Relocation to Saint Joseph (St. Joseph, California: home, live in, prices)

[northbayeric]

Thank you so much for sharing your experiences while in St Jo! I'm really glad you had the opportunity to travel there, and look forward to seeing some of the pictures you took. The city government website features a slideshow as well as pictures of the parks and urban trail system, all of which look great! We in Santa Rosa have a nice trail that runs along Santa Rosa Creek that normally allows me to go east along it underneath Highway 101 and to the downtown area on my bike, but the trail ("Prince Memorial Greenway") is closed at 101 because of sorely-needed construction. The walking and bike trails in St Jo look at least as pretty in pictures.

Having grown up in St. Louis County and really enjoying the hilliness of I-44 and State Highway 30 near Fenton, Eureka and High Ridge, I'm glad to hear St Jo has outstanding topography. Actually most of Santa Rosa, though framed by hills and mountains to the east, is very flat right in town--nice and green in the late winter into the spring, but bone-dry, extremely flammable brown grass on the hills now. I really miss the greenery of Missouri during the summer.

Downtowns! Santa Rosa's downtown sounds like it's generally in better shape than St. Jo's, but it's no thanks to the parking meters and having to pay to park in the downtown garages. Our meter maids are always visible in their little three-wheeled vehicles, ever ready to spit out a parking ticket that starts at $25 and goes up from there. St. Jo MUST abolish any downtown parking regulations it has, especially if there's little traffic. My wife would someday love to open a combination floral shop and tea room, and where better but beautiful downtown St. Joseph to do that? And if I played a key role in the St Jo Chamber of Commerce, I would be wooing businesses from California to leave and move to St Jo! Maybe not if they're tattoo and body-piercing shops, but most other businesses I would really give the VIP treatment and make downtown a totally happening place! Surely the southenders wouldn't object to that, I hope!

I think (without putting words in her mouth) that StJoeFanatic wants to stay in town and move to a place with a bit less square footage. I hope that's the case and we can all become best buds once we're settled there. My trip there is coming up starting September 18th!

[alexisnicolem]

Here is a link to the pictures.
Graphic Artist For Hire - Alexis McDowell

They are smaller, but I hope that the ones toward the end at least convey some of the cool architecture albeit in the empty streets. The city's site might have better photos.

I hear you about wooing the companies to come downtown. That is something that my husband and I started to talk about how to get involved and try to make it more attractive. It has potential!

Keep us posted about your travels.

PS -- Too funny, my husband is on a plane to Santa Rosa right now for business.

PPS We are going to be in search of some new friends in the area, let's keep in touch!

Originally Posted by northbayeric

Thank you so much for sharing your experiences while in St Jo! I'm really glad you had the opportunity to travel there, and look forward to seeing some of the pictures you took. The city government website features a slideshow as well as pictures of the parks and urban trail system, all of which look great! We in Santa Rosa have a nice trail that runs along Santa Rosa Creek that normally allows me to go east along it underneath Highway 101 and to the downtown area on my bike, but the trail ("Prince Memorial Greenway") is closed at 101 because of sorely-needed construction. The walking and bike trails in St Jo look at least as pretty in pictures.

Having grown up in St. Louis County and really enjoying the hilliness of I-44 and State Highway 30 near Fenton, Eureka and High Ridge, I'm glad to hear St Jo has outstanding topography. Actually most of Santa Rosa, though framed by hills and mountains to the east, is very flat right in town--nice and green in the late winter into the spring, but bone-dry, extremely flammable brown grass on the hills now. I really miss the greenery of Missouri during the summer.

Downtowns! Santa Rosa's downtown sounds like it's generally in better shape than St. Jo's, but it's no thanks to the parking meters and having to pay to park in the downtown garages. Our meter maids are always visible in their little three-wheeled vehicles, ever ready to spit out a parking ticket that starts at $25 and goes up from there. St. Jo MUST abolish any downtown parking regulations it has, especially if there's little traffic. My wife would someday love to open a combination floral shop and tea room, and where better but beautiful downtown St. Joseph to do that? And if I played a key role in the St Jo Chamber of Commerce, I would be wooing businesses from California to leave and move to St Jo! Maybe not if they're tattoo and body-piercing shops, but most other businesses I would really give the VIP treatment and make downtown a totally happening place! Surely the southenders wouldn't object to that, I hope!

I think (without putting words in her mouth) that StJoeFanatic wants to stay in town and move to a place with a bit less square footage. I hope that's the case and we can all become best buds once we're settled there. My trip there is coming up starting September 18th!

[northbayeric]

Ha! That is really something about your husband--small world, huh? You'll have to--now is he going to be flying to the Charles Schulz-Sonoma County Airport?--ask him about it, especially how small it is! Just earlier this year, we finally received commercial airline service after not having it for something like 15 years. Horizon Air (a division of Alaska Airlines) makes flights from Sonoma County to Los Angeles and Seattle, and it will start offering service to Portland in October.

It'll be interesting to get his reaction to this area. I don't know if he'll have any time to visit some wineries (or if he's even into that). He'll just need to be careful on Highway 101 with all the traffic and the construction going on through the middle of Santa Rosa. The cheapest gas is about $2.93 per gallon right now; most are around $2.99 to $3.10.

Now, to take a look at the pictures you took! Thanks again, Alexis!

