Edwards AFB area (San Jose, Bakersfield, Lancaster: sales, rentals, insurance)

[Shirt]

I'm looking at two places and was wondering if anyone had any thoughts on them.

California City...prices are cheap, a lot cheaper than Lancaster and Palmdale. The isolation of the area doesn't bother me because if I want to drive to a bigger city then I can. I'm looking more for safety and security. The very North Side of California City looks like it is new developments and buying in Ocotber may be good if I need to sell in 5-6 years (my guess and hope is that it will appreciate in value).

Helendale...same thing applies as a stated above. I know it's a 50 mile one-way drive to Edwards, but it looks like all highway (as I can recall). Living in Lancaster or Palmdale is 30-40 mileas with a transit time of nearly an hour (according to google earth) so why not drive more open road?

As an aside, there are lots of negative people on here that seem to trash anyone's idea of where to live. Let's face it, I have to move to Edwards so any constructive advice...good or bad...is welcomed

Thanks,

[margoa78]

I think you may like Tehachapi more, it has the 4 seasons, it is also 50 miles from Edwards.

[jeffncandace]

I was born in Lancaster and raised just off the north gate of Edwards AFB in a little town with the creative name of North Edwards. There is a another town 10 miles east called Boron. In my humble opinion, both towns are crapholes. That being said, like YOU said, you are moving to the area, so you need help deciding where to live, not someone telling you how crappy it is...like I just did.

Believe it or not, I would actually choose these 2 towns over Cal City, but others would probably tell you differently. I can't really pinpoint a reason either way as to the reason why, because I really don't like any of these towns. My advice would be to see them yourself before moving, then contrast and compare to your personal taste and feel of the areas.

However, I think your BEST bet would be Rosamond, just off the west gate of Edwards. It's close for your commute, and also not far to amenities in Lancaster/Palmdale. It's more expensive than the other towns just mentioned, but like the old saying goes...you get what you pay for. Believe me, this definately holds true when you are considering the Mojave desert.

Tehachapi is okay, nicer than the aforementioned towns, but a bit too far probably, although when you live out in the desert, you get used to frequently driving long distances.

I truly wish you luck. I still visit pretty frequently as I have friends and family there in abundance. I call where I hang my hat home, but let's face it...my roots are there. Some little part of me holds some affection for it I guess. And i should mention that some members of my family wouldn't move if you paid them, they love it that much.

I hope you do well!

[jdavid93225]

I would have to second the recommendation for Tehachapi, as long as you don't mind the drive, since it is a friendly little town that is a little ways away from the hustle and bustle of the city (but still within easy driving distance). Even though it's not the greatest place around, I'd also suggest Rosamond, since it has all your basic amenities, and is not too far from Lancaster and Palmdale, for your large ticket items. Rosamond is also in Kern County, where sales tax is lower than L.A. County. I prefer Kern County for other (mostly political) reasons, too, but that's just because the other good folks in Kern County think pretty much the same way I do.

Palmdale and Lancaster have a lot to offer, but again, the drive is pretty long. They also have a lot of what most folks don't want, mainly crime in certain areas.

Boron, North Edwards, and Mojave are all fairly small towns, with a somewhat run down appearance. That's not to say that they wouldn't be a good place to live, but the first impression (in my opinion) wasn't all that great.

Another thing you might want to consider is finding a rural property somewhere in the surrounding area. There are a few places west of 14 between Rosamond and Mojave that might be worth looking into, if you want that sort of thing. I don't know about rentals or sales of these properties, though, so you'll have to ask around if you're interested. Another similar area is called Antelope Acres. These are homes on large lots, in the area of Avenue D and 90th St. West, to the southwest of Rosamond.

I hope this info helps you when it comes time for you to make your choice.

-Joe

[junkman18]

Originally Posted by Shirt

I'm looking at two places and was wondering if anyone had any thoughts on them.

California City...prices are cheap, a lot cheaper than Lancaster and Palmdale. The isolation of the area doesn't bother me because if I want to drive to a bigger city then I can. I'm looking more for safety and security. The very North Side of California City looks like it is new developments and buying in Ocotber may be good if I need to sell in 5-6 years (my guess and hope is that it will appreciate in value).

Helendale...same thing applies as a stated above. I know it's a 50 mile one-way drive to Edwards, but it looks like all highway (as I can recall). Living in Lancaster or Palmdale is 30-40 mileas with a transit time of nearly an hour (according to google earth) so why not drive more open road?

