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Summer heat is the absolute bane of my existence; having grown up in the desert of Southern California I've completely had my fill of it. Here in Chico summers are far, far more tolerable than they were in Palmdale thanks to the tree cover and streams, but there's no denying that summer here can get pretty miserable at times. It's not nearly as bad as Redding or even the majority of the Central Valley, but it's still hot and I hate it.
Enter the North Coast. I've been going to the Fort Bragg/Mendocino area my entire life and I've always thought the climate and culture were perfect. It never gets hot, winters are nice and rainy and chilly, and overall it's just an enormously pleasant place to spend time in. I always figured that if I came into a lot of money I would move there and live a peaceful, laid back life, but that was before I ever stepped foot in Humboldt County.
I first visited Humboldt County in July 2012 because I was going on a camping trip to Patrick's Point with my girlfriend, who had been going up there just about every summer her entire life. What Fort Bragg was to me, Humboldt was to her, and she too wanted to move to the North Coast and live a more simple, peaceful life. I instantly fell in love with the surrounding countryside, and while my initial impression of Eureka wasn't all that great I really liked driving through Arcata and Fortuna on our way down to the Avenue of Giants.
Ever since that trip to Humboldt I've been doing a lot of research on the area, and the more I learn the more convinced I am that I want to live there. The summer temperatures are fantastic and I know I can learn to deal with the fog, and the high precipitation levels during winter and the fog during summer helps enable the natural beauty I love so much to flourish. The area stays green and nice throughout the majority of the year, and the county has just about every modern convenience I can think of, including a Costco which is a HUGE advantage over Fort Bragg. The county also has roughly the same amount of people as Butte County, which to me is just about perfect because it doesn't feel too crowded and at the same time it doesn't feel too small, either.
Sure the transients can be an eyesore, the marijuana culture can be annoying at times, and not seeing the sun for days or weeks at a time can get grating, but for the most part these are cursory complaints and an escape to the mountains will give you sun and heat if that's what you're craving.
As for culture, I really like the live and let live sort of mentality that seems to be pervasive up there, but at the same time I'm also really attracted to the sense of community that people seem to have for each other. This is actually a phenomenon I've noticed all throughout the North State that is largely unheard of in SoCal (at least in my experiences in the 20 odd years I lived there), and that sense of community feels strongest along the North Coast, which I imagine is a product of the isolation that one feels up there.
Literally the only thing stopping my girlfriend and me from moving to Humboldt County is the job situation. We know finding legitimate gainful employment is difficult to say the least, and at least one of us needs a permanent, full time position secured in order for us to even think about making the move out there. Those sorts of positions are in short supply and neither of us really has any sort of skill that would allow us to open up our own business. My girlfriend is an art teacher and she knows what she's doing, but it seems far fetched to us that she'd be able to use those skills to make enough money to support a life in Humboldt, so for the time being we're forced to just sit tight and wait for an opportunity to come along.
What about the rest of you guys? What's your ideal California location/climate/culture? And why?
Fat chance; it's amazingly difficult getting a job at Costco because it's so desirable, and in Humboldt you can bet the competition would be exceedingly fierce. I wouldn't mind working at Costco one bit while I looked for something in my field (I have a BA in Environmental Studies), but the chances of actually getting a job with them is so slim I wouldn't bother pinning my hopes on it. I'd certainly be willing to try if it came to that, but honestly right now it's smarter to keep doing what I'm doing and try to figure out a way to simply transfer from where I am to Humboldt.
Location: On the "Left Coast", somewhere in "the Land of Fruits & Nuts"
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Actually looked at the whole North State area before settling on the Sierra foothills here to retire. And obviously everyone has different needs and preferences, but personally we found the North Coast to be a little too damp and kinda reminiscent of the Seattle area we were leaving. No question the coast is gorgeous and certainly very progressive politically (more than here anyway), but it also seemed a bit too isolated. And chatting with local business folks often revealed a lot of frustration re: getting anything done, because of the strong resistance to any sort of growth or "change". But regardless, if it works for 'ya, congratulations and it's always wonderful to discover a place you truly love!
One thing I forgot to add: for those of you currently living on the North Coast, how do you like it? Or not like it, for that matter? Preferences vary from person to person so I'm interested in hearing some opinions on the place!
No argument here, OP! You might like Berkeley, too. It stays nice and cool year round (except for the fog-free Septembers), due to being right across from the Golden Gate, the Bay Area's fog corridor. I'm spoiled for living anywhere else, due to the perfect temps there. I considered Humboldt county, OP, but I was warned away by people saying it rains like it's Seattle up there. No thanks. But otherwise, it would be very attractive. All those redwoods, and the bay! Write us, if you move there.
One thing I forgot to add: for those of you currently living on the North Coast, how do you like it? Or not like it, for that matter? Preferences vary from person to person so I'm interested in hearing some opinions on the place!
