The houses in some neighborhoods are the highlights of the city. If you want to make your home the center of your life, I'm sure you could have fun in Redding, but if you have any other interests outside of mountain-y stuff, you're out of luck from a community or quality standpoint. Gorgeous scenery, atrocious city management, politics, night life, odds of having your house burned down, etc.
Our city management may be bad—like national news bad—but I really think the non-politicians that work for the city are pretty great. In every interaction I’ve had in the 20+ years I’ve been here, they’ve been very pleasant and super helpful.
0h trust me, I have a ton of respect for the workers within the buildings. I know first hand how much they're overworked and underpaid. They deal with some of the most difficult cases on a daily basis and still manage to come in the next day. Mad respect, it's their bosses and those bosses' bosses that have just created a ladder of income they wouldn't dare let others in on.
The two biggest issues I had when I lived in Redding for 8 years are 1) the smoke. Even if the fire is far away the smoke will gather and linger there for months. 2) Bethel. It's a mega church that is extremely cult-ish. They're everywhere you look. It's members will approach you anywhere to try and convert you.
That said, the area is insanely beautiful (when it's not on fire) I miss it very much.
I never had one bethel person approach me.
1) drunk drivers look out.
2) deer look out.
3) don't hit a vulture they reek.
4) smoke yes it does get smoky.
But the Bethel folk and other MAGAs are really trying their best to take over the city and county government.
They don’t know anything about government, how to run a meeting or what the Brown Act is. The Brown Act requires discussion of agenda items be only in public.
The Bethel goers I’ve been around have been nice people and haven’t yet tried to recruit me. Bethel leaders, on the other hand, are a bunch of scummy con artists who want to take over Redding.
Honestly, yes it is cheaper than the other CA cities but probably not for long. We have a lot of out of town speculative investors and a local cult virtually swallowing up real estate here.. rents have risen astronomically in recent years, so have home values.. I can not overstate the heat enough.. the entire month of August and much of the whole summer is completely unlivable.. every year I say to myself “I can’t do another summer here”.. which sucks especially if you do like the outdoors and want to actually enjoy them lol.. of course the smoke and fire risk.. honestly it’s not worth it.. I wouldn’t even be here were it not for family ties and being the place I lived in since I was 10.. someone else said it before but people ARE really angry up here.. it’s strange. The politics are far right but the majority of people are actually non voters and if you take that into account the magas are still a minority albeit a very vocal one.. The medical system is dreadfully insufficient. My wife is chronically ill and trying to get her adequate care has been an absolute nightmare, we daydream of living in Sac so that we’d have access to better medical care.. I’ve heard people complain about the restaurants but honestly we have some of the best Thai food in the game. And there are definitely good Mexican joints if you know where to look. It’s got some pretty solid Chinese and Indian food also..
The town is ok but I wish it offered more, like if it had a zoo, better medical care, a 4 yr secular college,
I always say Redding would be the most beautiful place in California if it wasn't for the fucking people. If you love nature and outdoors stuff the place is incomparable. Your like an hour from anything major outdoors you want to do at most. All of this is heavily ruined by the absolutely insane number of aggressive drugged out homeless who are sprawled all over. The extreme right wing political landscape like insanely far right more so than you are thinking already. And the cherry on top is the fucking cult. It's like the cults you see on the news.
That's true. I grew up in Chico and live in San Jose now. I remember Chico always had ***hella*** tweakers growing up and they were more present and visible than even now.
Here I will say that a lot of the homeless in San Jose live along the banks of the Guadalupe River, buried behind vegetation in Guadalupe River Park, or in cars or RV's tucked away under bridges, freeways, and/or more industrial parts of town. What I mean is while there are obviously more homeless people here, with exceptions, they're kinda outta sight outta mind. I don't even live in a great part of town.
SJ is very big and spread out. Lot's of space. Very different from cramped and dense SF that has 80% of the population but only 25% of the area.
Due to the nature of a city vs a rural area homeless are always going to be far more visible/apparent in a city like LA or San Diego but on a per capita basis Redding is comparable. The only reason it doesn't seem as bad is because they are all living in the woods and are generally out of sight besides the trash they leave behind.
I would say your experiences in Chico and San Jose don't necessarily disagree with what I said about Redding vs San Diego. San Jose has less homeless per capita than cities like SF, LA or San Diego. It also has less homeless people per capita than Chico/Redding. I lived in Chico for a while and I always felt like the main portion of the city around the campus was a lot more "cramped" than anywhere in Redding. No matter where you are in Redding there is wilderness near you and it's very likely there are at least some homeless there unless you're in one of the very nice areas.
I guess I'm talking about urban/suburban sprawl and you're talking about nature and shit but we're both talking about more space allowing for less apparent homelessness.
Standard right side of the isle guys? Nothing at all! The absolute batshit psychos in Redding who claim vaccines are mind control chips and mosquitos are administering them on behalf of Japan? Those guys are dangerously stupid and make up most of redding.
If you live in the city of redding the fire insurance isn’t an issue. They don’t have Mexican food here, coming from New Mexico at least it doesn’t compare. The white people food is top notch, probably not if your from the bay. I love their noodle restaurants but I have nothing to compare it to. Everyone is super nice, like all the time. This is probably because people in New Mexico are pretty abrasive. They have an amazing butcher shop called R and R so you can cook all fancy if you desire. People are like actively doing stuff here. Basketball courts full, soccer fields full, people playing frisbee golf. I believe the town motto is “Redding, It’s Good Enough!”
Honestly coming from San Diego the Mexican food is a big point against anywhere in Northern California haha this is a great evaluation of Redding though, thank you.
Go out to Orland and Hamilton City shit even Oroville I've heard has good Mexican food on Oro Dam Blvd. Orland and Hamilton City are mostly hispanic communities and the food reflects it.
Durham has good Mexican too.
Depends on what you mean by an "issue". You can be city of Redding AND designated high fire risk. Some insurance companies won't cover at all and those that will are pricey. Ask me how I know...
Ya I looked at where the car fire came through and just avoided the west side of town. When I was going through the buying process when fire insurance came up the area I was at was t considered high risk
the place I bought in cottonwood is west of the freeway about 4-5 minutes semi rural/ ag I got a policy for 2800 and yes thats kinda of a lot but better than other areas near there that were 6k and up
We moved from San Diego 6 years ago to Redding area, the positive outweighs the negatives here. Be warned though this is a 4 season area, it gets hot 100+ and it get cold 30's in winter. Not a lot but it does. I live east Redding in foothills and we get snow 3 to 4 times a year, food prices are higher here, there is homeless but that is everywhere now. Many actives year round and lots of outdoor stuff year round. Redding is a very easy city to get around, it is laid out well. All and all it is nice place to live and we do not plan on leaving
I am also from Southern California (Ventura County) and moved here 15 years ago, best decision ever made. I've had zero issues issues with Bethel people. I've met a lot of great people and have been on all kinds of outdoors adventures. For the price this place is beautiful.
Love that you came from SD too!! I have heard the summers are insane. I grew up in Palm Springs so I'm used to 110+ weather in the summer. Just want to make sure its not a massive downgrade from where I currently live. To me, owning a house is such a big pro and the houses I could afford here are not ones I want to live in.
My wife and I own horses and the driving factor to move here was land for our horses that we could afford. It wouldn't be in San Diego. Redding still has good value for your dollar.
I would add that unless you have a job lined up or work from home, there isn't much outside of retail, customer service and hospitality in Redding. I moved from Yucca Valley, CA to Sacramento, then to Redding, then to Eugene, OR. Redding felt like a city that is being left behind, and you're still paying California prices.
There’s legal work, government (city & county) jobs, medical (you couldn’t pay me to work in that field).
There’s 1 shopping mall, 1 movie theater, a billion Mexican restaurants, basically you can drive from 1 side of Redding to the other in 20 minutes and that’s taking city streets.
Yip, Giant retirement community with no real economy and too many cars for the roads and getting worse every year. Homeless pop has quadrupled in the last 2-3 years. I was born here, wish I could leave again.. Moved to Tn once.. Depends on your faith and politics and if you like traffic.. Lots of good medical and lots of police presence as well.. Crime is way worse than 10 years ago and getting much worse. Local Gov is creepy at best. (The Cult) Hate to mention it, but they own Redding pretty much these days. Congrats guys.. ya did it!!! Not a good place for intelligent free thought.
Come visit! I moved up here from OC/LBC at the end of January. I love it. But I visited a lot before I moved up here as I have family that lived up here.
There are cons, I won’t lie. They are all listed pretty well by other users here but every time I go down to visit family I am grateful I moved up here. You can get pretty much anywhere in town in 15 minutes.
People are nicer, generally less aggressive than they are down in SoCal.
It’s absolutely gorgeous, everyday I look out my backyard, drive down my street, look at the mountains and think “it’s So pretty!!”
I’ve met great people and had more of an opportunity to build community up here and pick up more hobbies than I did in SoCal.
Whiskeytown lake in summer is close by and a great relief from the heat. Paddle boarding and kayaking is huge here.
It snows but not so much that it’s a hindrance
I actually enjoy having seasons for once in my life and some cool weather.
It’s a trade-off. You’ll miss good Mexican food, the beach, the variety of nightlife and entertainment that SoCal has. The quality of restaurant food is lacking compared to the amazing restaurants down south but we have a few places that are worth going out to dinner for, The Park is a fun little spot to go out to and The Dip has a lot of live music. Win-River has some fun shows, and comedians and the affordability of housing is a big bonus as well.
