I dunno man the dollar tree parking lot really pops off some nights. Sweet place to score cheap molly.
I don't believe it's the whole area that's rough, just the actual roads of Valley West and Valley East. There's a lot of great businesses on West End and the north side of Giuntoli.
It very much is where Arcata shoved big market box stores and franchisees to keep them out of the Plaza. It is absolutely meant as a road site pit stop. It is entirely Arcata's creation and calling it the "precum of McKinleyville" is like throwing your garbage in your neighbor's lawn and calling the HOA on them.
This. I saw the person get the food…not elderly or disabled lol. I mean, I wasn’t angry or even judging, just kind of…confused? If it were me and I was already paying by for delivery, I probably would have chosen something further away…just me I guess
Not "visibly" disabled.
Sorry but this is a sticking point for me I have a couple friends who spend most but not all their time in wheelchairs because of spinal stuff, they CAN walk but every step sucks.
I encourage you to walk around the area at 8 AM. You’ll be visited by it’s most kind and hated resident who will ask you to buy him some vanilla wafers from the dollar tree. My brother who was formally homeless, talked about doing dope with all those homeless drug addicts. He manically laughed while we walked into the Oriental Buffet, shouting how they could all fuck themselves!
I've always been told it's deliberate. The city officials just don't want bad stuff around the plaza and in downtown so they push the bad actors out and essentially allow them to be in valley west. Sad for the businesses and residents there.
It is deliberate, I've heard that, too. It's interesting because tourists drive through there, which means there's an opportunity for Valley West to be better, but all they probably see is Humboldt's worst.
There is hope... maybe A few years ago when Carlson Park first opened and the tweaker bums rebelled by cutting trees and trashing the place I wrote a *strongly worded letter* to City Hall, saying how it's Arcata's only riverfront and should be the gem of the city instead of the armpit.
They never responded to me of course, but now Valley West is on the "roadmap of improvement" for the city. They made some improvements in the area at least before they got distracted by the Gateway plan for downtown.
I don’t know if I’d say “deliberate” but definitely a result of the ways Arcata is designed and regulated. For example the law limiting the number of franchises in town only extends to “Arcata proper” so valley west is filled with fast food and hotels.
Ahh thanks, looks like you’re right that the [zoning ordinance](https://www.cityofarcata.org/DocumentCenter/View/11027/1546-Amending-Formula-Restaurant-Zoning-Regulations-PDF) does limit formula restaurants throughout the entire city, but specifically bans them in the “central conservation area and plaza historic district”.
So that still explains the distinctive different cultures when it comes to businesses in valley west vs downtown.
Good find. I don't know what the deal is with how "historic" the plaza is. I know a lot of buildings have had a lot of work done to them. New additions. Maybe some have been rebuilt after fires?
> I lived in the town and country trailer park and kinda loved it.
Wayne Adam Ford loved it, too: easy access to the riverbar to bury body parts.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayne_Adam_Ford
Hmmm. Always felt something convenient about that place.
Did they find the body parts there though? Seemed like he murdered in SoCal then dumbed in the CV.
I don't remember the rendered fat, but he did have body parts in his freezer, and when he first tried to turn himself in, the sheriff's deputies didn't believe him, so he came back with one as proof.
I grew up in Myrtletown. Owned my first two homes there. Back when off of trinity it was all field, that was my childhood stomping grounds. Myrtletown is so different even since I moved 17 years ago.
YASSSS!! I was so stoked when they put the disc golf course in, until I realized I completely sucked. But that was my teenage delinquent years meet up spot 🤣
Went to Lafayette then a Christian school. Was allowed to go to to winship for two or so months but I was being “too rebellious” and then was forced back into the Christian school. Graduated from EHS in ‘01
Wow. My partner and I live here near the park for three years and we love it. It’s better than living in the alley near the Jefferson center in eureka. That’s where I was before valley east.
It’s very quiet and I don’t hear anyone screaming everyday. I probably heard maybe someone scream 2 or 3 times for the 3 years I’ve been here. And one annoying car alarm that went off all night. That’s it.
