Antelope Valley Rural Areas? California Poppy Reserve (Los Angeles, Lancaster: low crime, homes)

[7stringguitarguy]

I was cruising the internet bored and I saw a picture of a field of gold and orange flowers , I thought it was it was really beautiful so i looked up information about it. When to visit the park for the flowers? Apparently its the California Poppy Reserve near Lancaster California. I have heard that living in Lancaster and Palm Dale are not very nice from some people but im not sure. I heard some bad stuff, i but i don't know what to believe because people have different opinions and some people have no idea what there talking about. I have a few questions.. what is the antelope valley like crime wise ? is the valley getting all developed by urban sprawl? is it safe? is there rural areas is there a lot meth labs and trashy people. I might be i m interested in some thing rural outside the cities possibly in the future like a small acredge . thanks.

[7stringguitarguy]

since i can't re-edit i guess my main question is that Is there any good /safe rural areas in the Antelope Valley or Mojave Desert ?

[dbbd]

Yes there are. The west sides of the 14 in Lancaster and Palmdale are low crime areas. Even at that, not all in the east is bad. There are smaller communities and single homes away from the cities - the rural areas. What you have to remember is .... it's desert, which comes with its own challenges. It would be best to take a ride up there and see for yourself.

Personally, I like it up here - close enough to LA to where I can get to it if I want, less expensive to where I can still afford a nicer home in a good area, but not so isolated to where it presents hardship.

[7stringguitarguy]

Thanks for the info, I going to follow your advice .. I think i have to check it out , my aunt lives in santa clarita and i was there today. I really like the scenery there, with the mountains and rolling hills. Its seems really to get more and more arid as you get further from the ocean. Yeah I know what you mean, some places can be so remote that can be a burden.

[Out_of_Palmdale]

The poppy preserve is a very nice place to visit during the months of March to June. I was there in April and I actually enjoyed my visit. Lots of trail walking and beautiful views of the mountains and surrounding countryside. Plenty of other flowers too besides poppies, lots of butterflies.

I now live in Lancaster and for me personally, it has been a much better place for me to live than Palmdale. I lived in Palmdale for 15 years and hated every minute. Now that I live in Lancaster I will offer you my point of view and say that the west side of Lancaster is not a bad place to live. I have lived in Lancaster for 5 years and have yet to have any sort of problem with crime. The sheriff is responsive and all over this place now. My neighborhood is safe and my neighbors all look out for each other. If you can find a home in a well established neighborhood so much the better. My experience has proven that the more established neighborhoods have tended to be more stable..... people have jobs, they own their homes free and clear and they don't move away. Several of my neighbors have been living in their homes for 40 years which is rare to find.

In the rural areas, you have to take into consideration the availability of water, electricity and other utilities for building. If cable is not available, satellite is your only option. If you are buying land, you have to drill for well water or truck it in to store in an above ground tank IF there are no municipal (or otherwise) water lines already in ground.

You do have to be careful where you buy if you are looking at rural property. Antelope Acres (on the west side) might be a place you would be interested in. Leona Valley (west side) and surrounding areas (Green Valley) are very rural but also more expensive than heading out to the eastern/northern regions of the Antelope Valley. Mojave is to the north of the AV, as is a city called Rosamond. Land/housing can be cheap out Rosamond way. Rosamond is located near the Edwards AFB ..... you might also be interested in a place called North Edwards. Rural property is reasonably priced. Even further out is a place called California City, but that is getting about an hour+ outside of Lancaster driving time.

Avoid a city called Lake Los Angeles. There used to be an actual lake there long ago but of course now it is a dust bowl. High rates of meth and other drug use/trade. If you buy land out in the desert, take into account that there is no shade and it gets HOT. There probably aren't any utilities available out there either which makes building difficult/impossible. Littlerock (to the east of the AV) might be another place for you to look. All depends whether you prefer hard core desert or whether you like to see some greenery.