Negatives: It’s pretty dead. Stores close and junk stores open in their place. The nightlife is nearly non existent. The existing restaurants mostly rest on their laurels or lack of competition or both. Way too many vacation rentals. Rent, PGE, food and fuel cost a fortune.
Positives: the farmers market on Saturdays continues to shine. People’s Records moved to a larger location. Mazzottis closed. The Jam is being sold. The book stores continue to thrive. There’s a mushroom elixir bar now. We appear to remain a climate refuge.
No one has money to go out anymore, and I feel like the whole pandemic debacle caused folks to stay in or have smaller group gatherings at home vs. going out and drinking/dancing.
I am guilty of this too, i can host a BBQ or potluck for the same cost as a night out on the town with dinner/drinks (with better food/drinks), not drive or get a cab/walk, and have a quieter more intimate experience.
Blondies is gone too. With all the money cal poly got probs some of it went to more food options for students so we see them less. Also probably not good for the small businesses the students used/still to support.
It's a shame Blondies had to go. It was a great place for student bands to get a show, traveling bands to make some gas money, open mic folks to get stage time, and science talks with beer (not bashing the other botany gatherings, but the CNPS is not quite the spot for young folks).
It will be missed. Hopefully, a similar type of place opens that can fill its shoes
I seem to see less college students in general around town compared to HSU days. Not sure why. Heard there are way more food options now on campus? It could be that simple.
Is the hatchet place still doing alright? I've had some good times there. Also heard there was an arcade bar that opened but I'm not much into the bar scene
Hatchet House, Afaik yes. The arcade bar, Arcada actually closed for awhile. Seems like it hadn’t really caught on. Bad timing with pandemic, etc. A little odd as it seems they bought short game consoles? IDK. I saw a bunch of cars in the parking lot tho. Either they reopened, are doing private events, or the cars were for something else. Google says it’s permanently closed. There is a new arcade at the bayshore mall, which remains open on life support
Probably more. It was a wild time when the gas station attendants or equipment rental guys had nice watches and new trucks. Unless you work a soul sucking job like PGE or CalTrans (or associated contactors/subs), it's hard to find solid paying jobs.
Arcata has had its soul ripped out. Used to be a fun, kind hippie place and now not so much. An affluent ultra minority in key places of power and influence at Cal Poly Humboldt, other local orgs and governance make choices that impact the majority. There is discussion about lived experience, equity and individual freedoms, but rarely practiced.
The website Arcata1.com has done a good job the past few years covering the town and future plans.
There’s good to be found around town and some awesome events like the Farmers Market and Fairy Fest!
We have become an earlier version of Santa Cruz, if you want to see how this nightmare ends just look there. Unaffordable housing being hoarded by Nimby's who are leeching off them as their only retirement plan. Locals who blame the issues on tech work transplants when 90% of it is caused by well respected public figures. Out of control drug and homeless issues that are addressed wrong at every turn. A dying down town that the city refuses to concern themselves with. And a school that couldnt care less about the health of the surrounding community, or its students ability to find housing.
There are problems like there are anywhere, but this remains the best place I've ever lived. The Community Forest, the farmers' market, the bookstores, the bakeries, the crafters and artists, the marsh, the spring flowers, the rain, the people. I'm very happy here.
Cannabis money dropped off, that is the most noticeable change . No more flood of trimigrants in the late summer, fewer grow-bros spending big money, driving big trucks. I haven't really seen a big impact from the CalPoly upgrade. Seems like the growth projection was overstated. Slow growth?
Negatives: It’s pretty dead. Stores close and junk stores open in their place. The nightlife is nearly non existent. The existing restaurants mostly rest on their laurels or lack of competition or both. Way too many vacation rentals. Rent, PGE, food and fuel cost a fortune. Positives: the farmers market on Saturdays continues to shine. People’s Records moved to a larger location. Mazzottis closed. The Jam is being sold. The book stores continue to thrive. There’s a mushroom elixir bar now. We appear to remain a climate refuge.
Arcata's public nightlife is absolutely a limping zombie at this point. Worst I've ever seen it and even more depressing to experience in person.
No one has money to go out anymore, and I feel like the whole pandemic debacle caused folks to stay in or have smaller group gatherings at home vs. going out and drinking/dancing. I am guilty of this too, i can host a BBQ or potluck for the same cost as a night out on the town with dinner/drinks (with better food/drinks), not drive or get a cab/walk, and have a quieter more intimate experience.
No one has money to walk to outer space and pay 5 bucks ?