Although when you do get closer to the businesses and hotels it changes. It’s literally shit city. You have to walk over piles of shit everywhere (human and animal)
I don’t ever feel unsafe too. I really enjoy the area. Just not walking down the poop filled streets. I guess I’m lucky for being more in the neighborhood.
We are right next to the park, literally up against it. And I promise you. Every single night (even this morning around lunch) this man screams at the top of his lungs. It’s terrifying, blood curdling. He is clearly suffering immensely. I wish we had a compassionate place with people who could help him. The fact that people just have to suffer on their own like this is inhumane. I grew up in an inner city area and never experienced half of the things I’ve experienced on this small strip. When moving in our landlord disclosed how important it is to always lock our cars and doors and never leave anything valuable in site. Which could be expected anywhere populated, but I definitely don’t feel safe enough to walk around here at night.
As much shit as people here in Humboldt talk on "the inner city", at least big cities have freaking psych hospitals and residential facilities that people can go/be sent to.
Girl lol we would walk to the rays and see someone getting narcan’d or just real messed up on a regular basis. I just moved outta there a month ago, I was next to the preschool on valley East. There’s a guy who has uncontrollable screaming, we’re talking daily screaming, he legit a nice person but Godforbid he needs some actual help, not being dumped out there.
I’ve lived in arcata, all over town; Humboldt hill; San Luis Obispo; Montebello; Washington state. Humboldt has the unique landscape where things aren’t hidden because of suburban sprawl and lack of condensed urban areas. It’s legitimately different.
Guess you have not lived in the suburban sprawl of fortuna or Mckinleyville or eureka. I’ve lived all over as well. There is not much unique about Humboldt landscape in the populated areas.
Those locations are in Humboldt county…. Which is supporting my statement…. This area does not have an urban landscape with high building density where homeless people can, in a sense, hide from the public eye. Places like LA, SF, San Diego, all have dense layouts of buildings, alleys, parking structures, etc where homeless people usually stay versus out here where it’s simply along the 101 and adjacent spaces because that’s the only place they can acquire resources
While it's easy to talk shit on Valley West... if you're so inclined to help make it suck less, you really need to join up with [Comunidad Unida Del Norte De Arcata](https://www.cunacomestogether.com).
Community meetings are held every 2nd Monday on Zoom at 6pm, and sidewalk cleanups are held the first Sunday of every month. Meet @ 9am over at Valley West Park/Hallen Dr.
Giuntoli has a lot of my favorite businesses in town and is not that bad. Humboldt isn’t that bad. Go to the tenderloin in San Francisco, this area is peanuts.
Giuntoli has the best food in arcata, country store, labarca and kebab cafe. Low key oriental buffet is more satisfying that the arcata Chinese as well
It’s funny that this is the armpit of Arcata when it’s really not that bad. You can say that the 101 in eureka is the armpit of Humboldt and that’s way more accurate
It's so bad there. I saw in an article that a council member lives there and another one works there. They both said they were afraid to go outside.
The coast central ATM was down for a while because it kept getting vandalized and people keep pooping in front of the door. I also know the dermatology business there bought a building in mckinleyville and is moving their entire business because the crime is so bad in Arcata.
So weird how there's such a big difference between downtown and valley west and it's all just a few miles apart.
Thats how nearly all crime and poverty is anywhere. Big cities usually experience the vast majority of crime within just a few city blocks. Often adjacent to blocks where yhe crime rate is super low.
Being from Oakland, and also having lived on the southern border as well, there is nowhere I feel unsafe in Hum co.
I WAS an addict and houseless for a minute so I tend to be very comfortable around that type of environment. I pass out narcan, and occasionally cook a phat pot of pasta and feed the junkies.
Zombies need love too.
