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Living In Napa, CA with Suzanne HawkenLiving In Napa, CA with Suzanne Hawken

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Pros and Cons of Living in Napa Valley and Wine Country

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There’s pros and cons of living in Napa Valley and Wine Country, just like any other city or town in the U.S.  And today, I’m going to share what those things are – the good AND the bad! 

Napa Valley is home to many distinct cultural and recreational opportunities, ranging from its beautiful natural surroundings and gorgeous weather, to its plethora of local wine and food establishments. However, the valley is not without its negatives.

Before I get into the downsides of living in the Valley, let’s start off with the pros and why I decided to call Napa my home and why you may want to, too.  (I mean, let’s be real here – you know you want to, otherwise you wouldn’t be reading this vlog!!)

 

Pro #1
OUTSTANDING CLIMATE

First and foremost, the climate in the valley is absolutely stunning. Up-and-coming residents can look forward to clear, sunny weather nearly all year round, with the exception of a brisk rainy season from late December through mid March, and the occasional fog. The natural beauty in the valley is just as remarkable as the weather, with rolling hills and mountains as far as the eyes can see.

Because the Valley stretches for so many miles north and south, the difference in temperature can vary quite significantly – with the lower portions of the Valley (such as American Canyon) reaching the low 80’s during the height of summer, and the more northern portions of the valley such as Calistoga, hitting the high 90’s on a fairly regular basis (and sometimes even into the 100’s).  You may want to take this into account when deciding which area you consider moving to.

Average temperatures in American Canyon
Average temperatures in American Canyon

 

Average temperatures in Calistoga
Average temperatures in Calistoga

 

Pros #2
WORLD RENOWNED Food & Wine

Napa Valley is also host to an abundance of wineries and fine dining establishments, with almost a dozen Michelin-starred restaurants and literally hundreds of local wineries. Check out my other video where I provide my top 10 best restaurants in Napa where I provide some tips on how to get the reservations on the day and time you want along with my most surprising top rated menu item that you absolutely MUST try when you are here next!

The French Laundry
The French Laundry

Pros #3
OUTDOOR HAVEN 

Silverado Resort Golf Course
Silverado Resort Golf Course

 

If you are the outdoors type, then Napa will not disappoint!  The Valley offers a wide variety of recreational activities including many top rated golfing spots and hiking galore at the dozens of nearby national parks (some of which allow for off-leash dogs).  I would be remiss to not mention the Napa Valley Vine Trail which spans 20 miles through the Valley where you can walk, run or bike safely while enjoying the stunning surroundings. 

Napa Valley Vine Trail
Napa Valley Vine Trail

 

There’s also lots of festivals taking place throughout the year (hopefully they will resume again this Summer once Covid has reached herd immunity), including Bottlerock, Napa Porchfest and many more.  You can learn more about the many festivals happening in the Valley by going to https://www.visitnapavalley.com. 

Bottlerock Concert Napa
Bottlerock Concert Napa

 

With all of the positives residents come to expect in any city or town, there’s always a few drawbacks as well.  So let’s talk about the cons…

 

Con #1
Price of Housing

As one can expect, the price of housing and rent in Napa Valley is higher than average due to its location, weather, amenities – well everything I just mentioned, really.  The majority of residential housing can cost anywhere from the $500,000 mark, scaling up to the tens of millions.  Renting a single bed condo starts at around $1,350 per month.   Click here to search current homes for sale in Napa and here to search those that have just been reduced.

https://www.livinginnapacalifornia.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Napa-homes-market-report-for-May-2021-1620415541554.mp4

 

Press play to view the current Napa market report (and pause to view each slide) and then check out our exclusive market reports for Napa updated daily (and other towns within the Valley via our Explore Section).

Con #2
Climate Change

With the change in climate over the course of the past several centuries, the increase in temperatures and consistent draughts throughout the State, wildfires are becoming more and more prevalent in and around the Valley.   The majority of homes are within a safe distance of the majority of danger, with the residential communities set away from the large forest areas. However, this doesn’t mean that the danger of fire is not on the minds of those that live here and precautions are being taken to help minimize fires from happening in the future.  As more fires happen, the county, first responders and government agencies are learning how to be more proactive and less reactive to help keep the residents of Napa Valley safe.  

