Eureka - so where do these drug addicts live? (Oakland: real estate, apartment)

[EurekaPerson]

Good afternoon.

I will be moving to Eureka in December and the area seems great with the exception of the city's #1 health and crime problem of methamphetamine.

Could somebody tell me where the safe/unsafe and pleasant/unpleasant parts of the Eureka area with regards to the supposedly ridiculous meth problem are? We are considering living in: Eureka, Cutten, and Myrtletown.

How bad is this problem really? I'd like to hear the perspectives of some of the locals.

Thanks.

[barryhussein]

Every person I ever met from Humboldt State really loved it. I guess that's Arcadia, though. They were potheads, not into the meth. I really hate those people; so noisy.

[TheDragonslayer]

Some areas of Eureka where it appears the druggies hang out is lower old town near the marina and in the neighborhood across from the old town mall on Harris, also at the end of 14th or the end of Wabash avenues near the waterfront. Another area is around Mrytle and West near the shopping mall there. It is no where near as bad as I have seen in Berkeley or Oakland when I lived there. You can always ask at the Eureka police department, I am sure that they can give you statistics for the town. In Arcata, not Arcadia, the pothead and new age hippies hang out at Jacoby Square in the center of town, except for the day of the farmers market when they are chased away.

[EurekaPerson]

Thank you for the info. I will check those places out on the map and take them into consideration when apartment hunting. I may also take your advice and call the Eureka police dept for specifics.

As far as the potheads, I honestly don't mind what people do as long as it doesn't affect me. I've never heard of a stoner robbing somebody at knife point so they can afford to get their next fix... my only concern is safety of life & property.

Thanks again.

[EurekaPerson]

Thanks Barry... that is good to know...

[eureka1]

There is NO place in Eureka where you do not run the risk of moving in next to a meth lab or grow house (which latter can be very dangerous and destructive.) Plan on renting for the first few months till you get your bearings. Best of luck to you,and welcome!

[TheDragonslayer]

You would really be better off looking for a house or apartment in McKinleyville to the north or Fortuna to the south, they do not have a big problem with the meth heads, crackheads, homeless or gangs. I am always seeing graffitti in Eureka and Arcata. It usually takes 15 minutes or less to travel the 12 miles from McKinleyville to Eureka or from Eureka to Fortuna and there is public transportation that goes from south of Fortuna at Scotia to Trinidad north of McKinleyville.

[EurekaPerson]

Thanks for the info. We may consider that. Are Myrtletown and Cutten considered to be parts of Eureka, and thus not necessarily isolated from that kind of stuff?

As a local of McKinleyville, do you know what the odds are of someone who lives there also being able to work locally without commuting to Eureka? My significant other would just need some type of full-time work until she gets her feet on the ground and local is definitely more convenient.

Thanks.

[TheDragonslayer]

McKinleyville has 2 lumber/hardware stores, a large BigK, 2 good sized grocery stores, numerous restaurants and eateries, a nine plex theater, 2 veterinarians, loads of shops, a book store, a gym, doctors and dentists offices, real estate offices, a feed store and much more. I am just imagining myself driving down Central Avenue in town. There is also the county airport, coast guard and animal control, the high school, middle school and elementary school, plus day care and pre schools. We also have 2 nurseries. There is so much here, that I usually do not go to Eureka till I need gas at Costco and that could be three weeks to five weeks.

[star182]

I was born and raised in Humboldt County (I'm 32 years old) and have two small kids. We live in Fortuna (which is where I'm from) and my husband grew up in Cutten/Eureka. We tried living in Eureka for a couple of years to be closer to our jobs, but moved due to the druggies and high property crime rate. Fortuna is much safer and has a small-town feel. The flip side of that safe, small town is that there is very little to do down here and it's a 30 minute commute to Eureka. Eureka is really getting bad. The drug problem is really out of hand. Property crime is really bad - don't leave anything remotely valuable in your yard, car, etc. I actually like Eureka because there is more to do and it's closer to my work, but there is no way I'm raising my kids around all that crime. Cutten is better, but still has it's problems. I know of, first hand, three home-invasion robberies that occurred in nice areas of Cutten. I'd consider getting an alarm for sure. There are pros and cons everywhere, of course, but we personally (my husband and I) feel like Humboldt County, and Eureka in particular, is getting pretty bad. We are looking into relocating our family to the Midwest. I hope this info helps. And, by the way, definately stay away from anything near Winco (on Harris Street) or downtown. Cutten would be your best bet, but is a little more expensive and isn't as safe as it used to be. Anything on the eastern side of Eureka would be better.