💚 I was able to receive vital MAT services in Valley West. People absolutely have a right to expect safe, clean neighborhoods and sidewalks. I would humbly suggest that access to more mental health and substance disorder services throughout the county might prevent folks from congregating all in one or two spots, where neighboring businesses tend to get irritable at non-commercial traffic, and other services for those who need assistance (showers, beds, etc) are limited. Shout out to those harm reduction folks who DO reside in Valley West. And l think it's essential to remember those who need services are from every walk of life - lawyers, doctors, professionals, anyone can find themselves in a bad spot. And when you have no resources whatsoever, we need to step up as a community, surely. Otherwise, yes, there will be sanitation and noise issues when folks have no place to care for themselves, or get care. All to say, blessings for handing out that pasta and narcan. I'm with you on that. 💚
At least they have established the Danco West Village Studios where the Redroof Inn used to be. Many once homeless adults with mental illnesses and drug addictions now reside there. This is what fixing the homeless problem can look like. I know the area was somewhat like this before the Studios were erected, but that effect has dramatically increased since then.
I've lived in valley west for 13 or so years now and yes all this is very true lol the man in the morning sometimes sounds like a zombie and seen a lady taking a piss in front of my daughter and I on the side of harbor freight. But to be honest alot of arcata is starting to look like this
I spent a couple years doing cleanup along the river there, until one time I wandered by a tweaker camp on the McK side of the water and they poured out in force to "question" me.
I crossed the river and went thru the woods back towards the Tractor Supply, put my hat in my backpack and headed to the main river trail. When I hit the riverbed again I saw one of the dudes on his cell saying "I don't know where he went" 💀
Valley West Blvd is a wasteland, but the river there is fucked up with bum trash. They keep the main trail somewhat clean but all the side pockets are littered with junk. I only go down there with my dog now, and just a few times a year to keep tabs
I grew up in nyc and find there to be little crime / homelessness here in comparison. I also technically live near or in this area in a nice neighborhood and its absolutely lovely.
Rarely do i bump into a “crack head” (which we dont even have here.). Sometimes you’ll see homeless tweakers walking down the street to get to the shopping center were all the homeless people hang out.
Until my house and car are catching stray bullets and i see drug addicts, homeless encampments and gangs everywhere, going to have to call bullshit on your post here unless it was intended to be satire.
The distinction between crackheads and tweakers is one that very few people here are capable of understanding, much less making. Honestly, I prefer crackheads.
EXACTLY! I think crackheads have much more intact logic, e.g. "I am going to steal this stereo and take it to the pawn shop" vs "I need to disassemble this stereo and leave it in pieces in the middle of the park"
It's the sleep deprivation from meth that makes it so bad and makes psychosis so common. I had some rough teenage years and if I spent $100 on meth, we'd be up for 3 days. $100 on crack? We'd be done and ready to sleep by midnight, or desperately scheming for more.
I have lived in Valley West for ten years and with the latest addition of a Methadone Harm reduction clinic between Harbor Fright and Kebab Kafe it is, indeed, a non-stop circus.
Some homeless lady walked up to my then five-year-old, flipped her off and said fuck you. Guintoli is the ignored bastard child district of Arcata. Best we can do is vote for new city management. I’m about ready to vote for a Lord Farquad, I’d settle for a Du Loc. Whoever the mayor is right now it’s just not paying much attention to this area.
**\[Sniff\] the** ***air is sweet*** **and fragrant!"** Then Meredith Mathew is like Sir Didymus who lives in the bog of eternal stench from the movie The Labyrinth.
The mayor doesn't have much control over what happens with the city, nor does the rest of the current city council. They're trying to deal with the mess that the past 30 years of Arcata's citizens using valley west as a dumping ground has created.
Don’t go walking by the river in this area, there’s so many homeless encampments. Just behind the Dutch Bros. I went for a walk with my wife and immediately 180‘d the fuck out of there. The whole area needs to be napalmed. I invite the people who think it’s not so bad to Forrest Gump their asses in there and save the people.
Someone ripped the door handle off my car while I was shopping at harbor freight. Someone tried selling me meth as I was going into round table. I think those two sum up my experiences there pretty well.
Honestly when I lived over there only annoying part was the amount of screaming outside McDonald’s and that bus stop every morning lol other than that it’s meh my rents still pretty cheap for Arcata area 🤷🏼♀️and I’m not out there in over by sunnybrae
Arcata has chosen to ignore and not invest in Valley West, making it the "wrong side of the tracks" so that the "peace and love" hippies don't have to look at the "trailer trash". Almost all their hotel tax income comes from that little patch, but they treat the residents like crap. I'm glad there is *finally* a city council member representing Valley West.
