LANCASTER CA, EDWARDS AFB what can you tell me about the area??? (Los Angeles: appointed, to rent)

[mapletears]

My husband and I and our five children have a chance to be transferred to edwards AFB. We know nothing of the area , but are now concerned from what we have read so far from this site. Is the crime really this bad? Is there any area that is safe to live in and is affordable? Would you if you could move there if you could do it all again? I dont want to make a huge mistake. Please let me know your thoughts on this before its too late... Thanks...

[Greenchili]

Originally Posted by mapletears

My husband and I and our five children have a chance to be transferred to edwards AFB. We know nothing of the area , but are now concerned from what we have read so far from this site. Is the crime really this bad? Is there any area that is safe to live in and is affordable? Would you if you could move there if you could do it all again? I dont want to make a huge mistake. Please let me know your thoughts on this before its too late... Thanks...

I wouldnt move there unless you were willing to live in Tehachapi. All other
areas around there are not so good. Tehachapi is about 45+ miles or so
away, it is the only place I would choose to live if I had to move to
that area. So a commute would be in the cards. But not that bad of one
so I hear. Check out the threads on Tehachapi here. Good Luck


Greenchili

[junkman18]

I worked at Edwards AFB, for 4 years and commuted from Acton, and it took me 50 minutes, because it is all freeway, and Acton is nicer than Palmdale/lancaster.... The high school is better also.

Acton, sits among the mountains and is half way between Santa Clarita and the Palmdale/Lancaster.... you might look into that area, it has less crime etc.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by junkman18

I worked at Edwards AFB, for 4 years and commuted from Acton, and it took me 50 minutes, because it is all freeway, and Acton is nicer than Palmdale/lancaster.... The high school is better also.

Acton, sits among the mountains and is half way between Santa Clarita and the Palmdale/Lancaster.... you might look into that area, it has less crime etc.

Plus, if you do live in Acton and lose your job at Edwards, you are still close enough to work in the San Fernando Valley, Santa Clarita, Palmdale, Lancaster. Some of my old Rocketdyne buds lived in Acton (horse property) and liked it.

[California2Carolina]

I grew up in Tehachapi CA specifically a beautiful gated community called Bear Valley Springs. Lots of my friends parents worked at the base (thinking carpool possibilities.) I have only fond memories of the place. Very beautiful, family oriented and natural. Yous hould check into it. Good luck!!!

[Maynerd]

I lived in the Eastern part of Lancaster, although it was about 20 years ago (near Avenue J and 10th Street East). Quiet, suburban neighborhood. Established homes. I worked at the time at Plant 42, but had to make at least a trip or two per week to Edwards. No problem with the drive from where I lived to the South Gate at Edwards.

I know the crime rate has gone up since I lived there, so I wouldn't want to steer you in any direction with regard to the safety of different neighborhoods. Similarly, I won't recommend certain schools, as I'm sure they've changed.

One of the better parts about living in Lancaster (as opposed to Rosamond or California City), was it cut the drive time to LA significantly. Not that I drove to LA all the time, but it was often enough that living South of Edwards was a plus.

[dbcoolmax]

I live in Tehachapi now and drive 55 miles one way to work for a reason, nothing else comes close.

[sue-z]

I certainly woudn't advise anyone move to the Antelope Valley if it could be avoided but sometimes you have to do what you have to do, job transfers etc.There is significant crime here and a bad element, gangbangers, and assorted other lowlife, mixed through many neighborhoods that look ok, but are not. Stay away from locating on east side of Palmdale and Lancaster! I concur with other opinions, Tehachapi is the place to go if you have a choice. Acton is very nice also,still has a rural feeling but pricey, same with Leona Valley to west of Palmdale in the hills. Cal City has always seemed like the middle of nowhere to me. There is currently a glut of houses on the market in the AV, prices are said to have dropped some but still substantial. There are precious few good paying jobs anywhere here, maybe some specialized ones in aerospace but most folks have to commute to LA for decent wages. There is a large Baptist church on the east side of Lancaster with associated college. I would assume there would also be some social activities for teens in conjunction with this church which seems to have a family outreach?? Also there is a public community college in Lancaster, Antelope Valley College, which was fine when I graduated from it many years ago, have no idea how it is now? Also a few other college extension courses around I believe? I have heard nothing but bad stuff about the public high schools here, I don't have kids but would have serious reservations about sending a kid to most of them. AV High is bad, as is Palmdale, there's a new school on east side of Lancaster, have not heard feedback on that but expect it to be bad as it is in one of the worst areas of the city. There are a couple of Christian schools in the valley however. Climate here is harsh. We are in one of the worst droughts since records have been kept and drought is the norm in recent years. It gets very hot in summer 100+ and summer lasts for a long time. Winter tends to be cold at night, we had record cold this year, down near zero for a few days. There are strong winds year around, sometimes dust storms, especially out around Mojave and near the mountain passes. It used to be a four season rather pleasant climate but has deteriorated in recent years. It does snow in the mountains a few times each year but rarely on the desert floor anymore.It is very "barren" looking here, can be a shock and perhaps depressing for those coming from greener climates. Closest major shopping to the base is Lancaster, Palmdale has whatever Lancaster doesn't. Tehachapi has some shopping but not a lot, major shopping from there is either Lancaster or Bakersfield, freeway to both. Sue-z

