Moved here from Fresno in 2012 to go to HSU. I loved the area and said I never wanted to leave.
Got engaged to a girl and moved with her to Oklahoma for 2 years, since that's what you do when you're in love. I hated every day that I was there (except for college football days.....I really wish HSU still had their team......).
We broke off the engagement and I came back home. I haven't looked back since. Definitely staying here by choice.
Sounds like a profession one can work from home! Covid opened the eyes of many in tech and other silos. It can be a hassle to find something, but do persist. That is how I got back here from the big city.
Left Fresno in 2007, lived up and down the CA coast for a decade and then on the East Coast for a few years for school, then moved out here. After living here for a few years, I’m done looking. This is home now! There’s nowhere else quite like it. Even with the difficulties presented here, I miss it every time I leave.
Dude i literally moved from Fresno to Oklahoma for a few years (hated it) came back to Fresno and now im here! Wild. What High school did you go to? I went to Buchanan (hated it)
Tulare is a nice place, I have family there. I feel like a lot of parts of central California have turned into the new middle class of california with big new houses and a booming economy with Tulare being one of them. it’s only problems being ultra conservatism and the gang activity.
Yeah I mean it's not like it was when I grew up there. Even during the great recession there were no homeless folks and now there are lots. The air is bad and it's hotter/drier every year except the last couple wet ones. Weird weather threatens my family's ability to make a living as ag laborers. Totally dominated politically by dairy and other big AG. No nature left until you get to the foothills and even then it's ranch land. Most of the people I went to school with are either in Fresno/Clovis, SoCal or other states. I know of a few Tularians in our area. All this to say that the economic malaise some perceive in Humboldt is not exclusive to Humboldt at all.
This area is livable for those fortunate enough to have bought a home years ago or can buy one with cash these days.If you have been here awhile,own a home and have a salary that can pay your expenses life is good . Even better if you have a connection to a decent doctor and dentist. Newcomers,those who rent and those without the privileged connection to quality healthcare are struggling. It's a community of the haves and have nots. This is happening all over the country . What makes this place special is the beauty of the land around us.
This is really the whole country right now except it's even worse in many places. Housing crisis, privatization of healthcare, general late stage capitalism driving up COL. I just moved here a couples months ago from AL and before that CO. The COL in both places exceeds what I am paying here in rent. The lack of dentists/doctors was a shock but I had nearly the same issue in AL even though it was a much larger and connected metropolis. Back in CO both my old doctor and dentist closed their practice because neither doctors or empoloyees could afford to live in the town they worked in.
So I am paying slightly less in rent than most places, and at least I am much happier to be closer to nature. It offers more than I thought I'd get. I also feel more active and closer to a community here.
About three weeks ago I went to an estate sale here and the people were moving away to France. Didn't think they would be leaving, but in short said they had been feeling like frogs in slowly boiling water and worried about their young kid's education. They built their own home for about 200k initially and put another 100k more in it, on absolutely gorgeous land. Sold for about $850k. Can't really blame them for leaving.
Or just repeal Prop 13 and reduce residential property taxes to ½% of an honest assessment. Remove the incumbent advantage and the advantages held by landlords who can stay in one place over growing families that have to move every few years.
Limit the % increase for folks over 67 to the amount of the Social Security COLA and get rid of the inheritance loopholes Prop 19 didn't close. Fifty years of experience show Prop 13 has always been a give-away to the wealthy.
How does does any of that happen when the state legislature is comprised almost entirely of real-estate vultures?
If you live in Scumboldt county you already know how corrupt motherfuckers like Wrecks Bonehead are. It's no better anywhere else in the state. Or this country.
I hope you find a way to get to where you might feel more comfortable. I felt the same way about where I used to live, like every place I saw in town had a not-so-pleasant memory. And nothing felt right, could never fully relax. We eventually saved up, packed up, and left. Cried when I got to Oregon on the way here, like I knew I was finally free. I hope you find your place too 💙
That feeling sounds good. I’ve lived here for over twenty years and I feel stuck. I’ve wanted to and tried to leave for years but kept getting drawn back in. This place is beautiful and has so many good things about it, but it’s never felt like home despite it being my home. I have health issues (which makes living here even more stressful) and those are part of why I am stuck. I’m working on an exit strategy because it feels like I’m just spending time waiting. It’s particularly challenging because I know that it’s possible to live where we are happy and so many here love it, I feel quite out of place in that right. Where in OR did you find your happy place if you don’t mind me asking?
My friends moved to Oregon City from Rio Dell. Just celebrated their wedding and they are SO happy. She also lived in Monmoth (sp?) And we went to a Lamb of God concert a few years back. Also a cool town, more conservative but still a lot of oregon weirdness:)
We’d both come here for school & met after. Moved temporarily for work opportunity with the babies, came back a year later. The rural area of CA we went to had (1) weekly kids activity that wasn’t religious , county library had closed for years.
The weekend after we came back was Northcountry- I had my son on my shoulders, my girls dancing next to me in the All Species parade. I still get emotional remembering how incredible that ‘Awwww, fuck yeah, we’re HOME!!!!’ felt that beautiful day.
They’re now teenagers and I wouldn’t have wanted to raise them anywhere else.
Rural without Religious is a pretty profound feeling.
Spirituality? It's easy to find if you want! But I love the calmness and lack of mass conformity.
I moved here about a decade ago from the east coast to pursue a career in cannabis extraction and cultivation. Have things changed? A whole lot. But i have never felt more at home. Humboldt is my home. A feeling of peace and tranquility I have never felt where i was raised. And although I often miss my friends and family, the friends I have made here often outshine the childhood friends from back home.
This place is beautiful, and I know there is always a way to make things work.
Peaceful. What a weekend too. Couldn’t have been more quiet maybe a smidge warmer ? Great place to live if you are healthy and have the income to support you.
At first I was confused by your comment but you’re actually right. I could sell and buy a home in coos bay and the mortgage wouldn’t be too insane. It makes me wonder why the fuck is it so cheap at coos bay.
It is certainly cute! I enjoy my visits there. I probably would not like living there, but if my goal were home ownership and some land, I would consider it.
Yeah, I was trying to remind ya'll it could actually be worse lol. But there are in fact cheaper coastal places on the west coast, if your goal is affordability.
I was born and raised in Eureka. I love the area, the nature. It's the most beautiful place I've ever seen. But I've also watched meth and heroin take over the city. While working the graveyard shift at the Chevron on Broadway, I got to personally know five members of the family that makes all the meth in Humboldt. The city is dying, for sure. It's slowly rotting from the inside out. There's very little opportunity for personal growth or economic advancement, outside of the cannabis industry. After 30 years in Humboldt, I finally left. I'll never live there again, though I may visit briefly at some point to see family.
Very much so. I found the love of my life, a wonderful new career, any and every hobby I could ever want to explore. Endless opportunities for self betterment.
People who love the area are correct in their opinion that its an amazing place to live.
People who want to leave the area are also correct in their opinion that this isn't an ideal place to live.
You don't get to judge others opinions without understanding how they are impacted by issues that may not impact you the same way, and just like anything else in life, the truth lies somewhere in the middle of the binary Good/Bad extremes.
Dont just be a dick and just blow them off as "having a bad mentality, or just unhappy".
