Any input/experience with these California cities?
 

I am a native of Los Angeles, born and raised. Aside from college in Northern California, I have lived in the San Fernando valley all of my life. Every year I go through a bout of "lets get the f outta here", wanting to move far away, but the wife always puts the veto on it. Weather, beaches, boating, restaurants, hospitals, ect., is her justification, for me I am tired of the rat race, population, and rudeness that comes with the good. Keep in mind have two young boys, 2 and 6, so that plays a factor into this as well.

This year, when I told here I would be willing to stay in Cali, but want to move closer to the beach, her ears perked up and she is ALL for it, full steam ahead. Our goal is to be withing 5-10 blocks of the water, with a marina close by of course for launching my boat. Looking for a modest house, preferable on a foothill with a little view of the water, with the logic of having my backyard the pacific ocean, so an acre of land isn't necessary.

We have been doing alot of research online, and plan to visit all the following locations in the next few months to get a guage and feel to see if this move is feasible. I am confident I can find a house within my budget in all these communites except for La Jolla, LOL.

San Diego (Mission Bay, Pacific Beach, Bay Park Area)
La Jolla
Carlsbad
Oceanside
San Clemente
San Juan Capistrano
Huntington Beach
Ventura
Los Osos
Capitola/Aptos

Questions I would like answers to on these locations

1) Cloudy most of the year as most beach cities are?
2) General character of the town?
3) Restaurants, quanitity and quality, different kinds of foods?
4) Public Schools OK? Private school money plays a factor into the mortgage.
5) Seasons, do the smaller towns shut down in the offseason?
6) Offshore Boating community?

Just trying to get some info if any of you have experience in any of these locals, thanks in advance. Any other input aside from my questions would also be appreciated.

P.S. She won't do anywhere with humidity in the summer, she grew up in that, so the Destin/TB Florida logic ain't happening.

Chris

Any coastal town will have a lot more cloud cover than inland, especially compared to the San Fernando Valley. I lived in Pacific Palisades for many years, and June Gloom is a reality. In fact, one year we had coastal cloud cover all the way through August. You don't get the kind of humid heat in the summer that you have in Midwest, though.

If you want to live within 5 to 10 blocks of the ocean, you're going to pay for that, especially in Orange and San Diego counties. Also remember that most of Orange and San Diego coastline in very flat, so not much in the way of views unless you live right on the water. Ventura would be a better bet for views, and probably home prices, too.

You can always do what I did, and move halfway to the Conejo Valley (Thousand Oaks, Newbury Park) area. It's a whole different world here. Great weather (sunny almost all the time, but much lower temperatures than the valley), far less traffic, courteous people, very little crime, clean air, top rated schools, still close enough to do things in LA, and only a half hour to Channel Islands and Ventura Harbors.

Whatever area you consider, take your time and get to know the area before moving.

Good luck!

Michael

Tank's been talking me into moving to Hollywood Beach (Channel Islands area)! It's a great area and minutes from the ramp. Very pricy though. I have checked out home pricing a little farther from the beach in Oxnard or Ventura. Still pricy but more reasonable. The lifestyle at the beach is very laidback. My brother lived in Manhattan, Hermosa, Redondo for years and Hollywood Beach is a quiter atmosphere, no bars, shops, etc.

Or like Michael said, Conejo Valley or even Camarillo.

Thanks for the response

I live in Woodland Hills, the hottest city in the valley, so I know heat unfortunately, hence the reason for the beach move. My sister use to live in Newbury Park, just off of Wendy, so I know the area, just too similar to what I have now, but newer sidewalks.

I am sort of looking for Venice Beach, kid friendly style. I would move to VB in a second, but my kids would then join the life down there and go to jail instead of college. Whatever we choose, school is the top priority. Whether I pay for private (as I do know) or we try public, either way, it HAS to be a success, been through rough patches with that before.

Thanks for the replies, keep em coming.

Chris

Al, as you know I know CI and Ventura real well.

My wife is in love with the old style houses off of Poli street near city hall in Ventura.

CI/Ventura does appeal to me, because my next phase of boating is to sell the Baja, my dad would keep his of course :D, and buy a 30-35' Tollycraft cabin cruiser with the dinghys, sea doos, kayaks, ect. The islands would be a constant destination for a boat like that, which is what I am into.

The problem I am having is once the wife gave the go ahead to reaearch, I am finding so many options. We are going to SD this weekend to scope it out and start in person research. Did Ventura and Carpinteria last weekend

Here is what I know, I will be overpaying to be close to the beach no matter where I go. The good news is we want to downsize. Have a 4/3/pool/.33 acre in the valley now, want to go to 3/2/no pool/.25 acre wherever we look. I have nine zones of sprinklers with 90 heads. My goal is to go to three zones with at most 30 heads, LOL :evilb:

Chris

HB rules!

Ok, in all seriousness, my wife grew up in Van Nuys and loves it in HB. Her parents also moved down (from Van Nuys but natives of Santa Monica and Sunland). I live 8 blocks in from PCH and I can (on a clear day) see Catalina if I stand on the roof of my one story house. I also live about 10 minutes from Sunset Marine which has a 6 ramp launching facility.

