Arcata, California

This is the best place to go if you’re a hippie.. well, besides the Haight-Ashbury. It’s located in Humboldt County, which is pretty well-known for it’s marijuana growing. The community is great, there are always festivals going on about the earth, such as the Mushroom Fair, the Hemp Festival, North Country Fair, everything you can imagine. I love it here! The people are so supportive of you.. they’ve even made a law which states that women can indeed go topless around the plaza in the centre of town. ; )

Arcata is a totally unreal place to check out and LIVE too! The rents are cheap and it seems everyone is way laid back, with Humboldt next door and being amongst the greatest redwoods in the world, how can you go wrong!

0 thoughts on “Arcata, California

  1. i am from arcada and it seems the yuppies are trying to take ove, they are talking about closing down the Endeavor, the only place in town that reaches out to the community supplying food, showers and everyday needed iteams to those not so blessed, plus it gives a place for the younger one to hang out, instead of being in the streets, they think it will lower the number of homeless and hippies, but really i th9nk it will make it worse because with out the food they supply more people will be in the streets begging for money or robbing, more hippies and homeless will smell from no showers, i know i been there, and more children will be making gangs because they wont have a safe place to go and will feel the need for a connection that is going to be taken away, i love humboldt, aracda but please if u can help dont let them take our resorces!!!

  2. Arcata is a rich tapestry of experience and you wil find what you seek. The things i love include:mountains and beaches, rivers, hiking,acess to orgain locally grown food.Art, a small community(compared to a metropolis such as San Fransico) feel, family centered gatherings that focus on the talents and gifts of local artists and musicians.Schools that offer a diffrent approach to education(many charter schools).Compassionate use-215. What is a challenge for me:low pay/wages-high cost of living expenses, difficult of find decent housing.the rain and fog(the longer i live here-almost 10 yrs)the more comfortable i become,but i can never shake the feeling i should have more sun on my back & stomach.mold,ants,and more mold.the Eureka PD.I feel torn about the plaza(nice with the farmer’s markets-but what’s up with the police cameras?),the homeless situation(if I were not so lucky or had different life circumstances that could be me),resturants(although some stand out:Larrapins,Moonstone,Ritz,Tomo,Wildflowers…-we lack any that have the winning combination of consistent excellent food and service),HSU(lots of students add to the housing problems but educated people usually create a different community-lots of $ & time to invest in projects)and transportation(could use a little more funding,the eratic bus schedules make it not that easy).I think we have alot of the same problems as a lot of small American towns.Mostly, if you want to visit Arcata there is some beautiful sights.To live here takes a certain kind of person.What I see as home has been described as the moldy armpit of the united states.

  3. I am from Arcata also. Things are, indeed, changing here. The people of Arcata have decided that it is time to reclaim the city.

    Arcata no longer welcomes parasites. The Endeavor is either going to be moved or closed. If you are looking for an easy way to live off of other people, try someplace else.

  4. Dear Hippys,is the ( Nigro College fund) bad or good,seem bad to me. its seems one type only. Nigro College fund dose seem racist because , its rong to use that word negro. the other part that is bad is only a Negro can apply for that fund. equality for all is the way not to be gender sex collor of the skin. its like having a ( Honkie college fund ) thats rong. Arcata Eureka. u wanna go to school. dont u wanna get a equality loan so u can go to school at HSU or CR ,thos are college. let teach our fellow about his rong. this all came up when I herd the tv ad about the (Nigro College fund) I just sat there and disagreed about that. ( can I uply for the negro college fund even know im white. or is it for one race only. Going to school is your feature. I wanna go to school humboldt state university. with being know as a race. collerless Im green . I wouldent mind to be green

  5. Greetings,
    I’m tired of dumb people. While I do consider myself generally tolerant of others different than me, I do find myself becoming a bit less tolerant in middle age… such as:

    People who do not spell check their posts on this site should not post! – Now that posters are prompted with Red underlines for misspelled words – please fix your mistakes before submitting!

    Posters who do not fix their spelling make Arcata look like a place for really stupid people, even though the mis-spellers are often quite enlightened!

    People who leave their *beloved* dogs with virtual strangers for months on end and then expose all readers to their emotional strife when they can not find them! If you care, and must leave your dogs, then develop a system to stay in contact with the caretakers – DUH!

