Chico'ins: What you like and dislike about Chico (San Francisco, Fresno: condo, credit)

[GSXRScott]

Give me a list of likes and dislikes. Be brutally opinionated or objective, your choice.

[happ]

I was raised in Chico & have family there. I visit several times a year & every time I feel the urge to move back to Chico. I love Bidwell Pk & remember swimming as a kid in the 1 mile & 5 mile dams. UC-Chico brings culture & lots of professional people to the city & the abundant agriculture & orchards are beautiful. Chico is a little too hot during summer but the rest of the year is perfect.

I really don't have any negative feelings about Chico

[agteacher1]

Chico is growing, and will continue to grow. This is good and bad. For someone who is third generation Chico it is hard to see the agriculture disappear and housing take over. Much of the initial development did not plan on this growth and so the infrastructure is having a difficult time accomodating this rapid growth. The city leaders are addressing the issues but it will continue to be a battle.

There will always be issues between the City and the University, but the University does many great things for Chico. And Chico is a great place to get an education. I will send my children there (for the agriculture program.)

The costs to live there now (in this economy) are getting reasonable, but I personally enjoy living out of town and having the convenience of coming to town when necessary. It is a fully functioning town with no need to go elsewhere to shop.

It used to take less than 10 minutes to get anywhere in town, but those days are gone. But for the most part, as long as you are patient, it isn't too bad.

It is a good place to live near, but I am glad I do not live in Chico.

[happ]

Originally Posted by agteacher1

Chico is growing, and will continue to grow. This is good and bad. For someone who is third generation Chico it is hard to see the agriculture disappear and housing take over. Much of the initial development did not plan on this growth and so the infrastructure is having a difficult time accomodating this rapid growth. The city leaders are addressing the issues but it will continue to be a battle.

There will always be issues between the City and the University, but the University does many great things for Chico. And Chico is a great place to get an education. I will send my children there (for the agriculture program.)

The costs to live there now (in this economy) are getting reasonable, but I personally enjoy living out of town and having the convenience of coming to town when necessary. It is a fully functioning town with no need to go elsewhere to shop.

It used to take less than 10 minutes to get anywhere in town, but those days are gone. But for the most part, as long as you are patient, it isn't too bad.

It is a good place to live near, but I am glad I do not live in Chico.

Hey, what you are describing is so much worse elsewhere in California. Fresno has tripled in size since I was born & don't even mention SoCal. I remember when Orange county was oranges & the San Fernando valley still had olive groves.

We drove up to Vina when in Chico last month & visited a wine tasting room run by a community of monks from France. The countryside was a blaze of color. My great-grandmother is buried in Chico & the family home is still there [I think a bunch of students live there now]. Lots of good memories of Chico.

[twocreeks]

Chico is a great place to live if you have a job, money or are retired. Bidwell Park is a jewel with a charming creek flowing through the center. Half of the park is flat with abundant walking and riding trails. There is a huge stream fed swimming pool at One Mile. Upper Park is wild with turkeys, deer, bear and numerous beautiful swimming holes. On a weekday you can hike for miles through spectacular country and seldom see another person. The scenery varies from open fields to dense forest. Some of the trails are quite rugged.
The park starts almost in the downtown area which itself is bordered by the university. The downtown is a true vibrant business area with a great used book store, a truly funky hardware store and lots of small restaurants and some unique businesses. It is a pleasant place to stroll through at almost any time.
The university has permorming arts schedule that is reasonably priced, has a good variety of perfomers and one can always find a good parking place within a easy five minute walk on any evening. (And really, what is that worth?)
If you are retired you may take classes (non credit) at the university for sixty dollars a semester. Even if the class is listed as full the prof will often let you in as you entail no extra work on his or her part.
The traffic is a joy compared to most major metro areas.
But, Chico is a small city and 90 miles from the nearest major airport. If you want all the amenities of a large city, Chico is not for you. If you want a very friendly home where in ten minutes of driving you have left the city behind have a look at Chico. And, by the way it is a good mixture of liberal and conservative, but lacks much diversity.

[mateo45]

Yeah, it's hard not to like, and really just the right size for an urban area... not too big, not too small. Having lived in other large metropolitan areas, I especially appreciate the little things, like not having to compete just for a parking space at Costco.

Maybe the only negs I can think of are, occasionally it can seem maybe a little too "rednecky", and the fact that the whole area suddenly becomes a parking lot whenever Hwy 99 has an accident!

[moved]

I lived in Chico for three years, and couldn't stand it. I grew up, and have always lived in a big city, so Chico was culture shock for me. Public transportation ran once per hour, and Best Buy, Orchard Hardware and Lowes went in, but I wanted out! Luckily there were two Greyhound busses out per day, and I left. Chico wasn't for me, but it wasn't my idea to move there in the first place!

[BayAreaHillbilly]

Amazing the number of threads about Velveetaland over the past few days. Watch out, Chicoville will be overrun!

Oh and don't forget, it's not almonds, it's ayamonds ... LOL!

[MotleyCrew]

Originally Posted by BayAreaHillbilly

Amazing the number of threads about Velveetaland over the past few days. Watch out, Chicoville will be overrun!

Oh and don't forget, it's not almonds, it's ayamonds ... LOL!

I could not understand if it is ayamonds, then why is it not wayanuts too.

[Steve97415]

I think the relative appeal of Chico comes down to a matter of a "good fit" for any given person rather than a place that can be judged good or bad by some set of clear and objective criteria.

The ideal candidate for living in Chico:

1. Needs a sunny climate, but prefers four seasons to the relative changelessness of southern California.
2. Prefers long summers with balmy evenings and would consider 80-95F the bracket of ideal temperature.
3. Needs to live on a property with a lot size larger than 5000 sq. ft.
4. Is a "foodie" who appreciates access to fresh produce over a long harvest period.
5. Is an avid cyclist who doesn't want to live an automobile-dependent lifestyle.
6. Thinks cities with a population size under 20,000 are too small, and over 200,000 too large.
7. Was born in the second half of the 20th century (after 1950).
8. Doesn't need to build a lot of wealth: someone who can transfer enough equity from where they live now to buy a house in Chico.
9. Either lucked out with a good local job offer (rare), has an entrepreneurial approach to generating income or can telecommute to their means of employment through the internet.
10. Places a high premium on outdoor recreational opportunities and the amount of public park space available within the city they live in.

Some "red flags" might be indicated for the person who:

1. Prefers cool temperatures and looks forward to the fog coming back in during the evening on warm days. Thinks the climate of San Francisco is just ideal.
2. Goes crazy living outside of a major metropolitan area or would feel out of place in an area that is overwhelmingly a white English-speaking population.
3. Would be just as happy living in an upscale condo as living in a small house with a yard.
4. Buys all their food at grocery stores.
5. Prioritizes urban amenities like museums, concerts and night clubs above hiking, cycling and other outdoor pursuits.
6. Is just getting started in life and needs to live in a city with a favorable salary-to-cost-of--living quotient.
7. Is contemplating moving to Chico and then looking for a job after they get there.
8. Needs to live within an hour of a major international airport hub.
9. Wants to live in a small town where everybody knows you.
10. Is an automobile-addicted motorhead who never walks or bikes anywhere.