Anyone have info on humboldt bay northern CA area?? (Eureka: crime, houses)

[Jen78fl]

Hi all. Can anyone tell me more about this area? my husband is in the coast guard and is due to transfer next year and humboldt bay is one of the available positions. It looks really beautiful from looking at pictures... Is there much around this area? I cant seem to even find a wal mart... What are the schools like? I have a 6 year old son with autism and a 16 month old daughter. I appreciate any info , thanks!

Jennifer

[treeluvr]

Originally Posted by Jen78fl

Hi all. Can anyone tell me more about this area? my husband is in the coast guard and is due to transfer next year and humboldt bay is one of the available positions. It looks really beautiful from looking at pictures... Is there much around this area? I cant seem to even find a wal mart... What are the schools like? I have a 6 year old son with autism and a 16 month old daughter. I appreciate any info , thanks!

Jennifer

Do a search for Humboldt or Eureka--there are a few of threads on the area.

[MtnSurfer]

Hello,

I posted a similar answer to a similar question regarding McKinleyville. Do you have children?

I have stayed in the area when my buddy and his family were stationed there while in the Coast Guard and it really is a beautiful place. Could you please share the kind of things you are looking for? How did you happen to pick this location? Have you ever visited before? If only for limited time it might be a fun experience although it is remote and has a somewhat strange personality. I guess it depends what you like/dislike and can tolerate.

First off I recommend doing a search here on McKinleyville, Eureka, and the surrounding areas. There are some strong opinions from folks who live there now and from those who left for various reasons.

One of the things you will hear is that the area is very depressed as there is no real industry left. This is obvious as you drive through downtown Eureka, the largest city in the region. Timber used be somewhat strong. Now the main industry is Marajana and I'm not joking either. That whole region is known as the Emerald Triangle which is the biggest Marajana producing region in the nation. See wikipedia for reference - Emerald Triangle - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Now that is not to say families can't live there. But to deny the effects of drugs and the associated crime in the region would be to put one's head in the sand. However thats not to say that there is not a need for good families like yours to move in. I guess it depends what your level of tolerance is if your neighbors are growing weed, etc... The area is known to be left of center big time. Whether or not that matters to you is again something for you to weigh. There is a certain vibe you experience when you walk/drive down the streets in these areas. Lets just say if you are into hemp clothes, rastafarian hats, etc... you will fit right in. Ok, I know that sounds like stereotyping and not Everyone smokes pot or is a Rastaman. But nonetheless it is there more than most other places you may care to visit.

Don't get me wrong. I love visiting Humboldt County. It is truly a beautiful and special place.





I just don't know if I could raise my family there. Of course YMMV. I am sure there will be others who would say its a great place to live for various reasons. But I would ask if they have families with children? If you don't have kids yet it might not be as big of a deal.

My 2c FWIW,

Derek

[Jen78fl]

I appreciate that info mtnsurfer! We do actually have 2 kids.. this may not be somewhere we would want to go lol

[BTwebguy]

The towns just north of Eureka, Arcata and Mckinleyville are great for kids. There are many parks, beaches and playgrounds. Arcata has a farmer's market every weekend with music, gynastics/juggling, and many fairs and festivals. There is a nice bike trail that goes from Arcata up to Clam Beach. I'd say it's a very kid and family friendly area - there is a great weekly called the North Coast Journal http://www.northcoastjournal.com/calendar/ that has lots of info about the area, things going on like the kinetic sculpture race http://arcatareporter.blogspot.com/2008/05/kinetic-grand-championship-2008.html, etc.

We've lived here for 20 years, moving now to be closer to family, but it is a great place to live, in my opinion one of the best places in the US (both my wife and I have traveled extensively:-).

[Fiddlehead]

Well I did my BS degree there and visit often. Humboldt County is just plain gorgeous. However, the price for that is a lot of rain and fog, which some folks don't mind at all but others hate. Also, there is a serious drug culture in the county. Not sure your kids would need to get mixed up in that. The schools can be good in Arcata, Eureka is more depressed.

I would say, it is well-worth researching. You might find it paradise...or not.

[star182]

It seems as thought some love Humboldt and others hate it. I've lived here my entire life, but have traveled and stayed in other places over the years. Humboldt does have a lot of things going for it - it's just plain beautiful here - beaches, redwoods, natural beauty, and it's a laid back, slower paced lifestyle. Unfortunately, there are a lot of problems cropping up here, too. Crime, both property and violent, is getting out of hand. Drugs are everywhere and when I say "everywhere" I mean it. If you look down your street, you can figure on several houses being grow houses. People don't seem to frown on drugs here. There is a terrible homeless situation especially in Eureka. 15 or so years ago, this was an ideal place to live and raise a family. Over the past years it has slowly shifted into a yucky place. It is still beautiful, but there are few jobs, housing prices (rent and own) are very expensive, especially considering the low paying jobs, and drugs are rampant. It's hard to explain, you just have to be a part of it to understand it. It's not like anywhere I've ever been. It's more and more becoming a place I do not want to raise my young kids. There is very little opportunity here and there is no way my kids will be able to afford to buy a home by the time they are old enough. It's barely into January and we've had two murders in Eureka and a shooting in Arcata already. I guess it is all in your perspective. To me personally, the beauty of the area does outweigh the negatives.