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We are an active 70 and 80 and are thinking about retiring near our son in Los Angeles. We don't want a large city, but do want a temperate climate, prefer to be near water, reasonable living options, good medical services, an active cultural life in an area which would be supportive to retirees. My husband is an active tennis player and we enjoy theater, foreign films, art museums, nice restaurants, shopping, street fairs and community events. We have not decided about whether we would buy or rent at this time. We love Santa Barbara, but can't afford it!
Last edited by nitee; 02-02-2016 at 08:53 AM..
Reason: proper grammar
I'm 70ish and my husband is 80ish and are thinking about retiring near our son in Los Angeles. We don't want a large city, but do want a temperate climate, prefer to be near water, reasonable living options, good medical services and an area which would be supportive to retirees. My husband is an active tennis player and we enjoy theater, foreign films, museums, nice restaurants and an active local community without the outrageous costs of LA. We've lived in South Florida for many years and want to make a change.
Born and raised in CA and left 12 years ago to retire in AZ and Oregon. Could not imagine trying to drive anywhere in that traffic. CA is not kind to old people.
Greetings nitee. While I don't live in Ventura now, I did for most of my adult life. Ventura is expensive. As much as in the LA basin. It is close enough geographically that it is within the LA 'sphere of influence'. In fact, while I lived there, I always commuted back into LA for my job.
It could also be considered a "large city". Ventura, Oxnard, Port Hueneme . . . they are all adjacent to each other and except for the governmental distinctions, they are practically a single city. It has grown quite large and congested. Since the SOAR voter approved initiative, real estate prices have exploded. (SOAR = Save Our Agricultural Resources. An initiative that limits urban growth in Ventura County)
The area does have an active tennis scene, and great year-round weather in which to play. There is community theater, and some professional stuff up the hill in Thousand Oaks. Don't know about foreign films and museums. I suspect you'll have to head back to LA for those. Restaurants are primarily chain places. To me, they are nice.
I would love to move back, but it is getting awfully expensive and congested. I have also made a personal decision to never live in a city that utilizes 'red light cameras'. Studies have shown that they actually increase traffic accidents when their stated purpose for installation is to reduce accidents. It is a revenue stream for the city, and some cities have admitted as much.
If it wasn't for the red light cameras and congestion, I wouldn't hesitate for a moment purchasing a place in the mobile home park inside the harbor. The harbor is an awesome living environment, (I lived on a sailboat in the harbor for twelve years. Some of the best years of my life.) The mobile home park is a 55+ community. Can't say for sure, but I think it might be rent controlled. You'd have to check on that. There are numerous other mobile home parks within Ventura county, but to me, they are all 'ugly'. The one at the harbor is fantastic.
Note: There is a 'Ventura County' sub-forum under the 'California' sub-forum of City-Data. Post your query there and you will get a lot more responses.
Thank you Volosong and Motley Crew for your responses. I will go to the sub-forum later today. You're right about the mobile communities along with some of the over 55 ones. I've only seen then online and they weren't too appealing. So we'll keep thinking for awhile. It is better to live near family as you age, especially if there will be grandchildren in the future. We all want to get in as much as we can while we're still able to enjoy and then not burden our kids with 3,000 mile trips.
Thank you Volosong and Motley Crew for your responses. I will go to the sub-forum later today. You're right about the mobile communities along with some of the over 55 ones. I've only seen then online and they weren't too appealing. So we'll keep thinking for awhile. It is better to live near family as you age, especially if there will be grandchildren in the future. We all want to get in as much as we can while we're still able to enjoy and then not burden our kids with 3,000 mile trips.
With "near the water" you are creating a situation that means expensive places.
To be near LA and yet more affordable there is only one direction - inland.
I grew up in Ventura County and some of my family still lives in the area. A nice mobile home park for 55+ is Camarillo Springs Country Club. I'm not sure how expensive it is now but several years ago it was very nice and affordable. I believe they've built condos and made it more of a community now with shopping. It's at the bottom of the Conejo grade. You might want to check it out. It's not too far from the ocean. I agree with the others ... traffic is horrendous now.
Thank you for your posting, I'll do some more homework as to our options. We realize it will still be costly in Ventura County near the water, but maybe we can find a happy medium.
I grew up in Ventura County and some of my family still lives in the area. A nice mobile home park for 55+ is Camarillo Springs Country Club. I'm not sure how expensive it is now but several years ago it was very nice and affordable. I believe they've built condos and made it more of a community now with shopping. It's at the bottom of the Conejo grade. You might want to check it out. It's not too far from the ocean. I agree with the others ... traffic is horrendous now.
Holy #$@& just took a look and those mobile homes are going for around 300 thousand bucks! VILLAGE HOMES FOR SALE
With "near the water" you are creating a situation that means expensive places.
To be near LA and yet more affordable there is only one direction - inland.
Exactly what I was thinking. However Ventura is probably less expensive than Santa Barbara but is within easy driving distance of Santa Barbara, making it easy to spend the day there without advance planning.
As for major cultural events, downtown Los Angeles (Disney Hall, the Music Center, etc.) is a bit of a trek - over an hour one-way from Ventura. There are also major cultural events on the west side (Broad Stage in Santa Monica - also foreign films in Santa Monica plus various events at UCLA) but traffic on the west side is horrendous - arguably worse than anywhere else in the greater Los Angeles area. (The west side is closer to Ventura than downtown, but not enough closer to make a major difference).
Foreign films and a huge selection of genuine ethnic restaurants can be found in the San Fernando Valley, which is closer to Ventura than either the west side or downtown, but is still not really close by.
Yes, Ventura and neighboring towns along the ocean can be wonderful places to retire as long as you are wealthy. I know wealthy is a relative word, but the vast majority of people could not afford to live there.
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