Looking for info on Dunsmuir, CA (Sacramento, Redding: low income, real estate, homes)

[snaketotem]

I'd like more info on Dunsmuir, CA. Quality of life, community, affordability, growth, etc. Thanks.

[notmeofficer]

It is about 40 miles north of me and I have been through it many times.. great seasonal real italian bistro name madelaneas.. she is awesome (and cute)

It is a small town.. you can walk main street in 5 minutes end to end.. caters to fly fishermen... not much there.. poor locals.. snow ..heavy in the winter.. cooler in the summer than surrounding areas.. its right on the 5 freeway.. not far south of Mount Shasta , where one would probably go to shop...Dunsmuir shopping is really non existent.. a small hardware store.. some specialty shops look like they are dying for the most part

Very small sheriffs station (Siskiyou County)... a couple of deputies... Amtrak depot ...stops there

Currently embattled in some kind of school board battle/scandal.. cant remember much more
About 15 years ago a train containing pesticide derailed into the Sacrmento river killing everything.. apparently every resident got 600 in a settlement.. I think the population doubled overnite.

Real estate in town would probably be reasonable.. smaller older homes.. outlying areas would be priced all over the map.. Mount Shasta to the north is spendy

You probably couldnt work in town and would need to commute for work to Redding (long and hard in the winter, chains,, snow closes the five) or Mount Shasta

Gas,food, etc would be expensive over other places,, and California is generally more expensive than the rest of the US

Beautiful park called Castle Crags.. known as the baby swiss alps.. awesome rock formations and hiking.. forest service roads for miles into the wilderness and high mountain lakes

hope this helps

[appraiser101]

I lived in Siskiyou County for years and continue to work throughout the county. Dunsmuir is a beautiful city and has seen a growth in market appeal and real estate values in the past 3 years. The above gentleman is correct, however, about no work. Most people commute to Redding or Yreka which is the county seat. Many people are civil servants, railroad workers or in the service industry. 2007-2008 saw a bitter winter with above average snowfall. Most of the time county snow removal is adequate. There is very little flat land in Dunsmuir as it sits in a tiny "valley" which was created by the Sacramento River over millions of years. Most homes in Dunsmuir were built during the railroad and logging days so old original victorian homes are common (and absolutley beautiful). Solid redwood framing, hand stacked rock foundations and small city lots are common. River front property of course brings a premium. Locals are quiet, some hippie, some low income. There are some retirees. The river and falls and Castle Crags are amazing. Fishing is phenomenal. If income is not an issue, it is a beautiful little town, with that small town friendly attitude, and I highly recommend it!

[Woof]

Dunsmuir proper is an ugly little town populated by suspicious, inbred hicks who keep newcomers under constant surveillance. However there is a lot of nice scenery around it, there are two waterfalls, world-class fly fishing on the northernmost reaches of the Sacramento River which goes through town, and as mentioned above Castle Crags park just to the south.

[calif]

I laugh when I see you say "beautiful CITY"! ha It is such a small little town. Cute, but tiny. A little pizzeria, cafe, real estate office and not much more. Castle Crags are beautiful! The railroad place (I am forgetting the name) is great to take kids. You can stay in a train car.

I'd love to hear more about the pesticide spill. Is the soil still contaminated, did the wildlife come back? Do all deer there have 4 legs?

[Woof]

OH, we cross-posted, calif. The pesticide spill is cleaned up and the trout have returned (at least the stocked ones). I caught and ate a few, with no visible damage. I'm sure my dain bramage had nothing to do with the fish.

[calif]

Good to know! lol I thought we might take our kiddos fishing there when we passby this summer on our way to Oregon!

[Benchracer]

Correction Calif. There are eight restaurants in town (not all good), from burger joints to really good Asian/Thai(Sengthong's) and Mediterranean(Cafe Maddalena). Yes, it's a small town, but there's more going on than you'd realize at first glance. There's also a pretty nice nightclub which hosts live music regularly by bands traveling between SFO and Seattle - so there's a good variety of quality music.

Sounds like Woof has had some issues here in the past, and I guess it's not for everyone. I'd heartily disagree about the town being ugly (but I may back him on the hick description for a few residents). I first visited here in 1998, and in 2005 when I had a chance to move pretty much wherever I wanted in California, Dunsmuir is the place I chose, and am really happy with my decision. Beats hell out of the big city and the fishing is excellent.

And come on, of course the deer all have four legs! But during hunting season, you really have to be stealthy because they all have three eyes now.