My family has been here in northern Humboldt almost 25 years and we cannot wait to scram! Having grown up in Southern CA, I will tell you that I came here because I couldn't stand the heat or how rude people had become down there! I love the terrain here, always will and for the most part of our years here in Humboldt, folks have been very friendly, though I think that is fading a bit.
We have watched the culture change over the last 12-15 years and the economy sink becoming more dependent on the drug and welfare culture. A&E did a special on Humboldt i am sure you could track down highlighting the drug scene and by their estimates a year or two back one in every FOUR homes were drug/grow houses around the university and as you spread out it dropped to one in every SEVEN! That is crazy! If you are a home owner, can you imagine renting the home you worked hard for only to have some ding-a-ling drop dirt on the floor, add a pile of fire hazard equipment to heat and light the plants and pretty much destroy your property? I can say it horrifies me! Not to mention the mold, the guns to protect it all usually next door to an unknowing family with little ones and the traffic in and out of there is at best undesirable. That is not my idea of living and let live. MHO!
If you have growing kids, the opportunities for them are diminishing rapidly. I know an awful lot of HSU graduates with big degrees that wait tables and change tires because the work is not here. All that effort and the degree can't be used? I don't get it. Of course if you want to go into social services.... This is the place. Huge programs up here and they will pay for it if you commit to two years working within the department.
I can also say that our experience has been that while we tolerated the climate (absolutely love and will miss the ocean) as we have grown older the lack of sunshine wears on people and until you return to a sunny climate, you don't really realize how it affects you! We have seen many people leave to sunnier areas and seem like entirely different people... For the better! The beach in its beauty is not what SoCals think of being used to sunny beaches people hang out at and tan either!
We will miss the emerald greens all around, the legal natural beauty that is, but the marijuana craze has ruined the attractiveness in many ways including the explosion of grow houses, kids placed in foster care because the drug culture is ignored or embraced and small business is becoming incredibly more difficult to operate up here which in turn affects jobs! After seeing enough of this, we have decided to move forward. There are so many areas that have their own incredible beauty and yet are more business friendly and even other states that have passed marijuana laws tolerate it less than here!
I can also say that we have seen people leave and not make it a year before returning, or worse yet, they left and want to return but can't afford it anymore. That is so sad! Praying we don't fall into that category! Well, there is plenty of positives if you want to look for them and every place has its problems so I guess it comes out in the wash for most. Watch out for the mold!it is a definite issue.
I also want to add that the fishing up here IMHO is second to none and the salmon, though heavily regulated is INCREDIBLE! And if you are into woodworking check out the best shop I have ever encountered in Blue Lake, http://www.almquistlumber.com/
This place will inspire anyone to be creative!
Lots of hiking, biking and fishing for sure. Moonstone is known for surfing but I have also heard it is one of the top spots for great whites... Yikes! We had a young guy attacked recently.
I have only spent a little time in Fort Bragg, but it seemed to me to have a whole lot going for it.... More sunshine and slightly warmer temps without getting crazy hot.
Wish you the best in your adventure to the north coast!
Last edited by Mommalot; 03-20-2013 at 04:58 PM..
Reason: Forgot to mention the salmon! ....
I heard that Humboldt Bay releases a lot of methane gas, due to all the rotting redwood trees that sank into it, during the old logging days. Some former residents of Arcata said they had to leave because it was toxic. Does anyone have comments to make on that?
The job situation in the north is usually the job you bring with you. I have found that you need to look at the obituaries to find employment opportunities. People take their work up to death's door. I have been urging my wife into the medical profession as hospital work is probably the most stable of work available.
The northern coast is probably the worse of work opportunities in the state. Many restaurants, hospital, art galleries. The lumber mill in Fort Brag closed years ago creating a vacuum of work. The area is ideal for retirement.
I heard that Humboldt Bay releases a lot of methane gas, due to all the rotting redwood trees that sank into it, during the old logging days. Some former residents of Arcata said they had to leave because it was toxic. Does anyone have comments to make on that?
Additionally wood under water does not get much oxygen so it does not rot very quick, and not at all under some conditions.
Salvage companies will pull up old growth logs and make boards to sell out of them. So the wood did not rot.
Do not know about toxic waste, again, not really a methane source. Methane is more or less an organic gas.... Cow farts, rotting organic matter and so forth.... IMHO, the source of the methane may be totally natural... Likely to be a oil field some day in the distant future..
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Can not speak for Humboldt, but the Mendocino coast, gets more rain than say Seattle... BUT... Look at this past winter, a couple huge massive storms dumping a foot at a time, then sun..... Vastly more sun than Puget sound or any where north. Notice many live a few miles inland? That's the secret... Out of most of the fog then..
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Perspective from an exiting North Coast resident
