Garden Grove/Westminster - How do you rate them? (Huntington Beach: houses, buy)

[mrsltd]

Originally Posted by Teckeeee

I grew up in CM and it's always been that way on the West side, don't hold your breath. Those homes were built after WWII they are small, small, with huge lots, not what most want these days.

Oh, people can always tear-down and rebuild.

[tiredatwork]

A few years ago I went through the hassel of buying a house in either Garden Grove or Westminster because I was met with waves of Vietnamese who paid $400K-$500K CASH right off the bat for the houses in these areas

[russlancea]

The cities of Garden Grove and Westminster would like to quote President Obama: "Stop hatin' all the time".

I used to live in Westminster and now am in West Garden Grove. Despite what people may say, there are some nice areas in both cities. In terms of school, I think West Garden Grove is better with great elementary, middle and high school. I wouldn't rely on a school transfer and would never send my kids to Westminster High.

[Curious Jay]

While looking at school performance maps (California School Performance Maps - check 'secondary' box and zoom in to Orange County area) I noticed that Fountain Valley offers a pocket of "blue" public schools (according to the legend on that site, blue = good schools, green = fair/OK schools, orange/red = poor schools).

How would the posters here rate Fountain Valley as a place to live?

It also looks like the following areas have a cluster of secondary schools (middle/high school) that are solidly 'blue':

- Cypress
- Los Alamitos (just southwest of Cypress)
- Garden Grove/Fountain Valley


How about these places? Are pockets of these cities solid places for a young family?

I know that none of these cities are usually on anyone's Top 10 lists for places to live in. But in my experience the public school ratings often reflect the quality of the neighborhood and its people, at least to some degree - hence my question about these places.

If I were to move to any of these places, my two wishes would be:

1. Relative safety for the family, and no unsavory elements for future kids to get mixed up with (i.e. gangs)
2. Good-to-Strong public schools, K-12.

[russlancea]

West GG, Cypress, Los Al, Fountain Valley, Huntington Beach were on my top lists to buy a house. I love south OC, but I like being close to Long Beach where I have work and family.

Those are all great cities to buy and raise a family in, IMO, but Garden Grove is a large city and I would only live in the Westside where there are better schools.

Cypress, Los Alamitos, West GG, Fountain Valley are all considered safe areas with good schools. The only concern I have heard of regarding the schools is the drug and sex issue. As far as affordability, West GG homes, I think, are the least expensive from that list.

[Curious Jay]

Originally Posted by russlancea

West GG, Cypress, Los Al, Fountain Valley, Huntington Beach were on my top lists to buy a house. I love south OC, but I like being close to Long Beach where I have work and family.

Those are all great cities to buy and raise a family in, IMO, but Garden Grove is a large city and I would only live in the Westside where there are better schools.

Cypress, Los Alamitos, West GG, Fountain Valley are all considered safe areas with good schools. The only concern I have heard of regarding the schools is the drug and sex issue. As far as affordability, West GG homes, I think, are the least expensive from that list.

Thank you for your thoughtful answers. I appreciate it.

And I hear you on the drugs and sex thing, man - but on the other hand, we do live in an age where that's relatively harder to escape - especially the sex (just look at pop culture and media today, it's just dripping with sex). My philosophy is that sex and drugs in a teen's life is something I'm willing to treat as damage/danger that can be mitigated. It's not crazy to think that kids these days will experiment - hell, it even happens in po-dunk towns all over the country, where we're apt to think our kids are 100% 'safe' (Is that even possible? Do such conditions even exist?)!

And so for me - long as they don't get pregnant/get someone pregnant or get addicted to heroin/cocaine/meth/MDMA (the most destructive drugs, imo), I'll accept those dangers as part of contemporary modern American life and just roll with the punches.

[russlancea]

My husband insists on keeping the kids in Christian schooling, but I hear drugs, sex, etc are problems there too...and I'd be paying $12k+/year!

I really do love the West GG area. It's a middle to middle upper area with some gorgeous houses and some plain ones. The kids and I can walk to 2 elementary schools, a middle school and a high school in the off-hours to ride bikes and scooters, to throw a frisbee or play on the playground structure. People bring their dogs but clean up after them.

I'm a short drive to LA County, South OC, the beach, Ikea, etc. It's not perfect, but I love it. Oh, West GG is close to Stanton (prostitutes on Beach Blvd) and Westminster (the kinda ugly areas of Westminster where I used to live), so there are gangs there. A large industrial area separates the westside from the ghetto, so there really isn't a spill over with problems. I avoid Stanton when I can, but still go back to the old hood in Westminster to shop. It's not really bad. I just wouldn't buy a house there or send my kids to school there.

[Curious Jay]

Originally Posted by russlancea

My husband insists on keeping the kids in Christian schooling, but I hear drugs, sex, etc are problems there too...and I'd be paying $12k+/year!

I really do love the West GG area. It's a middle to middle upper area with some gorgeous houses and some plain ones. The kids and I can walk to 2 elementary schools, a middle school and a high school in the off-hours to ride bikes and scooters, to throw a frisbee or play on the playground structure. People bring their dogs but clean up after them.

I'm a short drive to LA County, South OC, the beach, Ikea, etc. It's not perfect, but I love it. Oh, West GG is close to Stanton (prostitutes on Beach Blvd) and Westminster (the kinda ugly areas of Westminster where I used to live), so there are gangs there. A large industrial area separates the westside from the ghetto, so there really isn't a spill over with problems. I avoid Stanton when I can, but still go back to the old hood in Westminster to shop. It's not really bad. I just wouldn't buy a house there or send my kids to school there.

Is all of Stanton bad?

[RudyOD]

Originally Posted by Curious Jay

Is all of Stanton bad?

Good question. I'm not sure myself. Though I do have a friend that lives in Stanton, the part that borders Cypress, near Knott and Katella. From what I can tell, that little part is rather decent, and haven't noticed any negative elements (junkies, prostitutes, graffiti, trash, loitering) like you see near Beach Blvd. Maybe because everything south of that is industrial/business and they have no reason to be around there?

https://www.google.com/maps/place/St...298717acc35cc5

I guess that would be West Stanton....Beach Blvd is like a black hole. Things just go to $hit the closer you approach.

[psr13]

Originally Posted by Curious Jay

While looking at school performance maps (California School Performance Maps - check 'secondary' box and zoom in to Orange County area) I noticed that Fountain Valley offers a pocket of "blue" public schools (according to the legend on that site, blue = good schools, green = fair/OK schools, orange/red = poor schools).

How would the posters here rate Fountain Valley as a place to live?

It also looks like the following areas have a cluster of secondary schools (middle/high school) that are solidly 'blue':

- Cypress
- Los Alamitos (just southwest of Cypress)
- Garden Grove/Fountain Valley


How about these places? Are pockets of these cities solid places for a young family?

I know that none of these cities are usually on anyone's Top 10 lists for places to live in. But in my experience the public school ratings often reflect the quality of the neighborhood and its people, at least to some degree - hence my question about these places.

If I were to move to any of these places, my two wishes would be:


<b>

1. Relative safety for the family, and no unsavory elements for future kids to get mixed up with (i.e. gangs)
2. Good-to-Strong public schools, K-12.

</b>

There are gangs everywhere, and you won't avoid them just by living in an area with a good school. If you live in a higher income place with fewer gangs, there are still plenty of "unsavory elements" for your kids to get mixed up with.