Family Friendly in Five Cities (Santa Maria, Cypress: 2009, attorney, homes)

[ncor33]

Hi everyone! We are looking for a nice neighborhood to move our family in to...I have lived in SLO county (mostly Shell and Pismo) for many years, but left for medical school and residency. Now, I am returning to work, and bringing my young family with my, including my beautiful wife and our two boys (ages 5 and 1).

I love the homes I have seen in Cypress Ridge, and it seems a great value. Are there a fair number of young families there?

Thanks!

[Clarks]

My suggestion? Get some acreage out on Corbett Canyon, or Ormonde, or Noyes, etc. get some animals, some horses, maybe a few goats, kids like that stuff, I would hesitate to stick my kids in something stuffy like Cypress Ridge.

[ncor33]

Originally Posted by Clarks

My suggestion? Get some acreage out on Corbett Canyon, or Ormonde, or Noyes, etc. get some animals, some horses, maybe a few goats, kids like that stuff, I would hesitate to stick my kids in something stuffy like Cypress Ridge.

Thanks for the tip! Unfortunately, my wife has zero interest in living in the country, and I have to be pretty close to work (within about 15 min response time) when I am on call.

So, it is likely that we will wind up in one of the newer developments in the AG/Nipomo area.

Thanks
N

[Clarks]

Good Luck! If you are at the hospital, a 15 minute range from there includes a fair amount of landscape. As you know.

Our attorney has the opposite problem. They had a fine older home in a nearby town. The wife felt the kids needed horses, so they sold the fine older home and bought a palace on acreage, he hates it, he liked living in town, the wife likes it and the kids love it.

Tell your wife it is for the benefit of the kids... Seriously, caring for animals is good for kids, I ride with a group that has a flock of kids on horses, from 7 years old to teens, and they are all great kids.

[cbo49r]

Originally Posted by ncor33

Thanks for the tip! Unfortunately, my wife has zero interest in living in the country, and I have to be pretty close to work (within about 15 min response time) when I am on call.

So, it is likely that we will wind up in one of the newer developments in the AG/Nipomo area.

Thanks
N

There are quite a few homes on acreage available near the Library, School, and Park in Nipomo. Look around Eucalyptus, Mesa, Tejas, Camino Caballo areas.

[sms1967]

You didn't mention an amount you have to spend. As you know, that's an issue within the 5 cities. As for Nipomo, I'd avoid it since you have kids. Lousy public schools and I assume that's an issue for a physician. You can find acceptable education between Paso and AG, although it's spotty.

[Clarks]

You didn't mention an amount you have to spend. As you know, that's an issue within the 5 cities. As for Nipomo, I'd avoid it since you have kids. Lousy public schools and I assume that's an issue for a physician. You can find acceptable education between Paso and AG, although it's spotty.

Not true at all. I am not a fan of Dorthea Lange, they have a weak administration in my opinion. Dana is a fine school and so is Nipomo.

The Middle School is Mesa Middle and it is again, staffed with quality teachers and quality students. The High School, is equal in most respects to Arroyo Grande, great teachers and great kids. Arroyo Grande High is fed from Judkins and Paulding, two good middle schools. The quality of teaching at Arroyo and at Nipomo is very high.

My criteria for a neighborhood (which I won't live in a neighborhood, so my opinion is a bit slanted) No gate, and no CC&R's, I want to be able to have all my toys, Jeep, sailboat, horse trailer, horses, llamas, in the yard.. I won't live where there are CC&R's and Gates do not provide security, merely snobbishness.

[Clarks]

Another thought, how about the AG village, there some cute old homes, Arroyo Grande is very community oriented, This is a great bunch of people, Arroyo Grande In Bloom we help them out, they get me to come out and do chain saw work for them as needed. Here watch this video; http://arroyograndeinbloom.org/popup...ie/index.shtml

This is a nice town in California, with Californians doing good things for California, and Arroyo Grande, that is Grande, like granny, not like gronde.

[sms1967]

Clarks opinions are just that... opinions. I don't live there and don't know the schools personally. However, I'm using data based on Greatschools.com and API scores from 2009. Take a look at those... the Dana Elementary Clark refers to scored a 6 out of 10 and an API of 855. 855 is middle range, at best. AG, Pismo, SLO, and Paso all have one or more schools above 900. As for Mesa, it received a 7 out of 10 and whopping 821 on the API. Nipomo high school scored an 807. Keep in mind, all these scores are for caucasion students... other than asians, you can expect other minorities to bring these numbers down even lower. You can have opinions... test scores don't lie.
I, too, am researching the area for a move this summer... Nipomo is somewhat isolated, will be touched by Santa Maria first and has significant water problems.

[Clarks]

In twenty two years in the classroom, in elementary schools so bad that the police were there nearly daily, the worst behaved students I ever saw were a 1st grade classroom and a 6th grade classroom at Dorthea Lange this past year. I provide a needed service to the schools, but, I won't go back to Dorthea Lange.

test scores don't lie.

Yes they do lie. rating a school or students by how well they bubble in answers on a multiple choice test is why the nation got saddled with a nightmare like NCLB.

Nothing in life is prepared for by multiple choice tests.

Often, the best and the most capable students are not the best performers on multiple choice tests, because, they already see that the tests are BS.

I would never chose a school from someone's website. I would chose a school by visiting that school and seeing, the students, the teachers and the administration.

you can expect other minorities to bring these numbers down even lowe

by this, he means Mexicans.