    Non-mentally ill hungry people please be advised: You will be expected to work your whole lives to provide for yourselves.

    These days, US homeless people are routinely *FAT*, stop your whining! Poor in the state usually means having enough to eat, having transportation, a roof, and some medical access.

    From,
    A middle aged hippie, trying not to be a DumbAss

  6. Humboldt County sucks. Gas and real estate are crazy expensive. Homeless people are everywhere. The “Best Kept Secret” is actualy a dirty little secret. This place is horrible. People here are extremely rude. If you are black or asian you treated like trash, contrary to the popular notion that people are open minded here. Restaurants are unclean. The hippie leadership of Arcata blocks development from comming in and keeps homeless from comming out.
    Weather? How about rain and more rain combined with fog and more fog. Even Seattle has nicer summers. The Beach and surfing? It is too cold to go into the water. Even if you didn’t die of hypothermia, the rocks will kill you. Crime? There is a high percentage of theft and child molesters here. Compare it to big cities. Per capita this place is the ghetto. This is your “progressive” paradise. Enjoy.

  7. Dear hippys, has eny one herd of the united negro college fund. I was wondering, what people think about that. the mid west schools are having this rule that only lets white go to school blacks arent allowed. collor school and wite school only . is it rite or rong. negro fund found. its seem rong and it seem Racist only. eny body going to school HSU. I was hearing about it on the news to day about schools only letting white go to school. maybee it should be legal sence theres the negro fund. there both rong. hippys vote on scale from 1 to 10 ,I vote it a 1 terible.

  8. woodlander I agree with u. This place isent it. its not place to live off other people and beg. on the street like street rat. those people who came up north from down south. think its a ticket to shelter. its there for people willing to try. those who arent ganna try. that means dont bed, and make arcata look grose. because as far as im conserned. the city is ganna be take back. Whats the differnce between Homeless a hippys?.. No one want to see a homless be homeless. but its getting outta hand, so those willing to try. should get the shelter first. if u arent will to try then maybee u have a nother problem. If u cant get help or arent will to try. TRY. TRY like I said. u will live in the shelter and find a job. and show your trying. or if u cant u might have disabled problem witch enables u from working. they have check for homeless people, but Homless shelter should help the homeless find place on top of u trying. more. if u agree with me,Im a hippy and want to help. but not hate, hippys like to spread the word.

  9. My heart is out to u caron shaw , I hope u find your dogs. Its touched me. to hear u lost them. I started to feel the pain u are goign throught. I almost wanted to cry because, No one should loose there dogs. I know dogs can be big part of the family. giving up a dog must be like giving up your kids. Im crying because it did make me sad, I hope and pray for u. caron shaw and hope she finds her dogs

  10. so i have my heart set on moving to the humboldt area… and am planning on going to college of the redwoods. i am a gay male and very radical hippie, moving from the SF bay area. i know that the economy is bad up there.. but is there anywhere for a college kid to work? starbucks? anything?
    i am also looking for a room to rent, how much are rooms going for right now?
    if anyone could email me with some info or suggestions thatd be nice..
    mekanicalaminal@hotmail.com

  11. my current locale is Monterey, Ca
    I’ve been here for 19yrs…
    I’m a pharmacy tech at the local hospital
    and i feel like i want to move to Arcata

    Here im kind of the “odd ball”
    i dont own a car
    im not really all that much into money
    im single
    i rent a loft
    i ride bicycles
    i like to go hiking
    my core values are Buddhist

    my parents were hippies
    I was in the Army 87-91′
    i grew up in a “hippy RV” in Ventura when my parents divoreced at 12yo

    i’ve lived on my own since 16yo
    im self sufficient
    I’ve only been thru Arcata driving home from Bike School in Ashland
    my drive thru was only a day long
    as at the time…my wife didnt really like Arcata too much
    however…i wanted to move

    from what i know of Mad River Hospital…
    its 80 beds, is what i tend to every shift here in Monterey
    I’ve been a pharmacy tech here for over 12yrs
    and feel that i’d like to move to a smaller town…

    I wonder if Arcata is calling me

    thoughts?
    comments?

