Arcata Plaza — Attraction in Arcata

Arcata Plaza has potential but alas, it's lost due to the less-than-fortunate people making their homes here and hanging out because well, why not, nothing else to do. They certainly aren't sight seeing. Seems to me like a drinking and drug-exchange location rather than a central park in a small historic town(I do admit that I could be out of touch with small-town plazadom). It's a somewhat awkward walk through the center of the Plaza even mid-saturday afternoon. Feels as if you will get hustled or worse. Of course, if you do make it to the NW edge of the Plaza, you can choose from 4 bars next to one another, a liquor store or a vape room. No other choices on that block. Not sure what the intended message is from the city but it certainly doesn't match...

The city blaims their transients for all their problems. It's an easy lie to believe if you don't see the whole picture. They've destroyed their own community by over policing and by harassing the homeless there. Let's all be real. It's the west coast, we have a lot of transients no matter what. Instead of figuring out how to work with the good ones, they just made things horrifically uncomfortable. Sadly, that only drives away the good ones, as the bad ones are QUITE used to being uncomfortable. And THAT is why the homeless and transients around here are so grungy, because the colorful clean and respectful ones are to good to put up with how they get treated here. Now the worst of them are all our problems because they couldn't use...

I'm glad they got rid of the statue of President McKinley...it never belonged there! Now in the middle of the plaza is pretty plants. The plaza is in the middle of a square of nice stores and restaurants. The plaza is a nice place to walk through or just hang out for a little while. I see families there, college kids, people practicing their music. It is not uncommon to smell some weed being smoked, but everyone is very mellow. Farmer's market is held there on Saturdays in the summer and it has a very fun vibe to it. The plaza is definitely a very unique and...