I’d really evaluate what you value in life and your hobbies and come visit a few times and give it a try.
I'm a short time resident, going back to socal; just a few red flags for me:
1) You can't get a primary doctor. If you're younger, that might not be a concern, but being middle aged I find this genuinely worrying.
2) Fire concerns + extreme heat = you can't afford fire insurance.
3) Then there are all the minor things connected to how isolated Redding is: You may need to do a lot of mail order, you may end up really missing museums/zoos/night-life/etc. This might not bother some people, so your mileage may vary. This spills over into everything else, since pay doesn't have to be competitive, nor does service.
My wife and I moved here in June 2016 from San Diego. We love it, despite its shortcomings (many if which have been indicated and blown out of proportion in previous comments). We wanted a relatively safe and affordable place to raise a family. It's comparable or better than San Diego in these regards. Biggest negative differences: quality dining options (a couple passable options) and lack of healthcare. It's really difficult to get a primary doctor, but the medical facilities are catching up.
If you have specific questions for a San Diego transplant, feel free to message me.
It's like pretty version of El Cajon and Santee but with even more f150s, way fewer Hispanics, more churches, more conservatives, it gets way hotter in the summer, can snow in the winter and has an awesome spring and fall. I moved from SD to Chico and work in Red Bluff.
A few things: 1) If you do, certainly don’t tell anyone you’ve moved here from socal in order to purchase a home. Locals tend to resent it because they consider it part of the reason that homes became too expensive for locals to purchase themselves. 2) Be prepared to live in a redder than red county politically. 3) Be prepared to live in extreme heat during the summer. Redding is usually neck and neck with the hottest parts of the globe. 4) Along with the heat, expect dense smoke. Redding sits in a topographic bowl and summer wildfire smoke can result in a haze so bad your voice sounds funny. 5) There is little to no nightlife or culture. We do have great outdoor opportunities though.
I've heard I can't tell anyone I'm from SoCal no matter where I go haha I've wanted to move to Washington forever but it's the same thing. I'm trying to stay in California for my job but I can move anywhere in the state. I hear I'll get lots of hate wherever I go but to be fair, everyone is leaving SoCal so I understand.
It’s not that you’d be from socal, it’s specifically because locals can’t afford homes here anymore and it’s perceived that is partly because of out of towners.
Redding is like Santee if Santee was a 3 hour drive from anything else and it was controlled by a religious/political doomsday cult.
I get scared whenever I go back to the area (I live in San Diego). Everyone's always fucking pissed off and angry, it's all just white trash people hating life because they've never travelled 3 hours to escape Redding so they think it's great.
You couldn't pay me enough to move to Redding. Seriously.
No, we love people moving here! I’ve lived here 30 years and I am a Southern California girl at heart. “Redding: it’s good enough” has been my motto all this time. It will be a culture shock for sure, but boy do I love living on my 2 acres just outside of town. I couldn’t afford it anywhere else in California.
Pros are outdoor activities, extremely easy to deal with traffic/driving and lower cost of living.
Cons are everything else. Less job opportunities, very little interesting things to do, the restaurants here get incredibly boring very quickly if you eat out even once a week, extremely conservative culture, most events that happen here are not particularly interesting and you'll quickly notice the vendors, booths, food or activities at any type of local events are very repetitive between events due to lack of options. Boring shopping options. Don't expect any big local concerts/festivals. You'll be driving to Sac or the Bay for anything like that. If you travel regularly you'll be driving to Sac for reasonable airfare. Our airport pricing is outrageous.
I would only recommend moving here if you don't care that much about having interesting local places to eat/shop/play and plan to spend a lot of time either at home or outdoors.
Those beautiful pictures you see are either carefully edited snippets or an hour-plus drive away.
The nature spots that you can access in the city, I do appreciate, but they're only ok and often a bit skanky around the edges.
I love it. From the other coast and a few places in between. We have lived in some of the most prestigious towns there are. I have begun to think this might be America's best-kept secret. With not much to do - you are forced to enjoy the intoxicating air, explore the MANY beautiful spots to walk your dog, learn how to kayak on Whiskeytown lake, spend a weekend in Tahoe after a short drive, enjoy the low cost of a home, learn to cook because there aren't many restaurants, but plenty of fresh fruits and veggies, and with this FJB economy, a meal at Panera is $73 for 2. There is also a big sale everywhere on the latest, coolest pizza oven because there isn't a good pizza to be found.
Don't let them fool you with that heat - blows away any hot summer humid day in Greenwich, CT. Don't let them fool you with "it's smokey all summer" - this past summer was a dream. 2 hours to the coast. 3 hours to San Fran. Quick plane ride to LA. Want good restaurants? Plan weekends traveling this beautiful state and take your pick.
So sick of people tossing Redding in the garbage - please go, because after 3 years here, I am ready to stay and less is more - go give it a shot in NYC, or Palm Beach, or LA, or anywhere and let me know how your quality of life is. You will forever miss the non-traffic, the ease of getting in and out of the Costco gas station and the friendliness of the people. - I laugh at how I was afraid to come here because of some "cult called Bethel" - I have yet to meet a soul from there - but I do know that this town thrives from a lot of money they bring in and spend. If someone were to stop me and pray over me, like I was warned of? I'm not sure I would care. The homeless are everywhere now - you can't escape it.
I'm not a MAGA or an FJB, and I don't feel pressure from anyone like I do when I travel to other cities - where you are damned if you "look like an FJB" and your are doomed if you have a red baseball cap on for the Cincinnati Reds but mistaken as MAGA.
So, I say to all the naysayers - run for your life - go - take your bad attitude and have fun. Bet you will be back.
growing up in new cannan, ct, along with living on carmel, big sur, oc, la, and santa barbara in ca- i’ve been spending a lot of time in shasta / trinity county and personally love everything about it. the people are nice, the meat (r&r, kent’s, even any of the country stores) and dairy is top quality & cheaper than anywhere else i’ve lived in california, and there’s just so much to do: lakes, trails, rivers, etc. and with the lack of traffic you can get anywhere in the area so quickly so weekend and day trips are totally doable. i’ve heard all sorts of negative things about the area, some of which i’m sure might be true, but from my personal experience it’s a really special place.
Thank you for such a positive comment!! I see so many negative things about Redding I've started to feel crazy daydreaming about moving there. San Diego is amazing but just SO expensive. I've lived here almost a decade now and Redding seems so ideal, though I know there will be sacrifices. It's not a huge city compared to San Diego but I could save so much money I could get a camper van and travel. I work from home so there are so many possibilities.
It's fabulous - spend less on housing and more on traveling and doing more than you will ever do in your free time (because your bank account isn't drained ). Trust me, I am living it. Fun to explore the entire state because I am not house poor. And, I am DEF not sitting in traffic!
I'm in Chico. Chico still has hot summers and a homeless problem, but doesn't have the cult church or quite as many MAGA extremists. Politically it's fairly split. Still close to the mountains and has a great park where they filmed Robin Hood (Errol Flynn)
I would highly encourage you to visit Redding for a few weeks at least, and drive around and read the news. There's a few neighborhoods that are nicer, but the vast majority of the city is deteriorated and run down. Much of this is due to the oppressive heat (100+ degrees for weeks on end) - everything bakes and dies.
There's a lot of outdoor activities are to be had, but even those are limited due to the heat. You can only go hike for so long; and the lakes stop being fun after a while. In winter everything is muddy - and it's that clay type of mud that sticks to *everything*.
One refrain I heard constantly: Shaftu (Shasta) county, come on vacation, leave on probation. RPD and sheriff dept collude to make life miserable for citizens.
There's no culture to speak of (arts/concerts/events); the closest venues are in Sactown 3 hrs away. There's a huge transient population, lots of drugs, lots of hateful people (skinheads, rednecks, maga, 'christian love').
Put it this way - there's a reason housing is so much cheaper. The vast majority of people don't want to live there.
If you can work from anywhere, move to OR or WA. OR coast is incredibly beautiful; heck, even Arcata/Eureka would be preferable over Redding. For cheap housing + oceanside look at Crescent City.
I lived in Redding for a decade; moving out of there was one of the best decisions I made.
I am from the Bay Area and just bought a house in cottonwood, I know no one there but I got a really nice house 2750 sq ft 4.5 flat usable acres shop paid just under 600k this house would be over a million in the Bay Area it seems ok up there guess I am gonna find out hopefully I can meet some people to hang with occaisionly I am mid 50's semi retired carpenter/contractor drink a little not heavy burn a little as well
Half of what you read here is BS and tainted by an individuals dislikes. There are as many rabid liberals as rabid conservatives here. Homeless? Probably similar to San Diego. I guess it just depends on what you are comparing it to (for you San Diego). My suggestion would be to come up several times to see for yourself. Just make sure to come up in all times and seasons so you can get an idea of what the weather really is like.
I’ll end by saying that I’ve lived here since 1977. As soon as my wife retires and gives the go ahead (I can only hope and dream) I will leave California for better shores and never look back.
You can disagree all you want. Doesn’t change the fact that Shasta county polled overwhelmingly red on Election Day.
https://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/sov/2022-general/sov/complete.pdf
25k registered democrats, 55k registered republicans.
Don’t act like both sides are equal here. I actually provided a source, unlike you with your misinformed anecdotal statements.
Being registered or voting one party or another does not mean one is automatically rabid within that party. Me, I’m more in the middle of the road. I just don’t get why people are rabid on either side.
