Suggestions for family-friendly coastal town? (Los Angeles, San Francisco: crime, homes, school district)

[jsta_grl22]

Hi, we are considering a move to California. I am looking at small to midsize towns on or near the coast, with beaches, low/average crime, and most importantly few "fake" people that I hear so much about. It would be great if there are a lot of families and kid-centered activities.

Also, someplace that has an average California cost of living - not overly expensive such as the bay area, or someplace where the homes start at $1 million plus. Thanks for any suggestions!

[rubyskye]

Originally Posted by jsta_grl22

Hi, we are considering a move to California. I am looking at small to midsize towns on or near the coast, with beaches, low/average crime, and most importantly few "fake" people that I hear so much about. It would be great if there are a lot of families and kid-centered activities.

Also, someplace that has an average California cost of living - not overly expensive such as the bay area, or someplace where the homes start at $1 million plus. Thanks for any suggestions!

Consider Soquel in the county of Santa Cruz. It's a relatively safe (there's crime everywhere but as a single woman i feel safe in Soquel) family friendly community just one town in (minutes away) from the ocean. It's the most mellowest of towns in Santa Cruz county but with easy access to everything.
Monterey is about a 40 min. drive down the road (greatest Aquarium) and San Francisco is just up the road (2 hrs give or take).
Santa Cruz county is not cheap. The average home price is, i think, around 750K.
It is absolutely not a community full of "fake" people. I don't think there are any if i'm getting what you mean by fake. The entire county is diverse and open and tolerant and full of very real people.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by jsta_grl22

Hi, we are considering a move to California. I am looking at small to midsize towns on or near the coast, with beaches, low/average crime, and most importantly few "fake" people that I hear so much about. It would be great if there are a lot of families and kid-centered activities.

Also, someplace that has an average California cost of living - not overly expensive such as the bay area, or someplace where the homes start at $1 million plus. Thanks for any suggestions!

What is your price range?
What line of work are you in?
Where are you going to work?

From whom did you hear about fake people? What did they?

[the city]

Originally Posted by rubyskye

Consider Soquel in the county of Santa Cruz. It's a relatively safe (there's crime everywhere but as a single woman i feel safe in Soquel) family friendly community just one town in (minutes away) from the ocean. It's the most mellowest of towns in Santa Cruz county but with easy access to everything.
Monterey is about a 40 min. drive down the road (greatest Aquarium) and San Francisco is just up the road (2 hrs give or take).
Santa Cruz county is not cheap. The average home price is, i think, around 750K.
It is absolutely not a community full of "fake" people. I don't think there are any if i'm getting what you mean by fake. The entire county is diverse and open and tolerant and full of very real people.

I definately agree with what you're saying ruby. That town near Santa Cruz is great, and not as expensive as Santa Cruz I believe. Monterey and Carmel is pretty expensive too, but Pacific Grove next to Monterey is great. Soquel is probably your best option.

I wouldn't suggest San Luis Obispo or Santa Barbara, since they not family orientated, they are college towns. Pismo Beach is great, but more costly than Monterey and Santa Cruz.

I wouldn't suggest Guadulupe or Orcutt either, since the gang problem in that area has grown to be prety bad.

If you don't mind being too far from the beach, Atascadero is a half hour drive to the beach and relatively good cost of living.

[jsta_grl22]

Charles, I don't really have a price range. I'm going to check out the towns suggested and see what I can find. I know cost of living is very high - some places are higher than others though, and I would like something at the lower end.

I will be graduating an Rn so I can move almost anywhere and get a job. And fake people, well, I read about them frequently on the forums. I would rather stay away from places where people have materialistic attitudes and kids in school are obesessed with who has the most money, expensive car, biggest house, etc. I understand there are people like that everywhere, but again, there are some places where this happens more than others. If you could suggest somewhere I would be very grateful.

Thanks for the suggestions so far, I am looking up Atascader and Soquel now.

[nevergoingback]

Gangs in Orcutt. lol thats a good one. maybe a gang of Skate Thrashers!!! I would look at Grover Beach. Orcutt is great, might be going downhill though, its hard to tell. You cant even put Guad in the same sentence as Orcutt. Not to many fake people in Orcutt, alot of familes and retirees, Id check it out.

[bhcompy]

Seal Beach CA

you can search for Seal Beach in the Los Angeles and Orange County forums to find out details

[the city]

Originally Posted by nevergoingback

Gangs in Orcutt. lol thats a good one. maybe a gang of Skate Thrashers!!! I would look at Grover Beach. Orcutt is great, might be going downhill though, its hard to tell. You cant even put Guad in the same sentence as Orcutt. Not to many fake people in Orcutt, alot of familes and retirees, Id check it out.

There aren't any gangs in Orcutt. But Guadalupe and Santa Maria do have gangs. And all the schools are bad-Pioneer Valley, Santa Maria High School, Righetti, and even their private school St. Joseph is over crowded. All the public schools have over 2,500 kids. Until they build a new school, I would never raise my kids there.

[rubyskye]

Originally Posted by the city

I definately agree with what you're saying ruby. That town near Santa Cruz is great, and not as expensive as Santa Cruz I believe. Monterey and Carmel is pretty expensive too, but Pacific Grove next to Monterey is great. Soquel is probably your best option.

I wouldn't suggest San Luis Obispo or Santa Barbara, since they not family orientated, they are college towns. Pismo Beach is great, but more costly than Monterey and Santa Cruz.

I wouldn't suggest Guadulupe or Orcutt either, since the gang problem in that area has grown to be prety bad.

If you don't mind being too far from the beach, Atascadero is a half hour drive to the beach and relatively good cost of living.

Well, with the exceptions of much of Watsonville generally speaking the entire county of Santa Cruz is quite (equally) expensive.

[the city]

Does anyone know if there planning to build a fourth public high school in the santa maria school district? Santa Maria and Righetti High Schools are both at 2,500 students. And Pioneer Valley is at 2,100 students. Then St. Joseph private high school is at 600 and growing. I would say, Santa Maria is okay if they build a new high school. The community college they have is okay, but I just see the problem if all there high schools are overflowed.