As an aside, there are lots of negative people on here that seem to trash anyone's idea of where to live. Let's face it, I have to move to Edwards so any constructive advice...good or bad...is welcomed

Thanks,

California City is a allot better place to live than Palmdale/Lancaster. If you like to play in the desert and ride dirt bikes or ATVs it's the place to be.

[Sage113]

I'd have to second what Joe said and add that my wife and I just drove thru the area twice, going from Vegas to San Jose. We passed several of those little towns mentioned: Boron, Cal City, Edwards and Tehachapi.

While we didn't go into Cal City and I have no cause to run the place down, I will say that it is close to Edwards AFB but it just sits out in the desert sun baking away. Boron was just a collection of buildings out in the desert sand along Hwy 58.

Tehachapi was really a cute little town up in the mountains with a railroad theme. There's all kinds of new buildings going up, new, small strip malls and restaurants and best of all: there's trees and it's cool! We ate lunch there at a decent sushi restaurant on the way in and on the way out a week later. It's a bit of a drive down the mountain to Edwards but the traffic moves fast. Not sure exactly where the entrance to the base is but Mapquest says its 40 miles from Tehachapi to North Edwards. At normal traffic speeds, it took us about 30 minutes from Tehachapi till we were passing Edwards. It was a fun drive, too.

Locals in Tehachapi said if they wanted nightlife or had to go to the "big city" they usually went to Palmdale/Lancaster. Sometimes to Bakersfield which was further away.

Good luck at Edwards. I used to be stationed at George AFB back in 79-81 and went to Edwards a few times.

Sage

[barstowgirl]

there are alot of people that live in silver lakes (helendale) that work in boron, and at edwards. I cant say much for tehachapi except that it looks cute when i drive by to go to bakersfield. My hubby works for the railroad and tells me of all the of mess that they have in tehachapi especially in the winter due to ice??

[jeffncandace]

Originally Posted by barstowgirl

there are alot of people that live in silver lakes (helendale) that work in boron, and at edwards. I cant say much for tehachapi except that it looks cute when i drive by to go to bakersfield. My hubby works for the railroad and tells me of all the of mess that they have in tehachapi especially in the winter due to ice??

I have lots of family that lives in Tehachapi. Sometimes the roads are a mess but mostly they are taken care of. Until they recently retired, my uncle commuted to Borax daily and my aunt to Edwards AFB daily. They didn't have problems except for a couple of days out of the year.

[canibeyou]

^5 to Tehachapi. Great little town, affordable housing (with property) and friendly people. Also prettier than Cal City. Cal City is a GREAT place to go skydiving, in the event anyone's ever interested in that.

Tehachapi is different because it doesn't have an endless parade of tract homes. As a matter of fact, until recently when KB Homes moved in, there were no tract homes. Meaning that the homes are very individual in style and character. If you chose to live "in town" you'll get a basic home with basic sized yards. If you move 4 miles out of town, you'll get a more rural type of neighborhood with a large lot (.5 acre or even more) for about $270,000 - $380,000. Rents are pretty cheap also. A nice 1800 sq.ft. house on an acre for about $900 a month. Check out the listings in the Tehachapi newspaper (www.tehachapinews.com).

Snow??? Ice??? Yes, it snows... and if you're lucky enough you might get to see it. When it does snow, it lasts for about a day and then it's gone (unless you live in the higher elevations such as Alpine Forest or Bear Valley Springs).The CHP jump the gun and close the freeway (and the back road) just for precautions... not 'cuz there's ice on the road or too much snow. Would you need a 4-wheel drive? Not if you stay out of the higher elevations.

Visit Tehachapi. I'm betting, after looking in the other areas, you'd find it as the place to move to. It'll add a few minutes to your drive, but when you come home and you live in a beautiful setting, such as Tehachapi, you'll know it's worth those few extra minutes.

[Greenchili]

Hi
I have a few questions on Tehachapi.
1. How is the Hospital there? Has the often mentioned "new" hospital
been built or near done?
2. My husband would be working at Edwards and we are retired military,
do you think the hospital in Tehachapi would accept Tri-Care Retired, the insurance
used by us retirees.
Thanks, been looking at Tehachapi today online, and it seems so beautiful
there.

Greenchili