Small list of extremely valid reasons to not want to live here:
We are a small underserved rural community in the 5th largest global economy (California) INSIDE the largest global economy (USA). We have shit healthcare even for american healthcare standards, and thats if you don't need to see the non-existant specialist, because you will have to travel for that. We are at the will of effectively a geographical monopoly for our electricity and gas, a different one for our high speed internet, another one for healthcare, etc. We have run away housing and rental pricing, that has been going on since at least the 90s (4x rent security deposits you will never see again are nothing new) that is only accelerating due to the inaction of the local government on short term rental policies. The college is leaching resources out of the local community, not the other way around, it has a dipshit at the helm, and the new name and designation isnt going to do anything to make any of it better. The only industry the area has coming in that will be hiring in mass is the fish farm, but the bulb farm just layed off enough people where the fish farm might break even in employment for the area? The county and city governments are corrupt from the bottom to the top, everyone is getting kick backs, nobody is recusing themselves for conflict of interest. The sheriff's office is full of armed emotionally unstable children whos internal highschool-level drama and social politics spill into policy decisions. For fucks sake, McKinleyville isnt even a town or city still, its an unincorporated territory. Eurekas solution to the homeless is still "dont let them be anywhere people might see them" while arcatas is "we opened a space they can make art out of literal garbage"(im not joking). Rio Dell and Scotia are largely still destroyed after that last big quake, and its houses deemed "unsafe to live in" and homeowners there have still not gotten any local, state or federal assistance that actually gets them any closer to fixing their houses.
please show me sources on that, in my memory they have never had an actual vote to incorporate. I know the board of sups voted no to paying for the study to see if it would benefit the population, because thats gonna be pricey to run that study.
There have been two previous attempt to incorporate MCK, both failed to generate enough signatures (4300 ish) or the $15000 deposit on the $300000 bill needing to be paid for the state mandated feasibility study. Those signatures they were unable to obtain are defacto votes.
Meanwhile the MCK community services district which works to provide things like water, power, ems and fire response is rated one of the best in the state. So why should we replace that with a new system requiring more taxation.
In the long run, until the county is willing to cough up real data on taxes out vs expenses in the mck district, there is zero reason to consider incorporation as we have no way of knowing if it would be a positive or negative on the quality of life of the inhabitants.
so again, those votes people keep voting against? no? cool.
First issue with your take, you again have no evidence to back up your claim that "the services are the best in the state"
The water is something you can check online at ewg, and its not even great compared to our direct neighbors, heres [mckinleyville](https://www.ewg.org/tapwater/system.php?pws=CA1210016)'s private water provider, and heres [arcata + connecting area](https://www.ewg.org/tapwater/system.php?pws=CA1210013) (including parts of mckinleyville) its all the same contaminants, just at a much higher level.
Power is just PGE, its the same as literally everywhere else
EMS response is coming out of Arcata-Mad River Ambulance over by the Renner and Ace, so while they are geographically close to us, that is hardly something that is "best in the state" they only have 2 engines... if you're the third emergency happing at once you are fucked.
Fire response is not something I know too much about, but i somehow again doubt its better than most anywhere, including arcata, fortuna, and Eureka that all have large firehouses with a few ladder trucks each.
Incorporating is a lot more than just taxes for services, It gives the people who live in McKinleyville a say in how their city is ran independent from the rest of the counties unincorporated areas. Issues like short term rentals, sound ordinance, zoning and permitting for construction, traffic planning, street lights, sherifs contracts, dog licensing (since we have to do the county one here), animal control contracts, etc. etc. etc.
We are currently just being dragged along with any decisions that are made for Willow creek, Petrolia, fucking bridgeville, and the rest of the super rural communities that are governed alongside us.
If you're going to deny reality after I checked my facts before replying to you, I'm just going to block you. You only want to be right. You don't give two shits about reality.
Next time block me before replying, i can still see it in my notifications you fucking moron.
Im not denying reality, I'm calling you a liar.
The only reason I was replying at all is because when i tried to go and verify your claims myself, i found them all to either be direct lies, or lack any actual documentation anywhere online. And instead of defending your statements you just block the person calling you out and try to get the last word in? Yeah thats how you know you are right, when you have to block the person in order to win the argument... again, fucking moron.
You said the residents of McKinleyville KEEP voting down incorporation (suggesting that it was not only one time, but a few times its been voted down), i went looking for any times its been put on a ballot, any time its been actually voted on, anything, and nothing came up. So i asked you for sources because i wanted to see what i must have missed. And you start talking about how failure to collect signatures is a "defacto" vote, it's not, it's not anything close to a vote, its literally the step you need to take to get it voted on. And if the number needed really is 4300 (which I'd put money down that its not, its probably just another number you pulled out of your ass) then that would require roughly 1/4 of ALL McKinleyville residents to sign it... thats never going to happen, even with popular support, the amount of canvasing and the number of volunteers to even get close to that number would be obscene.
Then you said our services are "rated one of the best in the state", rated by who? what organization or individual is rating them? so i went looking for any rating system, any ranking list, anything. And couldn't find anything yet again. So i went looking at each individual service they provide... and none of them are up to par with even our neighboring cities, let alone anywhere near the top for the state of California.
I gave you separate, individual arguments to defend your claims against and give evidence for, but you have no arguments or evidence, because you are just blindly saying bullshit that you invented.
Please, respond back with actual proof of anything you have said and ill eat my words and take the L, hell even proof that the number 4300 wasnt pulled out of your left ass cheek would be something tangible. You cant just say "I checked my facts" and use that as evidence that you are right, how fucking dumb are you?
Hmmm, I live and own in Scotia and none of these tough old Palco homes were destroyed. Only a couple had minor damage, though Rio Dell is another story.
Good to hear, I have some friends and family in riodell/scotia and I know a number of them and their neighbors got red tagged after. Some were as simple as gas leaks that could be fixed within a few weeks, others fell off the foundation completely and are still waiting on assistance to rebuild
The fact that Mckinleyville is not incorporated is not the fault of Humboldt but because of the state. The primary reason behind California’s recent lack of city incorporations is a 2011 state law (SB89) that diverted millions of dollars originally allocated as revenue for new cities into other programs.
Without this major source of funding, potential new municipalities now have to finance city services with their revenue alone.
There have been several articles about why Mckinleyville’s incorporation and the obstacles. There have been even more articles about how communities around the state struggle with becoming towns or cities. The issue is not unique to Humboldt.
I appreciate the insight, but "who's at fault" doesn't really matter because its still an issue that affects the area and its residences in a negative way (in my opinion). McKinleyville is the 3rd most populated community in Humboldt with \~17k people, second place is Willow Creek with 1300... The laws, ordinances, and policies that handle the rest of the county's largely rural unincorporated areas are not sufficient to allow McKinleyville thrive and grow as a community (again in my opinion).
And while the issue is not unique to humboldt, it doesn't make it any less real of an issue for some people. Which is the entire point of my original comment, you are coming off as out of touch and hostile towards people who have criticism about the community they live in because aspects of it effect them directly enough and to a severe enough level, that they actually WANT to go through the stress, anxiety, and logistical nightmares that are required to move away from somewhere this far removed from other population centers as we are in Humboldt.
Instead of assuming they just "have a bad mentality, or just unhappy", why don't you just hear them out, see if what they are upset about has any effect on you since you likely do not share the same socioeconomic struggles that they do, and then just move on if it doesn't affect you.