 

Con #3
COMMUTING FOR WORK

With Napa Valley being very much an ingrained tourist-driven location, the variety of work opportunities in the Valley is somewhat limited.  Yes, if you are in or interested in being in the hospitality industry, Napa is THE place for you, however, if you are more tech-driven, then commuting to one of the nearby metro areas, such as San Francisco, Oakland or Sacramento, (once working in the office becomes more prevalent again), will be what you should expect – which is not unusual with those living in Silicon Valley and the Bay Area as a whole.  

This is a map of what the commute from San Francisco to Napa looks like
Commute from San Francisco to Napa

 

Commute from Sacramento to Napa
Commute from Sacramento to Napa

 

 

However, depending on location, the time of day and routes, travel to and from work can take up more time than desired for many. For instance, leaving San Francisco at 5 pm and heading for the valley can take upwards of 2 hours, even though it’s only about 60 miles away. But, if you don’t mind the commute and are willing to put in the time for travel so you can spend your nights and weekends in literal heaven, then you’ve found your ultimate place to call home!

If you are considering moving to Napa or purchasing a second home here, please let me know how I can help.  I’d be honored to work with you and help you make your dream a reality just like I’ve made mine a reality too. 

So what are you waiting for?!?  Give me a call and let’s get you moved!

newest listings in napa:

Posted in: News & Blog, Vlog Tagged: hiking, living in napa, living in napa ca, living in napa california, living in napa valley, moving to napa, moving to napa valley, Napa, napa valley

Things To Do In Napa – Best Wineries, Restaurants and Resorts

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When it comes to things to do in Napa, there’s a really big secret that is literally going to save you thousands of dollars that I want to tell you about!  Stick around til the end and I’ll let you in on the secret!

Do you love enjoying the outdoors, in the warm, sunny weather nearly all year round? This, and of course the food and wine, is just one of literally dozens of reasons why Napa might be the place for you to call home!

In this video, I’m going to dive into some of the local scenery and services that make up Napa – from the miles of brilliant yellow fields of mustard covering the vineyard floors in the early spring, to the exquisite, world renowned wine-tasting experiences which would literally take you years to explore.

The first thing that comes to any Napa County resident’s mind when thinking about Napa is the prominent wine culture. After all, Napa is a big part of  Wine Country, with a population of eighty-thousand; second only to Santa Rosa to the northwest. Napa County is not only filled with countless wineries in the local area, but is also home to the Napa Valley Wine Train, as well as innumerable wine tours for residents and tourists alike to enjoy.

There are currently a total of ten Michelin star restaurants in Napa. These include, Bouchon Bistro, Kenzo Napa and of course, The French Laundry.

The French Laundry Michelin Star Restaurant in Napa
The French Laundry – Michelin Star Restaurant in Napa

 

If you want to have friends and family visit, but just not in your home(!), there are dozens of  luxury resorts to choose from and can be found throughout the valley, including The Meritage Resort and Spa, the Vista Collina Resort and the Silverado Resort and Spa.

Silverado Resort and Spa
Silverado Resort and Spa in Napa, CA

 

There are more than forty-eight parks for hiking, some of which allow for off-leash dogs such as Alston Park on the northwest side of the beautiful neighborhood, Browns Valley. Speaking of dogs, Napa is probably one of the most dog-friendly places I have ever come across – if you don’t see a least one puppy sitting with a family while dining outside of a restaurant, there’s something very wrong!  Even some of the Michelin Star’ed restaurants allow dogs!

With all of these amazing amenities within arms reach, living in Napa comes at a higher cost of living. As of April 2021, single family homes in Napa, for instance, have an average sale price of ~$860,000, which is up almost 10% from just a year ago.  However, this average sale price is significantly lower than nearby San Francisco (about 45 minutes southwest of Napa), with their average sales price currently being around ~$1.4 million.  With that being said, however, the cost of living in Napa is nearly 40% higher than the rest of the United States.

City of Napa Real Estate Infographic 040721
City of Napa Real Estate Market Statistics – April 2021

 

The employment opportunities are quite varied, with Napa’s top employing companies and businesses including:

  • Kaiser Permanente
  • Dozens of exclusive hotels, inns and resorts, some of which I mentioned earlier
  • Hundreds of wineries and wine-tasting services
  • And restaurants galore

Many people do drive to nearby cities to their workplaces, such as San Francisco and Oakland, where there are a massive amount of tech businesses located and are constantly looking for new talent.

Educational opportunities in Napa are also available for the younger generations. For example, Napa Valley College has over 6,500 students with the in-state-tuition costing approximately $1,100 per year. Due to Napa’s direct inclusion in the Wine Country, courses for the wine industry are also widely available.

