North San Juan Ridge

November 18, 2008 - admin

North San Juan, “The Ridge, ” is home to a community of artists, writers, musicians, farmers, and independent spirits; appropriately, North San Juan real estate has a distinct and diverse flavor.

North of Nevada City, North San Juan has always been known as unique for its sense of community and self-sufficiency.

In 1853, gold was discovered here and North San Juan became a boomtown. North San Juan was named by a German miner who had served in the Mexican war and thought the area looked like a hill he saw with a prison built on it called San Juan de Ulloa.

The middle Yuba Canal provided water, making hydraulic mining possible in the area on a grand scale. And North San Juan became home to thousands. In 1884, hydraulic mining ended and North San Juan real estate ceased being about gold and became desirable for its fertile soil and away-from-it-all location.

Many of the town’s early structures were built of brick and equipped with the mandatory iron doors and shutters, and a few still remain in good repair today, even as impressive homes and organic farms replace the outdated makeshift homes settled by disillusioned hippies fleeing San Francisco after the Summer of Love.

North San Juan real estate is as diverse as its population. Its residents are as likely to be shopping at local market Mother Truckers for local organic produce as producing a Sufi dancing performance at historic North Columbia Schoolhouse, enjoying a community-wide Thanksgiving dinner, or traveling to hear Noth San Juan’s most famous resident (internationally acclaimed poet Gary Snyderr) read from his most recent book.

Each Western Nevada county neighborhood has its distinctive feeling and North San Juan, if not the most distinctive, has a history and an ambience unlike any other.

View all North San Juan properties in the MLS

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Chicago Park and Peardale

November 18, 2008 - admin

If you are searching for Chicago Park real estate, someone has probably whispered in your ear about this beautiful region with its fertile orchards, towering madrones, cedars and oaks along scenic Highway 174, east of Grass Valley and west of Colfax.

First-generation Italian-Americans settled this area, naming Chicago Park after their first U.S. stopover – Chicago, Illinois. The Donner Trail passes through Chicago Park.

Although rural and bucolic, Chicago Park’s easy accessibility to I80 is a bonus for those whose lives include commuting to the east or west. – an added advantage to those fortunate enough to own Chicago Park real estate.

Chicago Park real estate includes many ranches and large parcels as well as properties near to Rollins Lake with its fishing, hiking, boating and camping opportunities. At an elevation of 2100 feet, it is not unusual for fisherman enjoying this 900-acre lake to compete with osprey and eagles for trout and warm water species.

Historically a ranching area, Chicago Park has been home to pear, apple, and peach orchards since the early 1900’s. Chicago Park’s rich soil produces superb mountain fruit. In fact, a pear grower from Chicago Park won first prize at the International Exposition in San Francisco in 1915 for his Bartlett pears.

In Chicago Park, the notable Bierwagon family-owned farm has been run by several generations of the family. The Bierwagons are also the genial hosts at Chicago Park’s Happy Apple Kitchen, a cozy (and delicious) destination for travelers.

If you have a dream of owing property in Western Nevada County, do yourself a favor and consider Chicago Park real estate.

View all Chicago Park & Peardale properties in the MLS

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Links & Resources

November 3, 2008 - Carol White

We love it here and so will you! Western Nevada County and the twin cities of Nevada City_Grass Valley have just about everything that makes The Sierra Foothills a fantastic place to call home.

Four distinct seasons, temperate climate year-round, towering pines and rolling pastures, an enviable public school system (second highest scores in the State), a vibrant arts community, active tech-savvy population, almost unlimited outdoor recreation, and some of the friendliest people you’ll meet anywhere.

Raising a Family

Making a Living