Eureka/Arcata? (McKinleyville, Fortuna: appointed, 2010, homes)

[willdufauve]

Does anyone know about retirement housing in Humboldt County for elderly hippies?

[havasulady]

For those visiting the area, please do keep in touch and let us know how you like it. Thanks!!! ENJOY!!!

[TheDragonslayer]

willdufauve, google Ocean West mobile home park. It is a manufactured home senior park here in McKinleyville. The homes are set up on small lots and streets with speed bumps. The ocean and beach are less than 5 blocks away.

[nanannie]

Originally Posted by havasulady

For those visiting the area, please do keep in touch and let us know how you like it. Thanks!!! ENJOY!!!

We leave June 6 for our adventure, and I will be happy to 'report in'.

[hipmom]

i have to put my 2 cents in having just moved away from eureka last summer.
now that i am away i can appreciate all the good things about the area
there are very beautiful places all around, rivers, redwoods, miles of beautiful coastline, quaint towns, victorians, craftmans. its weather is like many coastal towns, foggy and overcast but its easy to find sunshine, just drive east a few miles.
i am personally very sentimental about the area because i gave birth to both my babies up there.
my husband and i knew we werent going to live there forever, we moved for affordable housing. during our years there we definitely bitched and complained about the mold growing in our closet, the hookers hanging out in front of the library and the meth addicts, the potheads were harmless but even they got annoying after a while. and no decent paying jobs. we had to move because my husband is a skilled carpenter and just couldnt accept 12 $ an hour.
it is a very isolated place, the only roads leading out of town are windy and long and will take you 4 +hours to get anywhere.
no diversity and culture, i grew up in the bay area so I am spoiled, no good retaurants. arcata is the closest thing to culture, but once you have seen everything there is to see, there isnt much to do.
all that said, i really miss it!! i made a few good friends too

[woody59102]

Haven't seen many new posts here so want to ask following other questions. I am a single father with two daughters looking to relocate someplace in northern ca. Looking for a good area for my daughters 10 and 11 and a good place to rent or buy economically. Currently in eastern MT and need culture a different kind of people, my job moved me here 2 years ago and we have never fit in. Was in Seattle like the climate but seattle is now too big and crime is high. Also I need to consider the ease of finding work I am an HR manager. Anyone have any ideas.

[juliansmoma]

Ok, I have kind of an off the wall question. I'm an african american woman living in soCal and I would like to know what it's like for black people who live in the Eureka area. Is there much racial prejudice?
My husband's family lives there and is considering moving our family back to be close to them. He's white, btw.
Thanks.

[wburg]

The current racial makeup of Humboldt County is about 85% white, less than 1% black. So the African-American community of Eureka is probably around 200-300 people total.

Arcata is really really liberal. Garberville somewhat. Eureka not so much. The rest of the county, pretty darn conservative. There probably isn't much race prejudice because there are so few nonwhites to be prejudiced against...

[NorthernCalifornia]

Humboldt is not what you would think based on some of these posts. It's a coastal region of California. It's a very open-minded place and that extends to the rural folks, cowboys, etc. Arcata's reputation is overblown and a bit of a joke. The "personification" of Arcata is rather annoying to be around. The rest of the people in town are much more interesting.

Eureka is not "conservative" by any means. It's much bigger than Arcata and is the anchor of the region. Economically the area is understated. It's hard to grow up there and stay there so most people leave. Many come back. The area tends to attract those interested in a more relaxed life and those who don't like cities.

Eureka is full of artists. Musicians, painters, sculptors, etc. The area is rich with people doing interesting, creative things for the sake of it. While there are a number of well-known artists, musicans, etc from the area nobody "discovered" them in Humboldt County. There is an emphasis on originality which is hard to escape being in such a unique area. Free-thinkers are the majority. Most people just want a relaxing life without the trappings of status or the keeping up with the joneses.

There is definitely an old guard, whiter, logging-industry Old Eureka contingent. They are very vocal and present but are fewer in number every year. Their small-town mindset of ignorance may occasionally get in your way as a minority but isn't really a threat. Finding work for the County or in some cruddy old restaurant or shop these peopel own or frequent might be difficult. Finding a welcoming environment from other people will be much easier.

The best things about the area are hidden, understated and welcoming to anyone who finds them and is interested. Tis the nature of such a place. It's certainly not the suburbs.

[wburg]

That's good to hear, actually--most of my experience of Humboldt County is about 20 years old, when the old guard was younger and in fuller flower. The last time I was in Eureka I was pretty surprised to see many signs of life in Old Town Eureka.