I Think I Like It Here (Oroville) (Redding, Chico: insurance, mobile home)

[TheShoeboxDiaries541]

I won't go into too much detail, but thanks to an OTR trucking job and over eager parents, I've been lucky enough to spend time living in many different parts of the west coast, and even a couple cities in the plain states! I've lived most of my life in the city of Medford, which is about 30 miles over the CA/ORE border and pretty much in the middle of nowhere. Anyway, I've recently been spending alot of time Oroville, a nice little city between Yuba and Chico. I actually found this place after I entered a hold em tournament at Gold Country Casino (which is lovely and close by on the 162). I've only been here a week, but everyone I've met seems very friendly, not at all like Medford, which has a high concentration of A-Holes. The weather is okay, although I'm sure it's alot nicer in the spring/summer months. I'm the type of person that usually finds something wrong everywhere I go, but this place seems really great so far. A little about me; I'm a truck driver who used to work in security, fairly conservative all-american and about to be married and start a family. I'm curious to see what other people who live here think about Oroville, as well as read any opinions anyone may have on this place. Thanks.

[volleyballer]

Hello. I've been to Oroville many times as well as Medford, so I know a lot about both places. I'm a teacher and did my student teaching in Oroville. Now, I'm not trying to burst your Oroville-love bubble, but it has several bad areas, and the city is generally known as one big meth lab. There are a lot of broken families there (which is not a problem in itself), but several of the kids have hard lives and their futures are not all that great.

I think that the area is beautiful with the mountains and the natural hills. Spring and Fall are beautiful, Winter can't be beat with the mild climate. Just rains often. Summer will be just plain hot. It can be over 110 degrees a week straight, but that's what the AC is for, right?

In general, I think the area's pretty, but there's NO WAY I'd send my kids to the schools. I've worked in the Thermalito schools, which aren't as bad as Oroville and Palermo, and I can say that there are a lot of sad situations. Nothing the schools can do, just druggie parents who are too selfish to be responsible for raising their children.

Other places I think you should consider: Magalia and Paradise (beautiful mountain towns), Chico (college town and most expensive), Gridley and Live Oak (getting further away from Oroville). If you do choose Oroville, stay South and West, toward the lake. But I do think the people are real nice there, even the drug-addicts. Good luck with the future and the wedding!

[TheShoeboxDiaries541]

Originally Posted by volleyballer

Hello. I've been to Oroville many times as well as Medford, so I know a lot about both places. I'm a teacher and did my student teaching in Oroville. Now, I'm not trying to burst your Oroville-love bubble, but it has several bad areas, and the city is generally known as one big meth lab. There are a lot of broken families there (which is not a problem in itself), but several of the kids have hard lives and their futures are not all that great.

I think that the area is beautiful with the mountains and the natural hills. Spring and Fall are beautiful, Winter can't be beat with the mild climate. Just rains often. Summer will be just plain hot. It can be over 110 degrees a week straight, but that's what the AC is for, right?

In general, I think the area's pretty, but there's NO WAY I'd send my kids to the schools. I've worked in the Thermalito schools, which aren't as bad as Oroville and Palermo, and I can say that there are a lot of sad situations. Nothing the schools can do, just druggie parents who are too selfish to be responsible for raising their children.

Other places I think you should consider: Magalia and Paradise (beautiful mountain towns), Chico (college town and most expensive), Gridley and Live Oak (getting further away from Oroville). If you do choose Oroville, stay South and West, toward the lake. But I do think the people are real nice there, even the drug-addicts. Good luck with the future and the wedding!

Hey, thanks for the info. I'm surprised by what you said in your first paragraph. The people here (atleast the ones I've met) seem pretty conservative, just nice simple people; I wouldn't expect there'd be alot of "broken homes", but I guess you never know. The meth stuff probably wouldn't bother me, but then again, I'm from Medford and that stuff has always been a problem here. I did check Chico and I liked it alot, although my fiance ain't too keen on living in a "big city" (I try to tell her it's not, but when you've spent your whole life in small town washington, 80 something thousand is massive!). Plus, it's kind of expensive. I will def. check out Paradise while I'm here, but at this point, I'm sold. My fiance and I went to Mountain Mikes earlier this evening and ended up in pleasant conversation with a complete stranger, something that just wouldn't happen up my way! I guess I'm going to have to decide if poor schools and economical depression are worth the sacrafice for friendly neighbors and great weather. Anyway, thanks!

