Is This REALLY The Worst Place To Live In California?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 23 ต.ค. 2024
- Clearlake, California is like stepping into an after-school special on the dangers of meth. It’s full of retired crackers and crank labs. All around town, streets are teeming with drugs. It’s kinda like the walking dead if all the zombies were high and wanted to chat.
I’ve read a lot of reviews about a place, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard it put quite like that before.
It wasn’t until day 8 on my California road trip till I made it out to the countryside to Clearlake. Up to this point, it had been funky desert towns and a bunch of big cities that are in some level of getting worse. But this was different.
I’d heard about Clearlake a lot. Many people have told me its the worst place to live in California. Since I was in the area, I figured it was time to see it. And boy was the trip worth it.
Miguel's TH-cam channel about Clearlake: / @planetowner
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This channel is about America!
The best video on this topic!
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Thanks for the list, Nick. I've watched a couple and I'll get to the rest. I lived in the Bay Area (SF, then Berkeley) from '76 to '93. It was just starting to get out of control then. It's funny: when I moved to CA I was calling myself a socialist. By the time I left, I'd become a conservative. Imagine that!
I do miss California; so much natural beauty there. I'm a ferry ride outside of Seattle now - another once great city going down the tunes with a city government unwilling to stop it. I enjoy your vids and your interviews; keep up the good work.
Nick! Visit Clearlake again and I Will host you!
Just like they said in Tony Hawk's American Wasteland, it's gon goo for green and sludge for much. Low end & things, If It weren't the people. It was the other people that escaped and went muahahahaha and pressed a ton of shiny buttons. By old California, it's part of the "New" Roads and section housing.
& the chances of failing... are indeed there. What a way to separate everyone without them complaining. That's called the great American Subdue. A form of corruption that takes apart really goood communities, cause they made tooo much money for the others to be kings or queens... (to flush our land of people that thought for themselves).
In other words, to replace procreation with, Mind seering policy for an execution (as they say, they'll lie that way) & everybody looks blind, until you see the movie Terminator from back in the day again. Now those were the peaks of time or space.
I am a 60 year resident of Clearlake. I have seen the good, the bad, and now the resurgence of this wonderful place to live. The Lake isn't polluted, as some say. Clearlake is the #1 Bass Lake in the western States and there are tournaments here every weekend of the Spring and Summer. The lake is still filled with people on the water in the Summer months, and now that the Lake is filling up after the drought, it will be once again a fun place for skiers, jet skiers, fisherman and those just enjoying the Lake Life! Great video Nick!
Right on Gary! Couldn't agree more.
Clearlake the town on the bank of Clear Lake.
yeah this dudes channel is nothing more than pessimism for an impressionable bunch of people. He does a good job but it's too pessimistic.
Do you remember michelle rampone???
@@billyb4790 talk to some property managers. its got the highest number of ex-cons of any town in cali. low cost of living, plentiful meth. bad combo.
I used to go camping in Clear Lake way back in the 80s. Back then I called it 'the poor man's Tahoe.' It still looks way better than most of California. Los Angeles is the worst in every imaginable way one can think of. So glad I escaped from there last year. It's just pure evil how the 'powers' have destroyed this state which used to be one of the most beautiful places. The rest of the country (and the world) needs to be aware and protect their cities and towns if they haven't already been butchered by greed which has decimated everyone and everything it touches. No one ever talks about the true cause of this devastation.
DEMOCRATS
I got out of California in 1980 and moved to San Marcos Texas and have never regretted it didn't leave anything in California nothing I don't know where you went to but all I can say I do miss would be the ocean and and the mountains I was real fond of Forest falls but Mount baldy was the nearest and it was already overcrowded and graffiti all over the boulders on the way up on the drive disgusting I can't imagine how trashed it is now.
@@shanelewis617 And Republicans, they both take the money. The bankers own everybody.
@@bobbybooker2123 DEMOCRATS ARE THE PROBLEM!
@@bobbybooker2123 DEMOCRATS HAVE INFILTRATED EVERYTHING!
INCLUDING THE BANKS!
SEE FTX [BANKMAN] RESEARCH GEORGE SOROS!
I had a good friend who drowned in Clearlake last year. High winds pushed him out in his kayak and he went missing. Friends and family launched a massive search all over the lake and the surrounding area. Found his body 2 days later washed ashore. He was a healthy 26 years old. RIP Dylan, we miss you bro. 😔 Not only is this lake toxic, it’s also dangerous for inexperienced boaters. The winds move quickly through the mountain valleys and right over that lake. Stay away.
My condolences
That’s far too young to go. Sorry for your loss kid.
Sorry for your loss, but realistically, that can happen anywhere. Never go out on the water alone is better advice.
Do kayakers wear life jackets? Could that have helped him?
My sister accidentally drank the water when we were visiting. Thank god she survived the likely poisoning,
I love your videos. I like the fact that you actually interview people from the area you are profiling. I feel your videos present a balanced view as well. It's very refreshing.
I have been visiting Clearlake since 1960, and living there for ten years now. It has been a lot worse in the past, and constantly getting better in the past ten years. We do have a high unemployment rate, mainly because of having such a high percentage of retired people and disabled persons who were forced out of living in the super expensive San Francisco bay area. It feels very safe living in Lake County now.
