Grass Valley/Nevada City (and area) questions (Vista, Roseville: public schools, college)

[SingleNurseMom]

Grass Valley/Nevada City and all of the surrounding towns....

....like Hills Flat, Spring Hill, Union Hill, Sunset View, Rough and Ready, Penn Valley, Cedar Ridge, Peardale, LaBarr Meadows, Alta Sierra, etc (there are tons of small towns up there, I see)....

What is the best of these places to live?

* If you live in any of these areas, what are the pros and cons of each?

* What kind of a drive is it from any of these places to Grass Valley (or Auburn) for the hospitals (because I am a nurse), especially in the winter?

* Do these cities ever get snow? (I love the snow!)

* How hot does it get in the summer? (As bad as Sac?)

* What schools do you recommend? Do you have any experience with the Montessori school in Grass Valley? Do you know of any charter high schools in this area?

THANK YOU SO MUCH!

[WelcomingBreath]

Grass Valley and Nevada City (which are only 3 miles apart) are both beautiful places to live. The main con would be the air quality issues (ozone getting 'dropped' on us from the valley). Hopefully there will (eventually) be some changes as many folks are moving due to issues/concerns about the ozone levels.

Grass Valley has Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital which is located right off the 49 freeway so it is in town and easy to get to from most areas. Auburn Faith in Auburn is near 49 and I-80. Winter access should not be a problem as Auburn rarely gets 'bad' winter weather. From GV or NC, it is a fairly easy commute to the Sac. or Roseville area for hospitals there.

What kind of nursing to do you do? I mainly have info about L/D nursing in the area.


Snow....areas in Nevada City can get a good amount that will last for up to a week a couple times a year. Otherwise, it is usually just a few inches once or twice a year. Enough to play in but not get stuck in. Of course, all-winter-long snow play is pretty darn close by.

Summer heat: almost always cooler in the foothills (vs. Sac.). Also, much lower humidity, so the heat 'feels better', IMO. But, definitely temps in the 90's (or higher) are common.

Many charter schools. Don't know anything specific about the Montessori charter other than a lot of families were interested in it when it opened. Yuba River Charter (Waldorf) is probably the most popular, along with Nevada City school of the Arts (charter). But many parents really like the regular public schools too. Quite a different situation than SF where I came from!

Bitney Springs High is a charter high school in GV. Don't know of any in Auburn. There are some other alternative HS programs too....one where you take most of your classes through Sierra College and graduate HS with an AA too.

Hope that helps!

BTW, depends on what kind of terrain you like, but Alta Vista, Penn Valley, Rough and Ready are all a bit lower in elevation and less 'forest'-like than most of Nevada City and closer to town GV. So, they have a very different feel. NC area is known for attracting 'alternative' folks, so there is a real nice mix in that area of conservative, 'old-timers' and liberal newbie and not so newbies (and we all manage to get along by and large). Some rural areas are MUCH MORE conservative.

[StacyKing]

Hi and welcome to Grass Valley/Nevada City area (if you choose to move here). One thing the last person did not mention... we have award winning public schools and are rated #2 in the state. I have a friend from South Africia, with her profession being a pharmacist she could choose anywhere she wanted to live and she chose to relocate her family to Grass Valley (the Alta Sierra area) because of the public schools and the safe community. We have much to offer, and it sound like you have much to offer us. Best of luck to you!