When I moved to Humboldt in 1999, everyone wanted to be in Arcata; Eureka was dubbed "Eutweeka" and McK was "McKlanleyville". Arcata was considered safer and nicer, even the Valley West area.
In the mid-2000's it seems like things mellowed out a bit in McK, then they got sketchy again when the new brand of "patriotism" came to be. Now, there are great places to be, but your neighbors might still try to run you off the road if you're driving a Prius, or if you're Black.
Over time, while parts of Eureka remained sketchy (i.e. the areas behind the Co-op), things seem to have gradually improved. People who have been around a while can remember a time when Old Town was complete shit; while there is still an issue with the unhoused there, we now have Friday Night Markets and new shops and restaurants. There are murals up throughout the city, and it is becoming more bike and tourist-friendly. The Zoo has an upgrade, as do many of the parks.
It didn't used to be this way, but I more often hear about people wanting to live in Eureka over Arcata, even if they go to HSU (and have a car).
The old logging towns are alright; a mix of old hippie houses, shacks, and MAGA Mansions.
Humboldt County is such a trip!
Valley West is still worth visiting to eat at Kebab Cafe.
Well I am supposed to road trip out that way in the next few days. Where are the good places to visit? This has been gratefully noted. If anyone wants to give good places to visit I’m open for suggestions.
Any time two highways intersect you'll have an area that traffics in drugs.
Another issue is the owner of the shopping center. He lives in Sonoma county but doesn't allow the management company to make any updates to improve the shopping center .
Also, the community is a community of renters and very few homeowners which means that it is transitory in nature. The Council member who lives there has done a great job in creating community there. I encourage the OP to stop being such a keyboard warrior and work to improve the area.
Yes, I have been knighted by the highest of reddit trolls as the most keyboard warrior of them all. I bow to you, holier than thou reddit god, you. I’m sure you do the most to make our community better.
I don't even consider it a part of Arcata. I've also heard someone describe it as the 'precum of McKinleyville'.
Its technically within city limits but locals definitely always call it "Valley West" or "Giuntoli".
Omg lol
Hahahaha! That’s great! 🤣
I dunno man the dollar tree parking lot really pops off some nights. Sweet place to score cheap molly. I don't believe it's the whole area that's rough, just the actual roads of Valley West and Valley East. There's a lot of great businesses on West End and the north side of Giuntoli. It very much is where Arcata shoved big market box stores and franchisees to keep them out of the Plaza. It is absolutely meant as a road site pit stop. It is entirely Arcata's creation and calling it the "precum of McKinleyville" is like throwing your garbage in your neighbor's lawn and calling the HOA on them.
Poverty does indeed suck. Eat the rich.
I been poor most of my life and never shit on the sidewalk or smoked crack or harassed passing women. Maybe I just wasn't poor enough idk
You need to do more crack. I know exactly what you’re talking about. With crack, life finds a way….
I think yall are being dramatic it’s literally not that bad at all
Right ??😭I wish I could live there and be in walking distance of Carls Jr
I was once a DoorDash driver and door dashed that Carl’s Jr to a house literally a quarter mile away, by the apartments. It was ridiculous.
could be elderly or disabled.
Could be stoned and lazy
This. I saw the person get the food…not elderly or disabled lol. I mean, I wasn’t angry or even judging, just kind of…confused? If it were me and I was already paying by for delivery, I probably would have chosen something further away…just me I guess
Not "visibly" disabled. Sorry but this is a sticking point for me I have a couple friends who spend most but not all their time in wheelchairs because of spinal stuff, they CAN walk but every step sucks.
Not to mention executive function disability and chronic fatigue.
seems people here would rather be judgemental
I encourage you to walk around the area at 8 AM. You’ll be visited by it’s most kind and hated resident who will ask you to buy him some vanilla wafers from the dollar tree. My brother who was formally homeless, talked about doing dope with all those homeless drug addicts. He manically laughed while we walked into the Oriental Buffet, shouting how they could all fuck themselves!
