Napa, CA Reviews


19 Reviews



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What BestPlaces Users Say about Napa

Napa, California is a small city located in the Napa Valley region, known for its world-renowned wineries and scenic landscapes. It has a population of approximately 80,000 and is considered to be one of the best places to live in California. It offers a suburban feel with excellent schools, plenty of outdoor activities, and a thriving job market in the wine and tourism industry. However, like any city, Napa has its share of pros and cons, and it's always helpful to hear from those who have lived there to get an honest perspective. Here are some user reviews from BestPlaces.net about living in Napa.

1. "I've been living in Napa for over 10 years now, and it's been an incredible experience. The weather is perfect, and the scenery is breathtaking. The wine culture is a significant part of the city, and there are always fun events and festivals happening. The only downside is that it can get pricey, especially for housing." - Sarah J.

2. "I moved to Napa a few years ago from San Francisco, and I couldn't be happier with my decision. The community is tight-knit, and the people are friendly. There are also plenty of job opportunities, and the cost of living is more affordable than the Bay Area. Plus, the food and wine options are unbeatable." - Mike T.

3. "I've lived in Napa my entire life, and while it's a beautiful place, it's not without its flaws. The traffic can be terrible, especially during tourist season, and housing prices are skyrocketing. It's also a bit isolated, so you have to drive an hour or so to get to bigger cities like San Francisco or Sacramento. But overall, I love the small-town feel and sense of community." - Jennifer L.

4. "I lived in Napa for a year, and I couldn't wait to leave. The cost of living is ridiculous, and the job market is limited unless you want to work at a winery or restaurant. The traffic is terrible, and there's not much to do besides wine tasting. And don't even get me started on the housing situation. I ended up moving back to Southern California." - Mark R.

In summary, Napa offers a beautiful and vibrant community with a strong wine culture and plenty of outdoor activities. However, it can be expensive and isolated, with limited job opportunities and a competitive housing market. Ultimately, the decision to live in Napa will depend on personal preferences and priorities.

 based on 19 Reviews
Get to know Napa with the latest comments and reviews from people who live in or have visited Napa

Napa- There Are Better Options Out There. - 4/25/2021
I have lived in Napa for 20 years. In that time, Napa has changed dramatically. Today, Napa is very much a Hispanic community. Many Latinos don't or won't speak English and Spanish is the most common language you'll hear spoken around town. That change alone is driving much of the change in Napa. Schools are poor and underfunded due the vast resources devoted to educating kids for whom English is a second language. The majority of Napa's students are now Hispanic and it shows in a multitude of way, from Spanish being spoken first at graduating ceremonies to the ubiquitous presence of Mexican flag. Hispanic interest groups now drive local politics and have threatened to sue the city to force a change in the city council composition so that Latino interests have a greater voice. The council caved to this threat and carved the city up into voting blocks that ensure Latino areas stand separate from non-Hispanic areas, guaranteeing votes for Latinos on Council.
A great deal of the Read More

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Napa Has Become a Nightmare - 12/1/2019
My longtime Napa home burned to smithereens in 2017. That same night, a crazy stalker set her sights on me. Two nights after the fire, she showed up at my rescue house and assaulted me physically. Afterward, she continued to stalk me and cause numerous public scenes. After 6 weeks of this behavior, she broke into my house and physically attacked me again. This time, she was arrested. The d.a., Allison Haley, had piles of evidence and charged my assailant with multiple counts. Ms. Haley looked me in the eye and admitted my assailant was dangerous and unlikely to stop despite a restraining order. My assailant pled guilty to felony charges, and then.... Ms. Haley let her walk free with no consequences whatsoever. If you think you are safe in Napa, or the d.a. will protect you, do think again. Only a certain few get real justice in this formerly nice town. Once I leave (asap) I will never look Read More

Half the price of San Francisco and Silicon Valley - 5/20/2017
Napa is a very easy place to live, especially for those contemplating retirement. The pace of life is peaceful. The weather is superb -- never miserably cold or hot but varied enough to offer definite seasons. A town of 75000 people, it's easy to become a part of through community activities, clubs, churches, and interest organizations from American Association of University Women to Rotary International. There are several public as well as private golf courses, good fishing, biking and hiking. And much of the Valley's cultural and culinary offerings are located here or in the nearby towns of Sonoma, Yountville and St. Helena. There's always plenty to do and no huge push to do more than you want. It is relatively expensive compared to Midwest housing but inexpensive compared to Northern California's cities and Silicon Valley. So you have to calculate the trade-offs to live here. There will always be people who don't think the sacrifice is worth it, but just as many who think it Read More