    thanks

    peace…d

  12. I grew up in Arcata and I have seen it head down the road of great, groovy places to an over priced, double stuffer, only cares about the college and the city kids money kind of place. Please don’t move here if you are going to drive too fast, trash the place or squat on the street. And for all you city kids, go back to LA and take that attitude with you

  13. Hello, I live in Humboldt county.

    eny body have problems with ( section 8 housing) its a mess, I think it reforming baddly. Ive been on waiting list 3 years. hassling. My freind joe lives in Rio dell has it & he said it was a ever living nitemare on elmstreet and my freind joe is disables and all they put him throught. disables people should get section 8 atomaticlly. & all those poor hippys with out a place to live, Homeless situation. section 8 housing in every county and california need major changes and help. Congress need to change the complication making it easier to get it once u sign, homeless should get atomaticlly………. I was wondering dose eny body else have that same problem im having ? …… my freind Joe cant read so he cant ever work for his disabillity. Tranfering section 8 housing to a nother county is hard joe said to me…………………….Hippys tell me what u think ,write a review, live in preace hippy but dont live homeless with out Food. if they fix section 8 housing that will say by law no body should go homeless. its in pratical….. I never seen the news ever talk about section 8 our no contiversial about the subject

  14. u are looking for your dog, I hope u find it.
    Can I ask u a question? Why did u leave your dogs behind?.
    Giving your dogs up then trying to find them is like finding a needle in a haystack,, I dont think u will find your dogs, im not ganna give u bad luck because I want u to find your dogs. finding them wont be easy. give your dogs up u have to look at the chance of never seeing them again. hard tuff choices……… but I hope u find them……. dont ever ever give your dog up to some one u cant find. Im ganna cry…. why ?????

  15. Arcata is cool. Actually Humboldt gets about 60 days of sunshine a year.
    It rains a lot. Some areas at the northern end of the county get over 90 inches of rainfall per year. Jobs in Humboldt are scarce. It seems there are only the transplanted city folks, the retired and those on welfare. Yes there are a few jobs, but someone else had them for years before you arrived.
    I’ve talked to people who still live there and they say that the real estate is relatively outrageous ( considering local incomes).The world is full of beautiful places.Go somewhere make some big bucks and move to one of them… young..

  16. I can see no reason to go killing wildlife because people cannot learn how to live with them. Hiking in mountain lion territory is quite safe when the correct precaustions are taken. Those that encounter an attack are just a result of genetic selection weeding out the ignorant.

    So, you kill two lions who you have no idea were involved in the attacks.

    What is wrong with you people!

  17. TO TryingnottobeaDumbas
    Regarding the Dogs, your comments were rude, this posting looking for my sons dogs is because he is dead, Did you ever think the typos were because the person typing it was in a hurry and upset? The dogs were placed in the care of someone because they were standed, My son was robbed ,hit in the head and died due to a head injury substained by the trauma . He loved Humboldt county and had alot of freinds there and anyone that knew him loved him.

  18. Stupid hippies think they’re so cool and down to earth. We have a term for the washed out druggies that reside on the Arcata plaza, trustafarians, hippycrits, or just plain junkies. Most of the hippies you see on the plaza or at the co-op are just making hippies look bad.

  19. Yeah, I live in humboldt and I love it here. I do wish that there were more blue collar jobs for people here. It is tough to raise a family here with the housing costs and food. However, I is like no other place I have been as far as equality goes. The people seem to pride themselves on it here. Grant it that there are always people living here that are not like that, but as a whole, you are more likely to run into cool people. Things are pretty tight here, but there is something for everyone too. I would say that if you are planning to move here, than you should also inrich the community with a business that will not hurt the envirnment and give people a REAL living wage. It is not easy but if you truely want to be here, you can if you are a fun creative individual.

  20. If you decide to head out to live in arcada or eureka could you at least let your folks know where you are going and phone home occasionally, after all we kept you alive for twenty some years we would like to know you are still alive  and well, sheltered and fed. and of course theres always the phone home for money in emergencies.
     Love,
     A MOM looking for her son who was last seen in Arcada. Nelson  Bouchard call 413 624 3784,the  reward for getting him on the phone to my house is knowing you soothed a mothers heart. Hand him your cell phone for a minute.You know your parents were young once two and gave their parents quite a few starts as time went by.Hope you are all enjoying the ocean and the sun. The snow just melted here in frigid new england. nelson phone home. mom 

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