Relocate to thousand oaks (Oxnard, Simi Valley: budget, apartment, condo)

[lily00]

Hi, I just moved to thousand oaks for a new job. I want to rent a place in the surrounding area that is safe, close to work, most affordable and easy to access Chinese grocery stores. Any advices? Thanks.

[Grailmaiden]

Depends on what you consider affordable. I have lived just about everywhere between Santa Barbara and Hollywood (I am currently in Thousand Oaks) and there are very few affordable places. The most affordable is the San Fernando Valley, however, that is still WAY overpriced and is not a very desireable place to live. I was living in a one bedroom apartment in Canoga Park (yuck) 4 years ago and was paying $975. Southern California, and particularly Ventura County, is just a really expensive place to live.

Anything between Thousand Oaks and Woodland Hills is going to be VERY expensive. Camarillo is more affordable, and Oxnard is more affordable than Camarillo. I have heard a lot of complaints about Oxnard though (crime, gangs). SO if I was on a tight budget I would go for Camarillo. You might also want to try renting a room in someone's home or sharing a condo. There are very nice houses in this area.

If you can find a way to afford living in Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village, Agoura Hills, or Calabasas these are all very nice, safe, comfortable places to live. Hope this helps!

Oops, totally forgot about Simi Valley. Simi is more affordable as well and a nice place to live. You might want to start your search there.

[lily00]

Thanks a lot, Grailmaiden. The information is very helpful!

[enlightenme]

I agree with the other person and would suggest Camarillo. It is a very over-priced area, but CA is just plain expensive pretty much anywhere you go. Camarillo is one of the most affordable places in Ventura County, but also a lot nicer than Oxnard and Port Hueneme which are considered more affordable for Ventura county. The commute is very manageable to Thousand Oaks and pretty close to Woodland Hills and the other valley cities where you will probably need to go for your Chinese shopping. You should be happy with Camarillo. Another plus is it is very close to the beach and seems to get more of a coastal breeze keeping the weather a bit cooler than the other inland communities. I would say it is about 20 minutes from the coast. TO can get pretty darn hot in the summer!

[PinkElephant]

Hope she's happy!