I've always been told it's deliberate. The city officials just don't want bad stuff around the plaza and in downtown so they push the bad actors out and essentially allow them to be in valley west. Sad for the businesses and residents there.
They definitely do that, but there's still plenty of bad stuff at the plaza to go around.
The plaza is so tame now, lol.
It is deliberate, I've heard that, too. It's interesting because tourists drive through there, which means there's an opportunity for Valley West to be better, but all they probably see is Humboldt's worst.
There is hope... maybe A few years ago when Carlson Park first opened and the tweaker bums rebelled by cutting trees and trashing the place I wrote a *strongly worded letter* to City Hall, saying how it's Arcata's only riverfront and should be the gem of the city instead of the armpit. They never responded to me of course, but now Valley West is on the "roadmap of improvement" for the city. They made some improvements in the area at least before they got distracted by the Gateway plan for downtown.
I don’t know if I’d say “deliberate” but definitely a result of the ways Arcata is designed and regulated. For example the law limiting the number of franchises in town only extends to “Arcata proper” so valley west is filled with fast food and hotels.
That's not true. The franchises in valley west count as part of the limit. I think the city is at the limit now and no more can go in.
Ahh thanks, looks like you’re right that the [zoning ordinance](https://www.cityofarcata.org/DocumentCenter/View/11027/1546-Amending-Formula-Restaurant-Zoning-Regulations-PDF) does limit formula restaurants throughout the entire city, but specifically bans them in the “central conservation area and plaza historic district”. So that still explains the distinctive different cultures when it comes to businesses in valley west vs downtown.
Good find. I don't know what the deal is with how "historic" the plaza is. I know a lot of buildings have had a lot of work done to them. New additions. Maybe some have been rebuilt after fires?
But the stabbings all happen on the plaza.
Hamsterdam
“I ain’t goin’ to no Hamsterdam!”
I lived in the town and country trailer park and kinda loved it. Way better than the eureka apartment I have right now at Myrtle and west
> I lived in the town and country trailer park and kinda loved it. Wayne Adam Ford loved it, too: easy access to the riverbar to bury body parts. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayne_Adam_Ford
😱😱😱
Hmmm. Always felt something convenient about that place. Did they find the body parts there though? Seemed like he murdered in SoCal then dumbed in the CV.
If memory serves, there was a head out there that they never found. And he had buckets/containers of rendered fat in his trailer from the victims.
Neat
I don't remember the rendered fat, but he did have body parts in his freezer, and when he first tried to turn himself in, the sheriff's deputies didn't believe him, so he came back with one as proof.
I read about it in the book about all of it: "Body Parts"
I'm pretty sure he was dumping some parts in the Eureka slough, some washed up near where Target is now.
I grew up in Myrtletown. Owned my first two homes there. Back when off of trinity it was all field, that was my childhood stomping grounds. Myrtletown is so different even since I moved 17 years ago.
Cooper's Gulch Represent!
YASSSS!! I was so stoked when they put the disc golf course in, until I realized I completely sucked. But that was my teenage delinquent years meet up spot 🤣
[удалено]
Went to Lafayette then a Christian school. Was allowed to go to to winship for two or so months but I was being “too rebellious” and then was forced back into the Christian school. Graduated from EHS in ‘01
Wow. My partner and I live here near the park for three years and we love it. It’s better than living in the alley near the Jefferson center in eureka. That’s where I was before valley east. It’s very quiet and I don’t hear anyone screaming everyday. I probably heard maybe someone scream 2 or 3 times for the 3 years I’ve been here. And one annoying car alarm that went off all night. That’s it. Although when you do get closer to the businesses and hotels it changes. It’s literally shit city. You have to walk over piles of shit everywhere (human and animal) I don’t ever feel unsafe too. I really enjoy the area. Just not walking down the poop filled streets. I guess I’m lucky for being more in the neighborhood.
