Paso, Atascadero, or Grover Beach?

[Kung_Pao_Chicken]

Originally Posted by mariecug

Hmmm...lots of good advice! But what is the grade exactly? A road going over a mountain ridge that is dangerous? Because it's foggy?

The very top of the grade can get veru foggy now and again, usually during the winter, as you drive into a cloud, really, for a minute or two. But then you drop down out of it very quickly. I've driven the grade, in both directions, COUNTLESS times in my lifetime.. goodness, it must be in the several thousands times by now.. and there's only been two or three times that I was seriously "concerned" about about the fog. If one just slows down and eases his/her way through it, your fine. Nearly every wreck that happens on the grade are, (which are far and few between now) are the result of folks from out of the area who are unfamiliar with the grade and drive too fast. So you do have to watch out for them!

[Kung_Pao_Chicken]

Originally Posted by AlwaysSmiling

Ms. Marie,
The Cuesta Grade is time consuming, gas guzzling, sometimes foggy, hard on your car engine, steep, twisting, and quite frankly...sometimes scary.
For as long as people have lived in this area, the mountains that separate the area between Santa Margarita to the north, and San Luis Obispo to the south have been a navigational problem. Dating back to the days of the Chumash, and Salinas Indians, through the days of the missions, then the spanish rancheros, the early settlers, and today, the grade continues to be a hard pass to climb.
Don't do it everyday..you'd drive yourself mad, and then need the hospital to which you are going to work at.

LOL.. sorry, but it blows me away that what you seem to consider a TRIAL, of sorts, I consider a BEAUTIFUL drive! I don't get over the hill as much anymore, maybe once or twice a week these days, but when I do, (weather permitting, which it usually does) I open my sunroof, put a little CCR in the CD player, and enjoy the ride!!

Oh, and I would never describe the grade as "twisting", especially compared to 30 years ago! The few (gentle) bends that still exist are very easy to maneuver.

It is a very historical piece of Hwy.. with stage coach robberies, etc., but I think the early settlers would envy us now, with ease in which we fly over that grade now!!

[Kung_Pao_Chicken]

Originally Posted by caliving0071

Read the posts and some touched on it slightly,however to the original poster you must be forewarned that north of the grade Paso Robles,Atascadero and Templeton get very,very HOT. Like, Im melting HOT (temps got up to 120 this summer). Great if you like the heat but if you dont, it can be a deal breaker. I like all 3 areas and would live there myself but the heat is a huge factor. If you like it cooler than just south over the grade is SLO,Pismo Beach etc(much cooler). This will probably not be the deciding factor but I thought you should know about the extreme hot weather. It's Texas style, although drier and without as much humidity.
Good luck!!

PS. The Cuesta Grade
A very steep mountain-it has expanded and is not as scary now. I think it is 3 lanes (someone can verify that). It's not that bad if people just drive safely.

Well, first of all, it's a VERY dry heat.. so much easier to deal with than other areas of the country. And it's NEVER, EVER gotten to 120 degrees in Atascadero!! Mojave Desert, perhaps.. but not Atascadero! Too funny..

[sheri257]

Originally Posted by Kung_Pao_Chicken

Yes, it does get HOT in Paso; generally 2 degrees hotter than Atascadero. And yes, it does defeat the purpose of living on the coast, for some. It also puts a real damper on the county fair every year, held in late July/early Aug.

Yeah, I know. We went to the fair but couldn't stand it for long because of the heat. In fact, every time I've been through Paso since June it's been burning hot and very uncomfortable.

[ghost123]

Does anyone know anything about San Miguel, CA? Has anyone lived there?

[the city]

Originally Posted by mariecug

Hello, I recently got a job in Atascadero, CA (I'm from Maryland/DC). I would like to buy a condo for 200-250K. Found some possibilities in Paso Robles, Atascadero, and Grover Beach. Not sure which area is the nicest? From what I've read, people like SLO the best but it's out of my price range I'm married, no kids.

Also, does anyone have a recommendation for a buying agent?

Thank you in advance for your help...I am very excited! And very nervous!

Atascadero, no doubt. Paso Robles is just a heavingly developed rural city with lots suburban tracts now, and there is being less and less farms and rural parts. everything along the 101 is developed, and the gang problem at the high school is getting bad. it's just a bad school district and hispanic town now.

atascadero is a classey upscale tourist city. there's in n out, a zoo, a really nice mix-use shopping center with a theater being built in their downtown, and they are also planning to build a super wal-mart at the strip mall in atascadero. there's also the lake park

[the city]

Originally Posted by ghost123

Does anyone know anything about San Miguel, CA? Has anyone lived there?

besides shandon, it's the second cheapest place to live in north county. lots of farms. and a great taco shop.

[Rhenzanite]

Originally Posted by the city

Atascadero, no doubt. Paso Robles is just a heavingly developed rural city with lots suburban tracts now, and there is being less and less farms and rural parts. everything along the 101 is developed, and the gang problem at the high school is getting bad. it's just a bad school district and hispanic town now.

atascadero is a classey upscale tourist city. there's in n out, a zoo, a really nice mix-use shopping center with a theater being built in their downtown, and they are also planning to build a super wal-mart at the strip mall in atascadero. there's also the lake park

Wait... Atascadero is a classy upscale tourist city??? I have never in my 15 years of living here ever heard any of those words to describe my town. Atascadero is slowly turning into a cookie cutter, boring, strip mall and tract home infested town. It's filled with nothing but run of the mill stores, churches and liquor stores. I really love my little town but it's being changed into something ugly.

[the city]

A little update on things.

Grover Beach is pretty foggy and is pretty small. Also pretty dense suburban area. Nothing to do there at all, but your close to a college town.

Atascadero has the zoo, laser tag being built, movie theater and open-air mall being built, and the state hospital, The Cartlon Hotel, and Laurus College as a major employer.

Paso Robles has a water park, bowling alley, movie theater, many strip malls, and the wineries along with the community college, airport, and court house serve as the main employers.

Paso is hotter than Atascadero and Grover, but also cheapest to live at. Paso has Walmart, Target, Lowe's, Osh, JCPenneys, and Kohls.

Atascadero has Home Depot and K-Mart and is getting a Wal-Mart.

My pick is for Atascadero. A mall is important to me and I go to church there and it's close to Paso and SLO and ppl there are nice. Not to mention In N Out!