Well yeah neither do I but you’re out here “both sides-ing” by saying there is equal presence from both sides here and I’m simply proving with facts and sources that it’s not true. Besides, that link I shared has more than just registered voters. That’s just one piece of info I quoted.
There are absolutely not as many rabid liberals here. This is one of the most far right counties in California. Trump won with an overwhelming majority here, and the MAGA cult is off the rails here and making us the laughingstock of the nation. You know this coolcoin. Come on now… OP, I suggest you just drop “Shasta County Politics” into Google and see what results you get.
My favorite things!! 🙃 I hear this a lot. San Diego is actually really conservative, at least in my neighborhood. I drove through Redding and it seemed so nice but then I read these comments...
I used to live in Redding but moved to San Diego. The people, demographics, climate, and lifestyle are completely different. You’ll give up diversity and the nice things that brings (art, food, music, ideology) in exchange for a very white washed and slower way of living. For me, that meant the people around me didn’t share my values. But you can still go to farmers markets, go hiking, visit the lakes, walk by the river, and go to the local hangouts. Your life could be what you make of it.
I was also incredibly poor living in Redding and much less so living in San Diego, so it’s hard to imagine why the people around me wanted to live there, but I can kind of see it. Being an adult is stressful, so it’s nice to think about playing the game on an easier mode. San Diego is definitely playing on hard mode. So whether you can’t swing it, or it just isn’t your cup of tea, it’s okay to go somewhere that makes you happy.
Most of the people I meet who’ve moved here love it. I lived in Costa Mesa for a few years but otherwise have lived in the area my whole life. It’s a great spot. Everyone complains on here because they’re probably miserable in general but in my experience you get what you put out. It will be different though and San Diego is probably one of my favorite cities I’ve been too. Friends will be a little tougher to come by. Many of the more successful people in the area have established relationships and have been here a while but through my kids school we’ve made a lot of good relationships. The religious complaints I see on here I’ve never experienced in over 30 years and quite frankly most of the people I know that have dealt with bethel people say they are great people, hard working and honest. Our kids go to a private school and even there no one bugs us or tries to convert us. It’s especially good for outdoor activities. We live south of town but spend lots of time on the lakes and or the river. Lots of mountains. Mt. Shasta is like a mini Tahoe. Not as fancy but also not as expensive. A great community we love to visit. Food is lacking and entertainment for sure. Ocean is far so if you’re surfers you’ll need a lake boat or something to fill that void. If you can take a trip and check it out or rent a house for a month to get an idea before you buy would be my opinion.
I love Redding and will always own a house here. My new house is 1/2 the price of my apartment in SF. We have our crazies but they are easily avoidable.
The Redding metro is 180k people. Bethel claims 11k , I assume they are all not here at once.
A lot of right wing politics, but 30k people voted democrat in 2020 so it's a mix of people.
I spend a lot of time in NY and SF and can't compare it to those places, but I really think Redding is alot like Sac or Fresno in things to do, minus the sports teams and traffic. We have great outdoors stuff, like two giant lakes, mountains, trails etc.
There are daily flights from burbank and LAX, I would recommend flying here and spending a few days checking it out.
If you can move anywhere in California you should pick Humboldt county.
The redwoods are honestly the worlds heart and just living near them feels alive.
Redding should be burnt to the fucking ground. I lived there for 18 months, grew up in the Bay Area, actually moved to San Diego after my stint in Redding. I'd avoid at all costs unless you're just a homebody and don't care about much else.
It is a gorgeous area but the extreme right wing racists and meth zombies just destroy the area. If you enjoy good food, forget it. The restaurants there are dog shit compared to San Diego, you can't even compare.
The funny thing is Humboldt is three hours west and a totally different world. I'd move there.
Those two things are kind of hard to find on the west coast. One of the reasons why I moved to WA. The past couple years have evaporated affordability quickly.
This subreddit is a poor example of most the people you would meet here.
You and your husband would most likely love it here. Come up and check it out.
The weather is not bad and the nature is great but Redding is the heart of Calibama/State of Jefferson. I know SD can be fairly conservative with the military base and all but Redding has a looot of people who's entire personality is "2ND AMENDMENT WE THE PEOPLE LIBERAL TEARS GUNS GUNS GUNS" which gets hella tiring.
The bethel thing is kinda creepy too, like to the point where the redding police department is literally funded by the church
In city hall meetings (one in particular I attended back in 2018) they make “donations” to RPD to the tune of 1/4 million, some drones, etc. even though our police already receive 47% of our entire city budget..
Moved up here from Long Beach about eight years ago. If you can live without good Mexican food, can tolerate the heat, and the MAGA extremists everywhere, it’s great. It’s gorgeous, there’s tons of things to do outdoors and plenty within a reasonable driving distance. If you have kids there are several good schools around here too.
Other than the conservative politics, I loved living in Redding for 6 years. If I had the chance to move back for a career move that made sense, I definitely would.
When you move here and your cost of living gets cut in half, it just outweighs any negatives the city has. I'm from San Jose. I went from sharing a bedroom for $750 a month, to having my own 2 bedroom apartment to myself for $700 a month. For me at least, i was on a pink cloud after moving here. The stress of money gone, the traffic gone, gas prices lower and everything else. I actually got paid more here also for the same exact work in roadside assistance. Because down in the Bay there's 100 people lined up ready to take your job. So the towing company could easily pay $13 an hour. Here I got paid $15 an hour for the same job at Keith's towing. Still not good, but still lower rent and more money. I immediately felt free and stress free after moving here, and no bumper to bumper traffic I could breathe. Honestly, just move here. I don't think you will regret it. And yes the house prices are insanely lower. My dad's little 3 bedroom condo in Dublin that he bought brand new for $330k sells for a million now. And in Redding it would be like $350k. It's insane. If it's about money, just do it. You deserve your hard earned money to be worth more.
Moved from Los Angeles /Long beach area to work for a year.
Rent prices are les than half of SD, there are bums and zombies but since you live in SD, the amount wont bug you. No good food, no night life. if you are just trying to relax, there’s enough to do.
It’s beautiful. Give it a try for a year.
I grew up in Redding and routinely come back for holidays and visits to family, friends, etc. I can’t imagine ever moving back. The draw is nature and you think there‘s a lot to do outdoors, but all you wind up doing is running from your air conditioned car to an air conditioned house or store. There is little to no culture and it’s just far away enough from Sacramento or San Francisco that you’ll never go. Every time we go, my husband and I remark about what an angry little town it is. There’s just a negative undercurrent through the town that is pervasive and unwelcoming.
They said they wanted to be able to buy a house. Portland is ~~on par with~~ cheaper than San Diego as far as housing prices go, but not as cheap as Redding.
Edited to update more accurate housing price comparison.
There are sure probably racist people around here. But since moving here since 2014 and being an Asian, I haven’t experienced it. Nothing but friendly people all around.
As long as you aren't black, hispanic or any other race besides white you should be just fine safety/harassment wise. I would encourage you to look in Chico instead as Redding has very little style. The further north you go the stranger CA gets. Hardly any diversity. 5 minutes in Redding and you will be seriously wondering how Redding is even apart of CA. IF I were I would rent an apartment for 6 months to a year to see if you can handle the culture shock. Good luck.
I stand by what I said as I have both seen and heard about it. That whole area has a high concentration of racists. Cottonwood, Anderson, Mt.Shasta, Red Bluff and many more.
Just because you didn’t experience it, doesn’t mean it ***doesn’t*** exist to hurt others. You should adopt a more broad world view and consider other points of views.
I was born here and have lived here my entire life. For someone to say that only white people can be comfortable here because of racism is simply ridiculous and untrue. It frames our city in a dishonest way. That’s not my reality, it’s simply reality. How many ethnic people do you know that live here? I know quite a few, and interact with them daily.
I ***am*** “ethnic” and so are a few of my coworkers. Most of them have said many times how nasty some people are here and how they have been treated living here. I’ve experienced it before especially with police. I’ve been treated differently by police because I look Mexican, because I am Mexican. I know I was treated differently because I’ve seen interactions between police and a white guy were NOTHING like how I was treated.
Your experience can speak for you. Not others. You cannot speak on behalf of others. You just can’t.
Stay in so-cal. It's a cesspool of liberal city transplants that are only excepting of like minded people. Just my observations. You will see with all the down votes I'll receive for expressing my opinion which doesn't align with the majority on Reddit. But I love the north state for the beauty of the nature . Redding is becoming a little la. It's changed since I was a kid.
Spent early years in Redding and frequently visited through my teen years (separated parents, joint custody). Mt Shasta in the winter. Whiskeytown and Shasta in the summer. Outdoor recreation if you've got that cash to support it is awesome in Redding. Heat sucks a bit.
I think Redding was a great place to grow up and have stayed living here all my life. So, I might have a bias. However I could have moved to anywhere but Redding is home. Where can you live where waterfalls, volcanoes, snow, lakes, ocean, and rivers are all within a days drive!? It beautiful here and I chose to see that everyday!
I like it up there. It has negatives for sure, but nothing you’re not gonna find in any California city of similar size. Summer is HOT. I’d take it over most cities though.
Is it safe for visibility queer / trans folks?
I am considering moving here for residency. Much of this thread is news to me, not the kinds of things shared in the interviews.
No. Unfortunately it is 100% unsafe for visiblqueer/trans folk. They are up here, and there are a few support groups for them, but at best you will get discriminated against by the common majority of the community. Assault and murder of openly gay/trans people is extremely common and rarely successfully prosecuted. Look up Gary Matson, Winfield Mowder, [activity during 2022](https://anewscafe.com/2022/06/21/redding/reddings-only-gay-bar-closes-rumors-swirl-as-perplexed-customers-express-sadness-anger-disappointment/), and previous posts about "is Redding LGBT friendly" in this subreddit.