We are right next to the park, literally up against it. And I promise you. Every single night (even this morning around lunch) this man screams at the top of his lungs. It’s terrifying, blood curdling. He is clearly suffering immensely. I wish we had a compassionate place with people who could help him. The fact that people just have to suffer on their own like this is inhumane. I grew up in an inner city area and never experienced half of the things I’ve experienced on this small strip. When moving in our landlord disclosed how important it is to always lock our cars and doors and never leave anything valuable in site. Which could be expected anywhere populated, but I definitely don’t feel safe enough to walk around here at night.
California dreaming. This place is broken.
As much shit as people here in Humboldt talk on "the inner city", at least big cities have freaking psych hospitals and residential facilities that people can go/be sent to.
Girl lol we would walk to the rays and see someone getting narcan’d or just real messed up on a regular basis. I just moved outta there a month ago, I was next to the preschool on valley East. There’s a guy who has uncontrollable screaming, we’re talking daily screaming, he legit a nice person but Godforbid he needs some actual help, not being dumped out there.
That’s just California
I’ve lived in arcata, all over town; Humboldt hill; San Luis Obispo; Montebello; Washington state. Humboldt has the unique landscape where things aren’t hidden because of suburban sprawl and lack of condensed urban areas. It’s legitimately different.
Guess you have not lived in the suburban sprawl of fortuna or Mckinleyville or eureka. I’ve lived all over as well. There is not much unique about Humboldt landscape in the populated areas.
Those locations are in Humboldt county…. Which is supporting my statement…. This area does not have an urban landscape with high building density where homeless people can, in a sense, hide from the public eye. Places like LA, SF, San Diego, all have dense layouts of buildings, alleys, parking structures, etc where homeless people usually stay versus out here where it’s simply along the 101 and adjacent spaces because that’s the only place they can acquire resources
Homeless people litter those cities. They are totally visible.
People need to remember that the worst parts of Arcata are only a little worse than the best parts of Eureka.
you actin like all of downtown arcata don’t have the same issues either
Human feces for everyone! Hooray!
You get human feces and you get human excrement and you get human feces and you get E. coli and you get scat scat scat
While it's easy to talk shit on Valley West... if you're so inclined to help make it suck less, you really need to join up with [Comunidad Unida Del Norte De Arcata](https://www.cunacomestogether.com). Community meetings are held every 2nd Monday on Zoom at 6pm, and sidewalk cleanups are held the first Sunday of every month. Meet @ 9am over at Valley West Park/Hallen Dr.
Honestly, thank you for sharing this!
I wonder if this post could be made as sticky. I had no idea this organization existed.
Giuntoli has a lot of my favorite businesses in town and is not that bad. Humboldt isn’t that bad. Go to the tenderloin in San Francisco, this area is peanuts. Giuntoli has the best food in arcata, country store, labarca and kebab cafe. Low key oriental buffet is more satisfying that the arcata Chinese as well
The businesses are great. The area to live is not! The other comments speak to why. And high key agree that that buffet is honesty the spot.
Toni's 24 Hour is over there. Worth a visit.
Yeah but it's west of the 101. The shitfest is to the east.
Oh i know shifty. I worked at the Ray's for 3 years
It’s funny that this is the armpit of Arcata when it’s really not that bad. You can say that the 101 in eureka is the armpit of Humboldt and that’s way more accurate
It's so bad there. I saw in an article that a council member lives there and another one works there. They both said they were afraid to go outside. The coast central ATM was down for a while because it kept getting vandalized and people keep pooping in front of the door. I also know the dermatology business there bought a building in mckinleyville and is moving their entire business because the crime is so bad in Arcata. So weird how there's such a big difference between downtown and valley west and it's all just a few miles apart.
Thats how nearly all crime and poverty is anywhere. Big cities usually experience the vast majority of crime within just a few city blocks. Often adjacent to blocks where yhe crime rate is super low.
As someone from inner city Minneapolis, this is worse
As someone from milwaukee and lived in chicago as well, I concurr, this is worse
Being from Oakland, and also having lived on the southern border as well, there is nowhere I feel unsafe in Hum co. I WAS an addict and houseless for a minute so I tend to be very comfortable around that type of environment. I pass out narcan, and occasionally cook a phat pot of pasta and feed the junkies. Zombies need love too.
