Lompoc, a few more questions please. (Santa Barbara, Vandenberg AFB: section 8, apartments, city hall)

[Merrione 1]

Hello!

I am looking into moving to Lompoc. May have a job but will be flying out for an interview next week. I looked at the past posts and got some good info. I love the ocean, miss it and cannot wait to be able to listen to the surf and walk on the beach. My main question is, I have dogs and would love to hear the very best places to go to let them run. Remote is better!

I looked at the info on dog parks, beaches and off leash info. But those of you who love to hike or walk with your dogs know what I mean. So if anyone has any personal info to add I would really love to hear it. Also any other great local info.

Thanks!!

Merri

[CA central coast]

Jalama Beach County Park, Santa Barbara County, California

[wendyjo]

If you like to hike mountains try Gaviota Peak. Hwy 1 at the exit for Vandenberg AFB. Dogs will love it but you will need tick protection.
Many beaches are closed to dogs including Surf Beach. There is a dog beach in Avila but it's not that nice. If you are driving the 101 to Santa Barbara and park where the surfers park on the road you can let your pups run in there. Most people don't mind and there are no rangers.
If you have base access they have miles and miles of trails. I used to take my dog on 1 -2 hour walks in there all the time and could let her off leash unless I saw someone - and that was rare.

[Get out of my way]

Originally Posted by Merrione 1

Hello!

I am looking into moving to Lompoc. May have a job but will be flying out for an interview next week. I looked at the past posts and got some good info. I love the ocean, miss it and cannot wait to be able to listen to the surf and walk on the beach. My main question is, I have dogs and would love to hear the very best places to go to let them run. Remote is better!

I looked at the info on dog parks, beaches and off leash info. But those of you who love to hike or walk with your dogs know what I mean. So if anyone has any personal info to add I would really love to hear it. Also any other great local info.

Thanks!!

Merri

Make sure you actually visit Lompoc while you're out here. It has its good points, but it definitely looks better on the map than it does in real life. No dogs allowd on the local beaches and they're closed half the year anyway to protect an endangered bird species. They, and Vandenberg AFB, are federal property, and where there's federal property, there are security guards with M-16s watching you. There're lots of pit bulls here, too. Born and bred to kill. Gives me the creeps.

[GregJ]

Good luck on your interview. You'll find California's Central Coast to be an amazing place. The coastlines of SB/SLO Counties, the undeveloped rural inland valleys and the cities like SLO, SB, and Solvang/Santa Ynez are places you won't find duplicated anywhere else. There is a running controversy on city-data about gangs on the Central Coast. They are concentrated for the most part in a few places and neighborhoods you probably wouldn't want to live any anyway and are hardly reflective of the entire area.

As for Lompoc, it's a city with an older (and unfortunately very neglected core and newer, growing suburbs to the north and west sides. Friendliest people you'll find anyplace. Lots going on there in terms of future development because of VAFB and it's future looks pretty good. As far as housing, take a good look at the north end, up in Vandenberg Village, Mesa Oaks and you'll find someplace that will suit you.

[Edaducha]

I think Lompoc is just awful. The cops there are a joke. They tell you it will take them three days to come out when you call them for anything. The clerks in City Hall are rude and they lie. There are front yards full of junk cars, trucks and boats. There are motorhomes that have been sitting in one spot on the street for fifteen or more years without moving and they don't run and the cops do nothing. There are hundreds of vehicles with no front license plate and the law requires them but the cops do nothing. There are basketball hoops out in the street and adults and kids playing basketball in the street obstructing traffic. They ride their bikes and skateboards and scooters all over the sidewalks and almost run into you and you can't even walk down the sidewalk and they are in front of every store and restaurant, too, and also smokers are everywhere, in front of all the stores and restaurants and you can't even breathe, and you can't enjoy your property cuz they smoke next door and you can't even go outside, you are forced back inside from the stink of the cigarette smoke. So why pay taxes on property you can't even enjoy? They are rude in Social Services, too. And the firemen are mean and only pick on certain people and tell them they can't have a device for burning in their yard and yet they let thousands of others in town use theirs. There are vehicles that park on the wrong side of the road and in red fire zones and nothing gets done about it. There is definitely gangstalking going on there. If I could move, I would.

[Winston Smith]

Originally Posted by wendyjo

Many beaches are closed to dogs including Surf Beach.

I was going to point out this exact point. Snowy Plover recovery efforts mean "no dogs" on many beaches as the dogs dig up and destroy the nests.

[Greenchili]

Ive lived here 7 yrs. Its an ok place. I love that we dont need AC or
lots of heat in the "winter". Sure its got problems and its not perfect,
I think some have just made up their minds to dislike it and you
will never change their minds. I find most are friendly here,and true,
there are alot of section 8 places around. We just bought a new home
in a neighborhood with HOA, so we wont have to have cars on yards,
bright blue houses,etc etc. There is a way to make it work here in
Lompoc! That said, I feel we wont permanently retire here, we
are thinking New Mexico. But for now, Lompoc is ok with us.