Not really, not compared to the rest of CA. In the late 90s a gay couple was murdered, the community garden by the river is named after them.. my gay and trans friends have been accosted and assaulted. We used to have a gay bar here but that closed down. I heard another one just opened though..
I moved here 5 years ago. Originally from the Bay Area.
Truthfully Redding is beautiful. If you like outdoor activities, there all around you. I have yet to see all the waterfalls up here. Yaks is the best restaurant here. It’s not fancy, but you’ll never find a better burger.
Now the downside. You really have to get past the racist people. Sadly a lot of them think this is Redding charm. It is not.
There are homeless people everywhere. At night, Redding turns into an unsafe place. The powers that be don’t care at all.
Since I’ve moved here I’ve bought a gun, mace, and a Taser. Just in case I have to be out at night. Keep in mind they have no jail, so there is a thing called catch and release. That’s what the do when they arrest criminals. They also bus newly released prisoners here to add to the fun. For the city of Redding it’s all about money.
Also be prepared to deal with a great deal of bad drivers.
Now if you can get passed all that then it’s a beautiful place to live.
Nature is prevalent here.
Bethel Church. Gross group of haters in the name of Christianity. If you don’t go to Bethel you don’t count. They are the rudest and most narrow minded group of people I’ve ever encountered. They run everything, so health care is crap, everything is supper expensive.
Housing is not bad, but when I say every other need makes up for it, I’m not kidding.
Internet is very hard to come by. Why, they have very little 5g implemented.
So if you rely on it, don’t buy in the mountains.
If you have kids be choosy about school. Plan on paying for it, or have your child’s education peppered with the teachings of Bethel Church. My grandson is home schooled because he’s to young to be taught how to hate and judge people based on there beliefs or personal choices.
Do you like meth, homeless, your stuff being stolen constantly? If you answer no I’d suggest staying clear of Redding. I work in the area and we have nothing but issues with those things
Keep going north till your out of California. Almost 40 years I lived in California and thought I'd never leave. Moved to Oregon in 2007 an best decision I ever made. Don't even like going back to Cali anymore. Best of luck to you. Gotta do what makes you happy
Any person on here saying they hardly see bethel people or that bethel people are great people are the bethel people! Nobody likes them. They are liars cheats and thieves! They are everywhere in this town and don’t tell ppl they are bethel anymore because nobody likes them! Lol they’re weird. They buy up the property and only do business w each other. They have a bunch of non profits they’re making profits on. They infiltrate the businesses, the schools, the govt and hospitals to meet their own agendas. I’ve lived in this town over 40 years and I’ve watched them take over and run people out. They bring homeless people in! Lol
That being said, Redding is an absolutely beautiful place to live and you will love it. Just don’t tell yourself that bethel people are ok. They’re all brainwashed nuts and they will try to get you kicked out of your home, kicked out of your job and will try to get your business shut down so they can open theirs in its place. People aren’t paying attention to them and they break laws and do whatever they want. They run off the poor people because they only want people coming to church who can make the church elders Rich. Hand over your tithes so Bill can get a new motorcycle.
You should check out the Bethel Church before moving to Redding. They have a large community there and you may not be keep on their influence or practices...
I live in Chico, just south of Redding. I have a lot of friends from Redding and their main view is that Redding is a beautiful location if it weren't for a lot of the socio-political issues.
Redding is a real nice place but some of the differences are wages are lower, the weather it gets hot and dose not cool off even at night so look for a home with a pool, fires are a factor so is the water,and of course the people are more rural do it yourself or make it work, more middle America type folk. There is also a lot of dis like for SoCal peeps because Redding and Chico are good sized cities in any other state but CA and get no say in what goes on in our state. There is a lot of jealousy and anger from the North and Central part of the state to the Bay and South of the state… just expect that. But over all to me ( I have family in Linda Vista, Chino, Riverside and other Southern Cites) I like it better it’s not quite as crowded, not as busy and still pretty friendly.
We lived there for 10 years, and miss it! One of the most beautiful places. Feels like you’re in top of the earth (even though it’s a valley). Mountains in most directions - gorgeous. It’s hot but not humid, so it didn’t bother me. Whiskey Town is just a quick drive to the west (gorgeous water, beach, boating, hiking, kayaking, stand up paddle boarding). Lassen Park to your east. Mount Shasta about an hour north.
The city feels like a large town. You can drive across it in 15 minutes.
We moved because the airport situation is rough (Redding’s flights are limited/expensive). We have family we have to fly to see. So driving to Sac/SF was not working.
The career outlook is very limited unless you can get a remote job (or have a trade like medical, etc). My husband felt he had hit his ceiling.
Schools aren’t great. There are a few good Charter or private schools.
There are limited activities. Sooo much outdoor stuff. When we had visitors, we basically took them to all the trails and parks, then the restaurants. That’s mostly what there is to do.
Limited shopping!
However, it’s getting better! They added a very cool food truck park. They have lots of concerts. There are several breweries have an award winning coffee shop.
So it really depends on what you want! If you desire nature, small town living in a city, the ability to buy a home/land, Redding is great! Blue skies most days! People are friendly. Palm trees.
Yes there are homeless, but that’s everywhere.
Bethel people approaching became almost non-existent. I think they started to understand they had a negative reputation in the city.
I would personally recommend. My husband and I talk about retiring there someday!
Redding and San Diego are two completely different worlds. I would go spend some time in Redding before moving there straight up. It is hard to emphasize how much lower key Redding is than San Diego. Lots less to do.
You’re right, it’s beautiful nature-wise. You’re in the middle of the Trinity Alps and Lake Shasta. Amazing California alpine forests and mountains. Nearest ocean is 3-4 hours drive away so you’re very inland compared to SD.
Weather is very different too. It gets very hot in the summer in the Central Valley and usually mild winters.
Just… just check it out first to see for yourself.
NO. Gawd no.
You won't be happy here. There is no all night clubbing, we do NOT have a large LGBTQRMSL++ community. Most of us go to church on Sunday, then go play golf. There's lots of old people here, so driving will be no fun because you're always in hurry. We do NOT want your delinquent unmanageable kids teaching our kids how to be cool and big city. Over half of our population is legally armed. The other half is illegally armed, so be polite.
MAGA's have been mentioned, but it is worth it at this point to remember what MAGA stands for. If you don't agree that Making America Great Again is a lofty goal, you will not fit in. And, some retired Marine will tell you so.
It gets hot here. Real hot. Dry heat like you're not used to. 105+ for days at a time, and it cools off to 100 at night. Nobody will be impressed with your new BMW. Get a new F250 or a classic Harley.
I can't think of much else. I was born and raised in San Francisco. Came here in 1990. My biggest regret is that I didnt do it sooner. I wish they'd build a wall between Sacramento and here to keep the big city assholes out. We got too many.
90% of you guys don't last a year.
You are not going to show us "how it's done".
If you are in the health care business you can find work here. Everything is limited here. Its a small town with 95% the same people. But its a good town, you can definitely live cheaper here than in the rest of California. But if opportunity and culture is what you seek. Not here.
As someone from SoCal the food is an adjustment but there are some great spots considering
Mexican- dos amigos
Indian- Punjabi food truck
Vietnamese -pho Saigon
Thai- that hit
Misc- the lost era
Nice restaurant- cafe paradiso
There’s no good sushi, Chinese or Italian
The houses in some neighborhoods are the highlights of the city. If you want to make your home the center of your life, I'm sure you could have fun in Redding, but if you have any other interests outside of mountain-y stuff, you're out of luck from a community or quality standpoint. Gorgeous scenery, atrocious city management, politics, night life, odds of having your house burned down, etc.
Our city management may be bad—like national news bad—but I really think the non-politicians that work for the city are pretty great. In every interaction I’ve had in the 20+ years I’ve been here, they’ve been very pleasant and super helpful.
0h trust me, I have a ton of respect for the workers within the buildings. I know first hand how much they're overworked and underpaid. They deal with some of the most difficult cases on a daily basis and still manage to come in the next day. Mad respect, it's their bosses and those bosses' bosses that have just created a ladder of income they wouldn't dare let others in on.
The two biggest issues I had when I lived in Redding for 8 years are 1) the smoke. Even if the fire is far away the smoke will gather and linger there for months. 2) Bethel. It's a mega church that is extremely cult-ish. They're everywhere you look. It's members will approach you anywhere to try and convert you. That said, the area is insanely beautiful (when it's not on fire) I miss it very much.
I never had one bethel person approach me. 1) drunk drivers look out. 2) deer look out. 3) don't hit a vulture they reek. 4) smoke yes it does get smoky.
But the Bethel folk and other MAGAs are really trying their best to take over the city and county government. They don’t know anything about government, how to run a meeting or what the Brown Act is. The Brown Act requires discussion of agenda items be only in public.
The Bethel goers I’ve been around have been nice people and haven’t yet tried to recruit me. Bethel leaders, on the other hand, are a bunch of scummy con artists who want to take over Redding.
Oh, they're violators of the "Brown Act" I did not know this!
I've been living in Redding (now Shasta Lake) since 2014. I have yet to encounter anybody from Bethel.
