Living in Lake County (Martinez, Clearlake: sex offender, schools, college)

[JenniferLynn]

The first time I saw Clearlake I was stunned by the natural beauty of the lake and surrounding shoreline. It almost felt like a magical place; as if I was literally on top of the world. I've seen photos of dark storms over the lake and they give me goosebumps.

I loved that the environment there had not been over-commercialized like at Lake Tahoe (although I still love Lake Tahoe, too). I loved Konocti Harbor (near Kelseyville) and the little restaurant in Lakeport where we had some blackberry pie and ice cream.

I found the whole lake area to be beautiful and charming, and so was dismayed by reports of widespread drug use, shady characters, and polluted lake water. I always thought it would be a great place to retire. But some of you seem to think there are changes there for the better and maybe when I'm ready to retire, it will be a nicer place.

[Restlessmind]

I've only been to Lake County once (and only around Lakeport), but my wife grew up in the Clearlake/Clearlake Oaks area before escaping to Ukiah in her mid-twenties and then down to the Santa Rosa area, and then moving to Texas for us to be together. I've heard lots and lots of stories. She has this incredible aversion not only to Lake County, but even the idea of Lake County.

Some of her most colorful stories are about the strange characters of people who lived around there or used to come into the place she worked. Her stories about things they used to do for fun gives me the impression that it's like a lot of small towns (nothing for kids to do but get pregnant or get in trouble).

She likes to talk about how her parents "live like kings" in their double-wide trailer. She watches the Lake County Sheriff's Department website to see which of her old friends are getting arrested (with complete mugshots, so she can say, "ouch, they haven't aged well" or "his face looks so hard now") and reads the local newspaper up there to keep track of the wonderful social events like the Chicken-Que, bingo and which washed-up eighties band is playing at Konocti Harbor Inn.

Her brother told her last week that he read that Kelseyville was starting to take off and he was considering selling his East Bay home and moving up there. My wife went off, telling him that he can't do that because if he did that then his (toddler!) daughter will go get a tramp stamp at a tattoo parlor and start wearing slutty clothes, and he and his wife will walk around the unpaved roads in flip-flops and three dollar Wal-Mart T-shirts while smoking their medical marijuana to get wasted since they can't find jobs. I guess he said he was moving as a joke, because they both had a good laugh after that, and ripped up on Clearlake for a while.

I get punched in the arm when I jokingly suggest that maybe we should move there, and I guess with good reason. After hearing all that and the way her and her brother talk about it after living their through their childhoods... I imagine it's more of a place to visit than live.

[Cali BassMan]

Clear Lake is a great place to fish, and have your truck broken into while fishing....
Last Year while fishing around the rural end of the lake
, I had a guy (home renter) pull a gun and say I can't fish near his property... Whatever Dude: He then fires off a couple of shots... I call the Lake county sheriff, He tells me " yeah those indians are always shooting off guns, it's best to just keep your distance" WTF.....
You can keep the place, drugs, guns, thieves and lousy cops who don't care....

[CADRMNDANES]

Hmmm.... Looks like around the lake they have their fair share of sex offenders. Possible over 75! Yeah sounds like a great place to live. NOT!!

[jmullin37]

I read most of the replies to the original post.........I grew up in Lake County, relocated to the Bay Area and moved back to be closer to family and to raise my child here. Lake County has a lot to offer not to mention has the cleanest air in the state of CA. Every town/city has it's good and bad sides just like Lake County. Having recently visited Rodeo Drive for the first time and seeing the rich and famous mixed in with the poor and homeless doesn't compare to the beauty of our area and the relaxed laid back atmosphere. My point.....no matter where you plant your feet there will be positive and negative aspects. Our area has a lot to offer to anyone; affordable housing for those who can't afford to buy in Napa/Santa Rosa, great vacation home opportunity, smaller communities where you know everyone, water sports, wineries, hiking, camping, etc.

[missionhome]

I took a family trip to Clear Lake and it sure didn't look like the pictures on the internet. I wish I had been warned before. The homes around the lake are mainly mobile homes, but that wasn't what was horrible. The lake is covered in algae and it smells horrible!!! The locals told us people sometimes have to leave the city for a few days when it gets really bad. I was so disappointed that I drove for two days to come to what looked like a giant version of the Los Angeles River. We went swimming and our bathing suits came out green and had to be thrown out. I don't know much about the neighborhoods other than appearance, but the lake is one of the worst, maybe even worse than the LA River.

[CADRMNDANES]

Ummm did you miss our earlier posts on this thread?

[calif]

Funny, I was out on the lake a couple months back and saw NO mobile homes surrounding it. Only gorgeous mansions and large homes, with beautifully landscaped properties with their own docks. Hugh Hefner owned property there too. I agree the lake isn't CLEAR. But, I don't think it is that bad either.

Clearlake the town is a bit run down but you can find some great little hideaways with awesome food!

Hidden Valley Lake is clean and pretty, housing is reasonable. That lake is CLEAR. It really has the small town feel where everyone knows everyone. I'd rather live there than Clearlake the town. Middletown is also cute but needs some updating.

[harteis]

JNR, how was your trip to Clearlake? Hope you had an opportunity to really look around .. it is gorgeous here! Frankly, I like the people here! Everyone talks to you and there are some very interesting characters. Clean air, gorgeous vistas, awesome weather, fabulous history, beautiful people and wonderful real estate bargains. We just retired here from SoCal, and would NEVER ever ever go back! I tell people "you either love it or you hate it" We love it!

[zoetman]

what about Middletown. It has always been my dream to live near Harbin Hot Springs and go there every day as I have a terrible back problem with chronic pain. However, we're afraid to move there because of lack of jobs (I am disabled but my husband works). He'd be willing to do anything, even start a new business but how do we find out what kind of business Middletown needs?