Aptos Hills - Larkin Valley (San Diego, Santa Cruz: crime, houses, neighborhood)

[thecgmguy]

My wife and I are beginning to consider the Aptos Hills - Larkin Valley area of Santa Cruz County. I'm concerned about the crime as it's close to Watsonville. Can anyone please comment on the area?

[SanDiegoTeen]

The Aptos Hills are BEAUTIFUL! You would love living there. Safety first: Aptos is a very wealthy town, with great high schools, beautiful homes and it is safe.

My friend from San Diego lived in Aptos right by the 101 & park avenue off ramp. I loved it!

The Aptos hills are great because you get more land and a bigger house.....horses?......tennis? vineyard?

The list is endless!

The Aptos Hills are a very special place. I love them and I'm 100% positive that you'll fell the same when you drive up through the lush canyons and beautiful, huge trees and the peace and quiet with fields upon fields of Cherry Trees.....It's STUNNING!

Go for it! And PM me if you have any questions or concerns.

Thanks!

SoCalTeen

[thecgmguy]

I should clarify. The Zip code is watsonville. The schools would be pajaro valley. That's why I'm concerned.

[coyoteskye]

Originally Posted by thecgmguy

My wife and I are beginning to consider the Aptos Hills - Larkin Valley area of Santa Cruz County. I'm concerned about the crime as it's close to Watsonville. Can anyone please comment on the area?

I lived in Larkin Valley 5 years ago .... on White Rd.
My address was actually Watsonville but the owners advertised it as Aptos 'cause people have attitude/fear regarding Watsonville.
This part of Watsonville is safe!
I loved it ... Man Resa (best) beach is just a few miles away.
Lots of horses too.
So, if you like the area, i wouldn't let the crime issue deter you.
And when you say "crime", are you worried about break ins to your property? ... or just a feeling of personal safety when walking, jogging, being around your home, etc.?

[coyoteskye]

Originally Posted by thecgmguy

I should clarify. The Zip code is watsonville. The schools would be pajaro valley. That's why I'm concerned.

Does that mean you have children that will be going to school in Watsonville?
That may or may not be an issue.
I imagine, given that Aptos and Soquel (for example) are wealthier communities, their school system may be better? but i don't know.
There is gang activity in Watsonville though.
I guess if you have kids attending high school, there may be a concern?

[thecgmguy]

Thanks for the prompt reply. Much appreciated (really!).

My primary concern is:

- Break ins
- Migration of gang related activities moving out from Watsonville
- Safety of neighborhood

My wife and I are planning to start a family soon and I want to be able to feel safe going for evening walks, supervising kids playing in the back yard, leaving for work with my wife and kids at home etc.

I apologize if I have a somewhat negative standpoint of Watsonville -- I'm sure there's nice areas but I've heard that there's a large gang related presence there and I'm also concerned about that growing out over the next 30+ years.

My other concern is the schools. Any reviews of Pajaro Valley?

Thanks,

M

P.S. The properties we're looking at are on Rancho Calabasas Dr. Not sure if you're familiar with that area?

[coyoteskye]

Originally Posted by thecgmguy

Thanks for the prompt reply. Much appreciated (really!).

My primary concern is:

- Break ins
- Migration of gang related activities moving out from Watsonville
- Safety of neighborhood

My wife and I are planning to start a family soon and I want to be able to feel safe going for evening walks, supervising kids playing in the back yard, leaving for work with my wife and kids at home etc.

I apologize if I have a somewhat negative standpoint of Watsonville -- I'm sure there's nice areas but I've heard that there's a large gang related presence there and I'm also concerned about that growing out over the next 30+ years.

My other concern is the schools. Any reviews of Pajaro Valley?

Thanks,

M

P.S. The properties we're looking at are on Rancho Calabasas Dr. Not sure if you're familiar with that area?

If i'm reading the google map correctly (i'm a really bad map reader) it looks like "your" road is between where i lived on White Rd. and Freedom Blvd and if i'm remembering correctly, it's a prime area ... very nice.
I wouldn't be concerned about walking in your neighborhood and haning out on your property but i think you may want a good security system.
I lived on a piece of old hippie property (with a few houses) and the folks that owned them didn't even lock their doors but we were kinda "hidden" (and funky) and not the kind of place that would be a target.
I had to ask my landlord to put a lock on my door because i was a single woman and i had lived in the city for a number of years and wasn't comfortable without a bit of security.
But i never felt unsafe in my yard ... i just wanted a lock at night when i slept.
I don't know how to answer these crime / break-in questions but if i had a choice and was wanting to begin a family soon and security was a big issue for me, i might rather be in Soquel or parts of Aptos that are not 1) so close to the highway and 2) not in an area that is closer to Watsonville than most places in the county.
But i just don't know ... i'm not basing anything on statistics but just from hearsay and my own sense of things (which may or may not be objective).
So, if you have choices and you're thinking really long term (settling for 30 years with a family) and you aren't locked in by financial restrictions, i'd consider Soquel as it's just my sense is that it's the most family friendly and family oriented community in the county of Santa Cruz.
The area that you're considering is lovely but if you want some connection to community it might not fit that bill ... it's far away from the center of Watsonville but not really a part of the community of Aptos.
I don't know about the quality of the schools. I've heard that CA in general has problems with their school systems but i'm not a parent.
Hope that's a bit helpful anyway.

[thecgmguy]

Hi,

Thanks for your prompt and detailed response. After discussing stuff a bit more with the wife, I think we'll hold off on the larkin valley area for a number of reasons.

Even with crime not being a huge issue,

- It would extend my commute.
- The public schools could be a concern later
- We're in no real rush and can continue to look around.

Thank you VERY much for all your help and insight. It's sincerely and greatly appreciated.

[coyoteskye]

Originally Posted by thecgmguy

Hi,

Thanks for your prompt and detailed response. After discussing stuff a bit more with the wife, I think we'll hold off on the larkin valley area for a number of reasons.

Even with crime not being a huge issue,

- It would extend my commute.
- The public schools could be a concern later
- We're in no real rush and can continue to look around.

Thank you VERY much for all your help and insight. It's sincerely and greatly appreciated.

You're welcome and don't give up on Santa Cruz county.
There are so many wonderful and varied places here to live and raise a family.
And even though you said you're going to hold off on Larkin Valley i just wanted to add that i used to walk on White Rd. often ... (all the way to Freedom Blvd. to catch the bus when i was without a car for about a month) and i never saw anyone on that road that made me nervous.
That area (if i've got it right regarding the road you mentioned) is a little "pocket" of rural properties that seem to be protected from traffic, ie; it's not really used by anyone other than people who live in that particular area, people working on houses, etc., generally speaking.
But in the night time when the robbers are lurking i just don't know.
And being close to the HW is not necessarily a bad thing (as long as you can't hear it) but the proximity to the HW along with being very close to Freedom Blvd. (which is a heavily used rd. back and forth from Watsonville) made me wonder about the location regarding break-ins.
Good luck in your home search.

[nr5667]

Aptos High School is part of the PVUSD, however, compared to the other PVUSD high schools, it may as well be in a different district. My fiancee's sister goes to Aptos high, plenty of honor courses, college prep, etc... It's rather removed from Watsonville, although used to get bussed in, PVUSD just opened a new high school, so I'm not certain how common that is.

The elementary and middle schools in Aptos are in a different district.

Crime isn't really an issue. The gangs would be well outside their comfort zone there, and the Sheriff's department has always provided excellent service, in my experience.

The Sheriff's office provides crime maps: Santa Cruz County Sheriff

And the graduation rate for Aptos High is 97%