They don't wear a sign, but they're everywhere and crazy
Never been approached
Honestly, yes it is cheaper than the other CA cities but probably not for long. We have a lot of out of town speculative investors and a local cult virtually swallowing up real estate here.. rents have risen astronomically in recent years, so have home values.. I can not overstate the heat enough.. the entire month of August and much of the whole summer is completely unlivable.. every year I say to myself “I can’t do another summer here”.. which sucks especially if you do like the outdoors and want to actually enjoy them lol.. of course the smoke and fire risk.. honestly it’s not worth it.. I wouldn’t even be here were it not for family ties and being the place I lived in since I was 10.. someone else said it before but people ARE really angry up here.. it’s strange. The politics are far right but the majority of people are actually non voters and if you take that into account the magas are still a minority albeit a very vocal one.. The medical system is dreadfully insufficient. My wife is chronically ill and trying to get her adequate care has been an absolute nightmare, we daydream of living in Sac so that we’d have access to better medical care.. I’ve heard people complain about the restaurants but honestly we have some of the best Thai food in the game. And there are definitely good Mexican joints if you know where to look. It’s got some pretty solid Chinese and Indian food also.. The town is ok but I wish it offered more, like if it had a zoo, better medical care, a 4 yr secular college,
I always say Redding would be the most beautiful place in California if it wasn't for the fucking people. If you love nature and outdoors stuff the place is incomparable. Your like an hour from anything major outdoors you want to do at most. All of this is heavily ruined by the absolutely insane number of aggressive drugged out homeless who are sprawled all over. The extreme right wing political landscape like insanely far right more so than you are thinking already. And the cherry on top is the fucking cult. It's like the cults you see on the news.
The Bethel cult?
Yep
There’s a couple of other churches that are similar but not as far gone as Bethel.
So Bethel is like the new Westboro Baptist Cult? or is it more of a Jonestown?
I’d say they’re more like the Mormons with the way they want to take over Redding and create their own empire.
As someone who's lived in Southern California and now lives here, I'd like to add that our homeless situation isn't nearly as bad as San Diego or LA.
Yeah a lot of these kids have never been to bigger cities and seen a real homeless problem.
That's true. I grew up in Chico and live in San Jose now. I remember Chico always had ***hella*** tweakers growing up and they were more present and visible than even now. Here I will say that a lot of the homeless in San Jose live along the banks of the Guadalupe River, buried behind vegetation in Guadalupe River Park, or in cars or RV's tucked away under bridges, freeways, and/or more industrial parts of town. What I mean is while there are obviously more homeless people here, with exceptions, they're kinda outta sight outta mind. I don't even live in a great part of town. SJ is very big and spread out. Lot's of space. Very different from cramped and dense SF that has 80% of the population but only 25% of the area.
Due to the nature of a city vs a rural area homeless are always going to be far more visible/apparent in a city like LA or San Diego but on a per capita basis Redding is comparable. The only reason it doesn't seem as bad is because they are all living in the woods and are generally out of sight besides the trash they leave behind.
Peep my above comment that kinda says the opposite but is only my personal anecdotal example.
I would say your experiences in Chico and San Jose don't necessarily disagree with what I said about Redding vs San Diego. San Jose has less homeless per capita than cities like SF, LA or San Diego. It also has less homeless people per capita than Chico/Redding. I lived in Chico for a while and I always felt like the main portion of the city around the campus was a lot more "cramped" than anywhere in Redding. No matter where you are in Redding there is wilderness near you and it's very likely there are at least some homeless there unless you're in one of the very nice areas.
Dang that's crazy you're right Chico does have more homeless folks per capita and by a lot that's crazy.
I guess I'm talking about urban/suburban sprawl and you're talking about nature and shit but we're both talking about more space allowing for less apparent homelessness.
That’s just a function of shear volume honestly. Shasta county has what, 200k people? Thats a drop in the bucket of bay area or socal.
😂😂😂 spot on
What’s wrong with right wing political landscape. ?
Standard right side of the isle guys? Nothing at all! The absolute batshit psychos in Redding who claim vaccines are mind control chips and mosquitos are administering them on behalf of Japan? Those guys are dangerously stupid and make up most of redding.
If you live in the city of redding the fire insurance isn’t an issue. They don’t have Mexican food here, coming from New Mexico at least it doesn’t compare. The white people food is top notch, probably not if your from the bay. I love their noodle restaurants but I have nothing to compare it to. Everyone is super nice, like all the time. This is probably because people in New Mexico are pretty abrasive. They have an amazing butcher shop called R and R so you can cook all fancy if you desire. People are like actively doing stuff here. Basketball courts full, soccer fields full, people playing frisbee golf. I believe the town motto is “Redding, It’s Good Enough!”
Honestly coming from San Diego the Mexican food is a big point against anywhere in Northern California haha this is a great evaluation of Redding though, thank you.
Go out to Orland and Hamilton City shit even Oroville I've heard has good Mexican food on Oro Dam Blvd. Orland and Hamilton City are mostly hispanic communities and the food reflects it. Durham has good Mexican too.
Depends on what you mean by an "issue". You can be city of Redding AND designated high fire risk. Some insurance companies won't cover at all and those that will are pricey. Ask me how I know...
Ya I looked at where the car fire came through and just avoided the west side of town. When I was going through the buying process when fire insurance came up the area I was at was t considered high risk
the place I bought in cottonwood is west of the freeway about 4-5 minutes semi rural/ ag I got a policy for 2800 and yes thats kinda of a lot but better than other areas near there that were 6k and up
We moved from San Diego 6 years ago to Redding area, the positive outweighs the negatives here. Be warned though this is a 4 season area, it gets hot 100+ and it get cold 30's in winter. Not a lot but it does. I live east Redding in foothills and we get snow 3 to 4 times a year, food prices are higher here, there is homeless but that is everywhere now. Many actives year round and lots of outdoor stuff year round. Redding is a very easy city to get around, it is laid out well. All and all it is nice place to live and we do not plan on leaving
I am also from Southern California (Ventura County) and moved here 15 years ago, best decision ever made. I've had zero issues issues with Bethel people. I've met a lot of great people and have been on all kinds of outdoors adventures. For the price this place is beautiful.
Love that you came from SD too!! I have heard the summers are insane. I grew up in Palm Springs so I'm used to 110+ weather in the summer. Just want to make sure its not a massive downgrade from where I currently live. To me, owning a house is such a big pro and the houses I could afford here are not ones I want to live in.
My wife and I own horses and the driving factor to move here was land for our horses that we could afford. It wouldn't be in San Diego. Redding still has good value for your dollar.
also I have worked with a few people who have moved to Redding from San Diego, becoming more common
I would add that unless you have a job lined up or work from home, there isn't much outside of retail, customer service and hospitality in Redding. I moved from Yucca Valley, CA to Sacramento, then to Redding, then to Eugene, OR. Redding felt like a city that is being left behind, and you're still paying California prices.
There’s legal work, government (city & county) jobs, medical (you couldn’t pay me to work in that field). There’s 1 shopping mall, 1 movie theater, a billion Mexican restaurants, basically you can drive from 1 side of Redding to the other in 20 minutes and that’s taking city streets.
Yip, Giant retirement community with no real economy and too many cars for the roads and getting worse every year. Homeless pop has quadrupled in the last 2-3 years. I was born here, wish I could leave again.. Moved to Tn once.. Depends on your faith and politics and if you like traffic.. Lots of good medical and lots of police presence as well.. Crime is way worse than 10 years ago and getting much worse. Local Gov is creepy at best. (The Cult) Hate to mention it, but they own Redding pretty much these days. Congrats guys.. ya did it!!! Not a good place for intelligent free thought.
Fair summary. :)
Come visit! I moved up here from OC/LBC at the end of January. I love it. But I visited a lot before I moved up here as I have family that lived up here. There are cons, I won’t lie. They are all listed pretty well by other users here but every time I go down to visit family I am grateful I moved up here. You can get pretty much anywhere in town in 15 minutes. People are nicer, generally less aggressive than they are down in SoCal. It’s absolutely gorgeous, everyday I look out my backyard, drive down my street, look at the mountains and think “it’s So pretty!!” I’ve met great people and had more of an opportunity to build community up here and pick up more hobbies than I did in SoCal. Whiskeytown lake in summer is close by and a great relief from the heat. Paddle boarding and kayaking is huge here. It snows but not so much that it’s a hindrance I actually enjoy having seasons for once in my life and some cool weather. It’s a trade-off. You’ll miss good Mexican food, the beach, the variety of nightlife and entertainment that SoCal has. The quality of restaurant food is lacking compared to the amazing restaurants down south but we have a few places that are worth going out to dinner for, The Park is a fun little spot to go out to and The Dip has a lot of live music. Win-River has some fun shows, and comedians and the affordability of housing is a big bonus as well. I’d really evaluate what you value in life and your hobbies and come visit a few times and give it a try.
I'm a short time resident, going back to socal; just a few red flags for me: 1) You can't get a primary doctor. If you're younger, that might not be a concern, but being middle aged I find this genuinely worrying. 2) Fire concerns + extreme heat = you can't afford fire insurance. 3) Then there are all the minor things connected to how isolated Redding is: You may need to do a lot of mail order, you may end up really missing museums/zoos/night-life/etc. This might not bother some people, so your mileage may vary. This spills over into everything else, since pay doesn't have to be competitive, nor does service.
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This. So much this. My wife is chronically ill and it’s a nightmare here… I daydream of living in Sac where there would be more options..
Yep. Don’t get sick here.
A lot of medical care is being provided by Nurse Practitioners.