I'm glad to hear to say this. I had a wonderful vacation there about 15 years ago, and have such nice memories of that area. I'd still like to move there some day. The lake didn't look very healthy though. I hope that is improving too.
yeah people have strange memories. Between 1970 and 2000 crime was horrible just about anywhere. Now people act like crime is worse than ever when it's just the opposite.
OMG Nick!... My family were some of the original settlers of Clearlake!
At one time Clearlake was a nice community! I spent summers there in the sixties with my grandparents, swimming in the lake, no worries of the people or drugs back then... Wow as depressing as it now is, it once was a great place to live and visit.
Thank you Nick. I will share this amongst my family.
Ok Kelly!
Why are the American people so much into drugs?
No wonder the drug cartels exist.
Mine too
“We built this city, we built this city and now it sucks.” Nick Johnson
Not on rock n roll?
Every relevant Democrat wants capitalism as the economical system. Republicans are just blatantly lying about this to keep the gullible from voting Democrat. And no, advocating universal health care, free education or living wages does not mean Democrats want socialism as the economical system. It just means they want to balance out the exploitation unregulated capitalism inevitably leads to.
@@zachmandell1549 certainly on drugs.....
Tent city we built this city on lots of drugs..o yeah
@@MrModel--CAPTURED-ON-FILM certainly on rocks
Big props to Mr Councilman for actually coming on to talk about the place he represents
Welcome to the 21st century. Homelessness and drug abuse are everywhere! The councilman sees the problem and fighting the good fight. The war on drugs never ends. Looks better than the major cities in CA.
Apparently a pretty wise man, "for a politician". For me it was a big selling point on the more sanguine
aspects of the town.
I know we need to do lots of improvement in this town but we got something that no many places got, we came together when someone is in need, our town is growing and it’s getting better, I wouldn’t change it for nothing, I love this place
I love your dirt roads, reminds me of how our "town?" used to be more pleasant.
My husband are thinking about moving here, but are not so sure there is much for kids here? What are your thoughts?
It looks nice and peaceful to me
I agree with you David 100%. He's making it sound a whole lot worse than it is. It's not as bad as he makes it sound,
If it were I would have never bought a home here. Every place has its good points and bad ones but I wouldn't give this up to go back to the city for nothing in the world. There are a lot of wonderful things here in Lake County too. Why doesn't he talk about that?
You should visit the other more obscured places in Cali next, like Plumas, Lassen, Modoc, and Humboldt etc.
Visit Humboldt cali. pleassssse….
There are some still good places. But it is a political disaster. Financial scams by the poltical insdiders and homeless "non profit" scammers where the people working there make 100 k plus. I literally worked in welfare for 30 yrs so I know the shit. Millions and millions are scammed. EBT fraud is out of control. Just have to give more and more.
@@AA-ct7cb PLEASE!
3rd world country
maybe Rohnert Park,CA or Phelan ,CA
My wife grew up in Sacramento and Merced, we met in Grass Valley/Nevada City. We used to drive thru Clear Lake all the time on the way elsewhere. It was nice back then. We are now in Springfield Oregon. Nice to see our old stomping grounds and sad to see what's happened. Thanx Nick!
Still good at Clearlake☺️
I'm from Lake County. My grandparents retired in the early 70s from Sonoma county and my parent followed. It was a great place to vacation and your retirement nest egg could go far. They had events like boat races, places to dance, lots of entertainment. In the 80s surrounding counties started dumping their unwanted out here and the drugs followed. People moved because the area was cheap so we got people from Sacramento and other places in the central valley, people from the northern bay area. They congregated in Clearlake for the most part. I grew up in Kelseyville and now live in Upper Lake. I moved out of state for a bit and then lived in Mendocino County for a while before I moved back. Its dissapointing this video was only about the City of Clearlake. Lake County has a lot more to offer than that. Middletown, Cobb Mountain, Kelseyville, Lakeport, Upper Lake are all pretty nice communities. The lake though is one of the saddest part of Lake Countys story. In the 80s it was still fairly nice, in the mid to lake 90s it started its severe decline but if you're in to bass fishing its one of the must fish spots in North America. They do a lot of tournaments out here. Next time you're out here please try and interview people who grew up out there instead of people who moved here only 5/10 years ago, you'll probably get a deeper perspective on what this part of Northern California is really like.
The lake gets a bad wrap for the few nasty weeks (maybe months😂) a year, most of the year the water is fine. We swim in it all year and fish, no problems don’t drink it 😂
I am a born and raised Californian , I’m so concerned I have never seen homelessness this bad , as a child you would see hobos riding the trains but this is crazy , from your video Clearlake looks like a place that I would love to move to , sounds strange but their is so much craziness going on in the Central Valley and Bay Area and so cal to name a few . Thanks for your videos .
Its a housing price is too high
@@user-bz8pq5fw7q GRAMMAR 💀
I’m curious has California always had such a bad homeless problem? I grew up in the Bay Area and moved out in 2015 but I never really saw homeless people and people living out of RVs in places and when I recently traveled to these rural places in NorCal for the first time I was shocked to see it all. Also I did not see homeless like this at all when I traveled back to the Bay Area recently so has this always been a problem for the rest of California or just recently it’s an issue?
