What is the culture of Auburn like? (house, assessment)

[K-Luv]

Originally Posted by CAcountrygirl

Ideally, I'd like to live somewhere with 40,000 people or less. Ashland is perfect at 20,000.

Auburn is not the place for you unless you are the martyr type. Your liberal attitude will be mildly tolerated, at best.

I second Nevada City, and Grass Valley could be a good fit. Nevada City is definitely on the liberal side of things, and it has an overall live and let live mentality. A lot of hippies and back-to-landers who want to escape Sacramento move up to NC. There is also a good deal of Nam vets who live out that way as well. Another thing to keep in mind, and I know this the hard way, is that a lot of meth is cooked up in those hills, just so you know.

Originally Posted by CAcountrygirl

a beautiful small city (10,000 - 40,000), with cool historic architecture (i.e. not a bedroom community)

Both Nevada City and Grass Valley could satisfy this, not to sound an a$$ but if you want anything that is historical architectural wise you need to go to the East Coast. With the rate that Sacramento is growing, it won't be too long before Auburn becomes a suburb.

Originally Posted by CAcountrygirl

A mild climate (no to little snow, no more than 40 inches of rain, LOTS of sun, summers that aren't totally scorching), progressive politics

NC and GV receive some snow, but not much, so you are good there. However, if you do not want scorching hot summers then you are looking in the wrong place. I dunno, maybe try Santa Cruz.

Originally Posted by CAcountrygirl

really good restaurants, people my age (30s), surrounded by natural beauty (rivers and lakes a big plus).

Rivers, some lakes and natural beauty will abound, but really good restaurants are going to be slim pickings in the foot hills.

Originally Posted by CAcountrygirl

Median home price no higher than $500,000.

You can still find a nice home for this price.

[CAcountrygirl]

Thanks again everyone. We are planning a visit to Davis to see if it's our new home. I think I would like Grass Valley but my partner is insistent on low rainfall and the stats say GV gets 55 inches a year. Yikes! But we're stoked to check out Davis (even if it's a little bit big) from what we've read about it. Thanks for the suggestion...I never would have found that on my own.

Also considering Sonoma, Healdsburg and San Luis Obispo. Real estate prices are falling everywhere...

[romanceisdead]

I think Grass Valley would be too far from the work your partner would be doing. My husband works in that industry here in Folsom, and if the drive were not so far, we would totally move to Grassvalley... It would be well over an hour on a good day, and that is not to Sacramento, but to Folsom. Sac would be farther.

Look at Davis! It is perfect, except hot. But EVERYWHERE around here in this area of Cali is hot, sister! lol You should stay in OR. Less costly to live there, as well. Or go further south, along the coast, if you can find it for the price. I doubt it. lol

We did just get back from Guerneville, and found the whole area there to be very much like what you are talking about. Progressive, beautiful, cooler... Maybe an okay commute to San Fran. Maybe. Or Santa Rosa?

[zen_klown]

Nevada City sounds most like what you are looking for and I would drive up and see it before I eliminated it as an option.

Davis is where the wealthy liberals in the Sacramento region live and that might work too. But you might want to look at Midtown, Curtis Park or McKinley Park as well.

[BasiaMarie]

Having lived in Lincoln 5 years, and Auburn, Roseville, and Rocklin for 11 years, i can give you an excellent overview on Auburn.

No, you aren't going to get looks for dying your bangs pink- my entire head of hair was pink for half a year and no one cared. Yes, it's a conservative area. If you're above 35. The younger people are definately more liberal. It's not some rundown little hick town. We have plenty of chain restaraunts, as well as locally-owned places.

Good climate- not TOO hot in the summer, and in the winter, around 35-40 degrees. Light snow every couple of years.

All in all, it's a good-vibe place- friendly, clean, quiet. But there's really not much to do around- no clubs, and the bar that i live nearby, most people are gone by 11 on a friday night.

So if you're looking for excitement, no. But a chill place? Yes.

[BasiaMarie]

Also, meth is used alot up here, but you really don't see it around. The most 'ghetto' place Auburn has is what we call 'The Greens', and those are actually pretty mice places.

[GoldCountry80]

Very trashy or big fish in small pond yuppies, to sum it up nicely. First chance I get, I am GONE.. Cya later.

Someone the other day, what appeared to be an 18 yr old Hispanic native looking girl happened to say how Auburn was so friendly that everyone talks to eachother in line.. so not the case and I did my part bringing her back down to earth fast. If you have a wide world view, this is not the place to be. Maybe if you're 50 and up. Most young people here I get the impression are stuck here or they know no different to want to ever live somewhere else cooler. There are literally no girls to meet either as far as the dating scene goes. Nobody I see that I could meet and start a family with. I see far more potential in the deep south even.

Someone here put it best.. Auburn may be changing into a suburb but the rugged gold miner feel is very much alive and it conflicts with some of the younger peoples interests and you feel the tension in the air. Either way feels like rednecks are everywhere or those who have to have the most toys wins types of rednecks.

[NickB1967]

Originally Posted by BasiaMarie

Having lived in Lincoln 5 years, and Auburn, Roseville, and Rocklin for 11 years, i can give you an excellent overview on Auburn.

No, you aren't going to get looks for dying your bangs pink- my entire head of hair was pink for half a year and no one cared. Yes, it's a conservative area. If you're above 35. The younger people are definately more liberal. It's not some rundown little hick town. We have plenty of chain restaraunts, as well as locally-owned places.

Good climate- not TOO hot in the summer, and in the winter, around 35-40 degrees. Light snow every couple of years.

All in all, it's a good-vibe place- friendly, clean, quiet. But there's really not much to do around- no clubs, and the bar that i live nearby, most people are gone by 11 on a friday night.

So if you're looking for excitement, no. But a chill place? Yes.

THIS. Ignore the political snobbery from everyone else.

That said, unless you worked in the area, it's a long drive from everything, except the mountains of course.

[semispherical]

Originally Posted by CAcountrygirl

You guys are awesome!

Ok, here's some more info. I'm a self-employed writer so I can live anywhere. I'm very lucky in that way. My partner is also self-employed, but is interested in possibly going back to work in the high-tech industry, so living near a larger city within a 30-minute drive would be a plus, if it didn't end up enveloping the smaller one where we'd be living.

Ideally, I'd like to live somewhere with 40,000 people or less. Ashland is perfect at 20,000.

It's entirely possible that what I'm looking for does not exist, but here goes: a beautiful small city (10,000 - 40,000), with cool historic architecture (i.e. not a bedroom community), a mild climate (no to little snow, no more than 40 inches of rain, LOTS of sun, summers that aren't totally scorching), progessive politics, really good restaurants, people my age (30s), surrounded by natural beauy (rivers and lakes a big plus). Median home price no higher than $500,000.

Impossible?

I second the suggestion for Grass Valley/Nevada City. At least take a look at them.

I'm a liberal Dem living in the greater Auburn area. The politics are definitely "red" -- and ironic how that used to be the code for Commies, isn't it? Nevada City and Grass Valley are cheaper, more laid back, more rural, cooler in summertime, but you will get some snow in winter. Your significant other could commute to Auburn if needed.

Chico is going to get pretty hot in the summer, but has the college town advantage. Davis is hot, flat and expensive. It will be hard to buy a house for less than $500K there.

[semispherical]

Originally Posted by wburg

I'm pretty sure that "moderates" in Auburn are the ones who only have one Bush/Cheney bumper sticker on the back of their monster truck.

Hey, this is the 21st century! It's all Paul Ryan/ Rand Paul now.