Get out while you can - 6/25/2016
My family has been here since the late 1800's. Some of the earliest settler's. Raised in Napa I would of never thought that this town would turn in to the "arm pit of the Bay Area". If the don't get you...lack of water will.  Read More

Too expensive - 4/14/2015
Born and raised in Napa Valley unfortunatley will be looking to relocate to a different state/Town soon. Napa valley is getting outrageous with rent prices...not to mention the cost of buying your own home. 1400 a month gets you the smallest 1 bedroom 1 bathroom apartment, 419,000 buys you the smallest 2 bedroom 1 bath home. Job market is ok but majority of people that work here commute from surrounding cities (which ends up causing traffic congestion in a small town) Crime really isnt that bad here but it seems to happen more frequently then it use to. Read More

Napa, California - 3/3/2015
Napa is situated in a beautiful little valley world-renowned for it's wine and lifestyle. Napa is located about 50 miles NE of the Golden Gate Bridge across the bay from San Francisco. It is an expensive place to live. Real estate is not quite as bad as San Francisco itself or the Peninsula but an average 4BR 3Bath house will cost you $550K to $750K. The weather is probably close to the best in the country. Mild winters, lows typically in the 30-40's. It may freeze half a dozen times. Summers are pleasant, highs usually in the 70-80's, once in a while in the 90's. If you can stand the traffic, congestion, and idiocy of living in California it's a great place to live. I have been in California more than 40 years and I am ready to Read More

Just Moved Here Four Years Ago - 10/13/2014
Napa - The Cons:

If you even walked by an alcoholic sitting by the liquor store on the sidewalk and took a whiff of his odors . . .
A few weeks out of the year there is a horrific stench of old wine odor everywhere in the front and back of the house. The winneries polute the beautiful Napa river with sludge. You see dead fish sometimes when kayaking and it even affects the pristine Golf Courses ponds. It turns the beautiful blue waters into brown mud. My child let go some of his tadpoles a month ago only to return a few days later to check on them to see the pure brown colored sludge killing them to his horror.

There is still some racisism still in their restaurants and wine tasting events. The restaurants are basically overpriced especially the Oxbow Market. Even in the MaJong class the teacher allowed a student say racist remarks smiling the whole time.

The weather is incredibly hot especially if you are not use to it. Developing Read More

Nice place to visit but...you don't want to live h - 8/6/2014
We moved here 2 years ago and to be honest, it's been a living hell! Yes it's beautiful, yes the weather is nice but NO it is not a good place to relocate to if you are not wealthy or lived here your whole life. People are pretty snobby to 'newcomers' unless you have money. It is soooo expensive and we make a decent living and by decent I mean 150K between the 2 of us. We are barely scraping by and moving back East where you can at least have a hope of owning a home. We both own homes in the Midwest and came here for the weather and culture. HUGE mistake!!! Can't wait for the moving truck to get here so we can have a 'normal' life again. As the saying goes..."It's a nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there" unless you are a gizillionaire or can live with your rich Read More

Napa is heavenly. - 1/9/2012
I think that it was robert Redford who said that napa is heavenly. So is Sonoma, petaluma, and Windsor, etc. This is the wine country and it also has farms and a river running through it. Yes, napa is expensive, but then so is all of California.The weather is mild and so is the mood. Napa needs more for children, however. It is as though it were designed for seniors who like to drink wine and socialize. A Pixarland theme park would had some vitality to the Read More

I grew up in Napa - 11/4/2009
Napa was once a nice place to live, even though I never liked the weather. You never see the sun before 10 AM in the summer and by 7 PM it's too cold and way too windy to enjoy being outside. It wasn't until I moved away that I found out that I enjoy waking up to a sunny morning, be it in the summer, or winter, the only two seasons most of California has.
Now that I've been away from Napa for a number of years I have also discovered that you can tell someone is from Napa by their attitude. "I've made it to the beautiful Napa Valley. We have to close the gate to keep everyone else out" is a quick synopsis of the Napa attitude. There are an incredible number of businesses that have "Napa Valley" in their name. The general rule is that if it has "Napa Valley" in the name, it's located in Napa. Businesses in the rest of the county tend to avoid the term (except the wineries of course, which can charge more for wine with "Napa Valley" on the label.) I made the mistake of Read More

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