[inpd]

Originally Posted by TheShoeboxDiaries541

My fiance and I went to Mountain Mikes earlier this evening and ended up in pleasant conversation with a complete stranger, something that just wouldn't happen up my way! I guess I'm going to have to decide if poor schools and economical depression are worth the sacrafice for friendly neighbors and great weather. Anyway, thanks!

Warning. Warning. Honeymoon effect detected

I've found everywhere new you go, people are friendly and nice (hey your new)
and how these friendships develop depend on many things. I've found its true
even for New York City!

Fundamental tangibles are more important. If people are too busy worrying about
their kids schooling, worrying about losing their jobs, have no jobs or are just too
busy running their Meth lab it can put a strain on many things.

[sawblade]

Really? I cant stand Oroville. Too much drugs and drug related problems in Oroville. I guess the Casino is ok... I dont like cigarette smoke. I have to commute to Oroville from Chico to work. Oroville only has two supermarkets with no twenty four hour stores. Im impressed with the feather River, but it pales in comparison to Bidwell Park in Chico. Im happy for you and dont want to be all doom and gloom, but jump on the Butte County Transit bus and come to visit Chico... Its really nice in Chico!!!

[TheShoeboxDiaries541]

Originally Posted by sawblade

Really? I cant stand Oroville. Too much drugs and drug related problems in Oroville. I guess the Casino is ok... I dont like cigarette smoke. I have to commute to Oroville from Chico to work. Oroville only has two supermarkets with no twenty four hour stores. Im impressed with the feather River, but it pales in comparison to Bidwell Park in Chico. Im happy for you and dont want to be all doom and gloom, but jump on the Butte County Transit bus and come to visit Chico... Its really nice in Chico!!!

Yeah, the more time I spend here, the more I hear about the infamous drug problem. I've also heard from a local that Oroville hosts more GA meetings than any other city of it's size in the north state, but I guess thats not too surprising considering the two huge casinos located within minutes of the city. Hell, i don't know. My hometown is meth infested, but I've found that if you don't mess with the drugs, the drugs won't mess with you (or your lifestyle).

[volleyballer]

Medford is not nearly as meth-infested as Oroville. A good population in Oroville is plainly screwed up. It'll be all around you because they'll be the people on the road, at the grocery store, and your neighbors. Really, any other place in Butte county is better. Take a tour around the main street and the county office streets. I don't remember the names. Look at the people walking around the welfare building and the free medical clinic building. It's eye-opening. Then you'll start to see those people everywhere. You make good choices, but think about raising your future kids around all of that junk. It gives you a different perspective.

[clerissa23]

We have lived here in oroville for a long time. We both went to high school here and have bought a house here. My husband and I dont do drugs and we work our butts off. I really like oroville except i would like to have a target or something.(lol)

I worked at oroville hospital for 8 years and hated all of it. I swore i never wanted to be a patient there. the nurses are all over worked and there are way to many traveler nurses. it seams that everyone that goes to surgery ends up with mrsa. Then dam it, i had to have surgery on my hernia. I was so upset that my insurance only covered oroville hospital. I was so worked up at time of surgery that I almost didnt go for it. anyways the surgery went o.k but the service like exspected was crapy. There was a couple of people that were really nice, but its hard to remmber them with all of the ass holes. Im so glad that I dont work there anymore because i dont have to defend crapy service to anyone.

Anyways oroville is nice. Stay out of the drug areas (south side) and you will be o.k. remember there is a really great lake when it is full. WE are not all looking for our next fix. There are some of us that really are good people.

Good luck and have fun in Oroville.

[robertpolyglot]

It seems like all the North State towns have a drug reputation....Redding, Oroville, and on and on.

At any rate, I know Oroville from taking 70 between Sac and Chico. I wasn't impressed. It seemed kind of meth-y and like there were a lot of down and out people. Yes, Chico costs more but not it's not ridiculous. I didn't feel comfortable in Oroville besides getting some fast food or getting some money out of an ATM.

But, it's what works for you. If you make friends, then it could be ok.

[MotleyCrew]

Meth is a very large problem in Oroville as well as Paradise and Magalia. The mountains offer a seclusion that the manufacturers covet. We lived in Magalia for 15 years and found that you could build a $300K home and have a decaying mess of a mobile home a few yards away in the forest. There are nice pockets, but you will be shopping with the meth heads and your children will be going to school with their children. It was rough at times. Best of luck