Lake Arrowhead? (San Bernardino, Palm Springs, San Gabriel: environment, hotel, vacation)

[JerZ]

Hi! I never post here because I don't live in SB (I live in the San Gabriel Valley), but since this is about Lake Arrowhead, I figured I would ask here. That's SB County, right?

Has anyone visited there? Does anyone live there? We detoured yesterday on the way home from vacation at Big Bear and I LOVED THIS TOWN. And the connecting town...is that Blue Jay? I fell in love. Just literally fell in love. I almost cried. It was the most beautiful place I've ever seen.

Just asking around to see what anyone else thinks of this area and if anyone lives there and manages to get by. It's more remote so even though the wheels are turning for me (for the far distant future, anyway), I'm wondering about jobs, etc.

[bhcompy]

It's a great place, but it's very expensive. If I remember, you can't go fishing or boating on your own without living there, or if not that, there is some sort of restriction on the lake itself regarding whether you live there or not.

[BRinSM]

It is definitiely a nice little town. I know a lot of the homes up there are rentals for vacationers. Because of this, most of the jobs are probably in the service and tourism industries. If you have experience with winter sports, you may be able to get a job with one of the resorts in Big Bear, but these are of course seasonal. In the warmer months the slopes are used for mountain biking, so thay may also be an option for you.

[Nature Guy]

As someone who lived in the SoCal area for twenty long years, I guess I would suggest moving to Lake Tahoe over Lake Arrowhead. I well know the pull of the mountains, and lived in the small town of Idyllwild ( San Jacinto Mtns., above Palm Springs) for over twelve years.

With all the recent big forest fires around Big Bear and Arrowhead, I can't imagine it would be that attractive any more. Once you leave the SoCal area, you soon realize how much nicer other areas really are! Unless you have family and/or business ties that make moving a poor choice, I would recommend checking out Lake Tahoe. Plenty of local jobs, a MUCH nicer lake, less congestion and a generally healthier environment all around. Pretty hard to beat. (Besides....I know the SoCal mountains are suffering from infestations of bark beetles which are killing the pine trees in record numbers, due to the extensive drought conditions of that area of the country in the last ten years).

Good luck!

[JerZ]

Thanks so much for the info, everybody.

[marski25]

We have a cabin up in Lake Arrowhead and we LOVE it!!! It's within walking distance to the Village and they have some fun shops and places to eat. In order to use the lake for swimming or boating you have to have lake rights... BUT you can water ski through one of the rental companies on the lake...not sure how expensive it is though. Blue Jay is adorable and there are also many other little places around the lake as well. Crestline, Lake Gregory, Cedar Glen and of course Lake Arrowhead itself.

They have had a couple of fires... and the landscape has changed but it really has grown back and is still just as beautiful. IF you want to ski though you have to go to Big Bear... Lake Arrowhead is not a ski resort...

You should try to stay up there for a weekend and see how much you enjoy it! =) We do...

[SnowFlower]

Do many people live in Lake Arrowhead and commute to San Bernardino for work?

[featherz]

I just moved to NY but for six years I commuted from Lake Arrowhead 'down the hill' to redlands, fontana, and even ontario. There's quite a bit of commuting going on.
I loved lake arrowhead and would live there again in a heartbeat.

[jkanderson521]

Hi SnowFlower, I replied to another post regarding OC to IE commute for you as well.

Lake Arrowhead is nice, cute mountain town. It would be FAR better than living in anyplace in the IE, please don't subject yourself or your family to the IE, it is a terrible place to live especially for the cost. It is very hot there in the summer, near 110 and crime is very high. I can't think of a worse overall metro to live in and I went to grad school at UCR for a couple of years so I know.

Weather can be a factor and can make driving dangerous. However, if you choose OC or Lake Arrowhead you will be far better off than living in the depths of depression in the IE.

[Huckleberry3911948]

very developed. near LA. interesting same elevation as laguna mountain but laguna does not have the development. but arrowhead come 6 pm bek of the 5000 ft level has a body slam pea soup fog very often better have your club med hotel card ready if you dally after 6 you aint gettin off the mountain.
no travel after 6. i pulled it off 1 time with a gps but it was risky could not see nothin.