[DeserTBoB]

Originally Posted by t3t2smart

We have just learned that there is a possible chance of us moving to
Edwards AFB in California. Can anyone tell us about the area; high schools, no to low crime areas with fast fire and police response to live in, New homes and prices etc etc etc?

We know nothing about the area. What are best surrounding cities to live in for military families? We have a teen age son, that has lived overseas most of his life and has been very sheltered. Can anyone tell us where the closest hospitals are located from the base? Any Baptist churches with gospel services? Organized activities to do for teenagers? Are there any community colleges or universities in the area? Are there any good paying jobs?
I guess what we want to know, is how the area is in general and what to expect?

Thanks

First, my condolences on being sent to Edwards. Second, you have few options. Lancaster has turned pell mell into a full blown ghetto in a scant couple of years due to the burgeoning popularity of absentee Section 8 landlords, most of them being "ghettoids" themselves. Many Sec. 8 houses were reputedly bought with drug money. The schools are some of the worst in the state, crime is rampant, and there are no "safe" areas of Lancaster or Palmdale. I suffered there for eight years until my wife finally retired from AF Plant 42, and we got out just in the nick of time. The housing market has pancaked in the last year, with many middle-market houses collapsing $60-100K in value in just a few months.

Most AF families live in Rosamond, just across the county line in Kern County, which is also where EAFB is located. It's far from idyllic, but the basics are there, and you can get more varied shopping at places like the Antelope Valley Mall in Palmdale. You could also wind up in North Edwards or Boron, both hardscrabble desert communities out where God lost his shoes off of CA 58. Most residents out there are AF. Another option would be the destitute communities of Mojave or California City, but I wouldn't recommend either.

My advice would be Rosamond or North Edwards. Avoid Lancaster and Palmdale completely...they're ghettos with lousy police protection and rampant Section 8 and crime. The only bright spot there is that the County Fire Department is excellent...and you usually need them when it's too late.

Hopefully you can rotate out of Edwards in short order.

[Out_of_Palmdale]

"You could also wind up in North Edwards or Boron, both hardscrabble desert communities out where God lost his shoes off of CA 58."

Thanks for the hollow laugh Where God lost his shoes is right - include the entire Antelope Valley as the place where God lost his shoes.

I have only just begun my 8 years of suffering so we have that in common. Lucky you, made it out alive. I wonder about myself being so fortunate. I am developing a lung condition as a result of breathing dust constantly - I guess I'm not one of "those" lucky souls who can weather the conditions here. To anyone considering moving to the AV, I have only this to say. CONSIDER ALL OF YOUR OTHER OPTIONS FIRST. Especially if you have kids. I have ranted on other threads about my experiences here in the AV and you are just going to have to look those opinions up if you give a darn , but it only took me 2 weeks of living here to realize that I had made the biggest mistake of my life. By that time, with 4 kids in tow and a job transfer that had gone though, it was too late to turn around and hightail it outta here. Now, I have 8 years left on a contract that I need to see through for the pension, etc, etc. Just today, I sat back in my recliner coughing my guts out, and asked myself for the millionth time, "Am I willing to sacrifice 8 more years of prime time living for a pension?" There was a time when opportunity was plentiful and I would've said "yes" and taken the gamble. But since 9/11, the USA is a shadow of its former self and it's too big of a gamble for me personally to take ` ..... Look forward to the recession that'll be here by Spring 2008 - the AV should be even more of a bundle of laughs by then.