Help!! Santa Barbara or Thousand Oaks? (Los Angeles, Camarillo: renting, homes, middle school)

[trablus]

Originally Posted by MKW

Both are really great cities. SB is a little more expensive but don't let that fool you. TO is a great place to live. My husband and I lived there on one income while we were both in school and did fine. You may not be able to buy a home right away, but then again you might with the way things are looking these days. Also, if your job is in TO you have other options as well- you could check out Simi Valley, Moorpark, Camarillo and Newbury Park. All of those cities would probably be slightly less as far as housing goes. Maybe not NP. Good luck

Great thank you for the advice...TO is not that far from SB anyway and one could travel and visit on the weekends.

I like the layout of SB more than the sprawl of TO.

I agree, that the housing in TO is much less expensive, at least there are more options.

[trablus]

Originally Posted by ConsideringLA

Think beyond this job offer: gigs in Santa Barbara are very difficult to score. TO offers more options work-wise, though is still considered a 'fringe' area to the greater LA basin, but offers access to the tech coast + Warner Center.

We have longed to live in SB, but the job opportunities are so few, we would have to have our own gig and/or do the traveling salesman bit - not ready for either line of work.

Consider Ventura as something in the middle that in between the two cost-wise, distance-wise, and family-friendly-wise.

Good luck.

I agree SB is an awesome place to live, unfortunately one would have to be a live long renter or buy a condo and commute from perhaps Ventura County.

Of course TO does offer more work opportunties than SB.

Thanks again.

[trablus]

Originally Posted by cre8

I voted for Santa Barbara for you, but honestly, Thousand Oaks might win out on some levels. Santa Barbara is a beautiful area, but it has its drawbacks:

1. Housing is very expensive.
2. Opportunities are limited - lose your job, another might not come around quickly, competition for jobs is stiff, and commuting to a job outside of the SB area is a pain-and-a-half.
3. You have a young family - Santa Barbara has a gang problem, rivalries fester in the schools and prove violent and fatal in the streets; keep a close watch on your kids.
4. Compact city, easy walking in many areas, good public transpo, bike commuting is encouraged.

Thoughts on Thousand Oaks:
1. Housing is also expensive, but opportunities for something affordable are more likely than in SB.
2. You'd be closer to job opportunities in L.A. if needed.
3. Crime is low and schools are very good.
4. It's car-culture, suburbia and sprawl, lousy public transpo.

Both cities offer edu opportunities: UCSB in SB. In TO you're close to Cal Lutheran and CSUCI.

Thanks for the advice. There are pros and cons to each city. Granted SB does not offer many advancement opps and like you mentioned you lose your job, problems will arise in finding another one, yet since TO and LA are so close that shouldn't be a problem.

TO is close to SB if one wanted frequent the city, I am leaning toward TO everyday.

Thanks again.

[trablus]

Originally Posted by Sorcerer68

I'm an L.A. guy but S.B. is sure a lot nicer than T.O. on many levels. Culturally they are polar opposites. If you have the chance, go to both places and feel them out and decide which is for you.

The two things T.O. has going for it...cheaper housing and closer to the valley and L.A. and has honest hot summers if you like them.

Santa Barbara is a gorgeous town with cool, coastal weather, a beautiful walkable downtown and a nice culture.

Thanks for the advice.

[puffle]

As another suggestion....Newbury Park is even more affordable than T.O. and it's neighbor.Any culture at all would be a long haul from S.B. to Los Angeles and horrible traffic. Can't recall seeing any homeless in T.O. as opposed to S.B.

[trablus]

Originally Posted by puffle

As another suggestion....Newbury Park is even more affordable than T.O. and it's neighbor.Any culture at all would be a long haul from S.B. to Los Angeles and horrible traffic. Can't recall seeing any homeless in T.O. as opposed to S.B.

Dear Puffle:

Hello thanks for the advice. Are you living in Newbury Park?

Culture wise it seems SB is more culturally diverse correct?

As for homeless I have heard SB has a large problem, I wouldn't blame anyone since the weather there is so pleasant.

Thanks in advance.

[ConsideringLA]

Originally Posted by trablus

As for homeless I have heard SB has a large problem, I wouldn't blame anyone since the weather there is so pleasant.

We take our little family to a beach house every year - we run into so many vans parked at the end of ocean-facing cul-de-sacs. They get the same view all year -- for free -- that we enjoy, at a nice steep cost, for one lousy week. Not a bad gig...

[happ]

Santa Barbara has a lot of character & beauty\ hip city\ great beaches with a mild climate. Thousand Oaks is more suburban\ family-oriented\ safe with a warmer summer than Santa Barbara.

Wish I had to chose!

[Winston Smith]

Originally Posted by trablus

...Newbury Park?

Culture wise it seems SB is more culturally diverse correct?

As for homeless I have heard SB has a large problem, I wouldn't blame anyone since the weather there is so pleasant.

Thanks in advance.

NP is almost 100% Caucasian. SB is about 45/45 Caucasian/Latino with smaller populations of Asians (maybe 4%), African American (2%), and other minority groups. SB is also pretty well desegregated. People mix and don't think much of it.

[trablus]

Originally Posted by happ

Santa Barbara has a lot of character & beauty\ hip city\ great beaches with a mild climate. Thousand Oaks is more suburban\ family-oriented\ safe with a warmer summer than Santa Barbara.

Wish I had to chose!

Dear Happ:

Thanks for the post. Where do you live now?

If you had to choose...which would you select?