Morro Bay, Carpinteria or Port Hueneme (Oxnard, Thousand Oaks: housing, rental, lease)

[cinbad68]

Hello everybody,
I've narrowed my Central Coast cities down to Morro Bay, Carpinteria and Port Hueneme for a possible move. I'm a single female (late 30s) who works in accounting/admin. I'm looking for some insight as to which of the 3 would be the best choice based on job availability, apartment rental affordability/availability and general vibe of the people living in these cities (trying to find a place where I wouldn't be too much out of place given my social stats). Any comments re: these cities would be very helpful. Thanking you in advance

[susie4]

I don't know much about Port Hueneme and Carpinteria, but the cost of housing for Morro Bay will run you about $875 for a studio and $1400 for a two bedroom apartment. There is usually enough to choose from. My guess is you would end up working in San Luis Obispo.

[cre8]

I don't know much about Morro Bay by comparison to the other two cities you mentioned, so maybe I can pick up where susie4 left off.

In short, Carpinteria is more expensive than Port Hueneme, though both are on the beach. Rents are the same or higher than Morro Bay. PH has a nice pier and adjoins California's largest coastal wetlands area, Ormond Beach. Port Hueneme is bordered on three sides by Oxnard, a city of pop 200,000, so PH's context means you are in a bigger area than Carpinteria, pop 13,000 (?). PH is also next to a commercial seaport and a Navy base, just so you're aware. Both cities are nice with their own characters, PH feeling less pretentious than Carp, but Carp having more natural beauty. There aren't a tremendous amount of jobs in either city, so you'll probably be commuting to Oxnard, Ventura, Camarillo or Santa Barbara/Goleta for work.

What are you looking for regarding social/vibe? (You mentioned it but didn’t give any detail.)

[cassaka2]

I don't know what you are looking for exactly, but your least expensive option would most likely be Port Hueneme......it's on the Ocean, but it is the WORST area in all of Ventura County (which isn't saying all that much I guess). I grew up in Thousand Oaks, and would never never never consider living in Port Hueneme. The schools are bad, lots of gang activity. Again, nothing like Compton or LA, but still, not good. But, of course there are jobs there. If you like that area I would go for Ventura, which is only a few miles North on the 101. Still close to industry and jobs, but much nicer.

[cre8]

Originally Posted by cassaka2

Port Hueneme......it's on the Ocean, but it is the WORST area in all of Ventura County (which isn't saying all that much I guess). I grew up in Thousand Oaks, and would never never never consider living in Port Hueneme. The schools are bad, lots of gang activity.

Port Hueneme is not all that. It has a livable downtown with a mix of new and old, beautiful beachfront, and in many ways a small-town feel. Some of the developments along the Channel Islands Blvd corridor have a near 50s "Ozzy and Harriet" feel. Plus everything is close by. You see people walking and riding bikes all over PH (a certain plus over the SUV-based developments in other parts of Ventura County). And nowhere else in Ventura County can you sit on rock jetties in the cool ocean breeze with Anacapa and Santa Cruz islands as the backdrop and watch gigantic cargo ships slide into port and dock. It's a great pastime. Kids love it!

Hollywood Beach School (in the PH school district) is one of the highest ranked in the area -- in league with schools in Montecito. The gang activity in PH is certainly no worse than any other city in west Ventura or south Santa Barbara counties. And don't be fooled about Carpinteria. It has a very serious gang problem. This is a fact! Don't let mountain views and ocean vistas lull you into a false sense of security.

PH has a completely different feel than Thousand Oaks, that's true, and in this regard is like most of west Ventura County. Like other cities in the west, PH offers an interesting mix, racially around half/half Caucasian/Latin with Asian and African-American minorities. So regardless of your race, in PH you won't see a bunch of people who look just like you (a huge plus for some, an absolute horror for others). PH may not be what you want, but it's far from "the WORST area in all of Ventura County." I completely disagree with this statement.

[Roma]

I have to chime in because Hollywood Beach Elementary School was mentioned. I used to live in Hollywood Beach oceanfront. Hollywood Beach is in Oxnard. The children that go to that elementary school are the children of Hollywood Beach and SilverStrand Beach. So if you do not live in either of these communities your child if you have one will not go to this school. Even Oxnard Shores students do not go to this school. The schools in Oxnard and Pt. Hueneme are awful. That is a fact. Hollywood Beach is special and not the norm for that area. We knew several people living in Oxnard Shores that put there kids in either private schools or schools in Thousand Oaks and Westlake where they work.
To the OP, you said you were a single female and I would have to tell you to be very carefull in Oxnard and Pt. Hueneme. What area in particular in Pt. Hueneme are you looking at? I am a female married and we lived ocean front but I would never move there as a single female. Please understand this is serious advice and not to knock living on the beach there. We would do it again in a heart beat but you really need to know where to go and most importantly where NOT to go.

[la quinta family]

Originally Posted by cinbad68

Hello everybody,
I've narrowed my Central Coast cities down to Morro Bay, Carpinteria and Port Hueneme for a possible move. I'm a single female (late 30s) who works in accounting/admin. I'm looking for some insight as to which of the 3 would be the best choice based on job availability, apartment rental affordability/availability and general vibe of the people living in these cities (trying to find a place where I wouldn't be too much out of place given my social stats). Any comments re: these cities would be very helpful. Thanking you in advance

Morro Bay is very nice and kind of a quiet live and let live kind of place.
I really liked it there the couple of times we went and would feel
very safe there. San Luis Obispo is close by for more of a social
scene and nightlife.

[cre8]

Originally Posted by Roma

I have to chime in because Hollywood Beach Elementary School was mentioned. I used to live in Hollywood Beach oceanfront. Hollywood Beach is in Oxnard. The children that go to that elementary school are the children of Hollywood Beach and SilverStrand Beach. So if you do not live in either of these communities your child if you have one will not go to this school.

Minor correction: Hollywood Beach School is in the County (not Oxnard, which is why Oxnard kids don't go there). Port Hueneme zip code 93041 kids do go to HB School.

There are many nice changes taking place in the area. The Channel Islands Harbor, which now extends to Wooley Road and Victoria Avenue, is undergoing a fabulous transformation that will have far-reaching implications for the entire Oxnard/Port Hueneme area. It's an area with dynamo energy and a commitment to emerge as a premier west-coast area. Crime and gang problems have plagued parts of the area, yes, but the efforts of both cities in dealing with this are remarkable. Lots of good stuff happening in the area.

[Roma]

Cre8, Ah, I lived there. Do you live in Hollywood Beach? Where in Oxnard do you live?? I moved 2 years ago. Go to the schools web site and click on the areas they serve and you will see.

[cassaka2]

I lived in Port Hueneme from 0 to 2 years old ....our neighbors' dog was shot in broad daylight by some crazy guy just walking around with a gun. After 2 years of scariness my parents moved us up the hill. Yeah, there are nicer parts....if you have A LOT of money. Also, considering that Ventura County is relatively small, and known for being safe...Port Heuneme is definitely the worst in the County. (Honestly, If you can think of one worse, I would love to know) And I did check my facts....they even have more crime per capita than Oxnard and other areas in VC.......specifically, the murder rate. They have a population of about 22,000, and had 4 murders in 2005.
(also, compared to Carpinteria and Morro Bay, Morro Bay comes out on top as far as safety.)

So my point is, Port Hueneme is not as dangerous as other areas in different counties. However given the choice, I would not live there. I have visited many times during my life, but would always choose not to make it my home....Safety is just one of the things that I place high on my list. Especially since I have children.