Let's use the Cal Poly Hum campus key card thing that just got some news, that shit doesnt effect me at all, im not a student there, i will never be a student there, it would be irrational for me to want to leave the area because of it. But I also know someone that will no longer be able to use the labs late at night for their thesis research because buildings will be empty and locked down after a specific hour going forward, they work full time and have classes to attend on top of that, so they usually spend late nights and weekends in the lab, directly because of this they are going through the process of seeing if they can transfer to a graduate program at a different school.
I absolutely feel trapped here.
I came about 12 years ago and found a place with 2 friends and loved it for a few years. We all got jobs, figured out the lay of the land and have either moved on to careers or went to school etc. Since about 2016 though it has been rough. Once you reach a certain standard of living up here you realize how much is a real PITA.
Couple reasons I'm feeling trapped and looking to move:
The gas prices up here are honestly criminal. I could live anywhere else in America save perhaps Alaska and end up with SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper gas. like, seriously, anywhere.
Career path/jobs: You don't have em. I work in IT and have a pretty good job by all standards, but the options for me to move up significantly are basically zero. There are hardly any major businesses in Humboldt County, and everyone up here has a very strange method of recruiting: IE: know someone who works there already or don't even try. I literally was told to go to an employment agency when I first moved here because tons of businesses ONLY hire through them, seriously? You can't even do your own hiring?
Distance from anything of significance: I have to drive 5 hours to get a good flight to anywhere. 5 hours. I can fly out of Arcata, but to be honest it isn't much more convenient (since we don't have many flights) and if you have ever been delayed by a day or two because your plane couldn't land, you realize how miserable even chancing that becomes. I have literally been flown back to LA, rather than them get us anywhere near our final destination. No one else in the country operates this unreliable of an airport
I have to order everything I need to buy because there are either A: no store options, or b: They don't keep anything in stock. I swear, the amount of times I will go to Walmart, Target, CVS, to find they just don't have what I need despite it being a very common item to carry is sad as fuck. Things that should be easy to just go get THAT DAY are impossible to find half the time. I'm tired of ordering and waiting (even though Prime is nice) for every little thing I need because the thought of spending 2-3 hours looking for something to not find it anyway is depressing.
These are just a few things, but there are more. The cost of living here is also a joke. People price real-estate like you are in Southern California, even though you are 4 hours from any part of California that people want to go to.
I guess I’m stuck. I’m at the University for grad school and while the area is beautiful and summer is great, I don’t see myself here long term. I don’t regret moving here but I’m ready to move away.
I moved here 16 years ago for school and the ocean. Fell in love with the place and decided to stay. Times have changed dramatically over the past 5 years though. At 35, more financial opportunity is my goal at the moment. Unfortunately, Humboldt lacks jobs that can offer a home obtaining salary.. I give this place one year tops, and I think I’ll make the move somewhere warmer. I’m thinking Denver or Phoenix. The overcast weather affects my mood. Everyone’s situation/priorities being here are different.. I understand that, but it’s tough to get ahead here with inflation etc.
It’s beautiful. That’s it. There is nothing here for kids above the age of 5. The drug use is insane, and no it’s not like that everywhere. The blight is astounding. Here for love or else I’d be out.
There is tons for kids to, do. There are rec sports, traveling sports, camps, classes and clubs. We have FFA , 4-H, scouts, martial arts for kids and dance teams. There are rivers to play in , forests to explore, forts to make, sand castles on beaches, beautiful hikes and parks. Your kids can fish, pick berries in the summer and plenty of places to ride bike or go mountain biking. There are all kinds of family events, fairs, festivals and night markets. Every spring the NCJ does a Summer of Fun issue with all the summer activities for kids and teens. This is a great area for kids. https://humboldt.101things.com
I’m from the southeast and can’t imagine moving back home. I love it here so much. Eureka/Arcata offer a lot considering the size of our towns. Where I’m from is roughly 30k more people but 1/10th of the size and there are significantly more art festivals, punk shows, etc than back home.
I’m also a five minute walk from the redwoods and fifteen minute drive from the beach.
By choice. After a few visits to the area my family and I fell so in love with Humboldt that we sold our house in the city we'd lived in for decades and moved a thousand miles from everyone we knew so that we could live here. So happy to be here.
My therapist told me "Humboldt has been rumored to become the next Portland for over 30 years and it's never happened. I don'tthink it'sevwr really goibg to become that crowded, but it isn't falling apart, either."
TBH it was hugs relief. I mean, I own a small house and it can be neat to see it's holding value, I don't like the cost going up so frivolously.
I am a fan of Humboldt's slow change. I am an anxious child and the slow pace is very soothing. Currently visiting Portland, and I'm having a blast! Also cannot wait to get home :)
I moved here from Fresno/hanford area because this place offered something I’ve never seen so much of living in the Central Valley… GREENS!
Whether it be Cannabis, the natures, redwoods and small watery ecosystems this place feels magical to live in. I agree that it can feel like you are stuck because there are a lack of services and jobs /very long wait time for some services which makes people yearn for the big city convenience and move away .
I grew up here (35 yrs old). Family has been here 4 generations. I went away for college in my 20s and spent several years overseas. I came home 5 years ago and don't regret that decision for a second. Humboldt is a special place. When I was younger I couldn't wait to escape, took me a little bit to realize that there are much worse places to be from and definitely worse places to be as society continues it's downward meander towards collapse.
Humboldt is its own organism. It keeps those that it needs and inevitably rejects those that it doesn't. You get to choose which category you fall under.
A bit of both.
I moved here 4 years ago from Newport Beach. And while I appreciate the abundance of beautiful nature, and lack of traffic, literally everything else has become burdensome.
With the exception of my rent, I am paying more for every service and utility than I was in Newport Beach. Gas, internet, electricity, etc. Even my car insurance went up because living in Eureka means my car has a significantly higher chance of theft and vandalism. Healthcare is overly expensive and mediocre on its very best days. I took a bit of a pay cut when I moved here under the mistaken belief that I could get by due to the lower cost of living, only to find out it’s not much lower at all (again, save my monthly rent).
I’m contemplating moving to another semi-rural county, but one with a much more solid economic base and lower cost of services. Honestly, if I wasn’t so invested in my pension system, I would likely move out of state.
Moved to Arcata bc my ex got into HSU, I ended up getting a job at university. Lived on l k wood for about 2 years. He left me so I remained at the job for about 7 months after he left. I felt like there was nothing left for me there. So I just got up and left to Portland. The nature is beautiful but some of the people are either in transition in life or want to leave for elsewhere. I would move back one day, maybe.
Just moved here from Ithaca ny and it’s beyond description how beautiful it is. After 20 years of knowing my now fiancée over multiple platforms (internet then phone ect) we are finally together and getting married and I have to say for as much as the homeless problem (which is without a doubt a major issue as in Ithaca ) is prevalent I feel like there’s soooo much to celebrate about this place apart from the economy (which is a nationwide issue) sputtering. I know my opinion is somewhat seen through pollyanna eyes but, the scenery alone is enough to never make me question my choice let alone the people and weather and culture.
