Oxnard Riverpark (Thousand Oaks, Santa Barbara, Merced: high crime, home, movies)

[Winston Smith]

Originally Posted by jkbatca

Well, it's great that some have lived in Oxnard without incident for whatever amount of years. My only concern is you cannot take one person's experience and then extrapolate that experience into saying "Oxnard is safe for everyone". There are many factors which determines how things go for an individual living in any given area.

Since we've read various experiences with living in Oxnard, some good and some bad, I personally like to see various statistics, of which I have previously posted, to verify that living in Oxnard is relatively crime free for everyone, not just a few. Crime is something that can be measured and compared (although not an exact science). I'm just going to say there's plenty of measurements to compare crime rates and that's what I go by to see how safe an area is (Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitors sites is not allowedI like).

No place is "safe for everyone." I think the point SOON2B, PnutButter and myself are trying to make is that just because some areas of Oxnard (Colonia, Southwinds, Lemmonwood) have higher instances of crime, doesn't make Oxnard unsafe or rotten-to-the-core. Most people enjoy Oxnard with ABOVE AVERAGE SAFETY!

The web site you, jkbatca, offered is interesting. I've seen it before and preformed comparisons. In looking at Oxnard side-by-side with other cities on the coast*, Oxnard's crime is more severe than its neighbors in some cases, and way LESS severe in other cases. BURGLARY and THEFT in Ventura are higher than the national average and MUCH higher than Oxnard -- who is well BELOW the national average! Santa Barbara is FAR WORSE than Oxnard in ALL of these: RAPE, ASSAULT, BURGLARY and THEFT! Santa Barbara is also HIGHER than the national average on most of these -- where Oxnard is BELOW in all but one. So let the facts speak for themselves! Singling out Oxnard as the "Compton" of the area* just isn't warranted. It's misleading and paints a patently false picture of Oxnard as unsafe -- and other, less-safe, cities as safer.
Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitors sites is not allowed
Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitors sites is not allowed

*Comparing Oxnard with other coastal cities makes more sense than comparisons with VC cities like Thousand Oaks or Simi Valley, IMO. The east-west characteristics' divide within Ventura County is deeper than the north-south divide across the county line. Again, IMO.

[SOON2BNSURPRISE]

Studies on crime continue to show up. Is there a study on who the victims are? Last year an Oxnard man was killed in the LA area. Lets look at that as an example. The man that was killed had recently gotten out of prison. He was leaving a bar where him and his girlfriend had an altercation with another couple. He ends up dead. If this were me, I would have still been alive. The reason? I spend my time in different settings than bars or prisons. I associate with individuals that have not spent time in prison or are into drugs, bars, or places where crime has a tendency to occur at a higher rate.

What about location of crimes? I remember about a dozen years ago spending time at a home in Ventura in the Hidden Valley area, north of Vineyard. The woman that lived there was reading an article in the paper talking about crime in the Ventura area. She had no clue that crime exists in the area. She also had no clue that any homeless people lived in the area. Lets say that where she lived was somewhat sheltered from the problems that many cities face. Many times we can live in an area that people consider crime ridden and never see that crimes that are committed. We are insulated by location somewhat. In Oxnard the majority of crime is committed in select parts of the city. The remaiander is somewhat insulated from the incidents. Not that you want to keep your guard down. I wouldn't keep my guard down in Brentwood either though.

Regarding the original question. River Park is near El Rio where problems have occured in the past and chances will still occur. I asked a co-worker that lives in El Rio what he thought. His answer is that if you plan on living there stay away from the east El Rio area. The closer that you are to Vineyard the better. It turns out that River Park is on the other side of Vineyard as far away from the problems of El Rio as you can go and still be near El Rio.

[Winston Smith]

Sorry, phone camera is only 1.3 MP. Pictures of Oxnard Blvd., Riverpark, in January!

[macsret]

Excellent pictures.

jOE
Angeles City
Philippines

[smaggie03]

I am wondering about Riverpark in Oxnard,CA. I have an elementary child, middle school and high school my main conecern is the schools in that area. I am also wondering about the development of the town center. Is this going to be affected by the current economy? Will it continue to build or will it end up deserted?

[SOON2BNSURPRISE]

Smaggie03,

Progress at Riverpark has not stopped. The shopping areas are being built and construction has not stopped. Homes are still being built as well. Two of our kids attend the middle school and they like it. we live in a differant neighborhood in Oxnard that is in the district. One of our kids attends Rio Del Norte Elementary a school that is only seven years old itself. Our oldest son attends Rio Mesa High School. Out of the schools in the Oxnard High School District it is the least impacted by kids. Fewer kids attend that school. It is also the only high school in the area with its own scholarship fund. Rio Mesa is slit among kids from Oxnard, and ElRio and Kids from Camarillo whose parents traditionally have more money than us poor folks in the Oxnard area. My son loves it. Rio Mesa is surrounded by farms, and accept for the Strickland Track of homes on four or five small streets nothing is near the school. Kids seldom leave the school because of no where to go. Parents kind of like that. The diversity of incomes can be a problem or a blessing. We did have a friend whose son was dating a girl from Spanish Hills Country Club in Camarillo. Her expectations of an expense account out weighed his and they eventually ended up in differant colleges. (His mom talked him out of dating her, unless he could provide the same way her dad did.) What I am saying is the High school is good and your kids will love it. They have one of the newest aquatic facililities in the area and a great sports program. Many of the kids are encouraged and go on to the college level.

[RL1959]

We have just purchased in River Park and the home is $300,000 under the original sale price in 2006. We are so happy to be moving into the community and love the parks, schools and the Whole Foods plaza that will be going in.We feel the prices have hit the bottom; however, there may still be a few deals left.Happy Hunting!

[americandream99]

it's in a slump, but will come back for sure

[JHernandez12]

Riverpark is nice, but the various HOA's ruin it. The Luminaria HOA is run by a complete dunderhead and his merry band of soccer moms. They cite residents for the most trivial of concerns, yet neglect to attack real issues like lack of parking space, lack of water access on certain streets etc. Residents are justified in feeling fleeced by an ineffectual, boorish organization that justifies its existence by the persecution of hardworking individuals. Many of us longterm residents call this place Riverpork....appropriate.

Once again, love Riverpark. Hate HOA's...specifically the intellect-challenged Luminaria organization.

J. Hernandez

[Winston Smith]

Originally Posted by baseballmaven

Hi, I was out at Riverpark today and looked at the Meridian complex by Shea. I specifically asked about flooding (since I was looking at a townhome that had a view toward the walking area around the reservoir (for want of a better word)--and was told "this is not a flood plain." Of course, that's a salesperson--I was concerned in regard to getting insurance.

FEMA is finally getting some movement regarding north Oxnard and flooding. Riverpark appears to be spared, but other parts of the north side are not so lucky: Flood-Info.org