@@user-bz8pq5fw7q the housing price isn’t that even that high lol where I live right now are similar to prices in Cali. I can get a 4 bedroom apartment here for 2200/month or a 4 bedroom lakeside home with private dock for 2200/month. Prices are very similar but more worth it imo
It's not that bad at all here at all. The way he is portraying our town is BS
I grew up and lived in SoCal 30+ years and just recently moved to Arlington TX because my job moved out of CA. It is really sad on what CA has become! 😔
I feel like Nick uses a lot more cursing in California videos, and it suits the videos perfectly. I’m trying to figure out how to leave this state as well. Dear God please let me make it to Utah.
I would love to leave too 🙄
You’re Mormon?
I want out of here too.
@@certifiedfinest5065 no. But I’m not worried about that. I visit there often and it’s wonderful.
Don't come to NYS - too expensive, illegals abd crime. People are leaving to go south.
So Sad Nick! I lived in Ukiah as kid between 1966 through 1971. It was such an awesome place to live as a kid. Our family would drive to Clear Lake to swim and have a picnic. The lake was huge and the water was clear, hence the name. However, I remember it was pretty dry way back in the 60's, so I bet it's super dry there now.
Wow.
The lake was polluted even back then lol. people just weren't aware of it
@@texasgina Gold mining in the late 1800s
@Nancy Bump I traveled through many rural places in NorCal in the past few months like shasta county, humboldt county and Mendocino county and saw lots of homeless people everywhere but I thought Ukiah looked relatively nice but there were also lots of homeless in Ukiah. I’m wondering was it always that way there or is it an issue that has occurred in recent years?
Lol hence the name? It is called clear lake because of the air not the water.
Nick please visit Paradise, California. Home to the worst fire in California history. We called it The Ridge. It is super unique and amazing. The flumes, the canyons and everything is worthwhile. 👍
I'm a nurse in Santa Rosa, CA. We joke about patients we get from Clear Lake, because they are nearly always meth + and meet a certain profile. I have worked in the hospital up there. I liked it! I was raised in the rural South, and Clear Lake felt nice. Friendly, down-to-earth, non-pretentious people. Don't know if I'd want to live there, but no, definitely not the worse place in California.
I was staying in Rohnert Park for about a week to attend a wedding and people from Santa Rosa said it was a low life hick town.I didn't feel that way about the area when I stayed there.
Hahah yep the hospital in Clear Lake is known as "Deadbud".
Having escaped California after 32 years of this sh1t, always fun looking back over my shoulder via Nick’s videos. 💉🧟♂️ 💩
Where did you move to, if you don't mind me asking ?
@@tallulahbeaverhausen4382
Nevada. Solid 2A here.
Admittedly, I still spend about a quarter of my time back in San Diego. Still love my home town, but the state overall is eff’ed!
@@ReconMan8654 Thank you for your response. What do you mean by "solid 2A". I'm not familiar with it.
That said, good for you for getting a better life elsewhere !
@@tallulahbeaverhausen4382 2A = 2nd Amendment of U.S. Constitution. 👌
@@jamescalifornia2964 Ok, thanks for making it clear !
Would love to live there, looks like such a cute little town. Love your channel Nick, thanks for sharing all of your exploring.
@@Greylobster Same here!
Where do you both live now, if I may ask? Tks
Good report, you got my attention. Born in L.A., moved back in the ninety's. For reasons of to crazy for me. I love country living. Thank you for your report.
ClearlAke is affordable and simple.
Most residents are retired pensioners and in bed by 9:00pm. Hahaha
We’ll keep it as a secret gem of California!
I appreciate your time and efforts with these videos. It's nice to see, though sad at times, the different places around this country. 🙏
It used to be nice back in the 60’s like everything else.
Yea I bet it was nicer when u don't have to look at reality.
Less people, more jobs, a better economy, no drug crisis like the world knows now, less pollution, a better sense of community, citizens involved in their cities... the list goes on and on...
@@brentbrooks4101 Let me guess snowflake. It's Trump fault??? GTFO with your crybaby crap.
Yes, I agree with you. My late husband used to tell me how great it was back in the 60’s in San Jose.
US senators criticize anti drug solutions of other countries, they put sanctions on countries on the way it tey to solve drugs smuggling, but they fail to see how bad drug problem in their country have become,
It’s weird. I am from the Netherlands and we are all stuffed together in apartments, flats and pretty small houses. Seeing this, blue skies, space, free standing houses etc. It kinda looks good to us and hard to imagine so much hardship and poverty and drug related problems are happening. Seeing this makes me feel blessed living in my small noisy crappy house.
Yes u arw😮😮😮
California had huge population growth soon after WWII, with developers building huge expanses of small houses on single-family lots. That was fine until the 1960's, but after that such doomed California to problems land use. The Netherlands, which has had high population density for at least two centuries, has multi-story housing as a norm.
The starter homes once the norm in California in the 1950's are now slums for housing big families or becoming subdivided for multiple families. Basically, Dutch-style population density as in California's coastal cities isincompatile with single-family bungalows.
I’ve been a resident of Lake County most of my life. People only focus on the negative here, but this region is naturally beautiful and full of Native American history dating back 21,000 years. The area is volcanic, and tends to make the soils extremely fertile. When it rains those soils run off into our lake which cause algae blooms, but it’s this cycle that gives the area it’s name, Clear Lake. Not because the lake itself is clear, but because the biology of the lake scrubs pollutants from the air. We have the cleanest air in California because of it. There’s surprisingly high end areas to live too. This video really focused on 1 town (the worst one) around the lake.
