Five Cities Area (San Luis Obispo, Arroyo Grande, Grover Beach: low income, homes, high schools)

[DJJ125]

Originally Posted by sunshine7793

"Low rent". That's a good one. Afraid to call it like it is. Those areas have lots of illegal immigrants from Mexico. Low rent - that's cute.

If there's any dirt like this I'd be happy to know. Is there crime in these areas, or is employment significantly worse than most areas?

[.highnlite]

Originally Posted by sunshine7793

"Low rent". That's a good one. Afraid to call it like it is. Those areas have lots of illegal immigrants from Mexico. Low rent - that's cute.

Afraid? That was a silly statement. Illegals come here to work, they work hard from before dawn to into the evening 6 days a week, they provide you with the food you eat. They are not your enemy, they are your friends.

Poor white trash meth heads, are what I had in mind. The specifics of which group limits the desirability of Grover City or Oceano are irrelevant. The fact that typical white middle class young people typically do not choose to live in those communities for what ever reason was sufficient for the OP.

[Capt. Dan]

Originally Posted by DJJ125

If there's any dirt like this I'd be happy to know. Is there crime in these areas, or is employment significantly worse than most areas?

Could you drop me off a Primanti Bros. Sandwich on your way to Pismo please????

[Shawn_Estrada]

Your best bet is to probably stick around the Pismo/Shell Beach Avila Area. San Luis has way more young people and is only a 15 minute trek down Highway 101 to get to the 5 cities area. Do you know how much your willing to pay in rent? Might be better to get a shared room/house with roomates, explore for a few months then decide on a place to settle.

[aguamarina4u]

Cayucos is so peaceful and beautiful...worth a look before settling down :-D

[DJJ125]

Originally Posted by Capt. Dan

Could you drop me off a Primanti Bros. Sandwich on your way to Pismo please????

Haha absolutely, but I'm from the Philadelphia region and quite honestly nothing beats a good cheesesteak...not even Primantis!

Your best bet is to probably stick around the Pismo/Shell Beach Avila Area. San Luis has way more young people and is only a 15 minute trek down Highway 101 to get to the 5 cities area. Do you know how much your willing to pay in rent? Might be better to get a shared room/house with roomates, explore for a few months then decide on a place to settle.

Unfortunately I don't really know what to expect since I'm not sure what sort of job I will land after college or around the time I want to move (could be a year or two after college)...what would be reasonable studio or 1 bedroom rent at least 350 sq. ft. normally cost in the area? I hate asking those types of questions because it seems like it's highly subjective.

[.highnlite]

#1 daughter had a two bedroom in Avila Beach for $800, then a bedroom in a house she shared for $600 in San Luis

[DJJ125]

Originally Posted by .highnlite

#1 daughter had a two bedroom in Avila Beach for $800, then a bedroom in a house she shared for $600 in San Luis

Wow, that seems extremely reasonable...

[Shawn_Estrada]

Originally Posted by .highnlite

#1 daughter had a two bedroom in Avila Beach for $800, then a bedroom in a house she shared for $600 in San Luis

Sounds about right for the area. 1 bed room apartment will run about $700 to $900 a month depending on location and quality of unit. Sharing a room in San Luis can range from 400 to 650 max, depending on either a) how close do you want to be to Cal Poly or b) how close do you want to be to downtown.

Vacancy rates tend to be low around here. Good paying jobs are very scarce unless you work for a government agency or land a gig with a quality consulting firm. Good luck.

[LRSS]

I live in Oceano, which has a horrible reputation, but really isn't a bad place to live. I bought a home here 16 years ago. Lived in SLO for 5 years before that. I miss the convenience of living in SLO, but probably would never live there again, for a number of reasons. I've also lived in Pismo Beach (1 year), North Grover Beach (6 mos), and Arroyo Grande (3 years). I do not recommend Grover Beach, north or south.

As for rents, I haven't rented for 16 years, so I am a bit out of touch about that. When I first moved here, I rented a room in Grover Beach, then Pismo Beach. When I lived in SLO, I paid $650 for a really nice 2br/2ba downtown. When I lived in Arroyo Grande, I paid $525 for the same thing in a nice area. The last I checked, those units both rented for $1,100, which I think is crazy! I have a friend who rents a really cute one bedroom in SLO for $450, but I don't know how common it is to find something like that in SLO.

The job market around here has never been that great, and is worse with the current economy. The biggest employers around here are state and local government agencies, PG&E, and Cal Poly. As for outdoor activities there is plenty to do around here, all year round.

The best way to get an idea of what you get for your money is to come out for a visit and explore a bit, see what is available for what you are willing to, or can afford to pay, and get a feel for the atmosphere, and the different areas of SLO County.