Nevada County Life

Why does this rural area of California have so many Victorian homes? Gold and gold mining. To give you an idea of how rich the area was, the Empire Mine in Grass Valley produced 5.8 million ounces of gold between 1850 and 1956, when it closed. It’s currently on record as the oldest, largest and richest gold mine in the state of California.

Nevada City and Grass Valley were boom towns during this period, and many fine houses were built. Although there were a number of fires in both towns, many Victorian houses survived them, and more importantly survived the redevelopment of the towns in the 20th century. Then the end of mining operations in the 1950s ushered in an economic downturn for the area, with some of the Victorian properties falling into disrepair at this time, but the economic revival that has taken place in Nevada County based on tourism and an influx of high technology companies has been accompanied with a new appreciation for these wonderful properties. Many have been renovated and restored, and in turn they provide visitors with one more thing to appreciate in our local area.

The best way to see the Victorians in Grass Valley and Nevada City is to walk through the neighborhoods surrounding the downtown areas.

There are so many people who have chosen their dream town here in Nevada City or Grass Valley and then made their jobs work around it. People say it’s been great and they would never look back since moving here from the Bay Area or other places!

As cost of living and traffic have risen in cities around the country while technology is advancing, more and more people have been looking at working at home as a great option for a healthy work and home life. Many people are enjoying the quiet life here in Nevada County while still making their big-city money from their home office!

You find telecommuters – professionals who have moved here, but kept their jobs by traveling or by working remotely from a home office.

But even better, you find entrepreneurs! It’s amazing the range of small businesses we have here in Nevada County – retailers, web designers, inventors, writers, artists, ranchers, and the list goes on. It makes for great diversity.

In the past, young professionals would look for the the right job and assume they might have to move around the country to find it. These days that’s changing. Many young adults are feeling that where they live and their quality of life is the first priority, and then they’ll worry about a job.

In Nevada County, we have quality of life – one of the best school systems in California, amazing Sierra foothill scenery, a cultural scene including art, wine, and good restaurants, and most of all, friendly people!

This week my son and I went to the Imaginarium in Nevada City for their monthly preschool play day. It was a really fun outing that I highly recommend! It was set up for preschoolers, and we explored magnets, bubbles, gravity exhibits, and did some painting.

The Imaginarium has over 20 different hands on science exhibits, and it’s good for all ages – kids and adults. They have a generator to raise your hair, a Distorted Room where you can shrink, and my personal favorite – a skeleton riding a bicycle. Through June 2009, they are hosting a special exhibit titled “Simple Machines”. 

The preschool play day is once a month, but if you don’t have a preschooler, the Imaginarium is open to the public one Friday or Saturday a month from September to June and for special events. Visit to view the schedule. You’ll find the Imaginarium at the corner of Ridge Road and Nevada City Highway in Nevada City. Phone: 478-6415.

Driving around Grass Valley and Nevada City a few days ago I could not help but feel that the building outline lights in downtown Nevada City were so much brighter and more festive than those in Grass Valley, which seemed dim and uninspired in comparison.  I’d first noticed this during the Cornish Christmas evenings but it was really apparent the other night when things were a little quieter in the streets.  Is it just me?

From 5th January the local bus service is cutting some routes (to Colfax) and also cutting the frequency of certain services (to North San Juan in particularly).  Check out the new route map to make sure you are not caught out in 2009!

Gold Country Stage Route Maps