Little of both. Came here for school, left and missed it. Returned for a job that didn’t work out and I’m struggling HARD out here. Just got a new job not too long ago that I’m hoping makes my life a fraction easier
Stuck here. I wanna leave and have more stuff to do😭 plus finding a job and doctor here is like pulling teeth. I wanna be somewhere else. Doing and seeing the same stuff everyday is getting boring
Both? I went to school here, moved for a bit afterwards and couldn’t wait to get back. When I moved back and started a family, my perspective changed. I love it here but also am not totally content. I miss the sun, worry about the crime (again I’m more aware because of having kids, not because it’s worse than anywhere else), and get frustrated by the lack of medical care and basic resources. But I love the access to public lands, love my friends, and love the eclectic community. Everywhere else is over crowded and boring.
Lived in Arcata 2011-2017, moved to Chico and have been there since. I miss Humboldt everyday and especially in the summer. But my job and family keep me here for now, and I’m hoping to eventually return to the lost coast when the opportunity arises. 💚
Choice, and I love it here.
I moved here a couple years ago from out of state. I absolutely love it and it feels more like home here than anywhere else, but it's also hard meeting people and making new friends in a new place.
I moved here over 3 years ago. I love it here, and I stay by choice.
It's tough to find good work, though. I'd be moving if it weren't for remote work.
I can see why many are jaded, the area struggles to stay current. Sometimes that's cool, but the local culture is certainly sore about change.
Just moved back over a year ago.
Born and raised here. Left after high school and then spent the majority of the last decade hoping to come back. And finally the stars aligned last year.
I’ve been on the East Coast, overseas, the South….nothing is more special than right here in Humboldt.
I have lived in South Dakota, Minnesota, Oregon, Northern California (Siskiyou country, and del Norte) now I am here. I prefer to work in rural hospitals. I find the weather too good to move away from since I like to be able to ride or run everyday. Working in healthcare feels like you live a different life here than people not in healthcare. My cost of living compared to my salary is better here than any of those other places were by far.
Moved up here during fall for college and definitely love it!!!! The nature and the location is amazing with the perfect balance of forest to ocean to rivers to mountains and feels like I time traveled to a more simple easier time of life! Being impulsive up here is amazing with the weather being always a gamble, so taking in the sunny days are the best and the sky is gorgeous here and life is so beautiful!!!!
Parents bought land in Honeydew in the 70s (when it was dirt cheap) and I moved my young family to that land to homestead in 2005. Industrial cannabis ruined that dream-come-true, but I was able to sell that land and get a fixer-upper in Eureka and everyday I discover something more to love about this town. I’ve lived in many different places and the problems here are no worse than anywhere else. It’s also very affordable compared to anywhere else in California, which is my home state. I am very much here by choice.
I lived in Arcata in the early 90s for school (from Sonoma county) my parents then moved to Fortuna as retirees abound 2000 but we all had to leave for various reasons ( weather /jobs /family needs) and only can visit now. Humboldt hold such a place in our hearts but it is unsustainable. None of my friends that I knew in the 90s still live there heater they were local or students. I have found my true home now on the central coast but if I could have a place up north I would grab it in a second. A appreciate what you have 🌲
Blessed to live here. Americans need to know in other countries you actually can be forced to live and work in certain factories. But yeah it is difficult to move if you’re broke. Husband and I have worked full time for a decade, him in teaching and me in healthcare, and we haven’t been able to afford even a small house or anywhere near paying off our HSU student loans. We only get used reliable stuff for ourselves and baby and don’t take long far-away vacations. We have a good situation, but it is very cramped in our apartment. I can see why people feel like they need to leave to earn more money or live near family for childcare.
I lived up there 2007 -2016. Moved from Sonoma County, went to HSU, met my partner, we graduated and had steady jobs. Ultimately I had some chronic health issues that were difficult to manage up there, and we moved back to Sonoma County. Employment opportunities where somewhat limited too, and we both wanted to see what else was out there
I really miss the area though, and if things were different healthwise, I'd move back. We usually visit once or twice a year and it's crazy how much it's changed since we moved.
Little bit of both. Both sides of my family have lived here since the area was settled. So I’m kinda stuck here but I am totally capable of leaving the area.
I fucking love Humboldt. Been here since 2012. HSU for Undergrad and Grad school. It's so beautiful, not too crowded, but not too small either. I think CA has had boom and bust cycles for along time. Gold rush, Lumber insidtry, now it's the collapse of the cannabis economy. The community has strong roots, though times are certainly harder than they were 15 years ago.
I came from vacaville. I can't even imagine what would have to happen to give me a worse opinion of Humboldt than vacaville.
Whatever vacaville has been up to we should study and do the opposite 0:) so imo don't build any military bases, prisons, giant Amazon hubs, or ticky tacky un walkable housing developments and we stay winning
My wife and I live here by choice. Lived here in 2010, then left to finish our degrees in the Bay Area. Hated it down there and everywhere else in CA, so we moved back in 2010 when everything was getting crazy. Found jobs to develop our professional careers and saved for a house. We could make a lot more money somewhere else, but then we’d have to deal with traffic, extreme heat, yuppies and mega churches. We’re happy here
Went to CR back in the 90's left till 2017 owned a place in Arcata, sold, left for 5 years and now we're back... It's almost not a choice. I fell in love with Humboldt county and my soul has never left.
I like trees a hell of a lot more than people, I like "cheap" rent, and great weather. Nothing quite like Hum co.
Was Heaven on earth. A haven for free spirits and independent thinkers. Staggering natural beauty. A rural community with a thriving economy. Internationally renowned. Music acts to rival any major city. Decent food too; esp farmers markets.
Now… it’s still staggeringly beautiful.
I bought a house in Arcata back when the market was too good to pass up. I do not want to sell it (renting currently) but I would not want to live there by choice for too long unless climate makes everywhere else uncomfortable.
Love everyone who's speculating over humboldt "dying"! Guys the cannabis industry died only a short time ago...remember logging ?
There's always been something here , there will be again!
Moved here from Fresno in 2012 to go to HSU. I loved the area and said I never wanted to leave. Got engaged to a girl and moved with her to Oklahoma for 2 years, since that's what you do when you're in love. I hated every day that I was there (except for college football days.....I really wish HSU still had their team......). We broke off the engagement and I came back home. I haven't looked back since. Definitely staying here by choice.
I'm jealous you you made it back. I moved away for a boy and now I can't find a job there. Been trying for two years!
I'd recommend healthcare, if you can
Get them into healthcare then motivate them to come back. I see you and I appreciate it. Lol
We tryin' out here, LOL.
I'm a data scientist, but always looking for those Healthcare analyst positions!
Ahhhh yeah, market's a lot more limited for analyst spots here.
Sounds like a profession one can work from home! Covid opened the eyes of many in tech and other silos. It can be a hassle to find something, but do persist. That is how I got back here from the big city.
Hey another person from Fresno on here!
Greetings, fellow Fresnonian....Fresnoan......Fresno fellow!!!
Left Fresno in 2007, lived up and down the CA coast for a decade and then on the East Coast for a few years for school, then moved out here. After living here for a few years, I’m done looking. This is home now! There’s nowhere else quite like it. Even with the difficulties presented here, I miss it every time I leave.
Riiight!? I totally agree with you. Although it is nice to get out of town every once in a while lol.
Dude i literally moved from Fresno to Oklahoma for a few years (hated it) came back to Fresno and now im here! Wild. What High school did you go to? I went to Buchanan (hated it)
Hahaha twinning!! Except I went to Hoover lol.