Napa Valley is home to many different services and sceneries, and truly is an extremely unique place to settle down. If you are looking for a new place to call home or maybe looking to purchase a vacation home, please let me know by reaching out to me at 707-210-5500.  I’d be honored to help you make your Napa dreams a reality.

Ok. So here’s the secret I mentioned at the beginning of this video. If you are a resident of Napa County, you are going to be eligible to literally hundreds of discounts offered through Napa Valley Vintners known as Napa Neighbor Offers!

Napa County Winery Map

 

When you become a resident, simply show your driver’s license and enjoy VIP treatment, product discounts and complimentary or upgraded tours and wine tasting.  That’s right.  Free tours and wine tastings!

So what are you waiting for?!?  Give me a call and let’s get you moved!

 

 

Posted in: News & Blog, Vlog Tagged: best restaurants in napa, best wineries in napa, Napa, napa valley, things to do in napa, where to stay in napa

Custom Made Jewelry Review – Abrielle.co

Full Transcript

Hello!  I’m Suzanne and I am Living in Napa, California. I’m excited to talk about this local business today which I discovered a few weeks ago, and I’m really excited because I absolutely love what she’s doing; she’s super young, in fact she’s actually still in college, and I just really love women who are entrepreneurs and take their passion and hone in on it and actually do something that they absolutely love. And, you can really tell by what she’s creating that she loves what she’s doing!

I’m excited to talk to you about this local business today and show you exactly what it is that I purchased from her and received last week, so let’s get started!

One of the things that I absolutely love is jewelry that’s extremely unique and one of a kind. Something that I honed in myself on is face jewelry and that is what Abrielle.co offers and creates herself. This is her Instagram account but she’s also on Tik Tok, so if you want to check her out you can find her at Abrielle_15 on Tik Tok as well. She has some great stuff on Tik Tok – I love to watch what she’s up to and just watching her create her jewelry is super exciting to watch as well.

Abrielle is, like I said, a young entrepreneur who is showcasing her passion and creating things and making money by creating this wonderful jewelry. I saw her on Instagram through her organic posting and just loved what she was doing, so because of my love for face jewelry I decided to reach out to her. I DM’ed her (as she requests for you to do to buy her jewelry), and ordered my face jewelry; I actually was able to tell her what I wanted to have in a particular style and design and that I also wanted to get the same thing as the earrings but on a necklace.

She created me this lovely necklace as well and it’s super cute – she took my dimensions that I was looking for and she made this wonderful jewelry. The cost is ridiculously low; she could easily double her price and probably sell just as much (don’t tell her I said that! 😁).  She sent this lovely little letter to me as well, thanking me for supporting her art and small business, and she said “I hope you enjoy your new bling, tag me if you post. Made with love, Abrielle.”

Well, she sent it in the mail and, unfortunately, the necklace chain broke because it got caught in the envelope, so I reached out to her told her that that happened. She was very apologetic, and she actually sent me another chain without me having to pay for postage or anything.  She sent me another chain and the chain was great, it’s just a little small and that’s my fault, so I’ll be getting another chain for it, but it was a lovely chain she sent! She also sent me another note saying that she was really sorry about the mishap in the mailing and she added these leaf earrings for my flexibility and understanding, which was super sweet of her.

You can just tell that she just loves what she’s doing, so please go ahead and support this wonderful young lady. Again, you can find her on Instagram at @abrielle.co and you can also find her on Tik Tok. If you use Tik Tok (I love it and use it too – you can find me on there at @LivingInNapaCA as well).

Here’s some of her recent work (feel free to click through to look at her other jewelry too!)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Handmade Wire Earrings (@abrielle.co)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Handmade Wire Earrings (@abrielle.co)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Handmade Wire Earrings (@abrielle.co)

 

So that is my review of Abrielle.co!  Her jewelry is fabulous – love it to death, and I’ve already got compliments when I wore it out today, so if you’re looking for some really cute one-of-a-kind jewelry that’s super cheap, check out Abrielle.co and until next time, have a great day Living in Napa, California!

Posted in: News & Blog, Reviews, Vlog Tagged: Jewelry, Napa, Review, Video

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From Our Blog

There's pros and cons to living in Napa Valley and Wine Country and today I'm going to talk about what they are
Pros and Cons of Living in Napa Valley and Wine Country

There’s pros and cons of living in Napa Valley and Wine Country, just like any … Read More »

Things To Do In Napa – Best Wineries, Restaurants and Resorts

  When it comes to things to do in Napa, there’s a really big secret … Read More »

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