Do i want to live in thousand oaks? (San Diego, Simi Valley: neighborhoods, schools)

[yes636]

I am moving from Massachusetts to California. My choice would be to live in San Diego and Ive done all the research for that area and would be ready to move there if my boss gives me the green light. The one hiccup is that i should really be closer to AMgen in Thousand Oaks.

If i end up having to be in the Thousand Oaks area where should i look to live. I dont think its close enough to the beach for my liking (i had a place picked out that was 8 blocks from the beach in PB) but in the end the beach isnt the most important thing. Thousand Oaks seems old and boring? I dont want to move across the country and be bored with the city i live in. What are some places comparable to SD? with a younger demographic? Or where should a 24 y/o male who likes to get out look to live in that area?

Can i really go wrong? Cause in the end whether they are from S.D. or T.O. they are still california girls right?

[Charles]

Thousand Oaks (and most of the Conejo Valley, Simi, Moorpark, Calabasas, Camarillo) is a family demographic. You might find it a little "slow". Ideal for people in their 30s/40s and married with kids; questionable for single dudes in their 20s.

Amgen is an outstanding place to work, I've heard nothing but good things about the place. They have a huge bike club, you see them cycling everywhere in the Conejo Valley and in the Santa Monica mountains. Lots of employees made stock killings several years ago.

[Iwaswondering]

I love Thousand Oaks but yes, it is family oriented. It's beautiful, clean and has great schools. It's also very expensive. You probably want to live in the San Fernando Valley around Ventura Blvd. maybe. It's a huge mixture of different kinds of people and there's a lot of clubs, places to eat and night life.
We don't consider the beach to be far, it's right through the mountain. (You can even hike through from Newbury Park). Besides, the drive is fun and interesting.

[Winston Smith]

TO is total suburbia, new-baked SUVs, big car-based neighborhoods, malls and chain stores. Not a bad thing unless you hate that stuff.

I'm puzzled, though, how it is you're deciding between San Diego and TO? The two cities are 180 miles apart! If your job is at Amgen, living in San Diego isn't realistic unless you only have to come to the office once in a while.

[Sorcerer68]

Thousand Oaks? Lots of Q-tip heads. Old and boring. People move there because they WANT boring. I'd rethink this. PB is more your speed.

[puffle]

Originally Posted by yes636

I am moving from Massachusetts to California. My choice would be to live in San Diego and Ive done all the research for that area and would be ready to move there if my boss gives me the green light. The one hiccup is that i should really be closer to AMgen in Thousand Oaks.

If i end up having to be in the Thousand Oaks area where should i look to live. I dont think its close enough to the beach for my liking (i had a place picked out that was 8 blocks from the beach in PB) but in the end the beach isnt the most important thing. Thousand Oaks seems old and boring? I dont want to move across the country and be bored with the city i live in. What are some places comparable to SD? with a younger demographic? Or where should a 24 y/o male who likes to get out look to live in that area?

Can i really go wrong? Cause in the end whether they are from S.D. or T.O. they are still california girls right?

How interesting! We are moving from the Thousand Oaks/Westlake Village area to Massachusetts. We have lived in Ma. and can definetly tell you that there is a huge difference even if you lived in the suburbs there. The beach is very close to T.O and you get cooler temps for it but.....it is super boring and I am a Mom with a teenager. As another poster asked...where does Amgen in T.O. connect with a job in S.D.? If you have an offer from Amgen then I would stay close by due to traffic and commute issues, but if you have an equally good job in S.D. I would go there. So much to do and it has the best weather in the U.S. There are not a lot of clubs in the Valley or the T.O. area but aren't there better ways to meet quality women?

[hansonsn]

TO is old and boring, sorry. I grew up there and its a great place for families with kids - not for young people who want to have fun. Sadly I'm living with my parents again, so I'm back in TO. They have added a few bars in the past few years, but they mainly consists of people over 40. If you don't mind a comute Santa Monica it is a good place to live and you could take the coast to TO - but it's about an hour drive. Someone said TO is expensive - doesn't seem so to me in comparison to the rest of So Cal.

[SoCalMomma]

Curious as to what a Q-tip head is

I live in Thousand Oaks and I completely agree that Thousand Oaks is boring (that is probably why we like it). Its safe, and a nice place to live, but it is not a lively place for young adults. You can drive into LA for clubs & all the nightlife, and the beaches are not too far (maybe 15-20min).

If you want activity and beaches and lots of young people, then San Diego would be a better choice (but you cannot commute from San Diego to Thousand Oaks really - its a LONG Way!). It would take HOURS. The last time we went to San Diego it took us about 4.5 hours to drive down there (and I am a fast driver). Traffic almost the whole way. Even without traffic its probably a 3 hour drive.

San Diego has tons to do, nice beaches, LOTS of college kids & younger adults. Nothing really comparable in the Thousand Oaks area.

[justducky2]

When I was a young chick in my 20s living in Simi Valley (next to TO), it was an easy drive into Hollywood, Santa Monica, etc on Friday and Saturday nights.

So it depends, do you want to live close to work and drive to where the action is, or do you want to live where the action is and commute to work?

[Charles]

Originally Posted by justducky2

When I was a young chick in my 20s living in Simi Valley (next to TO), it was an easy drive into Hollywood, Santa Monica, etc on Friday and Saturday nights.

So it depends, do you want to live close to work and drive to where the action is, or do you want to live where the action is and commute to work?

That's a good way of putting it. I think the former would be better as far as traffic is concerned.

Shoot, I probably saw you at the Starwood, Gazarries, Madam Wongs, the Whiskey, Florentine Gardens, the Rainbow, Seven Seas, or the Troubadour.