[northbayeric]

The pictures are really good! Such nice white puffy clouds on the day you were there, and I really like how you can see Twin Spires Church in the distance. The upper deck of Interstate 229 is cool too in how you can see the Missouri River off to the left. Maybe I'd better correct something I wrote previously about its downtown parking regulations. I meant to write that it shouldn't have any parking meters, charge money to park in any downtown garages, or otherwise make it a nuisance to go downtown versus driving over to places like the Shoppes at North Village or other Belt Highway businesses. But I didn't mean to say that it should do away with any "No Parking" signs where they really are needed. Anyway, you've gotten me even more obsessed with visiting the place! The lack of traffic is going to be a little jarring for me though, after getting used to the long lines of cars sitting at red lights in downtown Santa Rosa.

All the best to you and your husband, and safe travel to him here and on the way back to Denver!

[StJoeFanatic]

I was completly swamped today, so sorry I am just now getting around to replying to everyone!
alexisnicolem-I wish you had read your e-mail prior to coming! We definately would have let you come through the house Saturday! I'm glad you had an easy time getting around (it is not that hard, even without GPS )

An update as of a few hours ago at tonight's City Council Meeting...they approved the downtown streetscape project, and hope to start work within 60 days! A lot of the sidewalks downtown are built on top of old steam vaults from the early 1900's that were originally used to heat the buildings downtown. Those vaults will have to be removed and filled in, prior to begining the improvements. However, with this evenings approval, it is full steam ahead. The plan is to get all of downtown a bit like Foster's...outdoor patio seating, unique lighting and stores...lots of stores. When I first moved to St. Joseph (15 years ago) there were lots of stores downtown...not many empties. But, over the years, the trend has been to get on the belt. But, there is a crop of folks who are transplants to St. Joe who are all in the same boat, which is that we "Want" downtown to be better... I truly think it will happen. We just need to be sure that those that "can" "will make it happen".

Eric-they are working on the "parking natzi's". They have just created the model block to see how it works. Once the new streetscape is finished, I am sure there will be more talk of parking restriction elimination!

And yes, we are moving to a smaller, new home on the east side of town (past I-29)

Wouldn't it just be the neatest if you both ended up in town and we all got together! What a funny, funny world we live in!

[mjb62676]

I truly hope that those of you moving to the area can facilitate change. The place has a TON of potential, but the permeating attitude there has kept the potential from being realized. Maybe in 20-30 years, St. Joe can be a completely different place. I hope so.

If anyone is into newer homes, I would definitely give Mark Gach built homes a look.

[razzy]

A rare row house in St Joe for just under 200k.

Homes For Sale -- AOKhometours.com -- 076698

No, I am not a realtor nor do I live in St Joe, but I was checking out the housing prices from a link that someone had above. Amazing. I think St Joe will become more desireable in the future as KC moves closer to it and people who tire of the new suburban sprawl will find a renewed appreciation of older areas and begin to gentrify the more run-down parts of St Joe.

[StJosephTransplant]

I married a man from KC and we settled on the smaller town, St. Joseph, as I like smaller places rather than large cities. I really like the outdoors and having some space.

[StJosephTransplant]

Originally Posted by StJoeFanatic

I was completly swamped today, so sorry I am just now getting around to replying to everyone!
alexisnicolem-I wish you had read your e-mail prior to coming! We definately would have let you come through the house Saturday! I'm glad you had an easy time getting around (it is not that hard, even without GPS )

An update as of a few hours ago at tonight's City Council Meeting...they approved the downtown streetscape project, and hope to start work within 60 days! A lot of the sidewalks downtown are built on top of old steam vaults from the early 1900's that were originally used to heat the buildings downtown. Those vaults will have to be removed and filled in, prior to begining the improvements. However, with this evenings approval, it is full steam ahead. The plan is to get all of downtown a bit like Foster's...outdoor patio seating, unique lighting and stores...lots of stores. When I first moved to St. Joseph (15 years ago) there were lots of stores downtown...not many empties. But, over the years, the trend has been to get on the belt. But, there is a crop of folks who are transplants to St. Joe who are all in the same boat, which is that we "Want" downtown to be better... I truly think it will happen. We just need to be sure that those that "can" "will make it happen".

Eric-they are working on the "parking natzi's". They have just created the model block to see how it works. Once the new streetscape is finished, I am sure there will be more talk of parking restriction elimination!

And yes, we are moving to a smaller, new home on the east side of town (past I-29)

Wouldn't it just be the neatest if you both ended up in town and we all got together! What a funny, funny world we live in!

I think the downtown could be fantastic with some attention. I tried to get my husband to buy a building there but he just can't see the vision.

[alexisnicolem]

He mentioned that when he arrived, he had to call the second of the two cabs in town to be picked up (so I guess it's a little on the small side)! And he said it was similar to Napa (where we had just been on a wine tour)...

He is driving around with someone who lives there, so he won't have to worry about the gas or anything. But thanks for the pointers! He is leaving town tonight late and going San Jose (i think), but I will see if I can get any other impressions from him about the area. From what he's said already it sounds lovely!

Thank you!

Originally Posted by northbayeric

Ha! That is really something about your husband--small world, huh? You'll have to--now is he going to be flying to the Charles Schulz-Sonoma County Airport?--ask him about it, especially how small it is! Just earlier this year, we finally received commercial airline service after not having it for something like 15 years. Horizon Air (a division of Alaska Airlines) makes flights from Sonoma County to Los Angeles and Seattle, and it will start offering service to Portland in October.

It'll be interesting to get his reaction to this area. I don't know if he'll have any time to visit some wineries (or if he's even into that). He'll just need to be careful on Highway 101 with all the traffic and the construction going on through the middle of Santa Rosa. The cheapest gas is about $2.93 per gallon right now; most are around $2.99 to $3.10.

Now, to take a look at the pictures you took! Thanks again, Alexis!