What are the best and worst areas in or around the coast of SLO to live? (Oxnard: oceanfront, rentals)

[Roma]

What are the best or worst areas on the coast in SLO or surrounding areas along the cost to live and why? Thanks!

[Cali-girl]

Originally Posted by Roma

What are the best or worst areas on the coast in SLO or surrounding areas along the cost to live and why? Thanks!

Hello!

A brief summary from a local:

Avila Beach residents are largely from SoCal and are despised by people in SLO (rather sad, but that's the truth). Why?? Because residents of SLO are upset at the way and manner development has progressed in Avila. They find it appalling because Avila used to be "quaint" with a variety of old character-type buildings. They are angry about Shell Beach too because Shell Beach used to be grazing land for horses. (BTW, SLO is about 10 miles north of Avila. Its just called "Avila" like Arroyo Grande is called "AG.") Avila people and Shell people pretty much are aware of this and keep to themselves. So, if you are from OC (for example), you will be welcomed by Avial residents and probably feel right at home. SLO has problems of its own due to nearly every neighborhood afflicted with a "party central" rental. Lots of student nudity and police cars. Higuera street is the main street through SLO and is pronounced "HI-gera" (which is incorrect Spanish, but whatever).

Great Whites hunt in Avila Bay and Morro Bay and so its not a good idea to swim there. Sorry.

AG has a water supply problem and is currently experiencing a drought because of over-development (why don't they think of these things first??). So, the residents there are under water-shortage restrictions. (Just so that you know.)

SLO is better water-wise since all of the reservoirs were filled 1.5 years ago with heavy rains that filled lakes to 98%. Water is expensive tho, and there was an increase in our water bills in order to build a new conduit from nearby Lake Nacimiento. SLO is not on the State Water Project and the local paper (The Tribune) has endless Letters to the Editor commenting on the topic at various times. Example of how costly water there is in SLO: 2 months = $150 for a family of 4. In the summer it went to $170. If you move there, try to have native plants and no lawn.

Traffic. Traffic on the 101 is simply awful. Especially at rush hour. I personally witnessed a near-fatality. 25 yards behind it actually. Everyday there is a terrible accident going and a terrible accident coming. (I could tell you some interesting stories, but I want to respect the bandwidth here.) Anyway, if you are from LA or OC be prepared to be frustrated. Slow locals in the fast lane (there are just 2 lanes N and S on the 101) and vehicles towing stuff in the fast lane. Good locals (like me) will see you approaching doing 80 mph in my rear-view mirror. I will just change lanes to the slow lane and let you by. HOWEVER, not everyone is this way (altho many are nice drivers) and accidents occur when the speed hits the slow.

Note: The "S-curve" is the bend in the 101 by Avila Beach.

Los Osos is experiencing trauma due to the sewer issue altho the County has picked up the cost of it. Locals are nice but not sophisticated. (Not sure what you're looking for.)

Morro Bay is nice, but foggy/overcast most times and as a result, its rather cold.

Cambria is nice, but you have to make sure you don't buy a residence that's near a "party house." (Rentals where college students rent or a short-term rental where people from somewhere else come and throw wildly loud parties). The local city council has tried to address this issue through changes in ordinances.

A good resource is the online edition of the SLO Tribune: www.sanluisobispo.com

~Cali-girl

[Roma]

Thank You so much Cali-girl for the great summary. We are not able to buy oceanfront like we had before in Oxnard (prices have gone up so much) so we are looking for an area with great ocean views but walking distance to the beach and came upon SLO. My husband likes Bodega Bay but I think it might be to cold for me so I am looking from Santa Maria to Carmel. I know SLO will be just a bit cooler then Oxnard but not as cold as Bodega Bay. Thanks Again!

[greatbasinguide]

Reality Check

They are angry about Shell Beach too because Shell Beach used to be grazing land for horses.

Not in my life time, and I am an old fart.

Its just called "Avila" like Arroyo Grande is called "AG."

My grandfather moved to Arroyo in 1903, family has been there eversince, I have heard it called Arroyo,, but AG only in the newspaper.

Great Whites hunt in Avila Bay and Morro Bay and so its not a good idea to swim there. Sorry

Although many swim there, at least in Avila,, even my sister as a child swam around the piers, Morro is a bit murky for swiming.

LO is better water-wise since all of the reservoirs were filled 1.5 years ago with heavy rains that filled lakes to 98%. Water is expensive tho, and there was an increase in our water bills in order to build a new conduit from nearby Lake Nacimiento. SLO is not on the State Water Project and the local paper (The Tribune) has endless Letters to the Editor commenting on the topic at various times. Example of how costly water there is in SLO: 2 months = $150 for a family of 4. In the summer it went to $170. If you move there, try to have native plants and no lawn.

Although the farmers in the area have paid an assessment on the project water since the 1960's.

Morro Bay is nice, but foggy/overcast most times and as a result, its rather cold.

The Cal coast is never cold,, a temp below 32 is a rare beast, You can consider the fog, good working weather,, and the fog is not a winter phenomenom. I seldom ever wear long pants on the Central Coast. Oxnard is cool,, on shore breeze..

SLO is not on the coast and is not cool, but is hot! The beaches,, you can lie on the sand at Avila each month of the year.

Traffic? a busy freeway is stop and go,, 101 seldom gets to that point.

[jayson]

GBG is dead on. Check the link below for a topic I replied to that is similar:

http://www.city-data.com/forum/calif...tml#post204057


Oh and GBG, I think Cali-girl was referring to ABOVE Shell Beach.. If memory serves, you grew up here too, and we always think of "Shell Beach" as, in fact, the community that's... well... right next to the beach! If you haven't been on that stretch of the 101 for the last 8-10 years, they have built the houses up to the bottom of those large hills, the ones next to McClintocks.

I don't know a single, true-local (one who was born and bred here on the CC) that despises the people who built them up. What we do despise are the folks who move here with hostile attitudes to us "unsophisticated" bunch. I have also never known a Shell Beach citizen who "kept to themselves"... Largely because I live in Arroyo and have no need to go down into that tourist trap.

Oh and one last note, I love the comment about people from the OC or LA being frustrated by us "local yokels" who drive slow... I do around ~75 (remember kids, thats 10 MPH over the set speed limit)... I really do get a kick when I can hold up some guy in a suburban whilst I be my slowpoke self in the fast lane. If they flip me off, all the better, because it usually ends up with both of us getting off at the same offramp at near the same time. Fat lot of good going 90 did him! hehe

[greatbasinguide]

Yes,, the hill above Shell Beach,, used to be cows, although there were some pathetic horses in a pathetic set of corrals at the east end. Some of us remember when McClintocks was Matties tavern and have never set foot in McClintocks.

Matties was a bar, and the motel owned by them was a cathouse for servicement during the war, then the owner was killed by a burglar at the tail end of the 60's

Shell Beach is rather nice, for a crowede little community,, old ladies with fine rose gardens next to surfers shaping blanks in their garages.

[Woof]

Is there an area with a lot of clean springs or creeks that would make good camping? I'd like to go check out the area, but have no intention of paying outrageous motel prices.

[greatbasinguide]

Drive up Lopez Canyon, or Hi Mountain Potrero,

[Woof]

Thanks! I'll look them up on Mapquest.

[greatbasinguide]

Remember that there is a great lack of public land and even the National Forest Land requires a public access pass that you have to pay for. Imagine, it is your land but you need to pay to use it.