Eureka I have Found It!
Hello....I thought I would write a little something about the area I live and service...Eureka, California is a beautiful part of the country located in the northwest part of California about 275 miles north of San Francisco (a beautiful 6 hour drive on highway 101 or a 1 hour flight), and around 80 miles south of the Oregon border. Eureka is Greek for "I have found it!" There are also direct flights to LA (hell A) from the local airport on Horizon Air. Eureka is coastal and is located near the ocean and Humboldt Bay. The main industries historically have been lumber and fishing, both of which are declining sad to say. There are a lot of cattle and dairy ranches, with grass fed beef being a big seller. The cows must love it here because the water and air is clean and its always green. The weather is temperate on the coast all year round. Eureka is the county seat for Humboldt County. The county has a population of around 130,000 people covering 3400 square miles...compare that with Orange County, CA (where I moved from), only 800 square miles but over 3 million stuck in traffic souls) not counting the other 1/4 million who commute from neighboring counties LOL). The people live mostly in the Eureka, Arcata, McKinleyville and Fortuna areas. There are many microclimates in this area. For example you could be on the coast near Humboldt State University (located in Arcata), and drive 5 miles east to Blue Lake. It may be 20 degrees warmer there in Blue Lake in the summer. You could go cross country skiing about 45 minutes away in the winter. It rains about 40 inches a year, (same as Houston), but clean air and no humidity. The ice cubes are clear that come out of the tap!
The main lumber export here has been redwood. Sequoia sempevirens. The redwood tree is an amazing tree. It is the tallest living thing with trees known to be close to 400 feet in height, and one of the oldest, with some trees over 2000 years old. Its seeds are only a few centimeters... It is only found in the northern part of California along a strip that runs roughly from Santa Cruz in the south to Crescent City in the northern most part of California, a distance of around 450 miles or so. Redwoods State and National Parks are visited by many...check out the Lady Bird Johnson or Rockefeller groves if you plan a visit. Fern Canyon is also spectacular. The small coastal city of Trinidad is one of the most beautiful in this country, and only about 30 minutes north of Eureka. There are three Indian casinos in Humboldt County, located in Trinidad, Blue Lake and Loleta.
There are many families that have lived here for generarations. The first known expidition of this area was around 1806 by a Captain Winship, and around 1850 the gold rush in neighboring counties started to bring the white man in. The gold in Humboldt turned out to be in redwoods, not rocks. The area was and still has many native American tribes such as the Wiyot and Yurok. Humboldt County was named after a famous German explorer of the era, a Mr. Humboldt, who to the best of my knowledge never visited his namesake county. There are several counties in the United States named Humboldt, closest in Nevada and many cities named Eureka in the US.
One of the most unique characteristics of this area is the Victorian architecture. This area is totally unique to California and probably on the west coast given the amount of homes still standing homes that were built from the 1880's through the 1940's. Some are in wonderful restored condition, and some have been converted into apartments in years past, and some have vanished over time. Some need TLC... Entire cities such as Ferndale, CA have been designated a national historical landmark. Ferndale was founded around 1852 by the Shaw brothers, and their original home is now a beautiful bed & breakfast. There was an article in the Auto Club magazine this month featuring Ferndale.. The city of Arcata is celebrating its 150 year old birthday this year.... I really appreciate the history, and in many areas in southern California and other parts of the country, the "history" has been obliterated in the name of "progress." My office is located in a 1900 Victorian with a view of the boats on Humboldt Bay, and the most amazing gingerbread craftsmanship.
What drew me to this area is the idea of small town living, quality of life, excellent schools, the weather, and the real estate is the lowest priced coastal area in California. I was tired of the whole so Cal lifestyle. Many transplants live here from southern Cal or San Francisco bay area.... There is a tremendous arts and music scene. I have heard that Eureka has been named one of the 100 best small town arts destinations in the country...First Saturday night of each month is Arts Alive in Eureka and the streets of the Old Town area fill with people and music Lots of artists drawn by the spectacular natural beauty. Humboldt State University is the oldest university in the state system, with around 7000 students. Surprisingly we get many great musicians visiting the area. Last fall the great BB King played at HSU. I saw Joan Baez a few years ago, and many talented and famous musicians find their way to this part of the world...small town living with bigger city amenities.
I can go on and on and no, the chamber of commerce is not paying me to write this.....I wanted to write something different other than real estate, although I must add the market here is a lot better than in so cal and many other places because it has not been overbuilt. One house in Arcata sold last week had 7 offers in 24 hours after hitting the market. I had to say that, LOL!
A few good websites to check out if you want to learn more about Humboldt County:
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