It's a Democrat government. Look it up on ballotopedia. Not hard to believe at all. When he said they got 20 million and only paved two roads, I went and looked up the government....ALL democrats
I moved from Napa to Clearlake 20 years ago since it was the only area I could afford to purchase a home. I like living here. The people are nice. The living is laid back. The weather is nice.
Unlike as when I visit large cities such as San Francisco, I feel safe walking anywhere in this town. Our drinking water comes from Clearlake and I don't know of anybody who has become ill from drinking it although it is recommended that the fish intake from the lake be limited because of the mercury levels. I enjoy the outdoors and there are a LOT of areas where the outdoors can be enjoyed.
I have met a few people in town who have problems with this area - a very few. Most are very happy. The largest body of people who complain seem to come from non-residents who live a different lifestyle and thus feel like a fish out of water when visiting here.
I do plan on moving some day but not because of what happens in this city but rather because of the regs, fees, fines, taxes and such being applied to us from the state of California which far exceed those of most other states. If it do move I will greatly miss the outdoor opportunities that Clear Lake and Lake County offer.
I read about this place before we moved here because my wife wanted to come here. I could feel the energy coming off the ground as we drove up from Williams. And I knew this is where I wanted to be, I love your report. Grew up in Southern California, yeah I don't have the problems here as there were down there
I live in lake county, further out into the country. Let me tell you what this video had me rolling. The pan shot from the fight to the police station was hilarious, because it's not uncommon. The biggest brawls always end up here lol. Seeing this video from a super well traveled TH-camr was quite something. He hit every nail on the head with his facts. Yes the place can be a dump, but let me tell ya. Get away from the people and town and we have unforgettable views.
Bartlett Springs Road!
My Father worked for the nearest big University and like I said lived on a ranch in lake county when it was nice there. He quit because the farmers were polluting Clearlake so badly with DDT , a pesticide, my Father worked as a researcher in Entomology and kept trying to tell them 😭 ! We all ended up in Mississippi 😊❤️ and ✝️🛐 s
Wow you have a lot to say!!
Did you have to take a Religious Proficiency Test to enter Mississippi?
That is such a shame about the lake
Drugs did to Americans the most harm no foes could imagine to do.
And what caused massive drug addiction? Unemployment, cost of living, uncontrolled immigration. In a word, GREED & soulless
sub-humanity.
You don't think China might have a little long-term interest in that scenario?!
@@truther001 lack of moral caused massive drug addiction. You cannot be addicted to anything unless your moral is strong, even if you going through great hardships.
This is wild. My uncle was the sherriff there until he passed in 2005, and another uncle owned a fishing shop right on the lake, i remember spending summers on the lake with my cousins from 95 to around 2005 when all my family moved away.. the lake was huge, and the town was beautiful, we'd walk to the high school and watch football games on weekends..
@Squish was there homeless problem back then or is this an issue of recent times? I’m shocked to see this it’s very sad.
@José Gonzales homelessness has always existed, but never to this extent, the town looked much better back then, the lake was full to the max and everything was lush green, i still have family there
Very interesting video about a part of CA that most know very little about. However, I’ve been to many places that are quite different (and more dangerous) at night than they appear on a sunny morning. I’m curious if Clearlake is such a place.
Clearlake is the best place I’ve lived and I amkeeping IT a secret!
Read my comment on the video and you’ll learn the whole truth about Clear Lake. The houses are super low rent & when buying property the taxes are super low.
you don’t wanna come here, it’s way worse now
I was born a raised here: Never had anything stolen. I worked for the mental health department as a case worker. We have a very active mental health department. We have some thriving churches here. One of which I'm a pastor of. There a lot of artistic groups here, a lot a great people here etc. I grew up here and you and the family can walk all over. This place is not dangerous. At all... walked everywhere as a kid. So did all my friends. It's all perspective my man. Currently, there are alot of improvements happening right now. Again it's all perspective.
I was lucky enough to be raised in the Bay Area, Mill Valley & Tiburon in the 40'-60... my 50-year-old daughter, born in Mill Valley has a place on ClearLake edge on the best side for the past 9 years.. she is going to critique it for us... I'm 81 and have lived in Thailand for 40 years. Lucky to be here and see what is happening in the USA!
We bought an 80 yo cabin here 7 years ago. Just needed a place to get away from the Bay Area. Our neighborhood has improved dramatically over that time. This year our street is getting paved too! We love the freedom here. No one in our business up here. Can ride dirtbikes everywhere. I’ve heard that the superfund cleanup that will be happening at the sulfur bank mine, will improve the lake quality 98%! Fingers crossed. I think this would be a great place for a big cattle ranch. The beef processing plant could also be here and would provide a lot of jobs. We enjoy it here and don’t want the libs from down south anywhere near it! Thanks for your honest review!
I grew up here it was a horrible experience. I left as soon as I graduated high school. My mom still lives there so I still go back . Hopefully it changes one day
Hey Stephan im about to buy some property there, anything in specific that makes it terrible? Is it only certain areas of town. Im looking to purchase a property on Olympic Drive
We moved to lake county almost 5 years ago from Redwood City. We live 15 mins south of the town of Clearlake. We were concerned about the crime of that town, and after 5 years I can tell you that I have nothing to report. Yeah there’s a few homeless. Yeah there are some tweekers, but never have either one of them caused a problem with us. (I’m knocking on wood!) We launch our boat at Red Bud launch ramp in Clearlake all the time, and never had there been a problem. That being said, I always stay alert, and never drop my guard when in Clearlake.