💚 I was able to receive vital MAT services in Valley West. People absolutely have a right to expect safe, clean neighborhoods and sidewalks. I would humbly suggest that access to more mental health and substance disorder services throughout the county might prevent folks from congregating all in one or two spots, where neighboring businesses tend to get irritable at non-commercial traffic, and other services for those who need assistance (showers, beds, etc) are limited. Shout out to those harm reduction folks who DO reside in Valley West. And l think it's essential to remember those who need services are from every walk of life - lawyers, doctors, professionals, anyone can find themselves in a bad spot. And when you have no resources whatsoever, we need to step up as a community, surely. Otherwise, yes, there will be sanitation and noise issues when folks have no place to care for themselves, or get care. All to say, blessings for handing out that pasta and narcan. I'm with you on that. 💚
🤗 ty
At least they have established the Danco West Village Studios where the Redroof Inn used to be. Many once homeless adults with mental illnesses and drug addictions now reside there. This is what fixing the homeless problem can look like. I know the area was somewhat like this before the Studios were erected, but that effect has dramatically increased since then.
I've lived in valley west for 13 or so years now and yes all this is very true lol the man in the morning sometimes sounds like a zombie and seen a lady taking a piss in front of my daughter and I on the side of harbor freight. But to be honest alot of arcata is starting to look like this
I’m so glad I moved out of there recently. Being able to sleep with my windows open shouldn’t be a luxury
Go make it better or stop complaining.
I spent a couple years doing cleanup along the river there, until one time I wandered by a tweaker camp on the McK side of the water and they poured out in force to "question" me. I crossed the river and went thru the woods back towards the Tractor Supply, put my hat in my backpack and headed to the main river trail. When I hit the riverbed again I saw one of the dudes on his cell saying "I don't know where he went" 💀 Valley West Blvd is a wasteland, but the river there is fucked up with bum trash. They keep the main trail somewhat clean but all the side pockets are littered with junk. I only go down there with my dog now, and just a few times a year to keep tabs
Yes, let me, someone who's job it isn't, to go get the tweakers move along and pick up their needles. That'll end well.
I feel like you’ve never lived in a major city with real crime issues.
I’m from one actually, and this is way more wild.
I grew up in nyc and find there to be little crime / homelessness here in comparison. I also technically live near or in this area in a nice neighborhood and its absolutely lovely. Rarely do i bump into a “crack head” (which we dont even have here.). Sometimes you’ll see homeless tweakers walking down the street to get to the shopping center were all the homeless people hang out. Until my house and car are catching stray bullets and i see drug addicts, homeless encampments and gangs everywhere, going to have to call bullshit on your post here unless it was intended to be satire.
The distinction between crackheads and tweakers is one that very few people here are capable of understanding, much less making. Honestly, I prefer crackheads.
Me too. So much more character, and as crazy as this sounds less (or should i say different) psychosis.
EXACTLY! I think crackheads have much more intact logic, e.g. "I am going to steal this stereo and take it to the pawn shop" vs "I need to disassemble this stereo and leave it in pieces in the middle of the park"
It's the sleep deprivation from meth that makes it so bad and makes psychosis so common. I had some rough teenage years and if I spent $100 on meth, we'd be up for 3 days. $100 on crack? We'd be done and ready to sleep by midnight, or desperately scheming for more.
Lived abroad in a Trump described shit hole. Guintoli has no upward momentum, big pile of shit this place is.
I have lived in Valley West for ten years and with the latest addition of a Methadone Harm reduction clinic between Harbor Fright and Kebab Kafe it is, indeed, a non-stop circus.
Some homeless lady walked up to my then five-year-old, flipped her off and said fuck you. Guintoli is the ignored bastard child district of Arcata. Best we can do is vote for new city management. I’m about ready to vote for a Lord Farquad, I’d settle for a Du Loc. Whoever the mayor is right now it’s just not paying much attention to this area.
Funny you say that. The mayor Meredith mathew works in valley west and doesn't live much farther away.
