Arcata

A day in Arcata Heights-Northtown might look like a short walk to the local farmers’ market before taking a hike through the towering redwood canopies in Arcata Community Forest. Located near Arcata’s central plaza, its streets are lined with ornate, well-maintained Victorian and Craftsman homes that date back to the city’s earliest days. “If you’re fortunate enough to live there, you can walk to everything,” says Realtor Mike Pigg of Coldwell Banker Realty, a longtime area resident. “There’s so much history there.” The streets of Arcata Heights-Northtown are lined with historic homes, including many Victorian-era homes built in the late 1800s during the region’s logging boom. Residents are greeted by homes with eclectic, ornate flourishes, from Craftsman homes with wide front porches and exposed timber to Italianate designs with splashy color schemes and ornamental woodworking. Yards offer plenty of room for gardening and landscaping, while wide sidewalks make for safe traveling on foot. Prices are steep compared to the surrounding area, typically ranging from $500,000 to $1.2 million. “It’s a tight market there. People move in and tend to stay for a long time,” Pigg says. The neighborhood has a small commercial strip on G Street replete with restaurants, cafes, a wine shop and a hairdresser. Wildflower Café has been a mainstay for vegetarian cooking since 1987. Northtown Coffee, right across the street, serves up espresso drinks, pastries and light breakfast. Asian flavors can be found at Pho Hoang, a Vietnamese restaurant, and Sushi Tao. Wildberries Marketplace is where locals pick up groceries, baked goods and everyday essentials. Arcata Heights-Northtown is just a few blocks from Arcata Plaza, the city’s bustling central square. The plaza hosts a weekly farmers’ market every Saturday all year-round where residents can shop for artisan wares and fresh produce. Arcata Community Pool, the city’s indoor aquatic center, is within the neighborhood. The facility offers lap swimming, a water slide, a hot tub, sauna and an outdoor patio. Stewart Park, also in the neighborhood, is a quiet place to enjoy a sunny day. Humboldt County is nationally renowned for its sprawling state and national parks, forests and towering redwood groves. The nearest hiking, biking and outdoor destinations are less than a mile away at Redwood Park, where trails and picnic areas sit beneath massive, redwood trees. Its trails connect with Arcata Community Forest, where seemingly impenetrable woodlands occupy large swaths of coastal hills. Young students can get their education at Arcata Elementary School, which earns a B rating from Niche. Students can move on to B-rated Sunny Brae Middle School and A-minus-rated Arcata High School, which is in the neighborhood. Arcata High offers a wide range of optional arts and academic classes, from advanced placement courses to visual and performing arts programs. California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt is less than a mile away. The college enrolls nearly 6,000 students every year and is known for its environmental and natural resources programs. The neighborhood is bordered in the east by State Route 101, also known as the Pacific Coast Highway, a regional commuter corridor that connects with coastal cities like Eureka, McKinleyville and Fortuna. The nearest major medical center is Providence St. Joseph Hospital Eureka, which is about 9 miles south. It’s the largest hospital system in Humboldt County and the county’s second largest employer. The weather in Arcata and surrounding coastal towns is typically foggy and chilly, with more rainfall than central and southern California. Temperatures usually range from 40 degrees to 65 degrees all year-round. Fog usually rolls in from the ocean in the morning and disperses in the early afternoon.