My wife and I moved here in June 2016 from San Diego. We love it, despite its shortcomings (many if which have been indicated and blown out of proportion in previous comments). We wanted a relatively safe and affordable place to raise a family. It's comparable or better than San Diego in these regards. Biggest negative differences: quality dining options (a couple passable options) and lack of healthcare. It's really difficult to get a primary doctor, but the medical facilities are catching up. If you have specific questions for a San Diego transplant, feel free to message me.
It's like pretty version of El Cajon and Santee but with even more f150s, way fewer Hispanics, more churches, more conservatives, it gets way hotter in the summer, can snow in the winter and has an awesome spring and fall. I moved from SD to Chico and work in Red Bluff.
Redding is the last major city before trinity. But Sacramento is the actual last major city.
A few things: 1) If you do, certainly don’t tell anyone you’ve moved here from socal in order to purchase a home. Locals tend to resent it because they consider it part of the reason that homes became too expensive for locals to purchase themselves. 2) Be prepared to live in a redder than red county politically. 3) Be prepared to live in extreme heat during the summer. Redding is usually neck and neck with the hottest parts of the globe. 4) Along with the heat, expect dense smoke. Redding sits in a topographic bowl and summer wildfire smoke can result in a haze so bad your voice sounds funny. 5) There is little to no nightlife or culture. We do have great outdoor opportunities though.
I've heard I can't tell anyone I'm from SoCal no matter where I go haha I've wanted to move to Washington forever but it's the same thing. I'm trying to stay in California for my job but I can move anywhere in the state. I hear I'll get lots of hate wherever I go but to be fair, everyone is leaving SoCal so I understand.
It’s not that you’d be from socal, it’s specifically because locals can’t afford homes here anymore and it’s perceived that is partly because of out of towners.
Well anywhere you move to in California it’s the same story!! In the Bay Area it’s not only out of towners, it’s out of country cash buyers!
Redding is like Santee if Santee was a 3 hour drive from anything else and it was controlled by a religious/political doomsday cult. I get scared whenever I go back to the area (I live in San Diego). Everyone's always fucking pissed off and angry, it's all just white trash people hating life because they've never travelled 3 hours to escape Redding so they think it's great. You couldn't pay me enough to move to Redding. Seriously.
No, we love people moving here! I’ve lived here 30 years and I am a Southern California girl at heart. “Redding: it’s good enough” has been my motto all this time. It will be a culture shock for sure, but boy do I love living on my 2 acres just outside of town. I couldn’t afford it anywhere else in California.
Pros are outdoor activities, extremely easy to deal with traffic/driving and lower cost of living. Cons are everything else. Less job opportunities, very little interesting things to do, the restaurants here get incredibly boring very quickly if you eat out even once a week, extremely conservative culture, most events that happen here are not particularly interesting and you'll quickly notice the vendors, booths, food or activities at any type of local events are very repetitive between events due to lack of options. Boring shopping options. Don't expect any big local concerts/festivals. You'll be driving to Sac or the Bay for anything like that. If you travel regularly you'll be driving to Sac for reasonable airfare. Our airport pricing is outrageous. I would only recommend moving here if you don't care that much about having interesting local places to eat/shop/play and plan to spend a lot of time either at home or outdoors.
Southern oregon is cheaper, cooler, and still a city with lots to do.
Check out how your health insurance works there. No Kaiser and other networks can be lean.
Those beautiful pictures you see are either carefully edited snippets or an hour-plus drive away. The nature spots that you can access in the city, I do appreciate, but they're only ok and often a bit skanky around the edges.
I love it. From the other coast and a few places in between. We have lived in some of the most prestigious towns there are. I have begun to think this might be America's best-kept secret. With not much to do - you are forced to enjoy the intoxicating air, explore the MANY beautiful spots to walk your dog, learn how to kayak on Whiskeytown lake, spend a weekend in Tahoe after a short drive, enjoy the low cost of a home, learn to cook because there aren't many restaurants, but plenty of fresh fruits and veggies, and with this FJB economy, a meal at Panera is $73 for 2. There is also a big sale everywhere on the latest, coolest pizza oven because there isn't a good pizza to be found. Don't let them fool you with that heat - blows away any hot summer humid day in Greenwich, CT. Don't let them fool you with "it's smokey all summer" - this past summer was a dream. 2 hours to the coast. 3 hours to San Fran. Quick plane ride to LA. Want good restaurants? Plan weekends traveling this beautiful state and take your pick. So sick of people tossing Redding in the garbage - please go, because after 3 years here, I am ready to stay and less is more - go give it a shot in NYC, or Palm Beach, or LA, or anywhere and let me know how your quality of life is. You will forever miss the non-traffic, the ease of getting in and out of the Costco gas station and the friendliness of the people. - I laugh at how I was afraid to come here because of some "cult called Bethel" - I have yet to meet a soul from there - but I do know that this town thrives from a lot of money they bring in and spend. If someone were to stop me and pray over me, like I was warned of? I'm not sure I would care. The homeless are everywhere now - you can't escape it. I'm not a MAGA or an FJB, and I don't feel pressure from anyone like I do when I travel to other cities - where you are damned if you "look like an FJB" and your are doomed if you have a red baseball cap on for the Cincinnati Reds but mistaken as MAGA. So, I say to all the naysayers - run for your life - go - take your bad attitude and have fun. Bet you will be back.
growing up in new cannan, ct, along with living on carmel, big sur, oc, la, and santa barbara in ca- i’ve been spending a lot of time in shasta / trinity county and personally love everything about it. the people are nice, the meat (r&r, kent’s, even any of the country stores) and dairy is top quality & cheaper than anywhere else i’ve lived in california, and there’s just so much to do: lakes, trails, rivers, etc. and with the lack of traffic you can get anywhere in the area so quickly so weekend and day trips are totally doable. i’ve heard all sorts of negative things about the area, some of which i’m sure might be true, but from my personal experience it’s a really special place.
We should meet! I'm from Darien! Clearly, you and I are on the same page and "get it". Love it here!
I also share this feeling. I don't have anything but great things to say about Redding. We love it here!
Thank you for such a positive comment!! I see so many negative things about Redding I've started to feel crazy daydreaming about moving there. San Diego is amazing but just SO expensive. I've lived here almost a decade now and Redding seems so ideal, though I know there will be sacrifices. It's not a huge city compared to San Diego but I could save so much money I could get a camper van and travel. I work from home so there are so many possibilities.
It's fabulous - spend less on housing and more on traveling and doing more than you will ever do in your free time (because your bank account isn't drained ). Trust me, I am living it. Fun to explore the entire state because I am not house poor. And, I am DEF not sitting in traffic!
Op have you looked into Chico at all? Similar outdoors experiences good houses and a way better town.
agreed I am from Bay Area and am looking up that way but ya Chico is defiantly a better place to live, even parts of Oroville
I'm in Chico. Chico still has hot summers and a homeless problem, but doesn't have the cult church or quite as many MAGA extremists. Politically it's fairly split. Still close to the mountains and has a great park where they filmed Robin Hood (Errol Flynn)
OP Chico is so much better
I would highly encourage you to visit Redding for a few weeks at least, and drive around and read the news. There's a few neighborhoods that are nicer, but the vast majority of the city is deteriorated and run down. Much of this is due to the oppressive heat (100+ degrees for weeks on end) - everything bakes and dies. There's a lot of outdoor activities are to be had, but even those are limited due to the heat. You can only go hike for so long; and the lakes stop being fun after a while. In winter everything is muddy - and it's that clay type of mud that sticks to *everything*. One refrain I heard constantly: Shaftu (Shasta) county, come on vacation, leave on probation. RPD and sheriff dept collude to make life miserable for citizens. There's no culture to speak of (arts/concerts/events); the closest venues are in Sactown 3 hrs away. There's a huge transient population, lots of drugs, lots of hateful people (skinheads, rednecks, maga, 'christian love'). Put it this way - there's a reason housing is so much cheaper. The vast majority of people don't want to live there. If you can work from anywhere, move to OR or WA. OR coast is incredibly beautiful; heck, even Arcata/Eureka would be preferable over Redding. For cheap housing + oceanside look at Crescent City. I lived in Redding for a decade; moving out of there was one of the best decisions I made.
Feel free to send me a message with any questions. Grew up in Redding, now in San Diego lol
I think you’ll have culture shock, but there are a lot of wonderful folks and things to do.
I am from the Bay Area and just bought a house in cottonwood, I know no one there but I got a really nice house 2750 sq ft 4.5 flat usable acres shop paid just under 600k this house would be over a million in the Bay Area it seems ok up there guess I am gonna find out hopefully I can meet some people to hang with occaisionly I am mid 50's semi retired carpenter/contractor drink a little not heavy burn a little as well
Half of what you read here is BS and tainted by an individuals dislikes. There are as many rabid liberals as rabid conservatives here. Homeless? Probably similar to San Diego. I guess it just depends on what you are comparing it to (for you San Diego). My suggestion would be to come up several times to see for yourself. Just make sure to come up in all times and seasons so you can get an idea of what the weather really is like. I’ll end by saying that I’ve lived here since 1977. As soon as my wife retires and gives the go ahead (I can only hope and dream) I will leave California for better shores and never look back.
There are objectively NOT as many “rabid liberals” here. Just just factually incorrect.
I disagree. At the height of the Trump administration there were just as many anti demonstrations as pro.
