Living behind the green curtain (Sacramento, Redding: sale, attorney, new home)

[abalone_girl]

Here in Humboldt County we are secluded from the general rat-race, yet the downside seems to be lack of access to reasonably priced goods. Costco and Winco and Grocery Outlet are all well know for discounts and limited supplies of such. At Big 5 our only big box produce of sporting goods may have 2 or 3 advertised sale items as leaders to bring in customers, then conveniently have only the more expensive models left.

We have almost no Large restaurant chains such Chili's, Red Lobster, Boston Market or even a Baskin Robbins. No one here sells specialty items such as mopeds/scooters or higher end women's perfume. The key to living on this area is to have internet access. I have had to order food such as spices and aged cheese and foreign food products over the net due to the lack of resources here.

All in all it makes for seclusion and NO TRAFFIC! Easy to find your self some solitude and many more people who enjoy the same. The thing that is most difficult to get used to is gasoline right now (1/17/10) is selling retail for $3.15 for regular.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by abalone_girl

Here in Humboldt County we are secluded from the general rat-race,

All in all it makes for seclusion and NO TRAFFIC!

Are there a lot of high paying jobs there?

[Curmudgeon]

Enjoy it while it lasts. "Civilization" has a habit of encroaching on nature at an all too rapid pace. We purposely selected our new home in a somewhat removed area that can't be over-built, mindful of the fact that we're 20-30 miles from any meaningful shopping, and even that is limited. Local restaurants suffice and we can always make a real outing of going somewhere more cosmopolitan.

As you've remarked, traffic doesn't really exist, the air is clean, the rat-race is somewhere else and quite frankly, shopping by Internet is uber-convenient.

Be happy where you are. There may be some added expenses but the peace of mind and solitude are priceless.

http://hphotos-snc1.fbcdn.net/hs162.snc1/6060_1156639194238_1175481688_30489328_1902528_n.j pg (broken link)

[wburg]

I lived behind the Redwood Curtain for four years and found no shortage of places to eat. I suppose if you really, really like chain restaurants and chain stores, it might not be for you. But these days there are so few regions that have maintained a unique sense of place, that feel unique, it would be a shame to lose that entirely. There are chain stores in Humboldt County, but I'd rather have a burrito at Hey Juan! than Taco Bell, or eat dinner at the Village Pantry over Chili's, any day.

Calling the air "clean" depends on where you are...in the remoter parts of Humboldt County, perhaps, but the air around Humboldt Bay often has the bouquet of sulfur dioxide from the pulp mills.

Gas in Sacramento isn't much cheaper than in Humboldt County--maybe 10 cents a gallon less. Stores bait and switch with loss leaders here too, as they do everywhere. Only Humboldt County's isolation might create the illusion that it doesn't happen elsewhere.

Of course, Humboldt County doesn't have much in the way of jobs, part of why it has not been overloaded with people. It is still comparatively remote--6 hours from the Bay Area or Sacramento, the nearest "metropolis" is Redding (pop. 100,000) 2 hours' drive away in good weather.

[CAVA1990]

The second pic looked like here in Virginia. Move here and get the same natural beauty with great shopping, restaurants, and high paying jobs.

[Curmudgeon]

Originally Posted by CAVA1990

The second pic looked like here in Virginia. Move here and get the same natural beauty with great shopping, restaurants, and high paying jobs.

Not to mention high taxes, high cost of living, et al.

By the way, I love Virginia and have lived there twice. We considered it as a retirement destination but as far as I could ascertain, it's still owned and operated by VEPCO!

If it's any help, I still miss it.

[abalone_girl]

Originally Posted by Charles

Are there a lot of high paying jobs there?

There are NO high paying jobs, unless your attorney, a tenured professor at the University or a doctor. The government is the biggest supplier of jobs here. Labor is pretty scarce here if your looking for middle income, that being around $23000 to $45000. Our housing market has dropped about 15% in the last 4 years, so no major cuts in living expenses. But the gasoline is still the highest in the continental U.S. There are the advantages, seclusion being number one.

[sms1967]

Was there a point to this post? Other than to throw yourself on the mercy of Red Lobster's strategic planning team?