Moving to Redding Ca (Vista, Bell: crime, house, job transfer)

[Swakins]

My family and I are moving to redding this summer. Have an 8 year old and a 2 year old. I have a job bringing us out here, my husband will look for work in redding.

Where are the best areas to raise kids?--we like country, have horses and dogs--maybe Palo Cedro?

Is this a fairly safe town to raise kids?

I keep hearing about crime, making me a little nervous. I am moving from central Illinois where we live in a small town outside a larger town (champaign) which does have its share of crime as well.

What about wildlife (ESP mountain lion) activity?

Any input helpful!

[DaleK]

If you have horses your best bets are Palo Cedro and Cottonwood, and you might also want to check out Millville and the plains areas, though I would prefer Palo Cedro as it's a closer commute to Redding and crime is less of a problem there...

Crime is, unfortunately, growing by leaps and bounds up here, but as long as you stay away from the main criminal hot spots, ie: Shasta Lake City, and Anderson ( aka Anderscum as some of we locals call it ) you should be okay. Ask a local realtor who can assist you with the better areas to reside before you move up here.

Wildlife is not really much a problem. Most wildlife, such as mountain lions, would rather avoid humans, though being equipped with a good rifle or shotgun would not be a bad idea. Right now, rattlesnakes would be more of a concern. They don't always let you know when they are around. If you do decide to move to the country, guinea hens are a good thing to have around to keep the snakes at bay.

Good luck with your move up here. We do have more than our fair share of problems here, but being aware of them will do you a lot of good in being forearmed. ( oh and if you need a good recommendation for getting a good rifle or shotgun I would suggest the Olde West on Market Street. The guys there know their stuff. Be advised it's always busy there so it would be best if you get in when they open at 9 am. )

[eureka1]

You don't need guns to keep you safe from mountain lions- just don't hike alone. Don't swim alone either. The rivers can be treacherous. Welcome to Northern California.!

[nullgeo]

By the time you know where a mountain lion is, it's on top of you, if that's its intention. Rifle or shotgun is worthless for that. Dog(s) (sizeable-ish at least) are your best answer ... and great conversationalists on the trail, too

[bountybligh]

I'm great at screaming, "Run there's a mountain lion." Then outrunning whoever I need to outrun.

Actually, I haven't spent as much time in the mountains as someone else, but I have never encountered a bear or a mountain lion on my trips into the mountains. Not gonna say it can't happen though. But the odds are extremely low. Without checking I'd think lower than you will severely injure yourself on your next step in fact. This is meant to be a comfort, don't worry about your next step, please.

[Hawk J]

I live in the mountains. My Pal's are a rottie/lab mix & two german shepherds, who are very loving, although they guard their property...

[nullgeo]

Originally Posted by Hawk J

I live in the mountains. My Pal's are a rottie/lab mix & two german shepherds, who are very loving, although they guard their property...

So much for the question of THAT particular kind of crime problem in Redding, eh? And you know, same solution is of great potential for the two-legged type of problem as well

[Swakins]

Thanks for the input!
For schools I'm thinking either Grant elementary or North Cow Creek elementary. Any other schools that are good, or schools to avoid?
As far as crime in Redding, if we move somewhere like Palo Cedro or Bella Vista do we escape much of that crime risk?
We visited in April and I enjoyed the Sundial bridge area. Is that a fairly safe area to go with kids and is that paved river trail safe to run or bike on? We also enjoyed Whiskeytown lake.
I grew up in Mt Shasta and am looking forward to coming closer to home, ut mostly am looking for a place to safely raise the family and to enjoy a more outdoorsy lifestyle.

[BuickGS]

I read about the crime problem there and it was also somewhere on the net about people there being so sad.

But I have family there and they all love it..............?

[prosin]

Property crime is most likely what you may be subject to in the outskirts of Redding, but probably no more so than anywhere in the US. My former home in "no man's land" (between Bella Vista and Jones Valley) was burglarized, but at the time we had no neighbors within eye sight of our house. My neighbors up the road were suspicious of a pickup cruising around the area and got on their quads to investigate. The noise from the quads scared off the burglary in process so we had minimal loss.

Just due diligence is needed. Get to know your neighbors. If you are on acreage, be sure to have at least 30 to 50 feet of clearance around your house so your neighbors can see comings/goings of vehicles. The clearance is not only a good idea from a visual standpoint, but also to create a fire buffer zone. Our house survived two wildfires (in 1999 and 2004) because we had such good clearance around our house.

Our home backed up to BLM land, so there was always a "threat" of mountain lions and bears (no tigers, though ). We just always took our dogs with us when we hiked around. I never ran across either a bear or a lion, but did see a bobcat on my back fence once. Rattlesnakes will probably be more of a threat to your personal safety.

Get your season passes now for Waterworks Park and the Redding Aquatic Center. They're great places to go on hot day (which is every day in the summer). And I understand Fantasy Fountain has just been rebuilt, but I can't speak to the rest of Kids Kingdom anymore.

We were happy with Bella Vista School, and were looking forward to Foothill HS, but job transfer took us elsewhere.