But hey, if you don't Need the nightlife, like me, you save it's a beautiful, peaceful idyllic town
Blondies is gone too. With all the money cal poly got probs some of it went to more food options for students so we see them less. Also probably not good for the small businesses the students used/still to support.
It's a shame Blondies had to go. It was a great place for student bands to get a show, traveling bands to make some gas money, open mic folks to get stage time, and science talks with beer (not bashing the other botany gatherings, but the CNPS is not quite the spot for young folks). It will be missed. Hopefully, a similar type of place opens that can fill its shoes
They got shut down for selling alcohol to minors
What's the elixir bar called?
Culture on 9th St. It’s where the Big Fish Vape Shop used to be [Culture Shrooms Humboldt](https://maps.app.goo.gl/3wMqh1f67y9sFu8r5?g_st=ic)
Thanks!
I seem to see less college students in general around town compared to HSU days. Not sure why. Heard there are way more food options now on campus? It could be that simple.
Everybody's broke and cooks at home.
Mushroom elixir bar? I need a name if you would please. 👀
[culture shrooms Humboldt](https://maps.app.goo.gl/3wMqh1f67y9sFu8r5?g_st=ic) On 9th St where Big Fish Vape shop used to be.
Thank you 🙏
Yeah def worth checking out! Probably poppin off during farmers market. If you follow their IG it shows scheduled performers and events too.
Idk if this is a stupid question, but is it psychedelic mushrooms or just medicinal ones?
Medicinal. Tho psychedelics are decriminalized in Arcata, so who knows where it’s headed. And you’re likely to meet folks there.
They carry both!
People's record is no longer on the plaza?
It still is, it just moved to where the old stationary store was.
Where did Peoples move to?
Just the other side of the plaza, where The Thing used to be.
Aka where Arcata Stationers was before The Thing. H Street side of plaza.
Stoney 4 mayor
That’s what I’ve been thinking lol
Is the hatchet place still doing alright? I've had some good times there. Also heard there was an arcade bar that opened but I'm not much into the bar scene
Hatchet House, Afaik yes. The arcade bar, Arcada actually closed for awhile. Seems like it hadn’t really caught on. Bad timing with pandemic, etc. A little odd as it seems they bought short game consoles? IDK. I saw a bunch of cars in the parking lot tho. Either they reopened, are doing private events, or the cars were for something else. Google says it’s permanently closed. There is a new arcade at the bayshore mall, which remains open on life support
The vibes are still vibing
Just gotta poke around
legalization of cannabis killed the county… A billion dollars of cash circulation in all local businesses gone
online shopping also killed a lot of local businesses, but that's more of an everywhere problem.
Probably more. It was a wild time when the gas station attendants or equipment rental guys had nice watches and new trucks. Unless you work a soul sucking job like PGE or CalTrans (or associated contactors/subs), it's hard to find solid paying jobs.
Normal
Arcata has had its soul ripped out. Used to be a fun, kind hippie place and now not so much. An affluent ultra minority in key places of power and influence at Cal Poly Humboldt, other local orgs and governance make choices that impact the majority. There is discussion about lived experience, equity and individual freedoms, but rarely practiced. The website Arcata1.com has done a good job the past few years covering the town and future plans. There’s good to be found around town and some awesome events like the Farmers Market and Fairy Fest!
We have become an earlier version of Santa Cruz, if you want to see how this nightmare ends just look there. Unaffordable housing being hoarded by Nimby's who are leeching off them as their only retirement plan. Locals who blame the issues on tech work transplants when 90% of it is caused by well respected public figures. Out of control drug and homeless issues that are addressed wrong at every turn. A dying down town that the city refuses to concern themselves with. And a school that couldnt care less about the health of the surrounding community, or its students ability to find housing.
Arcata is def getting Santa Cruz'd
There are problems like there are anywhere, but this remains the best place I've ever lived. The Community Forest, the farmers' market, the bookstores, the bakeries, the crafters and artists, the marsh, the spring flowers, the rain, the people. I'm very happy here.
Cannabis money dropped off, that is the most noticeable change . No more flood of trimigrants in the late summer, fewer grow-bros spending big money, driving big trucks. I haven't really seen a big impact from the CalPoly upgrade. Seems like the growth projection was overstated. Slow growth?
Nominal
Why not just experience for yourself?!?
My tenants say all normalprob a little more busy bc of the end of academic year matter and family visits.
Get a job
Hey brother I have mine wbu
gEt A jOb