Where to move? Healdsburg vs St Helena vs Calistoga

[NYCtoCalifornia]

We decided on St Helena/Calistoga area (Healdsburg felt a bit too sprawly and suburban - Napa Valley more rural). We are renting while we search for a home to buy or land to buy and build upon. Exciting change! Thanks again everyone for help!

[zdg]

How cool! Congratulations on the move. Both places are amazing and you won't miss NYC for a second.

[qtip455]

Congratulations on your move and coming to a resolution on where to live. My girlfriend and I are also considering the same areas. We plan to keep a residence on the Peninsula so this would be a 2nd home initially and eventually a primary residence (5 year horizon). We have no kids and are very active (hiking/cycling/walking to amenities are all priorities for us). Thoughts? Opinions? Advice? Thank you in advance..

[Michael_OR_83]

Nina,

This is good to know, as I am looking at a vacation property in Calistoga off Silverado Trail. Do you know any particulars about this area in terms of wildfire risk and flooding/mudslides?
After what I saw on the news a year ago, I am very concerned about the threat of wildfires in particular. And considering the asking price of the property there is much to be concerned about. It sits up on a ridge. I don't know if this makes it more or less safe.

Any inside info you may have would be much appreciated. I have never lived in California or an area where there was any real threat of widespread wildfires, outside of a possible occasional small brushfire.

Michael

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by Michael_OR_83

Nina,

This is good to know, as I am looking at a vacation property in Calistoga off Silverado Trail. Do you know any particulars about this area in terms of wildfire risk and flooding/mudslides?
After what I saw on the news a year ago, I am very concerned about the threat of wildfires in particular. And considering the asking price of the property there is much to be concerned about. It sits up on a ridge. I don't know if this makes it more or less safe.

Any inside info you may have would be much appreciated. I have never lived in California or an area where there was any real threat of widespread wildfires, outside of a possible occasional small brushfire.

Michael

The Santa Rosa fire was started by downed electrical lines, IIRC. Anyplace with electrical lines in an environment of desiccated grasses and trees would be at risk. Lightning can also ignite that type of material. Such events are unpredictable. What's needed to quell the fire risk is periodic rain.

[BurntCoffey]

Michael, the Tubbs fire last year which burned much of Santa Rosa began in Calistoga and traveled over the Mayacamas mountain range into Sonoma County. This whole area is tinder-dry so anything can set off a fire, most of which get controlled and extinguished fairly quickly. Sparks from a lawn mower blade striking a rock or some idiot flinging a cigarette ash out a car window are common causes.

I wouldn’t buy any property in Northern California without a thorough evaluation of the surrounding area. Our house was not in a high fire danger zone and yet the entire neighborhood was leveled in October 2017.

[strakbeinkristy]

Living in Calistoga is wonderful. I raised both my 2 girls here. My dad lives here in Calistoga also. Calistoga school district is about family. I have lived here in Calistoga for 14 years and I was raised in St. Helena from 1971 to 1991 and I love the small rural areas. Great place to raise kids. Good luck on your chose of town living.