I lived in Manhattan Beach for the first few years I was out here and although it was a true beach city at the time, it seems like it has become Beverley Hills at the beach... Over priced and pretentious.

HB still has a bit of that classic Beach city edge to it and more of a blue collar "regular guy" feel. It's also very "motorsports" friendly in general. I can't tell you how many tickets I got with my '66 Impala SS when I lived in MB, but in HB, as long as you show a little respect, you're more likely to get a thumbs up for having a muscle car than you are to get a scowl or a call to the cops.

Good luck! I wouldn't live anywhere else.

I lived in Costa Mesa for a few years after college. Newport Beach is pretty cool and has a nice launch ramp. Huntington was fun too. I worked in Dana Point and if I had to move back to CA I would probably live there. Nice ramp, and then Newport, Huntington, Long Beach and Catalina are reasonable destinations.

Our preliminary research is this:

Hotspots in order we are interested in plus downside:

Huntington Beach - So far no downside, decent public, affordable private

Pacific Beach (SD) Downside is crappy public, far away private schools

Carlsbad - looks too good to be true we will see.

Ventura - Know the are well, real crappy public, far away private school. But would alleviate alot of anxiety of a new place

Los Osos - cheaper housing - not sure about the Pismo element.

Capitola - beatiful small city, might be too far from the big city

I am into blue collar mentality, I live knee deep in country club ville. Just not me, one of the reasons I want out. Rather work on my boat then go to a fundraiser.

keep the comments coming, all of them help.

Chris

You think you know heat? You can't handle the heat! :D :D

It's been 110 to 115 for the last few weeks here. We won't get a break until Sept! That's why I got to move the heck out of here.

Move back to V.C., buy the cruiser and we will have a party boat to raft up to! :D

How far away from a major metro area can you be? Have you thought about the central coast? SLO, Pismo, Morro Bay, Grover Beach? I love that area up there.

Al,

Woodland hills is 10 degrees hotter than any other city in the valley

Regarding metro, my wife sort of demands close proximity, I don't, but she thinks I would be miserable without it.

Los Osos is near Pismo, but WAY lack of metro concerns me there. Also I get the impression Pismo life is a little less sophisticated then I want, could be wrong though, I plead ignorance.

Chris

I commute to downtown LA from HB 3 or 4 days a week. 40 miles door to door. Usually take 60 - 75 minutes. Best ever was 38 minutes (I'm sorry baby jesus, the devil made me do it) and worst ever was 2.25 hours (friday pre holiday weekend). Today traffic was horrible and it took me 75 minutes.

I have a buddy in C'bad, too. Great town. Seems like it's getting a bit more "country club" though. They bulldozed the drag strip a couple years ago!

Orange County Sucks.
(now go home and tell your friends)

What's your budget for a house ? . . . I live in Huntington Beach, I have an ocean view. I can walk to the marina or the boat ramp.

[QUOTE=Dude! Sweet!;2201157]I commute to downtown LA from HB 3 or 4 days a week. 40 miles door to door. Usually take 60 - 75 minutes. Best ever was 38 minutes (I'm sorry baby jesus, the devil made me do it)

is that you ricky bobby?:drink:

Hey Chris,

You have some nice choices to choose from. My main question is...What's your budget? that would seem to be the main deal maker/breaker.

Let's say you have a million to 1.5 to spend on a house.

many of the places on your list puts you waaaay back from the beach/water. You can get a water front harbor home (boat on a hoist) in Channel Islands Harbor for the 1.5 range (and up).

If you want to be on the beach, you can be on the inboard side in an older house for the 1.5 range (and up). I don't think you'll be able to touch anything in O.C. or S.D. counties for those prices with this location setting.

New York Times just did a big spread on Channel Islands Harbor and the surrounding beaches (Holllywood Beach, Silver Strand Beach and Oxnard shores/mandalay Beach) on how it's the last "affordable" beach and or water (harbor) homes available in Southern California. the article goes on to say, that with the new construction of the houses in the harbor (punched out north end of the harbor) and all the renovation being done to the older parts of the harbor ($25 million being spent) that the area is the most bang for the buck and most likely to continue it's realestate boom. With two of the highest realestate markets in the nation sandwiching it in, Malibu 30 miles south and Santa Barbara 30 miles north, the area is set to be the next Newport/malibu according to the article.

We own on Hollywood beach. across the street from the beach and a view of the harbor thats 75 yards the other direction there's no other location like it in Ca. that doesnt demand rediculous prices for the homes.

My point to all of this, I think it's the best overall bang for the buck with the criteria you are searching for.

good luck with whatever you end up doing and keep us informed.



Hey Al....When are you moving out to the beach bro!?:drink:

I would add Seal Beach or Sunset Beach to your list of considerations. If I am not mistaken they feed into the Los Alamitos School District which is very well respected. Some Sunset Beach homes have their own docks as well.

I lived in San Diego for a summer in the 90's and found that it was overcast there far more often than in OC.

Good Luck1