How bad is Palmdale compared to Fresno? (Los Angeles, Santa Clarita: section 8, real estate)

[Rateb24]

I've been looking into to moving to Palmdale from Fresno but I have been hearing some bad things, how bad is it compared to Fresno?

[Count David]

= Push.

But then again, I like both places.

Cue the horror stories in.....

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[sam222]

practically the same hellhole, but slightly closer to Civilazation, better moving to Santa clarita than antilope valley

[Lifeshadower]

Palmdale is closer to LA (around 50 miles down CA-14 and I-5) than Fresno is to....well....yeah. Take that for what it is, but Palmdale is, for all practical purposes, a commuter suburb of Los Angeles. A huge percentage of people live and work somewhere in LA (either in Downtown, or more commonly, in the San Fernando Valley). This means that Palmdale doesn't have really that much going on in it, since everything seems to be close-by anyways. It's one of the areas in Los Angeles County that got really hard with the real estate crisis (look how cheap houses are out there now), so there are many foreclosed homes in the area. There are also MANY Section 8 homes in the area, so that take into consideration.

Since it is in the Antelope Valley, it gets the same kind of climate most Mojave Desert cities do. Really hot in the summer, cold in the winter (unlike Fresno, it snows in Palmdale at least once or twice a year). However, there are a lot of desert and mountain activities available in the immediate area. I personally like going stargazing when I'm out there since its much clearer than where I live.

Fresno, on the other hand, more or less functions as the main city of the middle San Joaquin Valley (everything from the Kern County line to the Stanislaus County line). It has MORE things within the city limits because it has no other city most of the people can commute to.

[californio sur]

Palmdale is in Los Angeles county but in the high desert so it is very hot during summer and pretty chilly on winter nights at over 2600'. It can be very windy and dusty but only an hour from the Pacific. Fresno is halfway between LA and the Bay Area in the Central Valley so it is much more lush than the Mojave desert and just about every crop known to man grows in the San Joaquin valley. It is also very hot during summer but can get foggy and chilly during winter; not as cold at night as Palmdale and a little bit more rain. Fresno is bigger than Palmdale and only an hour from the Sierra mts\ Yosemite and 2 hours+ from the Monterey Bay or Morro Bay.

Neither city is what one would considered super exciting but not that bad a place to work and live compared to the majority of the U.S.

[CamaroGuy]

Originally Posted by sam222

practically the same hellhole, but slightly closer to Civilazation, better moving to Santa clarita than antilope valley

Santa Clarita is a lot more expensive than Antelope Valley.

[Lake Conroe resident]

Originally Posted by Rateb24

I've been looking into to moving to Palmdale from Fresno but I have been hearing some bad things, how bad is it compared to Fresno?

You, Q; Would you rather get punched in the face, or the stomach?
Me, A; Niether

[surgeriguy]

Not being from Palmdale prior to this year one has to wonder where Palmdale went wrong. It is for the most part, esthetically pleasing to the eye, but, much like never judging a book by its cover, it is a haven for drugs, crime and just for a lack of a better description, people of walmart. There is little to no work available. A job posting came up for the DMV, and the day it opened, there were, no kidding, up to a thousand people waiting to apply. My wife was fortunate to land a position at the AV hospital out of 4000, yes 4000 applicants. Thankfully we did not buy here and only lease, and if I could figure out a way break the lease, I would be gone from the AV period. Got my sites set on Simi Valley. Heard lots of good things about it. Sorry if I am ruining your day.

[surgeriguy]

Well

Originally Posted by surgeriguy

Not being from Palmdale prior to this year one has to wonder where Palmdale went wrong. It is for the most part, esthetically pleasing to the eye, but, much like never judging a book by its cover, it is a haven for drugs, crime and just for a lack of a better description, people of walmart. There is little to no work available. A job posting came up for the DMV, and the day it opened, there were, no kidding, up to a thousand people waiting to apply. My wife was fortunate to land a position at the AV hospital out of 4000, yes 4000 applicants. Thankfully we did not buy here and only lease, and if I could figure out a way break the lease, I would be gone from the AV period. Got my sites set on Simi Valley. Heard lots of good things about it. Sorry if I am ruining your day.

[Lovehound]

Originally Posted by surgeriguy

Not being from Palmdale prior to this year one has to wonder where Palmdale went wrong. It is for the most part, esthetically pleasing to the eye, but...

I almost want to ask if you've been there, except evidently you presently live there.

Originally Posted by surgeriguy

Got my sites set on Simi Valley. Heard lots of good things about it. Sorry if I am ruining your day.

Good idea! Far far better than AV.



Folks, Palmdale and Lancaster are mostly for people who cannot afford to live closer in to Los Angeles, or a few whose employment makes it convenient to live there (Edwards AFB). Palmdale is scrub desert. It's hot and dry and windy during the summer, and colder than (insert superlative here) during the winter.

If you need to own a house and can't afford over $100K, okay maybe start looking in Palmdale. It is not a destination city. It's a place that most people can't wait to get out of.


I'm sorry to be bashing it but the OP needs the truth.