Thank you Nick for all of your amazing uploads and interviews. We appreciate you. 👍
Hey you bagging on Crescent City. 😂born and raised here, so were my kids and grandkids. A lot has changed in 64 years. And not for the better in a lot of areas!!
You should have watched the "entire" video. I would move there. I'm sure they will detoxify that lake someday.
By the way. You look'n good for a granny.
Way back in 1980 I used to drive up to Clearlake on occasion when I was a claims adjuster. I remember it was kind of scruffy, but nothing like what I'm seeing in this vid. I mostly dealt with retired folks living in mobile homes. They weren't rich, but I wouldn't call them dirt poor either; very friendly folks. Shocking to hear it's become a meth capital.
Still, as bad as it might be, it's still preferable to SF or Oakland. I'd be willing to bet that, even with all the drugs and other problems, there is less violent crime here than there is in the Bay Area cities, and you're probably safer walking around here than you would be in Oakland, Richmond or SF.
BTW way, Nick, have you visited Richmond yet? That's another eye opener. Stay in your car if you do go there.
Way better than the city.
@@AA-ct7cb Yep.
We may have a bad reputation here in Clearlake, but since the Tubbs Fire, a whole lot of residents from Sonoma County have moved up here and also from other richer counties too. We now have a Starbucks, and an Arco is also currently being built off of Highway 53. Our roads were all way worse in the past, they were dirt roads, but what you drove on was called a chip-sealed road, which is way better than before. Lake County has tons of Veterans, too. I lived in Sonoma County most of my life and all I heard on a daily basis, were sirens from emergency vehicles going somewhere, and up here you may hear them once a week, if that. All of the problems that we have, happen in almost all cities. I think you see more homeless in bigger cities then what you see here in Clearlake. I think you only see that stuff if your absolutely looking for it.
I grew up in the town of Clearlake. I miss the mountains and the general slow quiet pace. I was able to see the stars! I do NOT miss the smelly dirty lake, ghetto people, drugs, all the theft, and no jobs. Roads need to be fixed, it needs some type of industry (the wineries tried and had some success), and more homes because the fires burnt a lot down. Kids need more attention. The schools are bad, they are neglected, and there is just nothing for them.
That unknown millions that wasn't spent on paving the streets SHOULD be available for the school system there.
perfect way to put it
Hi Nick, I grew up in Lake County, Clearlake in particular. It used to be known as an affordable place to retire and as such we have double the rate of elderly and disabled compared to the rest of the state. It is a laidback lifestyle here, and I think you must have visited late Summer when it is hot and dry. This is one of the most beautiful places in the Spring when it’s green and lush. What I love about this town is that most people know their neighbors, the cashiers know you by name, and there is no problem with traffic (unless one of the few traffic lights goes out). Many don’t mind the reputation of this town since it keeps others from moving here and we like it that way - quiet and rural. I manage the Welfare to Work program and while we do have generational poverty, it is half the numbers of people on the program that there used to be. People are kind (mostly) and there are growing industries here. I hope you had a chance to see some of the more affluent areas around the lake, your video seems to be focused on the most impoverished Clearlake communities.
Nick, Very accurate and fair Video of Clearlake. I live 10 miles away from here in Speingvalley. I watch and enjoy a lot of your reports. I noticed this was done a month ago. Since then we have received plenty of rain and the green scenery is returning. The Clearlake city councilman had some good ideas and I wish Miguel was my neighbor. A Suggestion returning and doing future video on updates on many places around our county you seen as they improve. And yes I voted for the same guy as you did. President Trump. Stay tuned more to come from him. Jim Bennett
It definitely has its problems, but compared to the deep south, where I lived for 21 years growing up, its a decent place. A person does not have opportunities in the south, poverty is a way of life, very few jobs and a living wage is unheard of, as well as the weather is absolutely shitty. I lived in Clearlake when I first moved to CA. Rent was $800 for an old trailer back in 2009. Lived there for 4 years and saved every dime, then moved to a gated community in Lake county and purchased a home. I would not change a thing. The state of CA has a lot of opportunities if you take advantage of them, and Clearlake is no exception. Would I settle there? Absolutely not. But it is a great place to live as a stepping stone to success if you have to start from the bottom and don't mind the things Nick talked about. Outside of Clearlake in Lake county itself, there are endless things to do if you are an outdoor person and the cost of living is a lot lower than most places that I have visited in the state aside from the desert counties in the southern CA.
Gated community. Thanks. The lake is gorgeous. It’s better than s.f.
Thank you Nick! I'm from the east coast but have been in CA for 11 years. First 6.5 years in the Bay Area (HMB, Campbell, Los Gatos and San Jose) then Ojai for 3 years and now Lake County for 1.5 years. I loved Ojai and HMB, LG and Campbell were all cool. San Jose was fine too. But I can't stand San Francisco and much of the rest of the Bay Area just doesn't suit me. Too crowded, too much traffic, too much concrete and just not fun. But I'm real happy in Lake County. Is it perfect? of course not. There are some yahoos for sure and the meth crowd makes me nervous sometimes. But overall, Lake County is cool, affordable and very scenic. I've even gone fishing on Clear lake and had a good time (though we of course didn't keep the fish.).