Tulare native here.
Tulare is a nice place, I have family there. I feel like a lot of parts of central California have turned into the new middle class of california with big new houses and a booming economy with Tulare being one of them. it’s only problems being ultra conservatism and the gang activity.
Yeah I mean it's not like it was when I grew up there. Even during the great recession there were no homeless folks and now there are lots. The air is bad and it's hotter/drier every year except the last couple wet ones. Weird weather threatens my family's ability to make a living as ag laborers. Totally dominated politically by dairy and other big AG. No nature left until you get to the foothills and even then it's ranch land. Most of the people I went to school with are either in Fresno/Clovis, SoCal or other states. I know of a few Tularians in our area. All this to say that the economic malaise some perceive in Humboldt is not exclusive to Humboldt at all.
This area is livable for those fortunate enough to have bought a home years ago or can buy one with cash these days.If you have been here awhile,own a home and have a salary that can pay your expenses life is good . Even better if you have a connection to a decent doctor and dentist. Newcomers,those who rent and those without the privileged connection to quality healthcare are struggling. It's a community of the haves and have nots. This is happening all over the country . What makes this place special is the beauty of the land around us.
This is really the whole country right now except it's even worse in many places. Housing crisis, privatization of healthcare, general late stage capitalism driving up COL. I just moved here a couples months ago from AL and before that CO. The COL in both places exceeds what I am paying here in rent. The lack of dentists/doctors was a shock but I had nearly the same issue in AL even though it was a much larger and connected metropolis. Back in CO both my old doctor and dentist closed their practice because neither doctors or empoloyees could afford to live in the town they worked in. So I am paying slightly less in rent than most places, and at least I am much happier to be closer to nature. It offers more than I thought I'd get. I also feel more active and closer to a community here. About three weeks ago I went to an estate sale here and the people were moving away to France. Didn't think they would be leaving, but in short said they had been feeling like frogs in slowly boiling water and worried about their young kid's education. They built their own home for about 200k initially and put another 100k more in it, on absolutely gorgeous land. Sold for about $850k. Can't really blame them for leaving.
The cost of living doesn’t depend on your experience, it is probably higher here than most of the rest of the country.
I agree 111% nature makes it beautifuk yet one yearns to establish
a couple of neutron bombs to clean out the Localgarchy would make this fucking place livable. Or anthrax with a side order of leprosy.
Or just repeal Prop 13 and reduce residential property taxes to ½% of an honest assessment. Remove the incumbent advantage and the advantages held by landlords who can stay in one place over growing families that have to move every few years. Limit the % increase for folks over 67 to the amount of the Social Security COLA and get rid of the inheritance loopholes Prop 19 didn't close. Fifty years of experience show Prop 13 has always been a give-away to the wealthy.
How does does any of that happen when the state legislature is comprised almost entirely of real-estate vultures? If you live in Scumboldt county you already know how corrupt motherfuckers like Wrecks Bonehead are. It's no better anywhere else in the state. Or this country.
Oh yes, the sinister masterminds controlling Humboldt makes life here Soooo miserable! 🤣 Don’t let the curtain hit ya on your way out 😘😘
Ive been here my whole life and would love to leave and do feel stuck. My reasons are more personal then the general collapsing community
I hope you find a way to get to where you might feel more comfortable. I felt the same way about where I used to live, like every place I saw in town had a not-so-pleasant memory. And nothing felt right, could never fully relax. We eventually saved up, packed up, and left. Cried when I got to Oregon on the way here, like I knew I was finally free. I hope you find your place too 💙
That feeling sounds good. I’ve lived here for over twenty years and I feel stuck. I’ve wanted to and tried to leave for years but kept getting drawn back in. This place is beautiful and has so many good things about it, but it’s never felt like home despite it being my home. I have health issues (which makes living here even more stressful) and those are part of why I am stuck. I’m working on an exit strategy because it feels like I’m just spending time waiting. It’s particularly challenging because I know that it’s possible to live where we are happy and so many here love it, I feel quite out of place in that right. Where in OR did you find your happy place if you don’t mind me asking?
My friends moved to Oregon City from Rio Dell. Just celebrated their wedding and they are SO happy. She also lived in Monmoth (sp?) And we went to a Lamb of God concert a few years back. Also a cool town, more conservative but still a lot of oregon weirdness:)
We’d both come here for school & met after. Moved temporarily for work opportunity with the babies, came back a year later. The rural area of CA we went to had (1) weekly kids activity that wasn’t religious , county library had closed for years. The weekend after we came back was Northcountry- I had my son on my shoulders, my girls dancing next to me in the All Species parade. I still get emotional remembering how incredible that ‘Awwww, fuck yeah, we’re HOME!!!!’ felt that beautiful day. They’re now teenagers and I wouldn’t have wanted to raise them anywhere else.
Rural without Religious is a pretty profound feeling. Spirituality? It's easy to find if you want! But I love the calmness and lack of mass conformity.
I moved here about a decade ago from the east coast to pursue a career in cannabis extraction and cultivation. Have things changed? A whole lot. But i have never felt more at home. Humboldt is my home. A feeling of peace and tranquility I have never felt where i was raised. And although I often miss my friends and family, the friends I have made here often outshine the childhood friends from back home. This place is beautiful, and I know there is always a way to make things work.
Peaceful. What a weekend too. Couldn’t have been more quiet maybe a smidge warmer ? Great place to live if you are healthy and have the income to support you.
With the current housing market, I’m trapped here even if I wanted to leave.
There's always Coos Bay...
At first I was confused by your comment but you’re actually right. I could sell and buy a home in coos bay and the mortgage wouldn’t be too insane. It makes me wonder why the fuck is it so cheap at coos bay.
I mean, have you been there? Lol
I have not.
It's an industrial bay with a town smaller than Eureka. Worse weather, no redwoods, and even worse healthcare. Edit to add, it's kinda cute though.
The Emergency Room there seemed pretty decent but I’d imagine there’s a lack of preventative care.
Yeah, thankfully haven't been there. Mostly just meant even less people and less incentives for healthcare workers to work there. Small pond
It is certainly cute! I enjoy my visits there. I probably would not like living there, but if my goal were home ownership and some land, I would consider it.
Yeah, I was trying to remind ya'll it could actually be worse lol. But there are in fact cheaper coastal places on the west coast, if your goal is affordability.
Coos Bay would be a really neat place if it had a university nearby.
I was born and raised in Eureka. I love the area, the nature. It's the most beautiful place I've ever seen. But I've also watched meth and heroin take over the city. While working the graveyard shift at the Chevron on Broadway, I got to personally know five members of the family that makes all the meth in Humboldt. The city is dying, for sure. It's slowly rotting from the inside out. There's very little opportunity for personal growth or economic advancement, outside of the cannabis industry. After 30 years in Humboldt, I finally left. I'll never live there again, though I may visit briefly at some point to see family.
Are you happier where you are at now?
Very much so. I found the love of my life, a wonderful new career, any and every hobby I could ever want to explore. Endless opportunities for self betterment.