Greenchili

[MeganSmitty22]

Hey so your moving to VAFB? I'm Sorry... my father was military and retired there i lived there for 17 years of my life. We lived in a home in Vandenberg Village, this is a small comunity of mostly retiries, not all how over it differs but most are military retired, This place is five miles between the AFB and Lompoc, 5-10 min drive both ways. here ty have a elimentry school Los Barros, and Cabrillo High School, cabrillo is on the top 10 rated high schools in California, i know this because we got a big School party when i was a Sinor when we hit that goal. They have in fact built a whole new comunity of homes in South Vandenberg Village. i think they just finished or about to finish building here.

Attached to North Vandenberg Village and practly down a road from the high school they have the Village contry club, theses are the most beautifull homes you will see in a 2 hour rateouse from VAFB. They are allso the most expencive my Husbands Mother just bought a home there remodeling there for 700,000 Dollars and its one of the older ones. My parents however live in a ok home in south village 3 bed 1.5 bath (yeah it was hell 1 bath to 5 ppl) in home they bought for 250,000.

Going form the country club north there is Lompoc wich is the biggest shoping area in 1hr drive, this is a 10 min drive from VAFB they have your basic Walmart, Vons, Albertsons, Ross.. thats about it and most fast food and some dinners. You must go to Tomms when you move here it is a small burger joint but its the best in all the town. there is a few bars, no night life at all.. the biggest thing for highschool/college students is to hang out at walmart. Just a fair warning Lompic is a an Illigal mexican town. Most ppl you will see in housing wise will be over sized mexican families in these POS Apartments, it has high crime rate and it is a Farming comunity. Lompoc state Peneteentry one of the biggest prisions for high security prisioners in California is located in this area as well.

tho if you want to live near town and out of the bad housing they JUSt built a Beautifull Comunity On the hill over looking lompoc, very expencive because of the view but you may find some good deals. and its near a Christen Church.

going a bit more south there is mission hills, from VAFB this is prob about a 15-20 min drive i never lived her but it is right be hind the rebuilt mission, (not that great of an attraction) I had a friend live here and what i saw they have a elementry school a bit run down and the houses were on the poor side. i have never seen nice houses here.

Going more south about 30-45 mins from lompoc is Builten is a very Small comuniity but very nice. this is more of Horse farms here. has your basic fast food a movie theater, but no walmarts or big stores.

More north this is about 1.5-2hr drive is Santa barbrea, this is a very expencive place to live alot of people comute from lompoc to here, so the morning trafic and evning trafic sucks if your headed that way. its located right along the beach and was were we went if we wanted to go some place 'nice' they have a state street walk that goes to the beach have some art festives here but due to the economy its not as nice as it once was. but probably the only place to shop unless you want to drive 4 hours to LA. Santa barbra is allso a college community USB.

Going back to VAFB well head north, Orccut is about a 25-30 min drive this is a small community with some stores and semi nice housing. this is also seemed to be a farming community but unlike Lompoc wich is Fild farms this is more like ranches. horses, cattle, ect.. you wont find many mexicans here. what am i kidding this is california they out populated every one else... but there mostly the leaga kind.

going more north is santa maria this is 30 mins if you speed on that long butt road or 45 if you drive the speed limit...I like to call this the closest city to Lompoc, it has everything theaters, most all shops and dinners,fast food, housing (good and bad) and this is your main and closesed college Allen Handcock(yea i know what your thinking) Altho there is a small brank of this school right out side of lompoc, realy only the basic programs are there when i was going for my harder classes they were all in santa maria. the closest inside mall is here, There is none south untill you reach LA area. And this mall sucks dont waist your time most of the shops are closed down and its falling apart unless you like lazer tag, they have an fun lazer tag corse inside here. but they made it 'safe' sence i was a kid and it.. kind of sucks if you knew how it was before.

Farther north would be Pismo beatch. Now this is a College community located right on the beach, unlike USB wich is about 30mins inland. every thing is walking distance and they have by far the best shopping. this is the place to go if you want to shop, eat and have fun on the beach. Most beaches (the one in lompoc being closed most of the year) Are camping and beaches nothing else so there is not dinner on the beach restrants like they do in pismo. they allso have a farmers market every thursday with live bands food from the farms in the area, Lots of college street performers trying to make rent and ect. its very fun. the housing here is on the expencive side but ive never seached them you may find a deal right out side the city.

then morro bay wich has the best aquarium in CA i think but this is a good 2-3 hour drive.

I hope this little guide helps, Lompoc is an ok community, we have a saying once you come here you are stuck here if you get out... you always come back. dont be one of the suckers to get stuck there!

Best wishes
Megansmitty22

[GregJ]

And the schools in Lompoc don't teaching students spelling, either.