@9:23, the hair extensions!!!! Lol 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 The extensions made me SUBSCRIBED!!!! 🤣🤣🤣 I've seen several of your videos but never subscribed... 👍 👍 👍
It's about time!!
Very well done video! I had no idea Clearlake was so scummy. I drove 2000 miles, visited Konocti Harbor where I saw YES play on a dormant Volcano. The Hotel/Concert venue has since gone out of business. Stayed in Kelseyville, found a Wal-Mart & a Jack In the Box. My Motel was the worst place I have ever seen. Turned on the light in the middle of the night and saw a wall of moving bugs.
Clearlake is absolutely beautiful. The people here are just not good. But scenically it’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve seen.
We used to go up there in the 80s and early 90s. I Had a friend who bought a friend that bought rental property. I'm so sad to hear it's on hard times. It's such a pretty part of the state. We had a lot of fun rehabilitating property. I lived in San Francisco back then. Clearlake was definitely rural and working class, but that doesn't mean that it's a bad place. My sense was that it was a small, close knit community. We experienced some resentment that people from the city could buy up property and make a buck renting it out to make their own lives better, like the money made went out of town. I think lack of economic opportunity was and still is the main problem.
Your commentary is quite entertaining and hilarious because it is all true 😂
Another great video Nick, I have been enjoying the entire California trip but this one hit home for me ....literally 🤣
Hehe
@@ErickaLDC 🙏
Miguel!! You're my new bud
@@NickJohnson Best Bud!🤜🤛
I left Los Angeles 3 years ago and never looked back I don't miss the high taxes and homeless and fires and earth quakes and high crime
Riots?
"California dreamin" by- The mamas and The papas!!!
still better than india
Thanks nick for your videos tours of the country. About knowing your neighbors, back east in New York State we knew all the people on the street, the whole street, where I live now, I know people on my left and right and a couple across the street, but were just not friends that hang out or go places.
Clear lake looks rundown but not so horrible it seems quaint.
This place looks like a rural town that has not been invaded by Airbnb. It looks like a really nice place to live and visit.
You have to remember dude that in the last 5 years there have been so many major fires that have put people out of their homes whole towns of people no homes anymore so a lot of the homeless in Northern California is not because of drugs or money is because fires
Boost
Yes…since 2015, when I moved to Hiddrn Valley Lake..Rocky Fire, Jerusalem Fire , Valley Fire, Clayton Fire, Tubbs Fire, etc, etc, etc…there is sctuslly gentrification happening here (with all of the effects on all socioeconomic levels), but the burned places are being rebuilt, and I don’t think I actually saw tent cities, hordes of zombies or anything like the apocalyptic scenes of SF, LA, San Diego, etc, that you usually show. There is more quiet desperation in the city of Clearlake, than all out homeless warfare; numbers of disabled veterans of old wars and destroyed human beings. Did you know that Clearlake was a dumping ground for released prisoners back in thd mid-century? Bus loads…dropped off upon release with s few bucks and the clothes on their backs. This could be a lovely little resort town again, IF California invested in mental health care and drug treatment, instead of bullshit, I mean BULLET trains to nowhere…just for an example.
Keep the community alive and supporting, people matter.
Napa too has more problems than people think. I’m in Solano County, Clearlake used to be on the Pro Fishing tours. I had coworkers that had property in Clear Lake years ago. They sold in early 2000’s….
So sad because if it weren't for the drug problem, Clear Lake might make an ideal retirement community. This would be especially true if local zoning doesn't prohibit putting trailers on residential lots. A $50K trailer parked on a $25K lot that you can actually own could attract thousands of lower middle class elderly retirees who just want a quiet semi-rural place with a temperate climate. This could create a lot of service jobs. Medicare dollars could help keep local clinics funded. And the old folks would really build up the town's tax base so they could fix those roads and fund other public projects. Heck, I might abandon my comfortable Midwestern lifestyle for a place like Clear Lake just so I could escape the brutal winters here. Clear Lake clearly has potential! But again, we see the same source problem over and over and over again. Drugs destroying otherwise beautiful communities!
You should move there!
@@NickJohnson- I used to live in the rich town of Palo Alto. I retired in Clearlake and I am just as happy here.
$800 per year on property tax versus $12K in the Bay Area! I am able to jet set around the world! Hahaha
My sister used to spend summers in Clear Lake, but that was in the early 1970s, was really nice back then!
I enjoy your videos Nick!
Hey Nick. We own a beautiful duplex in the Clearlake Oaks Keys. We used one side for awhile but now we rent both sides out. Property values skyrocketing. Our tenants love it. They're salt of the earth folks. Beautiful views of mountains, the lake, a dock right off the deck on a key, beautiful vineyard right across the street. It's beautiful. Sweet mostly retired folks.
Where is Clearlake Oaks Keys? What lake is it on?
@@swedeheart214 Clearlake. The Keys are in Clearlake Oaks not to be confused with Clearlake. It's in Lake County. Clearlake has all the amenities for Clearlake Oaks.
The lake is breathtaking, only driven by there but the lake appears beautiful.
@@AA-ct7cb yeah. When we first bought the property we call it the Lakehouse, our children would swim and kayak all the time. Then the algae warnings started coming. The keys would get low and smell a bit from the droughts.
