Placer-Ville or Yount-Ville? (San Francisco, Sacramento, Napa: ski resort, to rent, buying a home)

[Chimérique]

Placer-Ville or Yount-Ville?

Two NorCal small towns, both lovely, both part of large metros but at the edges. Which one is better to visit and/or live?

Placerville: pop 10,747, elevation 1,867 feet; located 45 miles from Sacramento; Folsom Lake is 19 miles west; Jenkinson Lake is 19 miles east. South Lake Tahoe is 52 miles away.

Placerville is in the Gold Country-Sierra Foothills, some vineyards-wineries. It is located 49 miles from a large Ski Resort, and and many beautiful Sierra Lakes. Town is quaint, with the American River, very near El Dorado National Forest.

Yountville: pop 3,436, elevation 98 feet, located 60 miles from San Francisco, 68 miles from Sacramento. The Ocean, Dillons Beach is 52 miles away.

Yountville is located in the center of Napa Valley, surrounded by various inner Coast Mountain Ranges, rolling hills and vineyards, just under 1 hour from the Pacific Ocean.

[Chimérique]

Average Home Value Jan 2020

Placerville $540,558

Yountville $1,224,807

[SFBayBoomer]

I haven't visited either in a few years, but I have enjoyed my time in Yountville more than Placerville.

[punkyd]

Yountville and all the towns along that winery route between City of Napa and Calistoga are not so much prone to flooding since the Army Corps of engineers finished up the projects in Napa. But not sure specifically about Yountville. You should inquire about that. Another problem with this area is that traffic has gotten so bad the last 30 years that you will find yourself pretty much trapped near your home most of the year. Strangely, most residents are in complete denial about the traffic. Really strange. Makes you wonder. It gets very hot in Napa, but it is a dry heat. Some nice restaurants in the whole area, but they get so full of tourists much of the year that you would not want to go there most of the year. Unless you like crowds. Never snows in Napa, so you got that. Medical care in Naps Co has been described as spotty. Wildfires.

Placerville is much quieter. Probably worth a visit. It gets hot here, too. Both places are gonna give a vibe of isolation, as far as how far you need to go for specialty medical care, etc. Wildfires.

Interesting choice of places, but I would remove Yountville from the equation and look at Napa or Calistoga or even St Helena. Yountville has been known to be a bit strange for some people.

[Ruth4Truth]

I second the suggestion for St. Helena, instead of Yountville. But as to choosing between St. Helena and Placerville, I couldn't say. Placerville looks really nice, and it's closer to Tahoe, fwiw. Less touristy than the whole Napa area.

[evening sun]

Why do you keep asking about towns? A;l of them are worth a visit, & obviously finances would play into buying a home.

[roadwarrior101]

Whenever I've stopped in Yountville, I've always asked the question of whether people actually live there. It's a beautiful area and has some amazing restaurants, but seems a bit more artificial and designed just for highly affluent tourists.

I agree with the others who've recommended St. Helena, Calistoga or Napa. I'd throw Healdsburg into the mix as well.

[punkyd]

Healdsburg is an interesting town in Sonoma county along the highway 101. An interesting place. Lots of very expensive houses, but a long time ago they made the decision to allow unusual housing that would accommodate regular income working people. Things like in-law units that get rented out. Creative alternative housing, along with rooms to rent in larger houses, etc. Also gets touristy, but a much more relaxed and calm than the other side of the hill/mountain in Napa Co.

[Chimérique]

Originally Posted by punkyd

Yountville and all the towns along that winery route between City of Napa and Calistoga are not so much prone to flooding since the Army Corps of engineers finished up the projects in Napa. But not sure specifically about Yountville. You should inquire about that. Another problem with this area is that traffic has gotten so bad the last 30 years that you will find yourself pretty much trapped near your home most of the year. Strangely, most residents are in complete denial about the traffic. Really strange. Makes you wonder. It gets very hot in Napa, but it is a dry heat. Some nice restaurants in the whole area, but they get so full of tourists much of the year that you would not want to go there most of the year. Unless you like crowds. Never snows in Napa, so you got that. Medical care in Naps Co has been described as spotty. Wildfires.

Placerville is much quieter. Probably worth a visit. It gets hot here, too. Both places are gonna give a vibe of isolation, as far as how far you need to go for specialty medical care, etc. Wildfires.

Interesting choice of places, but I would remove Yountville from the equation and look at Napa or Calistoga or even St Helena. Yountville has been known to be a bit strange for some people.

Great post, thanks much.

I only put down "Yountville" because its another "Ville" like Placerville. Also because Yountville is practically dead center in the Napa Valley. I used Yountville, but I'm really referring to all of the Napa Valley: from Napa to Calistoga.

Ya, I wish I could remove all the tourists, and take it back to the 1970's.....when it was just another hickish, farming area like most of California. I remember the first time we drove through as a child we had family friends who had a huge lot outside of the town of Napa, chickens, goats, scraggy vineyards, giant oaks everywhere, a redwood tree, that whole valley seemed cut off from everywhere, a special place.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by Chimérique

Great post, thanks much.

I only put down "Yountville" because its another "Ville" like Placerville. Also because Yountville is practically dead center in the Napa Valley. I used Yountville, but I'm really referring to all of the Napa Valley: from Napa to Calistoga.

Ya, I wish I could remove all the tourists, and take it back to the 1970's.....when it was just another hickish, farming area like most of California. I remember the first time we drove through as a child we had family friends who had a huge lot outside of the town of Napa, chickens, goats, scraggy vineyards, giant oaks everywhere, a redwood tree, that whole valley seemed cut off from everywhere, a special place.

If that's what you're looking for, and prefer Napa to Placerville, look at Calistoga. It's not quite so hick-ish these days, lots of high-end homes, but there are still some old funky farmhouses, if you don't mind doing a bit of updating. And there are in-between types of places, that have been updated, like this one:
https://www.realtor.com/realestatean...5_M19746-46068

And it's still farm country.