Moving: best place for family--Camarillo or San Clemente?? (Santa Ana, Oxnard: relocating, travel)

[lumsgal]

We are relocating our family from Seattle to Calif. My husband has a choice of working from either Irvine or Thousand Oaks. We are trying to decide and was looking for some help since we aren't familiar with the areas. We are looking at possibly San Clemente or Camarillo/TO. Would like a safe, family-oriented area with good schools, parks, activities nearby with a bit of culture. I saw some area of concern with the school district in Camarillo. Any insight from folks would be great! Thanks.

[Charles]

I don't know Irvine but I have heard good things about it.

I do know Thousand Oaks. I can't imagine a better place in SoCal to raise kids. Schools are very good, lots of sports and kids' activities.

[laysayfair]

Originally Posted by Charles

I don't know Irvine but I have heard good things about it.

I do know Thousand Oaks. I can't imagine a better place in SoCal to raise kids. Schools are very good, lots of sports and kids' activities.

I second that about TO.

[calady333]

San Clemente is very expensive. We moved to Thousand Oaks due to the fact that it is one of the safest cities in the country and has great schools. Our youngest went to Lang Ranch Elementary and our oldest is at Westlake High School. They are some of the best in the state. We have a nice civic center, library and shopping, but if you want, you can travel an hour and be in downtown LA or an hour in the other direction and be in Santa Barbara. Home Prices average around $700,000 for something nice. You can find less, but in a nicer area, you might be looking at more. Camarillo is cheaper, but the schools are not as nice and there is not as much to do. It has been more of an agricultural community.

[timelesschild]

I have friends in Camarillo, with 4 boys in football, and they LOOOOOVE it.

[Charles]

Camarillo is cooler in summer. Air conditioning is not needed.

[sgvkev]

They're both very similar yet very different. Both are retirement havens, have one small undesirable area (Camarillo in the area around Barry and San Clemente right near the coast believe it or not), and the weather is good in both places. They're different in that Camarillo is much cheaper, has average schools, and is more suburban (San Clemente's on the ocean whereas Camarillo is not). However, it's closer to many urban areas (Oxnard, Ventura, Santa Barbara) than San Clemente (the closest is Santa Ana which is over 20 miles away). I would still choose San Clemente though...