Plenty of rain now. The keys are refilling which means the lake must be too.
Nice take Nick.
Please visit Nevada City/Grass Valley area. It is very unique!!
What a shame....I'm 63, but I have photos of me at 14 years old Kayaking with my little sister in Clear Lake, when my Mom lived right in the lake in a cute little house..It was beautiful and clean, little to no crime. We could walk down to the park in town and not worry about being abducted, or harassed, and we could play and just be kids....This news about Clear Lake makes me so very sad. There used to be a place over the hill called Yogi Park, a camping park with all kinds of things to do for kids, with Yogi Bear characters and different sections of activities..I took my 2 oldest grand children there for a week....California had a lot of great memories for me, and now it has turned to trash.. Nothing but crime and homelessness and Governors with excuses and high taxes.. I left for good, 6 years ago....Now I just need to save my grandkids and get them out of there. They are in Vacaville...
Vacaville is hanging in there. It's one of the few pleasant places to live within driving range of SF. But I agree, the clock is ticking.
Great information Nick THANKS!!!
I spent 40 years of my life living in Mexico City and a year ago I moved to a place in the rural valley of Mexicali (Baja California) that looks a lot like this.... Best decision I've ever made. Cool vid and great research Nick, greetings!
They got the best Chinese food in Mexicali , I wonder if they still have the water park there I went there to visit an uncle in the early eighties. I don't think I could live there even now but it was cool back then My Uncle bought a track home back then but the funny thing all his neighbors were Chinese that spoke Chinese, English and Spanish 😂
Lake County Raised and been living here for the better part of 30 years, The golden days have DEF passed. Never considered moving states until the most recent LC shenanigans! 8:24 to 8:45 pretty much sums it ALL up. Homeless w/ cart and all. RIP my poor lake :( the fishing is even horrible now...
I have been in far more sketchy areas than what I see and here about Clear Lake.
It has a huge meth and drug problem
come here on vacation and see the problems first hand,the chamber of commerce types do a great job telling people how "grand" it is to live here or totally downplaying the serious issues, but the county has serious issues Still..
Better than Sacramento, that place is scary.
It was nice that you talked to the mayor and it sounds like it’s back on its way up ❤
Great representation of Clearlake!! The tweeker problem is now on its 3rd generation
A lot of "enthusiastic "Lake County tweakers got themselves into too much trouble or crashed and burned, and are being phased out by fentynal fanciers,a much quiter group ,but still active in stealing stuff whenever possible....
@@johnd.shultz7423 they are losing power 😂
When I was growing up we would take week end trips to Lake CO. It used to be a wonderful place, it's sad to see what it's become in the last 25 or so years.
One of my sisters lives in Lake County still and she has all the complaints that you e heard and then some. I left California for Arkansas 12 years ago and there are places here that are very much like Clearlake. It gives me some insight into how to fix these problems but the downside is that a repaired Lake County isn't an affordable Lake County, and since it might be the last holdout for economically disadvantaged Californians, it might become less safe than it is now. I generally see the entire county as I do the lake: it stinks, its uncivilized, it's a mess, and it's not going to change anytime soon, but it's its own thing and it's not the worst place there is. The lake was the highlight of my weekend commutes as a child but it's not the same place I remember. I miss how vibrant it used to be.
We used to drive through that area toward Fort Bragg from Yuba City. It’s nice but you can tell its very poor. There was a nice park we used to stop out, I forget the city, to use the bathroom. Homelessness is a problem everywhere because people are greedy and make rents too high and out of reach for many. We left California 2 years ago and we are happy in oregon. Very informative video.
Good job Nick. I liked this video.
Your cussin’ out Mappy is my favorite part!
Lake County Demographics:
64% White
24% Hispanic
2% Black
Love your video's Nick! Makes me want to travel around the country
Dave you need to go see something neat soon!
The place could be paradise but bad people spoil anywhere you live
Good job Nick keep up the good reporting.
My wife and I drove there one Sunday from sac, and we were perplexed by Clearlake. Part of the drive in was very beautiful-like stuck in the 50s with some sheer cliffs by the lake, but people there were super weird. Kinda felt like purgatory lol
"I hear Clearlake has a bad reputation" Gosh, Nick - that may not be the most diplomatic way to start a conversation with a mayor. Try something more suave, like "I'm seeing mixed reviews and I'm hoping to get your take on the pros and cons of living here... what is your vision for the city?" Now *that* could start the guy talking... Good Luck, I hope you have a great year!
Wow! It’s time to start putting drug users in prison to dry their addicted asses out and become a contributing member of society 🇺🇸
What happened to the lake to make it so polluted? I hadn't heard that before. (I don't get around much :-)). Are there any plans to clean it up, or is that even a possibility?
It looks like country living and I love it! Everywhere has their share of misfits. And I am a Californian for now and have been a long time. These small communities are the privileged.
Ssshhh. Its a diamond in the rough
Not true. We moved to Clearlake 7 years ago from Santa Rosa Ca where we had lived about 30 years. It was a culture shock at first. Once you get used to it, it is actually quite nice. Here is my list of the pros and cons. First Cons 1. Drugs- but no more than other areas, 2. Lack of good jobs, 3. Roads are awful--but they are working on it. This is my pet peev 4.Isolation- need to travel about an hour on mountain roads to get anywhere. Pros 1. Crime-for us. we have never experienced any crime. My husband and I each left our trunks wide open over night...nothing was missing. 2. Inexpensive housing.-cheap 3. Nice people 4. Natural beauty 5. Slow paced 6. Lack of traffic
I don’t know. I like country living, but that looks a little rough.
