What is Canyon Country really like? (Los Angeles, Santa Ana: for rent, condos, crime rate)

[Loopy]

Hello all,
Can anyone tell me what Canyon Country is like? I am looking to relocate from Ohio, and from the Realtor.com sites, the condos in this area look very nice, and extremely affordable. They also say the crime rate is low. So my question is, what's the catch? It doesn't seem to add up to me. Is the area safe for children, and is there shopping nearby? What about illegals and gang activity? Can anyone please give me some advice?
Thanks so much.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by Loopy

Hello all,
Can anyone tell me what Canyon Country is like? I am looking to relocate from Ohio, and from the Realtor.com sites, the condos in this area look very nice, and extremely affordable. They also say the crime rate is low. So my question is, what's the catch? It doesn't seem to add up to me. Is the area safe for children, and is there shopping nearby? What about illegals and gang activity? Can anyone please give me some advice?
Thanks so much.

Compared to Ohio, it isn't extremely affordable. It isn't that much cheaper than most middle class suburban areas in Southern California. Go to realtor.com and take a look.

It is a good place to raise kids - at least many places in CC are; It is a pretty big place but overall it is pretty nice. Biggest negative comments is hot in summer and distance from jobs, though there are some in that area. Many people commute out of that area into LA or the San Fernando Valley.


Let's go to the next step while we're here.
Where are you going to work?
What is your budget for rent or housing price range?
Kids? Ages?

[Lovehound]

Originally Posted by Loopy

Can anyone tell me what Canyon Country is like?

Yeah, sure, CC is nice! I've got friends there who love it, and I've worked just north of there in Valencia and it's nice too. CC is built on a bunch of hills and the valleys and washes between them, so there is a lot of variation in the geography and many if not most of the houses and condos are in hilly terrain. The hills make CC quite pretty and IMO that's one of the drawing factors in why people like it.

CC is more of a bedroom community although there are infrastructure jobs, and many of the residents commute to the San Fernando Valley or Valencia for work. The roads to the Valley become very congested during commute hours so you should give this serious consideration or you may find traffic negatively affecting your lifestyle.

CC isn't the very nicest place in LA but it's quite nice and most people would find it easy to be happy living there. I would rate it as reasonably safe for children since it's a fairly affluent area and crime probably lower than LA average. There are gangs everywhere in LA including CC but I don't think of 'gangs' when I think of CC. Don't worry about child safety and gang activity in CC since it's not an issue there.

I would call CC one of the better places to live in LA. You might also look farther north in Santa Clarita and Valencia.

[LaoTzuMindFu]

I would not characterize Canyon Country as an "affluent area" at least by Los Angeles standards. It really depends on what your looking for and what you like. I have friends who live there and love it but mostly because its much more affordable than other areas in Los Angeles county and they are close to the barn where they keep their horses. Its a place where a couple/family can buy a condo even with a single income. The commute into LA/the Valley can be miserable during rush hour but overall, its not a bad place to live.

[fastfilm]

The secret "catch" is twofold: the commute out to Los Angeles is truly awful, and there is "fire season" every September, when the hot Santa Ana winds inspire arsonists, and the naturally flammable chapperal of the area proves readymade tender. The newer the community built, the more likely it is to be in a conflagration's path, as developers move ever outward into the hills and canyons.

Other than that, it's toasty hot in the summers and yeah, it's a nice place for families if you can afford it, similar to what the rest of L.A. was forty years ago. Relocation is all about trade-offs.

[calipoppy]

Not really a fan of Canyon Country. If you are young and single with no kids, I would say Canyon Country will bore you to tears.

[dinandriver]

I had a second home in Valencia a few years back due to work.
Cutting through all the bs, CC was always considered the bad part of Santa Clarita. Lot's of white trash and people with absolutley no class. I would rather live in a condo in Encino than mansion in CC or Santa Clarita for that matter. Remember the price will always reflect the location...

[Lovehound]

Originally Posted by dinandriver

I would rather live in a condo in Encino than mansion in CC or Santa Clarita for that matter.

I wish you'd rent me that mansion in CC/SC for the price of your Encino condo. I might go back to Santa Clarity for a job I really liked and might get back again. I really like the area, better than my own Northridge area.

[Dwimmerlaik]

Canyon Country is one of the 4 parts of the city of Santa Clarita. The others being Valencia, Newhall, and Saugus. I have lived in Santa Clarita for most of my life, having grown up here except for the 4 years I spent in Washington DC for college and the year I spent in Berlin Germany. I went to Canyon High School in Canyon Country, so I know the area pretty well. I live in Valencia now.

There are alot of very nice housing communities in Canyon Country and alot of new developments that are very nice. Canyon Country is about 10 minutes down Soledad Canyon road to valencia where the mall is, industrial center, best buy, etc. It does have its own theatre, quite a few restaurants, etc. Overall it isnt as nice as Valencia, but its less expensive. Though niceness is relative as I would rather live in CC than anyplace in the valley. There isnt much nightlife here, for that you have to go down into los angeles (about a 30 minute drive with light traffic).

During rush hour, getting to downtown will take about an hour, hour and 15. So if you are getting a job there you should seriously consider living closer to downtown, unless you are a masocist. But if you have a family CC and SCV in general is a very good place to raise them. With minimal crime and safe neighborhoods. If you have any more specific questions sent me a pm or email me. I should be able to answer it as I have lived here for quite a while and travel all over LA during the week for work.

[dinandriver]

Originally Posted by Lovehound

I wish you'd rent me that mansion in CC/SC for the price of your Encino condo. I might go back to Santa Clarity for a job I really liked and might get back again. I really like the area, better than my own Northridge area.

Yup, I agree, Northridge isn't very exciting.
A friend of mine rented a 3b/3b two stroy condo near Ventura and White Oak a couple of years ago for $3,500/month, I'm pretty sure you could rent a huge house in CC for that, heck you may even be able to get a house in Valencia