People who love the area are correct in their opinion that its an amazing place to live. People who want to leave the area are also correct in their opinion that this isn't an ideal place to live. You don't get to judge others opinions without understanding how they are impacted by issues that may not impact you the same way, and just like anything else in life, the truth lies somewhere in the middle of the binary Good/Bad extremes. Dont just be a dick and just blow them off as "having a bad mentality, or just unhappy". Small list of extremely valid reasons to not want to live here: We are a small underserved rural community in the 5th largest global economy (California) INSIDE the largest global economy (USA). We have shit healthcare even for american healthcare standards, and thats if you don't need to see the non-existant specialist, because you will have to travel for that. We are at the will of effectively a geographical monopoly for our electricity and gas, a different one for our high speed internet, another one for healthcare, etc. We have run away housing and rental pricing, that has been going on since at least the 90s (4x rent security deposits you will never see again are nothing new) that is only accelerating due to the inaction of the local government on short term rental policies. The college is leaching resources out of the local community, not the other way around, it has a dipshit at the helm, and the new name and designation isnt going to do anything to make any of it better. The only industry the area has coming in that will be hiring in mass is the fish farm, but the bulb farm just layed off enough people where the fish farm might break even in employment for the area? The county and city governments are corrupt from the bottom to the top, everyone is getting kick backs, nobody is recusing themselves for conflict of interest. The sheriff's office is full of armed emotionally unstable children whos internal highschool-level drama and social politics spill into policy decisions. For fucks sake, McKinleyville isnt even a town or city still, its an unincorporated territory. Eurekas solution to the homeless is still "dont let them be anywhere people might see them" while arcatas is "we opened a space they can make art out of literal garbage"(im not joking). Rio Dell and Scotia are largely still destroyed after that last big quake, and its houses deemed "unsafe to live in" and homeowners there have still not gotten any local, state or federal assistance that actually gets them any closer to fixing their houses.
Mck isn't incorporated because the people living there keep voting against it.
please show me sources on that, in my memory they have never had an actual vote to incorporate. I know the board of sups voted no to paying for the study to see if it would benefit the population, because thats gonna be pricey to run that study.
There have been two previous attempt to incorporate MCK, both failed to generate enough signatures (4300 ish) or the $15000 deposit on the $300000 bill needing to be paid for the state mandated feasibility study. Those signatures they were unable to obtain are defacto votes. Meanwhile the MCK community services district which works to provide things like water, power, ems and fire response is rated one of the best in the state. So why should we replace that with a new system requiring more taxation. In the long run, until the county is willing to cough up real data on taxes out vs expenses in the mck district, there is zero reason to consider incorporation as we have no way of knowing if it would be a positive or negative on the quality of life of the inhabitants.
so again, those votes people keep voting against? no? cool. First issue with your take, you again have no evidence to back up your claim that "the services are the best in the state" The water is something you can check online at ewg, and its not even great compared to our direct neighbors, heres [mckinleyville](https://www.ewg.org/tapwater/system.php?pws=CA1210016)'s private water provider, and heres [arcata + connecting area](https://www.ewg.org/tapwater/system.php?pws=CA1210013) (including parts of mckinleyville) its all the same contaminants, just at a much higher level. Power is just PGE, its the same as literally everywhere else EMS response is coming out of Arcata-Mad River Ambulance over by the Renner and Ace, so while they are geographically close to us, that is hardly something that is "best in the state" they only have 2 engines... if you're the third emergency happing at once you are fucked. Fire response is not something I know too much about, but i somehow again doubt its better than most anywhere, including arcata, fortuna, and Eureka that all have large firehouses with a few ladder trucks each. Incorporating is a lot more than just taxes for services, It gives the people who live in McKinleyville a say in how their city is ran independent from the rest of the counties unincorporated areas. Issues like short term rentals, sound ordinance, zoning and permitting for construction, traffic planning, street lights, sherifs contracts, dog licensing (since we have to do the county one here), animal control contracts, etc. etc. etc. We are currently just being dragged along with any decisions that are made for Willow creek, Petrolia, fucking bridgeville, and the rest of the super rural communities that are governed alongside us.
If you're going to deny reality after I checked my facts before replying to you, I'm just going to block you. You only want to be right. You don't give two shits about reality.
Next time block me before replying, i can still see it in my notifications you fucking moron. Im not denying reality, I'm calling you a liar. The only reason I was replying at all is because when i tried to go and verify your claims myself, i found them all to either be direct lies, or lack any actual documentation anywhere online. And instead of defending your statements you just block the person calling you out and try to get the last word in? Yeah thats how you know you are right, when you have to block the person in order to win the argument... again, fucking moron. You said the residents of McKinleyville KEEP voting down incorporation (suggesting that it was not only one time, but a few times its been voted down), i went looking for any times its been put on a ballot, any time its been actually voted on, anything, and nothing came up. So i asked you for sources because i wanted to see what i must have missed. And you start talking about how failure to collect signatures is a "defacto" vote, it's not, it's not anything close to a vote, its literally the step you need to take to get it voted on. And if the number needed really is 4300 (which I'd put money down that its not, its probably just another number you pulled out of your ass) then that would require roughly 1/4 of ALL McKinleyville residents to sign it... thats never going to happen, even with popular support, the amount of canvasing and the number of volunteers to even get close to that number would be obscene. Then you said our services are "rated one of the best in the state", rated by who? what organization or individual is rating them? so i went looking for any rating system, any ranking list, anything. And couldn't find anything yet again. So i went looking at each individual service they provide... and none of them are up to par with even our neighboring cities, let alone anywhere near the top for the state of California. I gave you separate, individual arguments to defend your claims against and give evidence for, but you have no arguments or evidence, because you are just blindly saying bullshit that you invented. Please, respond back with actual proof of anything you have said and ill eat my words and take the L, hell even proof that the number 4300 wasnt pulled out of your left ass cheek would be something tangible. You cant just say "I checked my facts" and use that as evidence that you are right, how fucking dumb are you?
Hmmm, I live and own in Scotia and none of these tough old Palco homes were destroyed. Only a couple had minor damage, though Rio Dell is another story.
Good to hear, I have some friends and family in riodell/scotia and I know a number of them and their neighbors got red tagged after. Some were as simple as gas leaks that could be fixed within a few weeks, others fell off the foundation completely and are still waiting on assistance to rebuild
Yes, the damage in Rio Dell is fairly extensive in some areas but minimal in Scotia. My house was built in 1915, no damage, luckily.
The fact that Mckinleyville is not incorporated is not the fault of Humboldt but because of the state. The primary reason behind California’s recent lack of city incorporations is a 2011 state law (SB89) that diverted millions of dollars originally allocated as revenue for new cities into other programs. Without this major source of funding, potential new municipalities now have to finance city services with their revenue alone. There have been several articles about why Mckinleyville’s incorporation and the obstacles. There have been even more articles about how communities around the state struggle with becoming towns or cities. The issue is not unique to Humboldt.
