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Old 02-15-2010, 08:56 PM
 
24 posts, read 42,834 times
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We'll be visiting Ventura next month for a job interview. What should we see in the area to help us get the most realistic (good and the bad) idea of what life would be like there? We are a family of 4 with 2 elementary age children.
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Old 02-15-2010, 09:07 PM
 
Location: Las Flores, Orange County, CA
26,338 posts, read 93,595,462 times
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Rent or buying? What is your price range?
What kind of housing (SFR, condo, etc)?
What age of home would be ideal?

Start researching online now where you would consider living based on price range, schools, amenities, traffic, City-Data forum recommendations, distance from "Plan B" job opportunities (in case he loses the Ventura job), and demographics. Go to Google Maps street view and see if it looks like a place you would like to live. You should be able to identify at least one candidate community, maybe two or three.

When you arrive, visit these communities, test drive the commute to work, drive to the store, drive to the schools, try to replicate your real day to day activities. Go inside the schools and look at the kids: do they look cheerful? Is the school clean? Do the parents look like they are proactive? Are there a lot of academic after school clubs like computer, robotics, French, music, technology, etc?
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Old 02-15-2010, 09:39 PM
 
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Definitely renting, will still be paying mortgage on an unsellable home we will be moving from. Don't want to visit tourist traps. Want to know where locals go to beach, eat, hike/bike, etc.
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Old 02-15-2010, 10:14 PM
 
Location: Las Flores, Orange County, CA
26,338 posts, read 93,595,462 times
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Ventura itself is a very nice place to visit, beach, eat, and live. There are neighborhoods for singles, families, and retired people. One negative about it is the "Plan B" thing. Are there backup jobs either on the Oxnard Plain, the Conejo Valley, or the Santa barbara area? If you are renting, then I guess it doesn't make that much difference - you can just pick up and move.
Lots of neat hiking at Point Mugu, the Santa Monica Mountains, and in the mountains north of Ventura, Ojai, Santa Paula, back in there. Lots of excellent cycling from Ventura , Santa Paula, Filmore, Moorpark, and Ojai.
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Old 02-15-2010, 10:16 PM
 
Location: The High Seas
7,372 posts, read 15,976,804 times
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I know this will pizz off the folks who run this site, but, for a laundry list of places to see, restaurants to try, things to do... tripadvisor and yelp would be your best bets. For in-depth questions that are more interactive with posters, this site is the place. As for in-depth coverage of restaurants, I'd also add chowhound in the mix.
Take a drive up to Santa Barbara, if you've never been to the area and have time to 'vacation'.
....makes me wonder who's hiring these days in Ventura. Don't tell, if you don't want to...just my curiosity getting the best of me. Great area to live, btw!
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Old 02-15-2010, 10:32 PM
 
Location: Las Flores, Orange County, CA
26,338 posts, read 93,595,462 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Snort View Post
I know this will pizz off the folks who run this site, but, for a laundry list of places to see, restaurants to try, things to do... tripadvisor and yelp would be your best bets. For in-depth questions that are more interactive with posters, this site is the place. As for in-depth coverage of restaurants, I'd also add chowhound in the mix.
Here's another one I use a lot when on travel for restaurants and hotels:

Reviews of vacations, hotels, resorts, vacation and travel packages - TripAdvisor
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Old 02-15-2010, 11:32 PM
 
Location: In Transition
1,637 posts, read 1,905,997 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by califbound View Post
We'll be visiting Ventura next month for a job interview. What should we see in the area to help us get the most realistic (good and the bad) idea of what life would be like there?
Drive from Point Mugu down to Zuma Beach and back. Stop at Leo Carrillo State Beach and check it out.

If your family likes to hike, if you have some time, and it's sunny out, stop at Sycamore Canyon (state park) and take a hike there. Check out this trail if you can hike hills (or even better this trail if it's maintained and not overrun with poison oak). Go to the "side trail" that overlooks the ocean from the hill (the picture in the blog is from that location). That sold me on California

It helps if you like the outdoors and take advantage of 75 deg weather in the middle of February. Sycamore canyon is also mountain bike mecca, as well as numerous other biking and hiking locations of all difficulties.

From Ventura, if you have a day, drive to Santa Barbara or Ojai as well to get a feel of what's around the area.

All of these places are day trips from Ventura.

Quote:
Originally Posted by califbound View Post
We are a family of 4 with 2 elementary age children.
Don't forget that Ventura is also a day trip for places like Disneyland. Or for more than a day, Legoland!

Last edited by jkbatca; 02-15-2010 at 11:47 PM..
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Old 02-16-2010, 09:17 AM
 
24 posts, read 42,834 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Snort View Post
I know this will pizz off the folks who run this site, but, for a laundry list of places to see, restaurants to try, things to do... tripadvisor and yelp would be your best bets. For in-depth questions that are more interactive with posters, this site is the place. As for in-depth coverage of restaurants, I'd also add chowhound in the mix.
Take a drive up to Santa Barbara, if you've never been to the area and have time to 'vacation'.
....makes me wonder who's hiring these days in Ventura. Don't tell, if you don't want to...just my curiosity getting the best of me. Great area to live, btw!

Thanks for the info...it's a medical facility in Ventura County.
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Old 02-22-2010, 07:19 AM
 
Location: Oxnard, CA
1,549 posts, read 4,247,875 times
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Make sure to try the local eateries...I have a food blog that I can send to you if you'd like. I haven't updated it since last year but some of my favorite places are on the list!
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Old 03-02-2010, 12:32 PM
 
Location: United States
2,497 posts, read 7,461,153 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LadyKLO View Post
Make sure to try the local eateries...I have a food blog that I can send to you if you'd like. I haven't updated it since last year but some of my favorite places are on the list!
and the best steak in Ventura is found?.....
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