What is the deal with Temecula, CA? (Santa Ana, Riverside: RV parks, rentals)

[JohnSoCal]

I guess you can't please everybody. I certainly disagree with the previous post. It is a good thing they are moving out if they feel that way. The Temecula/Murrieta area is a pretty safe area. Murrieta has one of the lowest crime rates in the country and Temecula is pretty close. The people here are very friendly. I guess everybody has to find their own little paradise.

[vahnessuh]

Originally Posted by JohnSoCal

I guess you can't please everybody. I certainly disagree with the previous post. It is a good thing they are moving out if they feel that way. The Temecula/Murrieta area is a pretty safe area. Murrieta has one of the lowest crime rates in the country and Temecula is pretty close. The people here are very friendly. I guess everybody has to find their own little paradise.

Based on the latest list of safest cities in America, Temecula is ranked 2nd and Murrieta is 4th.

[orangeapple]

I realize this is an older thread & some of this has been mentioned already, but my two cents are:

- The housing prices dropped dramatically a few years ago when the economy tanked. The demand sharply declined for the same reason (unemployment, house foreclosures, etc). It went from growing quickly to stagnation very fast, IMO. Riverside County was hit pretty bad, especially real estate. In terms of most foreclosures, I believe it was one of the top counties in the country. Not a good list to win...

- Jobs that pay well in the area can be hard to find right now. Not everyone, but a lot of people commute to other areas. The economy has made finding jobs difficult. When the economy was up, then getting a decent job within 30 min was totally possible. Everyone in my family had a job in the area when the economy was good. We are middle class, so no, you probably won't get rich from most available jobs here. It's a middle class town though, which is also why housing is cheaper (and why the jobs pay a bit less).

- Many local school districts are not hiring much now due to budget cuts & whatnot. Teachers are being forced into early retirement even. However, a school district not far from Temecula did hire about 5 new teachers this school year, so it's possible to get a teaching gig.

- In terms of location, it's not the best in SoCal, but not the worst. It's about a 40 min drive without tons of traffic to the nearest beach (Oceanside). It's smack between LA & SD, which seems good, but it's not close enough to commute for work unless you're crazy. If you want to hang out in those cities sometimes, more than 1-2 weekends a month can be hard time-wise and gas money-wise.

- In terms of culture, it is mostly a cookie cutter suburb. The wine country and little oldtown strip provides some charm, but it's all big-box shopping centers otherwise. The mall is behind in terms of the stores it has (we JUST got an H&M). If you want to go to a concert or a nightspot, then you'll have to make the trek to LA or SD. Even the city of Riverside has little to offer in that way. I'm a single 20-something, so I find Temecula a snooze of a town, but it's probably great for a family. It has grown a LOT since I was a kid, and if not for the economy, I think it would have continued to grow, especially in terms of nightspots & culture.

- Diversity of the people is increasing, but yes, it's still very white and born-again Christian. The good news is that there are a lot of decent to very good local restaurants with a variety of ethnic foods if you look for them tucked away in shopping centers (Thai, Indian, Cuban, sushi, etc). There's not much higher end dining though.

- It's not a walkable city at all & public transport ranges from non-existent to total crap. That's typical of SoCal though.

- I like the weather, as do most people. There's probably less than 20 days a year it gets up to 100 degrees, and it's a major heat wave to be over 100. Summer is generally in the mid 90s, with days of high 80s here & there to break it up. Besides that dry summer heat, it's very mild weather. Jan-March is rainy season, and your car can get ice on it if left outside, but it melts by about 9am. Fall & spring are absolutely lovely.

- I also like the terrain. It's technically "semi-desert", but most of SoCal is. It has the look of a valley that is dry in the summer, and the gorgeous wine country is present as well.

[JohnSoCal]

Originally Posted by vahnessuh

Based on the latest list of safest cities in America, Temecula is ranked 2nd and Murrieta is 4th.

What list would that be and for what year? Every list I have seen has Murrieta with a lower crime rate than Temecula albeit close. There really is no difference between them. I view Temecula and Murrieta as one city so I am not into comparing the 2 of them.

[pll]

Originally Posted by JohnSoCal

What list would that be and for what year? Every list I have seen has Murrieta with a lower crime rate than Temecula albeit close. There really is no difference between them. I view Temecula and Murrieta as one city so I am not into comparing the 2 of them.

Temecula, Murrieta ranked among America

[vahnessuh]

Originally Posted by JohnSoCal

What list would that be and for what year? Every list I have seen has Murrieta with a lower crime rate than Temecula albeit close. There really is no difference between them. I view Temecula and Murrieta as one city so I am not into comparing the 2 of them.

I'm not comparing them nor was I opposing what you said. I merely gave the actual ranking for each cities since you mentioned them both being safe. I figured someone might be interested to know where each actually stand in terms of safety.

[JohnSoCal]

Originally Posted by vahnessuh

I'm not comparing them nor was I opposing what you said. I merely gave the actual ranking for each cities since you mentioned them both being safe. I figured someone might be interested to know where each actually stand in terms of safety.

No problem. I looked at the list of 13 cities. With very low crime cities like Temecula and Murrieta, the crime rate can change considerably due to just a couple incidents. What surprised me the most was that Mission Viejo CA wasn't on the list. It has consistently been ranked number 1 or 2. In any event, we are blessed with living in a very safe and great area.

As I said, I really think of Murrieta and Temecula being one city in that they are connected together and are virtually the same. All of the amenities of Temecula, such as the Mall, Old Town, etc. we enjoy equally with the residents of Temecula.

[screen.name]

Originally Posted by pll

Temecula, Murrieta ranked among America

The list is compiled by businessinsider.com and not by FBI. Not saying it is a fake but I like to see the list releases by the FBI.

[dober1]

To each his own. But from someone who has lived in the "IE" and South Orange County as well as numerous places in the midwest.
The entire Inland Empire is a toilet. It is basically northern Mexico. Temecula is one of the better Riverside cities so I would say it sits on the rim of the bowl along with Corona.
If you can afford it move to Dana Point or Laguna Niguel, night and day difference between south OC and the IE.
There is a real reason for the price difference between the two counties, you get what you pay for.

[flo2900]

dober...price difference between Temecula and Dana Point is like the difference between a Ford Pinto and a Porsche Carrera