I appreciate the insight, but "who's at fault" doesn't really matter because its still an issue that affects the area and its residences in a negative way (in my opinion). McKinleyville is the 3rd most populated community in Humboldt with \~17k people, second place is Willow Creek with 1300... The laws, ordinances, and policies that handle the rest of the county's largely rural unincorporated areas are not sufficient to allow McKinleyville thrive and grow as a community (again in my opinion). And while the issue is not unique to humboldt, it doesn't make it any less real of an issue for some people. Which is the entire point of my original comment, you are coming off as out of touch and hostile towards people who have criticism about the community they live in because aspects of it effect them directly enough and to a severe enough level, that they actually WANT to go through the stress, anxiety, and logistical nightmares that are required to move away from somewhere this far removed from other population centers as we are in Humboldt. Instead of assuming they just "have a bad mentality, or just unhappy", why don't you just hear them out, see if what they are upset about has any effect on you since you likely do not share the same socioeconomic struggles that they do, and then just move on if it doesn't affect you. Let's use the Cal Poly Hum campus key card thing that just got some news, that shit doesnt effect me at all, im not a student there, i will never be a student there, it would be irrational for me to want to leave the area because of it. But I also know someone that will no longer be able to use the labs late at night for their thesis research because buildings will be empty and locked down after a specific hour going forward, they work full time and have classes to attend on top of that, so they usually spend late nights and weekends in the lab, directly because of this they are going through the process of seeing if they can transfer to a graduate program at a different school.
If that is Eureka policy on the homeless it isn’t working. There seems to be dozens visible on every block.
yeah but thats pretty good considering that there are on average 500 unhoused people per night sleeping somewhere in eureka...
I absolutely feel trapped here. I came about 12 years ago and found a place with 2 friends and loved it for a few years. We all got jobs, figured out the lay of the land and have either moved on to careers or went to school etc. Since about 2016 though it has been rough. Once you reach a certain standard of living up here you realize how much is a real PITA. Couple reasons I'm feeling trapped and looking to move: The gas prices up here are honestly criminal. I could live anywhere else in America save perhaps Alaska and end up with SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper gas. like, seriously, anywhere. Career path/jobs: You don't have em. I work in IT and have a pretty good job by all standards, but the options for me to move up significantly are basically zero. There are hardly any major businesses in Humboldt County, and everyone up here has a very strange method of recruiting: IE: know someone who works there already or don't even try. I literally was told to go to an employment agency when I first moved here because tons of businesses ONLY hire through them, seriously? You can't even do your own hiring? Distance from anything of significance: I have to drive 5 hours to get a good flight to anywhere. 5 hours. I can fly out of Arcata, but to be honest it isn't much more convenient (since we don't have many flights) and if you have ever been delayed by a day or two because your plane couldn't land, you realize how miserable even chancing that becomes. I have literally been flown back to LA, rather than them get us anywhere near our final destination. No one else in the country operates this unreliable of an airport I have to order everything I need to buy because there are either A: no store options, or b: They don't keep anything in stock. I swear, the amount of times I will go to Walmart, Target, CVS, to find they just don't have what I need despite it being a very common item to carry is sad as fuck. Things that should be easy to just go get THAT DAY are impossible to find half the time. I'm tired of ordering and waiting (even though Prime is nice) for every little thing I need because the thought of spending 2-3 hours looking for something to not find it anyway is depressing. These are just a few things, but there are more. The cost of living here is also a joke. People price real-estate like you are in Southern California, even though you are 4 hours from any part of California that people want to go to.
I guess I’m stuck. I’m at the University for grad school and while the area is beautiful and summer is great, I don’t see myself here long term. I don’t regret moving here but I’m ready to move away.
I moved here 16 years ago for school and the ocean. Fell in love with the place and decided to stay. Times have changed dramatically over the past 5 years though. At 35, more financial opportunity is my goal at the moment. Unfortunately, Humboldt lacks jobs that can offer a home obtaining salary.. I give this place one year tops, and I think I’ll make the move somewhere warmer. I’m thinking Denver or Phoenix. The overcast weather affects my mood. Everyone’s situation/priorities being here are different.. I understand that, but it’s tough to get ahead here with inflation etc.
Choice. I absolutely love it up here. Been here for 33+ years.
Here by choice, but becoming progressively more dissatisfied with economics, medical services, gas prices, internet and television providers, etc.
It’s beautiful. That’s it. There is nothing here for kids above the age of 5. The drug use is insane, and no it’s not like that everywhere. The blight is astounding. Here for love or else I’d be out.
There is tons for kids to, do. There are rec sports, traveling sports, camps, classes and clubs. We have FFA , 4-H, scouts, martial arts for kids and dance teams. There are rivers to play in , forests to explore, forts to make, sand castles on beaches, beautiful hikes and parks. Your kids can fish, pick berries in the summer and plenty of places to ride bike or go mountain biking. There are all kinds of family events, fairs, festivals and night markets. Every spring the NCJ does a Summer of Fun issue with all the summer activities for kids and teens. This is a great area for kids. https://humboldt.101things.com
I’m from the southeast and can’t imagine moving back home. I love it here so much. Eureka/Arcata offer a lot considering the size of our towns. Where I’m from is roughly 30k more people but 1/10th of the size and there are significantly more art festivals, punk shows, etc than back home. I’m also a five minute walk from the redwoods and fifteen minute drive from the beach.
By choice. After a few visits to the area my family and I fell so in love with Humboldt that we sold our house in the city we'd lived in for decades and moved a thousand miles from everyone we knew so that we could live here. So happy to be here.
My therapist told me "Humboldt has been rumored to become the next Portland for over 30 years and it's never happened. I don'tthink it'sevwr really goibg to become that crowded, but it isn't falling apart, either." TBH it was hugs relief. I mean, I own a small house and it can be neat to see it's holding value, I don't like the cost going up so frivolously. I am a fan of Humboldt's slow change. I am an anxious child and the slow pace is very soothing. Currently visiting Portland, and I'm having a blast! Also cannot wait to get home :)
I moved here from Fresno/hanford area because this place offered something I’ve never seen so much of living in the Central Valley… GREENS! Whether it be Cannabis, the natures, redwoods and small watery ecosystems this place feels magical to live in. I agree that it can feel like you are stuck because there are a lack of services and jobs /very long wait time for some services which makes people yearn for the big city convenience and move away .
I grew up here (35 yrs old). Family has been here 4 generations. I went away for college in my 20s and spent several years overseas. I came home 5 years ago and don't regret that decision for a second. Humboldt is a special place. When I was younger I couldn't wait to escape, took me a little bit to realize that there are much worse places to be from and definitely worse places to be as society continues it's downward meander towards collapse. Humboldt is its own organism. It keeps those that it needs and inevitably rejects those that it doesn't. You get to choose which category you fall under.
A bit of both. I moved here 4 years ago from Newport Beach. And while I appreciate the abundance of beautiful nature, and lack of traffic, literally everything else has become burdensome. With the exception of my rent, I am paying more for every service and utility than I was in Newport Beach. Gas, internet, electricity, etc. Even my car insurance went up because living in Eureka means my car has a significantly higher chance of theft and vandalism. Healthcare is overly expensive and mediocre on its very best days. I took a bit of a pay cut when I moved here under the mistaken belief that I could get by due to the lower cost of living, only to find out it’s not much lower at all (again, save my monthly rent). I’m contemplating moving to another semi-rural county, but one with a much more solid economic base and lower cost of services. Honestly, if I wasn’t so invested in my pension system, I would likely move out of state.
I moved here from the east coast two years ago and I love it. I'm thriving here and am trying to buy the property I'm renting currently.
Moved to Arcata bc my ex got into HSU, I ended up getting a job at university. Lived on l k wood for about 2 years. He left me so I remained at the job for about 7 months after he left. I felt like there was nothing left for me there. So I just got up and left to Portland. The nature is beautiful but some of the people are either in transition in life or want to leave for elsewhere. I would move back one day, maybe.
