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The unique character of Arcata is evident in the town's square on any Saturday morning, when college students and business folks, aging hippies and retirees mingle at the farmer's market. "It's really a very different place," says Art Barah, 57, who retired here after visiting for years from San Francisco. "The mental attitude sort of reminds me a little bit of Berkeley in the '60s. I feel very much at home here."
The students come from Humboldt State University, which provides retirees cultural opportunities not often available in a town of 16,000. An annual concert series brings entertainment ranging from chamber music to Cajun bands to Celtic fiddlers. And anyone 60 and older can take any Humboldt State class, room permitting, for a mere $6 a semester.
Volunteering is a popular pastime among politically conscious Arcata residents. Barah gives his time to the Arcata Marsh, a project that combines a wildlife sanctuary with a wastewater-treatment facility to treat Arcata's wastewater naturally before releasing it into nearby Humboldt Bay.
Whether pitching in to preserve or simply getting out to enjoy, folks in Arcata marvel at the city's scenic surroundings. Nearby Redwood National Park draws visitors from all over the world to its 106,000 acres of ancient redwood forests. Right in Arcata, trail-loving hikers, bicyclists and horseback riders enjoy the 575-acre Arcata Community Forest, with some old-growth trees of its own. A few miles to the east, adventurers can tackle the Salmon Mountains. To the west, they can hit the beach.
And, at least by California standards, this beautiful scenery comes quite cheap. The average home in Arcata costs about $125,000--with three-bedrooms, that average rises to only $150,000. --T.M.
ARCATA, CALIF.
BEST AMENITIES: Redwood National Park, Humboldt State University concerts and classes, fishing, hiking in Salmon Mountains
NEAREST MAJOR MEDICAL CENTER: 140-bed St. Joseph Hospital in Eureka, six miles away, has comprehensive cancer and cardiac treatment
BEST PLACE TO STAY: The Lady Ann Bed and Breakfast overlooks Humboldt Bay, a few blocks from Humboldt State and downtown Arcata