Huge fishing lake, most people just go there for tournaments, lots of rentals, its just a big fishing place, always been a huge tweeker place too. You totally nailed it on this vid and your take.
I grew up in Concord, CA in the early 2000’s and moved to Texas in 2015 but I have recently visited California after being away for many years and I traveled through mostly all of Norcal for the first time in recent months and saw Clearlake and other cities in the region, i witnessed lots of homeless people in these rural cities and also people living out of RVs in parking lots and such. I am wondering has California has always been like this or is it an issue of recent years? I personally never saw any of this except in San Francisco but is that because I never traveled out of the Bay Area or what? Also I didn’t see homeless in my hometown in the Bay Area so has the always been an issue for the rest of California or just a recent problem?
you didn't go to Walmart? the employees were high af when I stopped there about five years ago. it was unbelievable!
I moved to the area for a job and I kind of really like it.
One I hate bigger cities and populations. I prefer small cities and towns. Keep the population low..
I know the drug issue is bad per the population .. but really drugs are an issue everywhere.
The lake issue is fixable.. if the money and resources are made available.
The mercury in the water is natural mercury.. it is made by nature.. and there are ways of treatment of the water to reduce that mercury levels.
Second, the lake is not a deep lake, despite how large the lake is. So that makes conditions seem elevated.. the lake stays warmer..
This ties to the algae issue.. warm lake not much current.. this reduces nitrogen in the water and reduces oxygen.. the algae spreads . .. again treatable..very fixable issues.
Also there is volcanism that leads to some issues that leach into the waters that run into the lake . changing minerals and such... but feasible to deal with.
The big forest up this way hit fairly hard economically.. lots of job losses and businesses closed . Tourism goes down and more close. Businesses that depend on that tourism. Just like any other area you have the fight against growth in certain areas that could bring in great revenue.
There are all sorts of things at play.
I just moved here but I like it .
We don't think Clear Lake is the most disgusting place in California, but it is very disgusting; however, many other places in California are more repulsive.
I am a CA native, born in ‘47 in OC, and if I had to move back to CA I would go Clear Lake before SoCal. I didn’t see druggies nodding in the streets. Maybe at home but they aren’t relieving themselves in the street.
You might see a few every once in a while but other than that they don't hang out like that. Did anyone see any in-the-street scenes? You would be very welcome to come here. The people are wonderful
It’s pretty chill out here
I must say, Clear Lake looks very appealing. I like the idea of living next to the lake as I always like swimming, boating and water skiing. It looks like fishing would be good. That beach and lake looked beautiful. I'm interested to go on archeology hunts with the tweakers. I also like having non-prescribed, accessible drugs near me. It's definitely a slice of heaven but I'm pretty well set on Slab City.
The lake is badly polluted by a century+ old mercury mine,it was a SuperFund site back in the 70's/ the job cleaning up the mercury mine tailings was too massive an endevour to complete,due to the mercury contamination, and problems with aged non repaired septic tank issues from crashed resorts and aged lakeside properties,phosphorous and nitrogen overload from wineries and other agriculture leading to toxic cyanobacteria/blue green algae blooms and a summer/fall presence of pea-green soup algae "Clear" lake IS NOT a lake to happily recreate in, and there are few people who bother to do so in/on this lake,these algae blooms last the Entire summer into the Fall, despite the person interviewed during this program who says" the algae only lasts a month "he's not even remotely telling the truth, but if you Like drugs, tweakers, and apathy this is your place...
Nick, your video shows an overabundance of trailer homes. I wish you would have talked with more residents and merchants and gotten a larger picture of Clearlake's best years and it's later demise. When my folks took our family to Clearlake for vacation in the 1950s, it was a vibrant, thriving contrast to our home in San Francisco. Clearlake Park and Austin's beach in particular had many fun activities. Thank you for making this video and posting it.
Your video shows some decent areas- stores and quiet streets-but, yes, I guess the zombies were all at home, sleeping, or cracking it up.
Its True ! Lake Counties Count Crackula's and Crankensteins sleep in late and are largely nocturnal...
You had me looking at this area (it was either you or Geography King) before and when I went on Zillow once, I got an (uneasy) feel for the place. But as a former city councilman myself, I thought Councilman Claffey was very good and the kind of guy I'd want representing me. Kudos to him for not only being in office after having just moved there in 2017 but hopefully doing good things for Clear Lake and Lake County and beyond in the coming years. I was almost going to say, Nick, if you moved here, we'd think about moving there but I'm not a fan at all of trailers and the mercury in the lake isn't good for anybody.
Haha Bill I'd be bored there but it's a neat place for a day trip I suppose
The place does seem to have a certain charm about it. I would agree with Nick that it is authentic looking place. One observation: in many shots of various streets, there was a fair amount of trees in the place. My impression is that the place has a shot for the better - encourage people, support them, and put in some microgrants for landscape/housing improvement.
It sure would be A LOT more 'charming' if they used the monies given Clearlake for paved streets! Wonder where the rest of the money go???