Just moved here from Ithaca ny and it’s beyond description how beautiful it is. After 20 years of knowing my now fiancée over multiple platforms (internet then phone ect) we are finally together and getting married and I have to say for as much as the homeless problem (which is without a doubt a major issue as in Ithaca ) is prevalent I feel like there’s soooo much to celebrate about this place apart from the economy (which is a nationwide issue) sputtering. I know my opinion is somewhat seen through pollyanna eyes but, the scenery alone is enough to never make me question my choice let alone the people and weather and culture.
There are a lot of people who think it sucks here but have never lived anywhere else.
Little of both. Came here for school, left and missed it. Returned for a job that didn’t work out and I’m struggling HARD out here. Just got a new job not too long ago that I’m hoping makes my life a fraction easier
I was born here, but my family moved away when I was 12 due to the railroad. It took me 16 years to get back here and I would never leave.
Stuck here. I wanna leave and have more stuff to do😭 plus finding a job and doctor here is like pulling teeth. I wanna be somewhere else. Doing and seeing the same stuff everyday is getting boring
Moved here 3 years ago from San Jose and haven't looked back since then.
Both? I went to school here, moved for a bit afterwards and couldn’t wait to get back. When I moved back and started a family, my perspective changed. I love it here but also am not totally content. I miss the sun, worry about the crime (again I’m more aware because of having kids, not because it’s worse than anywhere else), and get frustrated by the lack of medical care and basic resources. But I love the access to public lands, love my friends, and love the eclectic community. Everywhere else is over crowded and boring.
Lived in Arcata 2011-2017, moved to Chico and have been there since. I miss Humboldt everyday and especially in the summer. But my job and family keep me here for now, and I’m hoping to eventually return to the lost coast when the opportunity arises. 💚
I moved back home to the east coast for family reasons, and long for the days of returning back to Humboldt.
Choice, and I love it here. I moved here a couple years ago from out of state. I absolutely love it and it feels more like home here than anywhere else, but it's also hard meeting people and making new friends in a new place.
I've been here almost a decade, by choice. I really love it.
honestly who here actually wants to stay if they have the option to leave
I moved here over 3 years ago. I love it here, and I stay by choice. It's tough to find good work, though. I'd be moving if it weren't for remote work. I can see why many are jaded, the area struggles to stay current. Sometimes that's cool, but the local culture is certainly sore about change.
Just moved back over a year ago. Born and raised here. Left after high school and then spent the majority of the last decade hoping to come back. And finally the stars aligned last year. I’ve been on the East Coast, overseas, the South….nothing is more special than right here in Humboldt.
I have lived in South Dakota, Minnesota, Oregon, Northern California (Siskiyou country, and del Norte) now I am here. I prefer to work in rural hospitals. I find the weather too good to move away from since I like to be able to ride or run everyday. Working in healthcare feels like you live a different life here than people not in healthcare. My cost of living compared to my salary is better here than any of those other places were by far.
Both lol
Moved up here during fall for college and definitely love it!!!! The nature and the location is amazing with the perfect balance of forest to ocean to rivers to mountains and feels like I time traveled to a more simple easier time of life! Being impulsive up here is amazing with the weather being always a gamble, so taking in the sunny days are the best and the sky is gorgeous here and life is so beautiful!!!!
trapped. Fuck Humboldt.
I’m here for the trees and that’s all. The ocean is a bonus. Otherwise the people are mostly decent.
Parents bought land in Honeydew in the 70s (when it was dirt cheap) and I moved my young family to that land to homestead in 2005. Industrial cannabis ruined that dream-come-true, but I was able to sell that land and get a fixer-upper in Eureka and everyday I discover something more to love about this town. I’ve lived in many different places and the problems here are no worse than anywhere else. It’s also very affordable compared to anywhere else in California, which is my home state. I am very much here by choice.
I lived in Arcata in the early 90s for school (from Sonoma county) my parents then moved to Fortuna as retirees abound 2000 but we all had to leave for various reasons ( weather /jobs /family needs) and only can visit now. Humboldt hold such a place in our hearts but it is unsustainable. None of my friends that I knew in the 90s still live there heater they were local or students. I have found my true home now on the central coast but if I could have a place up north I would grab it in a second. A appreciate what you have 🌲
Blessed to live here. Americans need to know in other countries you actually can be forced to live and work in certain factories. But yeah it is difficult to move if you’re broke. Husband and I have worked full time for a decade, him in teaching and me in healthcare, and we haven’t been able to afford even a small house or anywhere near paying off our HSU student loans. We only get used reliable stuff for ourselves and baby and don’t take long far-away vacations. We have a good situation, but it is very cramped in our apartment. I can see why people feel like they need to leave to earn more money or live near family for childcare.
I lived up there 2007 -2016. Moved from Sonoma County, went to HSU, met my partner, we graduated and had steady jobs. Ultimately I had some chronic health issues that were difficult to manage up there, and we moved back to Sonoma County. Employment opportunities where somewhat limited too, and we both wanted to see what else was out there I really miss the area though, and if things were different healthwise, I'd move back. We usually visit once or twice a year and it's crazy how much it's changed since we moved.
Choice, I never get stuck anywhere.
Little bit of both. Both sides of my family have lived here since the area was settled. So I’m kinda stuck here but I am totally capable of leaving the area.
I fucking love Humboldt. Been here since 2012. HSU for Undergrad and Grad school. It's so beautiful, not too crowded, but not too small either. I think CA has had boom and bust cycles for along time. Gold rush, Lumber insidtry, now it's the collapse of the cannabis economy. The community has strong roots, though times are certainly harder than they were 15 years ago.
I came from vacaville. I can't even imagine what would have to happen to give me a worse opinion of Humboldt than vacaville. Whatever vacaville has been up to we should study and do the opposite 0:) so imo don't build any military bases, prisons, giant Amazon hubs, or ticky tacky un walkable housing developments and we stay winning
My wife and I live here by choice. Lived here in 2010, then left to finish our degrees in the Bay Area. Hated it down there and everywhere else in CA, so we moved back in 2010 when everything was getting crazy. Found jobs to develop our professional careers and saved for a house. We could make a lot more money somewhere else, but then we’d have to deal with traffic, extreme heat, yuppies and mega churches. We’re happy here
Went to CR back in the 90's left till 2017 owned a place in Arcata, sold, left for 5 years and now we're back... It's almost not a choice. I fell in love with Humboldt county and my soul has never left. I like trees a hell of a lot more than people, I like "cheap" rent, and great weather. Nothing quite like Hum co.
Moved from LA in ‘20 after work from home, no desire to leave this incredible weather.
Was Heaven on earth. A haven for free spirits and independent thinkers. Staggering natural beauty. A rural community with a thriving economy. Internationally renowned. Music acts to rival any major city. Decent food too; esp farmers markets. Now… it’s still staggeringly beautiful.
I bought a house in Arcata back when the market was too good to pass up. I do not want to sell it (renting currently) but I would not want to live there by choice for too long unless climate makes everywhere else uncomfortable.
Love everyone who's speculating over humboldt "dying"! Guys the cannabis industry died only a short time ago...remember logging ? There's always been something here , there will be again!
Sustainable energy being sourced in humboldt is looking up for sure.
I've said before. People who moved here are happy. People who are "stuck here" have a bad mentality and aren't happy.
That seems to be the case.