Where to live? Calabasas/Agoura Hills/Thousand Oaks/Santa Clarita (Los Angeles: real estate market, crime)

[losnek]

We are considering a move to the Valley/TO/SC area. Can anyone help decide where would be best? These are considerations:

Not too congested --we don't want heavy traffic on six lane roads just to go to the grocery store and we would like the kids to be able to ride bikes in the street.

Large houses and lots. I know this is a lot to ask, but we would prefer a 4-6 bedroom house on at least a half acre, more preferably about an acre --for less than 1.5 million dollars. (I figure that the real estate market might eventually drop 1.5 million into our range).

Professional live theaters and concerts in the area. It seems that LA would be too far to go for that, although if there is a train nearby that can take us to an approprate place in LA in a reasonable amount of time . . .). I realize that convenient access to pro-sports events it out of the question!

Jobs for technical professional within easy commute. In other words, research-oriented companies such as Amgen nearby would be a big plus.

Recereation --parks, tennis, ocean, etc.

Reasonable commute time to airport.

[SurekRZA]

Well, you realized that conveniet access to pro-sport events is out of the question. I also think live theatres and concerts would also be a long ride on the freeway. Fortunately, I live about 15 miles away from the LAX but it can take up to an hour even then. From Santa Clarita, Thousand Oaks, and Agoura Hills it would be an hour or so without traffic. Calabasas is right on the border of L.A. county and Ventura County so that would be your best choice in my opinion. Grocery store shopping is down the street for almost everyone in Los Angeles and I see kids riding their bikes all the time
Calabasas is your best option since you want to be close but not too far from the city with a town oriented enviornment.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by losnek

We are considering a move to the Valley/TO/SC area. Can anyone help decide where would be best? These are considerations:

Not too congested --we don't want heavy traffic on six lane roads just to go to the grocery store and we would like the kids to be able to ride bikes in the street.

Large houses and lots. I know this is a lot to ask, but we would prefer a 4-6 bedroom house on at least a half acre, more preferably about an acre --for less than 1.5 million dollars. (I figure that the real estate market might eventually drop 1.5 million into our range).

Professional live theaters and concerts in the area. It seems that LA would be too far to go for that, although if there is a train nearby that can take us to an approprate place in LA in a reasonable amount of time . . .). I realize that convenient access to pro-sports events it out of the question!

Jobs for technical professional within easy commute. In other words, research-oriented companies such as Amgen nearby would be a big plus.

Recereation --parks, tennis, ocean, etc.

Reasonable commute time to airport.

Where are you moving from?
Why do you want to move to those towns?
Your price range is $1.5M.
What line of work are you in?
Where are you applying for work?
Kids?

[General Patton]

Santa Clarite but there are a lot of illegals gathering around on the streets. Crime is up because of this. An illegal raped several women a month ago but at least he was caught.

[losnek]

Charles and SurekRZA, thanks for the responses.

Don't the suburbs around there have live theater and concerts?

We don't know if we are moving yet. Just scoping out possibilities now. We live in St. Louis and I am interested in moving for the usual reasons people move to California: weather, lifestyle, etc., plus St. Louis is too conservative for my preferences. St. Louis is not experiencing the drop in real estate prices to the degree we hear it is hitting California, so I figured that between the appreciation on our current home and the expected drop from the $1.5 million currently or recently asked, we might be able to swing it. Even with a significant drop, $1.5 million asking price is probably still too high, but . . . We have four kids, one of whom is in college. I am in patent law, but am not quite ready to check out the jobs quite yet. I'm just planning for the near future.
Thanks again

[Charles]

Originally Posted by losnek

Charles and SurekRZA, thanks for the responses.

Don't the suburbs around there have live theater and concerts?

Not much on a large scale close by. (The Civic Arts Plaza in Thousand Oaks is very good and close by.) Most stuff to see is a drive in traffic. You just can't "drive out to see" a concert, a play, a ball game, even a visit to the beach etc. without a major traffic hassle.

Couldn't take it anymore so I moved.