With sweeping waterfront views in the west, and redwood-covered mountains to the east, Bayside offers a peaceful place to take in Humboldt County’s natural scenery. The core of the neighborhood is residential, while the outskirts are etched with rolling ranch lands and organic farms. It's situated at the southern edge of Arcata, a small college town on the Pacific coast of Northern California. “You get the feeling of being out in the country, but you’re within 10 minutes of downtown Arcata,” says Karen Orsolics, broker at Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Redwood Realty. “There are large parcels, and some people have little farms with animals like cows, goats and horses.” The neighborhood’s scenic setting near the wetlands that border Humboldt Bay mean residents have easy access to waterfront trails and parks. The Arcata Bird Sanctuary is about 2 miles west of Bayside, as is the Arcata to Eureka Bike Trail. From there, visitors get stunning views of blue bay waters and waterfowl that reside along the Northern California coastline. To the west is Baywood Golf & Country Club, a private, 18-hole club where the fairways wind through dense redwood groves. Humboldt County is known far and wide for its beautiful beaches and wild mountain ranges, and Bayside is perfectly placed for residents to experience both. It’s about 10 miles to sandy beaches and seaside overlooks, and 2 miles from woodland trails at Arcata Community Forest. Bayside has a rustic, rural feel that’s given a boost by the towering Douglas firs and redwoods that dot the horizon line. Homes in the community were primarily built between the 1940s and 1960s, and include bungalows, ranch homes, farmhouses and eclectic, custom-built homes. Lots here are large, typically taking up between a quarter-acre and a half-acre of land. Home prices in the neighborhood range from around $500,000 to $1 million, depending on the size, age and condition of the home. It’s the type of place where residents will need a car to get around, but it’s not uncommon to see people walking along the streets, enjoying the furtive, coastal scenery. Bayside Farmstead Café is an independent restaurant at the heart of Bayside where the owners source their food from local producers, and their coffee from local roasters. A few minutes north in Sunny Brae is El Chipotle Mexican & American Food, where diners will find Mexican staples, margaritas and a festive atmosphere. Boutique apparel and gift shops are about 2 miles away in Arcata Plaza, the town’s central square. The closest grocery store is Murphy’s Markets. Jacoby Creek Elementary School is in Bayside, right across the street from Bayside Farmstead Café. The school is rated A-minus on Niche. “It’s a very sought-after school in the area,” Orsolics says. It serves kindergarten through 8th grade and offers a wide variety of afterschool sports and music classes, including strings, brass, orchestra and choir. Upperclassman move on to Arcata High School, just a few miles north in Arcata. It has a wide range of elective arts and academic classes, from advanced placement courses to visual and performing arts programs. Bayside is located just south of Arcata and only 7 miles from Eureka. Both can be reached via State Route 101, also known as the Pacific Coast Highway, a renowned scenic highway that traverses the California Coast. There are no bus lines in Bayside, so residents will likely need a vehicle to get around. Weather on the Pacific coast in Northern California is foggy and chilly, and it experiences more rainfall and overcast days than central and southern California. Fog usually rolls in from the ocean in the morning and disperses in the early afternoon. Temperatures rarely top 70 degrees.

Curtis Heights-Woodland Heights is home to residences nestled in the redwood-covered slopes of east Arcata, a tiny college town just off the Pacific Coast in Northern California. It sits right above the campus of California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, and is home to many professors and university employees, says Karen Orsolics, broker at Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Redwood Realty. “It’s an upper end neighborhood, so you’ve got a lot of custom homes on large, wooded lots,” Orsolics says. “It backs right up to Arcata Community Forest. You can hike those trails for miles and miles and miles.” Arcata Community Forest surrounds the western edge of the neighborhood and is accessible from several trailheads in the area. The park spans 790 acres, and its network of trails is popular for biking, hiking, horseback riding and sightseeing. The park is brimming with local flora and fauna, including towering redwoods and Douglas firs. Just two miles outside of town are the Arcata Community Pool, the Arcata Skate Park and Larson Park’s tennis and bocce ball courts. Humboldt County is well-known for its sandy beaches and seaside vistas, which are just 7 miles away. It's too cold to swim, but residents can be seen walking along the waterfront all year round, taking in the view. Neighborhood streets wind up and down wooded hills, offering residents abundant, natural views from their kitchen and living room windows. There are a wide range of homes here, from modest ranch-style homes to upscale, custom-built designs. Lots are large, typically coming in at more than a quarter-acre, and some of them have century-old redwood trees standing in their front or backyards. There's very little traffic, so residents should be able to hear the serene sounds of the birds chirping, owls hooting and squirrels darting across tree branches. Home prices range from between $400,000 and $900,000, depending on size, condition and age. Arcata Plaza, the city’s bustling central square, is only 2 miles away and offers a variety of shops, eateries and cafes on streets that surround this grassy public park. Renata’s Creperie is a French restaurant that serves sweet and savory crepes and espresso drinks in a cozy café setting. There’s also Los Bagels, which has been in town since 1984. Boutiques include People’s Records music shop, Daydream clothing store and Humboldt Outfitters gift shop. The Plaza hosts a weekly farmers’ market every Saturday all year round, offering artisan wares and fresh produce. The closest grocery stores are Murphy's Markets and Wildberries Marketplace. Students can start their education at Arcata Elementary School, which earns a B rating from Niche, before moving on to B-rated Sunny Brae Middle School. Upperclassmen can attend nearby Arcata High School, which earns an A-minus rating. Arcata High School offers a wide range of visual arts, performing arts and academic classes. The campus of California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt is just south of the neighborhood. The college enrolls nearly 6,000 students every year and is known for its environmental and natural resources programs. It’s a major area employer and economic driver for Humboldt County. The neighborhood is bordered in the west by State Route 101, also known as the Pacific Coast Highway. It’s a regional commuter corridor that connects with coastal cities like Eureka, McKinleyville and Fortuna. The nearest major medical center is Providence St. Joseph Hospital Eureka, which is about 10 miles south in Eureka. Plus, there are multiple bus stops along L K Wood Boulevard. Weather along Northern California’s Pacific coast is foggy and chilly, and it experiences more rainfall and overcast days than in central and southern California. The fog usually rolls in from the ocean in the morning and evaporates from view in the early afternoon. Temperatures rarely top 70 degrees or drop below 40 degrees.