Ukiah Better To Live Than Santa Rosa? (San Diego: homes, neighborhoods)

[DuctTapedToCokeMachine]

I'm from Santa Rosa, born and raised. Recently I took a bus up to Ukiah and spent a night and an afternoon there and I enjoyed it.

Despite the fact it was beautiful and nice, there were a lot of homeless people, especially around the Pear Tree Center near the JCPenney. I actually witnessed a man, possibly homeless, trying to assault a homeless woman there yesterday. However I talked to some of the homeless people, who were friendly and I smoked two cigarettes with one and had a conversation with him. It was just kind of depressing, but I anticipated that. I really liked the North State Street area, and the Buddhist temple is really beautiful. I believe I went to Ukiah as a little kid but don't remember it and I think we merely passed by it.

Also a kid in a car shout out things like "f--- you" to random people on the sidewalk including me, out of boredom. I wasn't bothered by it but I was wondering if this kinda thing happens a lot in Ukiah. I guess for many kids and teens Ukiah can be boring.

Of course it's a smaller town than Santa Rosa but I liked Ukiah for the most part. Maybe if I lived there it wouldn't be as great, but I just enjoyed the beauty of it, and for a small town in the country it was fairly diverse with a sizable Native American population. It felt like people of all backgrounds got along for the most part, and the hippie/hipster vibe in Ukiah was really fun to be around for a while.

The few Ukiah people I talked to about Santa Rosa, my hometown, found it to be "meh" or "alright." They just found it to be another suburban city that was "too normal" and traffic-infested.

So which do you personally prefer? I could see myself living in Ukiah for a while, maybe in the State Street area or somewhere near downtown.

I wanted to just go up to Oregon and see if there were any towns like Ukiah up there too. Ukiah is just a sorta cool place.

[justinbro2002]

I lived in Ukiah about 25 years ago for about a year. I lived there with my mother as a young teen and decided it wasn't for me so moved back to the bay area to live with my dad. My mother and siblings still live in the Ukiah area (Redwood valley as well) There are a lot of homeless and a big meth problem along with a bunch of pillbillies. There are some serious quality for life issues that go along with having those problems in the community. My family there likes it for the most part but they do not like all the drug addicts and homeless people. A great deal of the populous lives below the poverty line and are on welfare. There are some gang problems as well. But it is pretty country.

[sav858]

^Sounds similar to me; I lived in Ukiah from 88-91 as a kid but moved back to the Bay Area with my mom when my parents separated, my brother stayed with my dad and grew up there. I didn't like Ukiah as a kid, thought it was a boring hick town. I can appreciate more so now but I still don't think I could live there. My brother liked growing up there as he's more of a small town guy. My dad likes it too but fully realizes and gets annoyed with some of it's issues.

Seems like most people there travel to Santa Rosa quite often because Ukiah being a small town lack amenities. Ukiah is pretty "meh" imo. Not terrible but nothing that great either. Being in weed country with an economy fairly dependent on it you have that aspect and the associated issues with it. There is some poverty, general small town trashiness, etc.. In a way I guess it can be somewhat of a mini/small town version of Santa Rosa.

It does have some nice neighborhoods with nice, older homes with character in some parts of town (west of Downtown). It hasn't really grown much at all over the last 25-30 years so in a way it can feel a bit stagnant but at the same time it has kept it's small town "charm".

[DuctTapedToCokeMachine]

Originally Posted by sav858

^Sounds similar to me; I lived in Ukiah from 88-91 as a kid but moved back to the Bay Area with my mom when my parents separated, my brother stayed with my dad and grew up there. I didn't like Ukiah as a kid, thought it was a boring hick town. I can appreciate more so now but I still don't think I could live there. My brother liked growing up there as he's more of a small town guy. My dad likes it too but fully realizes and gets annoyed with some of it's issues.

Seems like most people there travel to Santa Rosa quite often because Ukiah being a small town lack amenities. Ukiah is pretty "meh" imo. Not terrible but nothing that great either. Being in weed country with an economy fairly dependent on it you have that aspect and the associated issues with it. There is some poverty, general small town trashiness, etc.. In a way I guess it can be somewhat of a mini/small town version of Santa Rosa.

It does have some nice neighborhoods with nice, older homes with character in some parts of town (west of Downtown). It hasn't really grown much at all over the last 25-30 years so in a way it can feel a bit stagnant but at the same time it has kept it's small town "charm".

Honestly it felt more like a hippie town than a hick town, although I guess it has some hicks due to it being country.

[WizardOfRadical]

Meth, weed, hicks, and low wage jobs. Santa Rosa is no prize fish, but a way better choice.

[eureka1]

^^^^^What he said.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by DuctTapedToCokeMachine

I'm from Santa Rosa, born and raised. Recently I took a bus up to Ukiah and spent a night and an afternoon there and I enjoyed it.

Despite the fact it was beautiful and nice, there were a lot of homeless people, especially around the Pear Tree Center near the JCPenney. I actually witnessed a man, possibly homeless, trying to assault a homeless woman there yesterday.

Did you call 911?

[saranshay]

I know this is an older thread, but there isn't a whole lot of info on Santa Rosa.
Other than talks about homeless people. Would love to know what the area is like? Doing research. I currently live in a town of about the same population and that size is about right for us. Not too busy, (I don't want to spend my life in a car) not too small. I don't mind small (75,000-100,000) as long as it's close to a size of Santa Rosa. I live in a pretty safe town and would like to keep it that way.
As far as schools go, i am sending my kids to a private Christian school. So that is a must.
I am looking for good weather. Doesn't have to be 70's year round like San Diego. Since it seems like it is a drought all the time, I would prefer some where that isn't. I would be looking for a place with acres. (Cost not an issue, but don't want to pay excessive amounts either)

[Veronicka]

Santa Rosa is very nice. It is sprawling and there are different areas and some are quite wealthy while others are places you would want to avoid.

There is a lot of homelessness but it is concentrated in certain areas. They stay near shopping areas and not in the residential neighborhoods. There is nothing for them there.

You would have to see for yourself, but you could find what you are looking for.

[saranshay]

Thank you for your input, what is winter weather like there? I'm fine that it wouldn't be as warm as Southern California.
How's traffic?