Help! Best place to live in Santa Clarita? (apartment, condo)

[mangobox]

My husband and I are thinking about moving to Santa Clarita Valley to be closer to family. We're not familiar with the area and would like to know the best area to live...Valencia? Saugus? Newhall? We have a 3-year-old so we want a good school, good parks, etc. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks!

Also, who's the best internet provider there?

[Charles]

Originally Posted by mangobox

My husband and I are thinking about moving to Santa Clarita Valley to be closer to family. We're not familiar with the area and would like to know the best area to live...Valencia? Saugus? Newhall? We have a 3-year-old so we want a good school, good parks, etc. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks!

Also, who's the best internet provider there?

More information needed:

Rent or buy? Budget or housing price range? House/Apartment/Townhome/etc?
Where (city/neighborhood) will you be working? (What line of work are you in?)

[Lake Conroe resident]

If you have the $ and don't mind all the yuppies go for Valencia though parts of Newhall & most of Saugus are nice too. Avoid CC & Castaic unless it's Sand Canyon ...

[mangobox]

Originally Posted by Charles

More information needed:

Rent or buy? Budget or housing price range? House/Apartment/Townhome/etc?
Where (city/neighborhood) will you be working? (What line of work are you in?)

Thinking of buying up to $400K for house with 4BD, 1.5 BA. We both work from home (just need internet), so we'd like some space to breathe.

Thanks!

[marimari123]

I actually just answered your other post about the schools in SC. Fastest internet is through Time Warner Cable (cable modem). DSL is super slow out here. TWC really does go fast. Plus, they also have some nice packages that include your home phone service and tv service with internet...all bundled for a lower price.

In Stevenson Ranch, 400k will get you a 3 bedroom townhouse or condo. A 4th bedroom takes the price up to about 500k. I think the same would apply in the Charles Helmers neighborhood of Valencia (Northbridge).

How important is a 4th bedroom? How important is being within the boundary of one of the top 3 schools in town? Santa Clarita does have many other really good schools, in great neighborhoods that are more affordable. These schools would probably be in the top 10 in town. Their scores on the API are about 850-890 out of 1000. Just about any part of Valencia will be a nice area with good schools. Tesoro del Valle comes to mind. Planned community, newer homes, good schools. Also, the area around Copper Hill at Seco Canyon (Mountainview Elementary).

That link to API scores should help you decide where to buy a house. Stevenson Ranch, Valencia, and Saugus are the nicest parts of town with the best schools. There are parks all over town along with paseos (fancy word for walking/biking path ). The older parts of Valencia have the nicest parks because the trees are mature so the parks have more shade. The newer subdivisions have parks...but there's hardly any shade. Good news is that this is a town with a TON of fun kids stuff that's indoors too.

Technically all the schools within a district have the same lesson plans but the schools with higher scores tend to have a much higher level of parent involvement. The more you are involved as a parent...the less likely your child will slip through the cracks.

Hope that helps.

Regards,
mari

[GracieJJ]

Originally Posted by Lake Conroe resident

If you have the $ and don't mind all the yuppies go for Valencia though parts of Newhall & most of Saugus are nice too. Avoid CC & Castaic unless it's Sand Canyon ...

Whats wrong with Canyon country? The fair oaks subdivision (Pardee homes) are an all out yuppie neighbourhood (if you will) and its very close (5mins) from the 14fwy. Also you have good close scenary of the canyons.

Sand canyon heading placentia is very expensive area but with land to match the properties BUT lots of fires start out in this part of the area.

[catsmith]

Here's the deal in my opinion, numbered from least to most desirable location in Santa Clarita (sorry if I offend anyone, everyone is different and this is just what I've experienced):

1. I consider Newhall the lower end of Santa Clarita but I'm sure there are some nice spots I haven't seen.

2. Canyon Country is good, I don't see anything wrong with it.

3. Saugus is a great area (It's where I live) for middle class families. There are nice new housing developments here and it's a fantastic place to live. There's a park on Bouquet Canyon Road you should check out. I live off Plum Canyon Road and I LOVE it. There's a new housing development going up right down the street but I don't know much about it. It's really safe here.

4. If I could afford to live in Valencia, I would. It's the nicest area but it is of course the most expensive.

I hope this helps you and good luck in your search.

[Lake Conroe resident]

[quote=catsmith;3172865]least to most desirable location in Santa Clarita (sorry if I offend anyone, everyone is different and this is just what I've experienced):

1. I consider Newhall the lower end of Santa Clarita but I'm sure there are some nice spots I haven't seen.

2. Canyon Country is good, I don't see anything wrong with it.

3. Saugus is a great area (It's where I live) for middle class families. There are nice new housing developments here and it's a fantastic place to live. There's a park on Bouquet Canyon Road you should check out. I live off Plum Canyon Road and I LOVE it. There's a new housing development going up right down the street but I don't know much about it. It's really safe here.

4. If I could afford to live in Valencia, I would. It's the nicest area but it is of course the most expensive.

I'm sure you will offend the folks living in Peachland Estates as well as some of the larger lot homes South of Lyons (both Newhall) as that is probably the most expensive area in Santa Clarita along with the estate homes in Sand Canyon. (sorry Valencia) There are good parts and not so good parts in CC, figure on you get what you pay for mentality there as there are older areas especially around Leona Cox elementary that you will find a lot of "junk farmers" living. Good school though, go figure.
Valencia is perfect if you like the me first attitude. My kids the smartest/best ball player, my house is bigger than yours, my cars more expensive than yours, my wifes better looking, my husband makes more $ etc... Just stay out of the way of all the "homemakers" in a hurry to go nowhere in their SUV's.

[nic34]

Originally Posted by marimari123

I actually just answered your other post about the schools in SC. Fastest internet is through Time Warner Cable (cable modem). DSL is super slow out here. TWC really does go fast. Plus, they also have some nice packages that include your home phone service and tv service with internet...all bundled for a lower price.

In Stevenson Ranch, 400k will get you a 3 bedroom townhouse or condo. A 4th bedroom takes the price up to about 500k. I think the same would apply in the Charles Helmers neighborhood of Valencia (Northbridge).

How important is a 4th bedroom? How important is being within the boundary of one of the top 3 schools in town? Santa Clarita does have many other really good schools, in great neighborhoods that are more affordable. These schools would probably be in the top 10 in town. Their scores on the API are about 850-890 out of 1000. Just about any part of Valencia will be a nice area with good schools. Tesoro del Valle comes to mind. Planned community, newer homes, good schools. Also, the area around Copper Hill at Seco Canyon (Mountainview Elementary).

That link to API scores should help you decide where to buy a house. Stevenson Ranch, Valencia, and Saugus are the nicest parts of town with the best schools. There are parks all over town along with paseos (fancy word for walking/biking path ). The older parts of Valencia have the nicest parks because the trees are mature so the parks have more shade. The newer subdivisions have parks...but there's hardly any shade. Good news is that this is a town with a TON of fun kids stuff that's indoors too.

Technically all the schools within a district have the same lesson plans but the schools with higher scores tend to have a much higher level of parent involvement. The more you are involved as a parent...the less likely your child will slip through the cracks.

Hope that helps.

Regards,
mari

I have lived here in Valencia for almost a year. We moved here for better schools and more house for your dollar. No one told me that it's like Desperate Housewives...people judge you based on the size of your home, how many activities your kid is in and as a woman, if you work, your car and clothes..WTF????? With that said, there are many good things here, lots to do with families.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by nic34

.....people judge you based on the size of your home, how many activities your kid is in and as a woman, if you work, your car and clothes..

Welcome to earth.