why they are not on here.

[eureka1]

The entire population of Crescent City is under 4000 when you discount the prison population and according to the paper here the other day a third of them are below poverty level. There have been a lot of postings on the forum about Crescent City which you should check out. Don't expect too much. It's very small, very remote and there are serious issues with health care
(lack of ) and drugs (no lack). A great place to have a SECOND home, in my opinion.

[Crescent City Proud]

I moved to Crescent City 2 years ago from the San Francisco Bay Area and I have never been happier in my life! Yes, Crescent City is small. No it doesn't have the restaurants, theaters or clubs of even slightly larger towns. Yes, there is a maximum security prison on the outskirts of town. Yes, there are those here who use and distribute illegal narcotics. You are correct on all those points.

But every point has a counter point and here is Crescent City's.
Crescent City is in fact a small town and does not pretend to be big. This town has historical relevance, not only due to the 1964 Tsunami in which the town had to be basically rebuilt, but a rich maritime history as well.

Being such a small town, 1.6 square miles, you don't have the amenities of a larger town. What you do have is that small town feel with Mom and Pop stores that give a more personal touch, then those impersonal chain conglomerates, though not even Crescent City has been able to escape the impersonal mega stores with Walmart soon expanding into a "Super Store".

As for the Prison, while Pelican Bay Prison is located on the furthest edge of town, Crescent City also boasts the largest police force for a town its size and the inmates stay inside its walls. I for one feel much safer here then I had in the past 20 years living in the Bay Area. In fact, I enjoy walking along the beach at night, something I never would have done there.

The drug problem here is no worse then most small, rural towns today. Drugs have become a frightening, yet inevitable part of all of our lives now no matter where you live in this country. Crescent City's large and capable police force is extremely proactive in that fight.

There are few good paying jobs as is the case with all small rural towns that do not have a factory of some sort to support them. However the cost of living in this area is also one of the lowest in the country to compensate for it.

Of course there are jobs working for the many local tourist attractions, but lets face it, even if they weren't seasonal, that is not the career choice anyone wants for their children.

Oh yes, the tourists. Now why do you suppose tourists would flock here every summer. I mean after all it is just a dreary small town right? Could it be that Crescent City has some of the most beautiful coast line and redwood forests in California. On that point I could go on for another page or two but I think I made my point (and then some).

Crescent City is a beautiful, peaceful town that while you won't get rich living here, your life will certainly be richer for it!

[TheDragonslayer]

I live in McKinleyville, which is 69 miles south of Crescent City. We do not have a Walmart or a Home Depot here and the trip is worth it once in a while and the drive is nice with many beautiful views along the way. The weather is about the same, chance of fog any time of the year or nice and warm, also any time of the year. Gas is expensive in Crescent City as it is here ($4.27 for regular), but the trip to Brookings Oregon is about 20 miles and regular is only $3.87 and they pump the gas, no self serve. Oregon also does not use ethanol or any fuel extender in their gas, so you get 10 percent or better mileage. Property is also much less expensive in C C than it is here in Humboldt county. I happen to like small towns where every one knows each other and life is much slower.

[Fighter 1]

Originally Posted by Crescent City Proud

I moved to Crescent City 2 years ago from the San Francisco Bay Area and I have never been happier in my life! Yes, Crescent City is small. No it doesn't have the restaurants, theaters or clubs of even slightly larger towns. Yes, there is a maximum security prison on the outskirts of town. Yes, there are those here who use and distribute illegal narcotics. You are correct on all those points.

But every point has a counter point and here is Crescent City's.
Crescent City is in fact a small town and does not pretend to be big. This town has historical relevance, not only due to the 1964 Tsunami in which the town had to be basically rebuilt, but a rich maritime history as well.

Being such a small town, 1.6 square miles, you don't have the amenities of a larger town. What you do have is that small town feel with Mom and Pop stores that give a more personal touch, then those impersonal chain conglomerates, though not even Crescent City has been able to escape the impersonal mega stores with Walmart soon expanding into a "Super Store".

As for the Prison, while Pelican Bay Prison is located on the furthest edge of town, Crescent City also boasts the largest police force for a town its size and the inmates stay inside its walls. I for one feel much safer here then I had in the past 20 years living in the Bay Area. In fact, I enjoy walking along the beach at night, something I never would have done there.

The drug problem here is no worse then most small, rural towns today. Drugs have become a frightening, yet inevitable part of all of our lives now no matter where you live in this country. Crescent City's large and capable police force is extremely proactive in that fight.

There are few good paying jobs as is the case with all small rural towns that do not have a factory of some sort to support them. However the cost of living in this area is also one of the lowest in the country to compensate for it.

Of course there are jobs working for the many local tourist attractions, but lets face it, even if they weren't seasonal, that is not the career choice anyone wants for their children.

Oh yes, the tourists. Now why do you suppose tourists would flock here every summer. I mean after all it is just a dreary small town right? Could it be that Crescent City has some of the most beautiful coast line and redwood forests in California. On that point I could go on for another page or two but I think I made my point (and then some).

Crescent City is a beautiful, peaceful town that while you won't get rich living here, your life will certainly be richer for it!

Could not have said it any better. I have friends there , and visit often, we complain that the BIG city's are too fast paced, then when we find a place exactly as we ask for ,some of us just have to complain about how dreary ( PEACEFULL) it is WOW!

[mdvaden]

Originally Posted by eureka1

The entire population of Crescent City is under 4000 when you discount the prison population and according to the paper here the other day a third of them are below poverty level. There have been a lot of postings on the forum about Crescent City which you should check out. Don't expect too much. It's very small, very remote and there are serious issues with health care
(lack of ) and drugs (no lack). A great place to have a SECOND home, in my opinion.

The way I read your sentence, it looked like you wrote that one third of the prison population is below poverty level.

[ferretkona]

I would guess even more are below poverty level.

[Donald Buckner]

My wife and I were on out first vacation in 1981 and drove up the 5 untill we hit Oregon then made a left untill we hit the pacific then made another left and took the 101 all the way down to Mexico. We passed through many towns and citys but none of them has stuck with us like Crescent City. Both My wife and I are from the Los Angeles area and we were not ready for the people up there, they were the most friendly folk that I had ever met in Ca. Both my wife and I just fell in love with the place. The fact that there is a super max there is a good thing and should not take away from the charm of the town. I would think that you would be safer there than you would be just about anywhere else.

Crescent City through out the years has never been far from my thoughts, and I tell all that would listen what a wonderful place it is, the sea, the trees, the town and the people there made for the high point of our frist vacation. I hope to someday go back there but I'm afraid if I did I just wouldn't want to leave. Say what you want about Crescent City but I think that it is the most charming town that California has to offer bar none!

[scubashawn68]

I grew up in Crescent City from 2nd grade through 8th grade. I remember really liking it a lot. We also had relatives that lived there. It was a great place to live. Unfortunately there are not a lot of jobs.
Also...if anyone from CC remembers me....say hello....
My last name then was Latimer (my mothers maiden name)...it Shawn Sheridan (Fathers last name) now.