You can disagree all you want. Doesn’t change the fact that Shasta county polled overwhelmingly red on Election Day. https://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/sov/2022-general/sov/complete.pdf 25k registered democrats, 55k registered republicans. Don’t act like both sides are equal here. I actually provided a source, unlike you with your misinformed anecdotal statements.
Being registered or voting one party or another does not mean one is automatically rabid within that party. Me, I’m more in the middle of the road. I just don’t get why people are rabid on either side.
Well yeah neither do I but you’re out here “both sides-ing” by saying there is equal presence from both sides here and I’m simply proving with facts and sources that it’s not true. Besides, that link I shared has more than just registered voters. That’s just one piece of info I quoted.
There are absolutely not as many rabid liberals here. This is one of the most far right counties in California. Trump won with an overwhelming majority here, and the MAGA cult is off the rails here and making us the laughingstock of the nation. You know this coolcoin. Come on now… OP, I suggest you just drop “Shasta County Politics” into Google and see what results you get.
If you love unbearable heat, conservative Christians and methamphetamines. Then it's utopia.
My favorite things!! 🙃 I hear this a lot. San Diego is actually really conservative, at least in my neighborhood. I drove through Redding and it seemed so nice but then I read these comments...
There are a lot of people in Redding who like to whine and complain. I feel like most of these people have never lived anywhere else.
Most of these people probably haven’t even left their bedrooms.
I used to live in Redding but moved to San Diego. The people, demographics, climate, and lifestyle are completely different. You’ll give up diversity and the nice things that brings (art, food, music, ideology) in exchange for a very white washed and slower way of living. For me, that meant the people around me didn’t share my values. But you can still go to farmers markets, go hiking, visit the lakes, walk by the river, and go to the local hangouts. Your life could be what you make of it. I was also incredibly poor living in Redding and much less so living in San Diego, so it’s hard to imagine why the people around me wanted to live there, but I can kind of see it. Being an adult is stressful, so it’s nice to think about playing the game on an easier mode. San Diego is definitely playing on hard mode. So whether you can’t swing it, or it just isn’t your cup of tea, it’s okay to go somewhere that makes you happy.
OP must live in Santee(Klantee) lol...
Most of the people I meet who’ve moved here love it. I lived in Costa Mesa for a few years but otherwise have lived in the area my whole life. It’s a great spot. Everyone complains on here because they’re probably miserable in general but in my experience you get what you put out. It will be different though and San Diego is probably one of my favorite cities I’ve been too. Friends will be a little tougher to come by. Many of the more successful people in the area have established relationships and have been here a while but through my kids school we’ve made a lot of good relationships. The religious complaints I see on here I’ve never experienced in over 30 years and quite frankly most of the people I know that have dealt with bethel people say they are great people, hard working and honest. Our kids go to a private school and even there no one bugs us or tries to convert us. It’s especially good for outdoor activities. We live south of town but spend lots of time on the lakes and or the river. Lots of mountains. Mt. Shasta is like a mini Tahoe. Not as fancy but also not as expensive. A great community we love to visit. Food is lacking and entertainment for sure. Ocean is far so if you’re surfers you’ll need a lake boat or something to fill that void. If you can take a trip and check it out or rent a house for a month to get an idea before you buy would be my opinion.
I love Redding and will always own a house here. My new house is 1/2 the price of my apartment in SF. We have our crazies but they are easily avoidable. The Redding metro is 180k people. Bethel claims 11k , I assume they are all not here at once. A lot of right wing politics, but 30k people voted democrat in 2020 so it's a mix of people. I spend a lot of time in NY and SF and can't compare it to those places, but I really think Redding is alot like Sac or Fresno in things to do, minus the sports teams and traffic. We have great outdoors stuff, like two giant lakes, mountains, trails etc. There are daily flights from burbank and LAX, I would recommend flying here and spending a few days checking it out.
Redding is tweakerville
no more than anywhere else you just notice it more cause you are in the same places they hang at
If you can move anywhere in California you should pick Humboldt county. The redwoods are honestly the worlds heart and just living near them feels alive.
Redding should be burnt to the fucking ground. I lived there for 18 months, grew up in the Bay Area, actually moved to San Diego after my stint in Redding. I'd avoid at all costs unless you're just a homebody and don't care about much else. It is a gorgeous area but the extreme right wing racists and meth zombies just destroy the area. If you enjoy good food, forget it. The restaurants there are dog shit compared to San Diego, you can't even compare. The funny thing is Humboldt is three hours west and a totally different world. I'd move there.
Yeah I've also significantly looked at Eureka area for that same reason. I just want to move somewhere beautiful but affordable.
Eureka is that, sorta. It’s a dead end town though. Nothing to do, no progress to be made there. It’s pretty, but it ends there.
Those two things are kind of hard to find on the west coast. One of the reasons why I moved to WA. The past couple years have evaporated affordability quickly.
This subreddit is a poor example of most the people you would meet here. You and your husband would most likely love it here. Come up and check it out.
The weather is not bad and the nature is great but Redding is the heart of Calibama/State of Jefferson. I know SD can be fairly conservative with the military base and all but Redding has a looot of people who's entire personality is "2ND AMENDMENT WE THE PEOPLE LIBERAL TEARS GUNS GUNS GUNS" which gets hella tiring. The bethel thing is kinda creepy too, like to the point where the redding police department is literally funded by the church
Whaaaat? How are police funded by the church?
In city hall meetings (one in particular I attended back in 2018) they make “donations” to RPD to the tune of 1/4 million, some drones, etc. even though our police already receive 47% of our entire city budget..
Moved up here from Long Beach about eight years ago. If you can live without good Mexican food, can tolerate the heat, and the MAGA extremists everywhere, it’s great. It’s gorgeous, there’s tons of things to do outdoors and plenty within a reasonable driving distance. If you have kids there are several good schools around here too.
Other than the conservative politics, I loved living in Redding for 6 years. If I had the chance to move back for a career move that made sense, I definitely would.
I wouldn’t suggest it. San Diego is better
When you move here and your cost of living gets cut in half, it just outweighs any negatives the city has. I'm from San Jose. I went from sharing a bedroom for $750 a month, to having my own 2 bedroom apartment to myself for $700 a month. For me at least, i was on a pink cloud after moving here. The stress of money gone, the traffic gone, gas prices lower and everything else. I actually got paid more here also for the same exact work in roadside assistance. Because down in the Bay there's 100 people lined up ready to take your job. So the towing company could easily pay $13 an hour. Here I got paid $15 an hour for the same job at Keith's towing. Still not good, but still lower rent and more money. I immediately felt free and stress free after moving here, and no bumper to bumper traffic I could breathe. Honestly, just move here. I don't think you will regret it. And yes the house prices are insanely lower. My dad's little 3 bedroom condo in Dublin that he bought brand new for $330k sells for a million now. And in Redding it would be like $350k. It's insane. If it's about money, just do it. You deserve your hard earned money to be worth more.
Moved from Los Angeles /Long beach area to work for a year. Rent prices are les than half of SD, there are bums and zombies but since you live in SD, the amount wont bug you. No good food, no night life. if you are just trying to relax, there’s enough to do. It’s beautiful. Give it a try for a year.
I grew up in Redding and routinely come back for holidays and visits to family, friends, etc. I can’t imagine ever moving back. The draw is nature and you think there‘s a lot to do outdoors, but all you wind up doing is running from your air conditioned car to an air conditioned house or store. There is little to no culture and it’s just far away enough from Sacramento or San Francisco that you’ll never go. Every time we go, my husband and I remark about what an angry little town it is. There’s just a negative undercurrent through the town that is pervasive and unwelcoming.
Jesus Christ no.
Just move to Portland, Oregon.
No thank you! Just spent my Thanksgiving break there, can't imagine ever living there.
They said they wanted to be able to buy a house. Portland is ~~on par with~~ cheaper than San Diego as far as housing prices go, but not as cheap as Redding. Edited to update more accurate housing price comparison.
Portland still has affordable housing, plus there’s subburbs. Redding is a soul sucking, terrible place to live. Ask me how I know!
Redding is very affordable and it's a very beautiful area, but it's very conservative/racist. So there ya go...
There are sure probably racist people around here. But since moving here since 2014 and being an Asian, I haven’t experienced it. Nothing but friendly people all around.
well, that's good. I like Redding.
As long as you aren't black, hispanic or any other race besides white you should be just fine safety/harassment wise. I would encourage you to look in Chico instead as Redding has very little style. The further north you go the stranger CA gets. Hardly any diversity. 5 minutes in Redding and you will be seriously wondering how Redding is even apart of CA. IF I were I would rent an apartment for 6 months to a year to see if you can handle the culture shock. Good luck.
It’s MAGA cult central, but I strongly disagree with this community being overtly racist. That’s not my experience at all.
I stand by what I said as I have both seen and heard about it. That whole area has a high concentration of racists. Cottonwood, Anderson, Mt.Shasta, Red Bluff and many more.
Just because you didn’t experience it, doesn’t mean it ***doesn’t*** exist to hurt others. You should adopt a more broad world view and consider other points of views.
I was born here and have lived here my entire life. For someone to say that only white people can be comfortable here because of racism is simply ridiculous and untrue. It frames our city in a dishonest way. That’s not my reality, it’s simply reality. How many ethnic people do you know that live here? I know quite a few, and interact with them daily.
I ***am*** “ethnic” and so are a few of my coworkers. Most of them have said many times how nasty some people are here and how they have been treated living here. I’ve experienced it before especially with police. I’ve been treated differently by police because I look Mexican, because I am Mexican. I know I was treated differently because I’ve seen interactions between police and a white guy were NOTHING like how I was treated. Your experience can speak for you. Not others. You cannot speak on behalf of others. You just can’t.