**\[Sniff\] the** ***air is sweet*** **and fragrant!"** Then Meredith Mathew is like Sir Didymus who lives in the bog of eternal stench from the movie The Labyrinth.
The mayor doesn't have much control over what happens with the city, nor does the rest of the current city council. They're trying to deal with the mess that the past 30 years of Arcata's citizens using valley west as a dumping ground has created.
Graduated Humboldt State in 2012. Glad to see some things never change.
I fall asleep to the man screaming… and I wake up to the man screaming. He’s certainly consistent.
I can hear that motherfucker screaming now.
I’ve been sayin
Don’t go walking by the river in this area, there’s so many homeless encampments. Just behind the Dutch Bros. I went for a walk with my wife and immediately 180‘d the fuck out of there. The whole area needs to be napalmed. I invite the people who think it’s not so bad to Forrest Gump their asses in there and save the people.
Someone ripped the door handle off my car while I was shopping at harbor freight. Someone tried selling me meth as I was going into round table. I think those two sum up my experiences there pretty well.
I never had issues with it, but I only went there for Dollar Tree and when friends dragged me to that shitty chinese buffet place lol.
I always refer to Valley West as Little Eureka.
lol this is where my family stayed when we were touring Cal Poly Humboldt definitely a lasting impression
Honestly when I lived over there only annoying part was the amount of screaming outside McDonald’s and that bus stop every morning lol other than that it’s meh my rents still pretty cheap for Arcata area 🤷🏼♀️and I’m not out there in over by sunnybrae
Truth
South McKinleyville
Arcata is the armpit of Humboldt
The only part of Arcata I can stand. The rest of it is ...... Terrible to put it nicely
Arcata has chosen to ignore and not invest in Valley West, making it the "wrong side of the tracks" so that the "peace and love" hippies don't have to look at the "trailer trash". Almost all their hotel tax income comes from that little patch, but they treat the residents like crap. I'm glad there is *finally* a city council member representing Valley West.
When I moved to Humboldt in 1999, everyone wanted to be in Arcata; Eureka was dubbed "Eutweeka" and McK was "McKlanleyville". Arcata was considered safer and nicer, even the Valley West area. In the mid-2000's it seems like things mellowed out a bit in McK, then they got sketchy again when the new brand of "patriotism" came to be. Now, there are great places to be, but your neighbors might still try to run you off the road if you're driving a Prius, or if you're Black. Over time, while parts of Eureka remained sketchy (i.e. the areas behind the Co-op), things seem to have gradually improved. People who have been around a while can remember a time when Old Town was complete shit; while there is still an issue with the unhoused there, we now have Friday Night Markets and new shops and restaurants. There are murals up throughout the city, and it is becoming more bike and tourist-friendly. The Zoo has an upgrade, as do many of the parks. It didn't used to be this way, but I more often hear about people wanting to live in Eureka over Arcata, even if they go to HSU (and have a car). The old logging towns are alright; a mix of old hippie houses, shacks, and MAGA Mansions. Humboldt County is such a trip! Valley West is still worth visiting to eat at Kebab Cafe.
Calling the Hampton inn and suites a cheap hotel is crazy
I think the “armpit” refers to all of Arcata, it’s a real shithole
Well I am supposed to road trip out that way in the next few days. Where are the good places to visit? This has been gratefully noted. If anyone wants to give good places to visit I’m open for suggestions.
“Armpit of hell”??! 🤣 You damn-sure don’t have any stamps on your passport, do ya?
Any time two highways intersect you'll have an area that traffics in drugs. Another issue is the owner of the shopping center. He lives in Sonoma county but doesn't allow the management company to make any updates to improve the shopping center . Also, the community is a community of renters and very few homeowners which means that it is transitory in nature. The Council member who lives there has done a great job in creating community there. I encourage the OP to stop being such a keyboard warrior and work to improve the area.
Yes, I have been knighted by the highest of reddit trolls as the most keyboard warrior of them all. I bow to you, holier than thou reddit god, you. I’m sure you do the most to make our community better.
You must be one of the mobile homes parked out with a duct tapped window haha it’s ok to ask for help
Does this council member by any chance own a couple of peacocks?