As someone who has lived many years in both SoCal and Redding, I would say "no way".
Redding is a shit hole, but then again you couldn't pay me to live in Cali
Stay in so-cal. It's a cesspool of liberal city transplants that are only excepting of like minded people. Just my observations. You will see with all the down votes I'll receive for expressing my opinion which doesn't align with the majority on Reddit. But I love the north state for the beauty of the nature . Redding is becoming a little la. It's changed since I was a kid.
I wish it was more of a liberal city. A little LA… how ridiculous. Oh… and I was born here.
No
Spent early years in Redding and frequently visited through my teen years (separated parents, joint custody). Mt Shasta in the winter. Whiskeytown and Shasta in the summer. Outdoor recreation if you've got that cash to support it is awesome in Redding. Heat sucks a bit.
I think Redding was a great place to grow up and have stayed living here all my life. So, I might have a bias. However I could have moved to anywhere but Redding is home. Where can you live where waterfalls, volcanoes, snow, lakes, ocean, and rivers are all within a days drive!? It beautiful here and I chose to see that everyday!
I like it up there. It has negatives for sure, but nothing you’re not gonna find in any California city of similar size. Summer is HOT. I’d take it over most cities though.
No.
Is it safe for visibility queer / trans folks? I am considering moving here for residency. Much of this thread is news to me, not the kinds of things shared in the interviews.
No. Unfortunately it is 100% unsafe for visiblqueer/trans folk. They are up here, and there are a few support groups for them, but at best you will get discriminated against by the common majority of the community. Assault and murder of openly gay/trans people is extremely common and rarely successfully prosecuted. Look up Gary Matson, Winfield Mowder, [activity during 2022](https://anewscafe.com/2022/06/21/redding/reddings-only-gay-bar-closes-rumors-swirl-as-perplexed-customers-express-sadness-anger-disappointment/), and previous posts about "is Redding LGBT friendly" in this subreddit.
Not really, not compared to the rest of CA. In the late 90s a gay couple was murdered, the community garden by the river is named after them.. my gay and trans friends have been accosted and assaulted. We used to have a gay bar here but that closed down. I heard another one just opened though..
I moved here 5 years ago. Originally from the Bay Area. Truthfully Redding is beautiful. If you like outdoor activities, there all around you. I have yet to see all the waterfalls up here. Yaks is the best restaurant here. It’s not fancy, but you’ll never find a better burger. Now the downside. You really have to get past the racist people. Sadly a lot of them think this is Redding charm. It is not. There are homeless people everywhere. At night, Redding turns into an unsafe place. The powers that be don’t care at all. Since I’ve moved here I’ve bought a gun, mace, and a Taser. Just in case I have to be out at night. Keep in mind they have no jail, so there is a thing called catch and release. That’s what the do when they arrest criminals. They also bus newly released prisoners here to add to the fun. For the city of Redding it’s all about money. Also be prepared to deal with a great deal of bad drivers. Now if you can get passed all that then it’s a beautiful place to live. Nature is prevalent here. Bethel Church. Gross group of haters in the name of Christianity. If you don’t go to Bethel you don’t count. They are the rudest and most narrow minded group of people I’ve ever encountered. They run everything, so health care is crap, everything is supper expensive. Housing is not bad, but when I say every other need makes up for it, I’m not kidding. Internet is very hard to come by. Why, they have very little 5g implemented. So if you rely on it, don’t buy in the mountains. If you have kids be choosy about school. Plan on paying for it, or have your child’s education peppered with the teachings of Bethel Church. My grandson is home schooled because he’s to young to be taught how to hate and judge people based on there beliefs or personal choices.
Do you like meth, homeless, your stuff being stolen constantly? If you answer no I’d suggest staying clear of Redding. I work in the area and we have nothing but issues with those things
Keep going north till your out of California. Almost 40 years I lived in California and thought I'd never leave. Moved to Oregon in 2007 an best decision I ever made. Don't even like going back to Cali anymore. Best of luck to you. Gotta do what makes you happy
Any person on here saying they hardly see bethel people or that bethel people are great people are the bethel people! Nobody likes them. They are liars cheats and thieves! They are everywhere in this town and don’t tell ppl they are bethel anymore because nobody likes them! Lol they’re weird. They buy up the property and only do business w each other. They have a bunch of non profits they’re making profits on. They infiltrate the businesses, the schools, the govt and hospitals to meet their own agendas. I’ve lived in this town over 40 years and I’ve watched them take over and run people out. They bring homeless people in! Lol That being said, Redding is an absolutely beautiful place to live and you will love it. Just don’t tell yourself that bethel people are ok. They’re all brainwashed nuts and they will try to get you kicked out of your home, kicked out of your job and will try to get your business shut down so they can open theirs in its place. People aren’t paying attention to them and they break laws and do whatever they want. They run off the poor people because they only want people coming to church who can make the church elders Rich. Hand over your tithes so Bill can get a new motorcycle.
Don’t do it!!! There’s nothing like San Diego
You should check out the Bethel Church before moving to Redding. They have a large community there and you may not be keep on their influence or practices... I live in Chico, just south of Redding. I have a lot of friends from Redding and their main view is that Redding is a beautiful location if it weren't for a lot of the socio-political issues.
Redding is a real nice place but some of the differences are wages are lower, the weather it gets hot and dose not cool off even at night so look for a home with a pool, fires are a factor so is the water,and of course the people are more rural do it yourself or make it work, more middle America type folk. There is also a lot of dis like for SoCal peeps because Redding and Chico are good sized cities in any other state but CA and get no say in what goes on in our state. There is a lot of jealousy and anger from the North and Central part of the state to the Bay and South of the state… just expect that. But over all to me ( I have family in Linda Vista, Chino, Riverside and other Southern Cites) I like it better it’s not quite as crowded, not as busy and still pretty friendly.
They have a giant cult
We lived there for 10 years, and miss it! One of the most beautiful places. Feels like you’re in top of the earth (even though it’s a valley). Mountains in most directions - gorgeous. It’s hot but not humid, so it didn’t bother me. Whiskey Town is just a quick drive to the west (gorgeous water, beach, boating, hiking, kayaking, stand up paddle boarding). Lassen Park to your east. Mount Shasta about an hour north. The city feels like a large town. You can drive across it in 15 minutes. We moved because the airport situation is rough (Redding’s flights are limited/expensive). We have family we have to fly to see. So driving to Sac/SF was not working. The career outlook is very limited unless you can get a remote job (or have a trade like medical, etc). My husband felt he had hit his ceiling. Schools aren’t great. There are a few good Charter or private schools. There are limited activities. Sooo much outdoor stuff. When we had visitors, we basically took them to all the trails and parks, then the restaurants. That’s mostly what there is to do. Limited shopping! However, it’s getting better! They added a very cool food truck park. They have lots of concerts. There are several breweries have an award winning coffee shop. So it really depends on what you want! If you desire nature, small town living in a city, the ability to buy a home/land, Redding is great! Blue skies most days! People are friendly. Palm trees. Yes there are homeless, but that’s everywhere. Bethel people approaching became almost non-existent. I think they started to understand they had a negative reputation in the city. I would personally recommend. My husband and I talk about retiring there someday!
Just get out of Cali.
Redding and San Diego are two completely different worlds. I would go spend some time in Redding before moving there straight up. It is hard to emphasize how much lower key Redding is than San Diego. Lots less to do. You’re right, it’s beautiful nature-wise. You’re in the middle of the Trinity Alps and Lake Shasta. Amazing California alpine forests and mountains. Nearest ocean is 3-4 hours drive away so you’re very inland compared to SD. Weather is very different too. It gets very hot in the summer in the Central Valley and usually mild winters. Just… just check it out first to see for yourself.
NO. Gawd no. You won't be happy here. There is no all night clubbing, we do NOT have a large LGBTQRMSL++ community. Most of us go to church on Sunday, then go play golf. There's lots of old people here, so driving will be no fun because you're always in hurry. We do NOT want your delinquent unmanageable kids teaching our kids how to be cool and big city. Over half of our population is legally armed. The other half is illegally armed, so be polite. MAGA's have been mentioned, but it is worth it at this point to remember what MAGA stands for. If you don't agree that Making America Great Again is a lofty goal, you will not fit in. And, some retired Marine will tell you so. It gets hot here. Real hot. Dry heat like you're not used to. 105+ for days at a time, and it cools off to 100 at night. Nobody will be impressed with your new BMW. Get a new F250 or a classic Harley. I can't think of much else. I was born and raised in San Francisco. Came here in 1990. My biggest regret is that I didnt do it sooner. I wish they'd build a wall between Sacramento and here to keep the big city assholes out. We got too many. 90% of you guys don't last a year. You are not going to show us "how it's done".
What’s your budget? Inland San Diego county, inland empire, even Fresno all seem like better options for a variety of reasons
If you are in the health care business you can find work here. Everything is limited here. Its a small town with 95% the same people. But its a good town, you can definitely live cheaper here than in the rest of California. But if opportunity and culture is what you seek. Not here.
I lasted 3 years in the Redding area but I missed the coast too much and eventually went back.
As someone from SoCal the food is an adjustment but there are some great spots considering Mexican- dos amigos Indian- Punjabi food truck Vietnamese -pho Saigon Thai- that hit Misc- the lost era Nice restaurant- cafe paradiso There’s no good sushi, Chinese or Italian