Pro and cons of living in Inland Empire (Santa Clarita, Irvine: for sale, houses)

[dober1]

The heat sucks

[volosong]

Cons: the heat, smog, and aggressiveness of commuters on the freeway
Pros:

Can't think of any pros. I moved from the area as soon as my wife's medical residency was completed.

[Ulysses61]

No pros at all. Endless tract houses, wind, smog, hideous traffic, and 5 million strip malls in about 2 miles of driving any which way. Way too many people crammed into two small of a space. And when Redlands is considered the "crown jewel" of the IE, you know the bar is low.

[Gandalara]

Endless tract houses, wind, smog, hideous traffic, and 5 million strip malls in about 2 miles of driving any which way. Way too many people crammed into two small of a space.

The Inland Empire is not just cities.
I live on acreage in a custom home.
No smog.
No traffic. When I worked, it took me 20 minutes to go 20 miles.
The nearest shopping is 10 miles away.
Quiet. No boom-box cars. No graffiti.
Although the horses can get noisy at night if the coyotes are wandering.
I can put up with the once or twice a year Santa Ana winds.

Hate the heat and brown-ness though (in my area).
Will be leaving sooner or later for cool and green.

[AlongTheI-5]

Paradise for young punks with loud exhaust. Law enforcement isn't doing anything about it.

[MountainBiking]

Pros
Close to the desert, mountains, beaches, Palm Springs, Las Vegas, San Diego, Ontario airport.

Cons
Eternal summer weather, dry, winds, overcrowded, high traffic, high unemployment, too many retail/restaurant chains (seems there's an anti small business/mom and pop sentiment in the IE)

[GatsbyGatz]

Pros: some good Mexican food, located an hour or two away from a wealth of entertainment options, and plenty of In-N-Outs.

Cons: suburban sprawling wasteland with no culture, residents with absolutely no pride in where they live, worst pollution and smog in the country, unsophisticated / under educated population, hot, dry, high unemployment, public transit is nearly useless given how sprawled out the I.E. is, etc.

The I.E. is the poster child for all the negative effects of unsustainable suburban sprawl. Redlands is the only location with any character or "culture" which is depressing and, as another poster stated, a really low bar.

[DriveNotCommute]

Originally Posted by lagreen_gbfan

Could you give me any idea of a safe side of town, Im in my mid 40's and considering moving there from Houston. I have some back issues from injuries so for me the humidity and drop in very cold temps is a concern for me. Im thinking that this could be where I grow old. So can anyone tell me if this would be a good move? BTW I'm from a small town in Wisconsin so I've lived small town and big city....

The humidity can't be worse than Houston's. I'd say that the heat waves are more often dry heat than humid heat, but the humidity is more intense in the IE than it is out here in OC.

In the winter, the temperature spread in the valleys won't be too great, maybe mid-30s to high 60s-low 70s. Like OC, the IE shouldn't really hit 32F all that often unless you're in the mountains.

Consider Loma Linda. It's probably one of the more upscale towns in the region and is largely supported by a well known hospital there. Environment is mid-sized city with suburbs but realistically you will probably be driving between boundaries a lot and simply consider the entire region part of your "home turf" and not restrict yourself within city limits.

[jhn_plsn]

I have owned a home in 92505 for 14 years. I was determined to never live in the IE again as I spent my teen years here and never liked the heat, smog, and growth that the local infrastructure was not keeping up with. We lived in the OC for many years and all the state infrastructure money seems to go there. The state highways are maintained much better in OC than the IE. A good example is the freeways in the OC are repaired then shaven or smoothed out every couple years where here in the IE they crumble. Try driving the 10 freeway and avoid all the suspension and steering wheel buzzing jolts.
My Riverside city specific gripes are around the lack of police presents. Even though the graffiti is dealt with swiftly it only masks the poor enforcement of basic quality of life issues. Code enforcement needs to work day and night shifts to take some load off the police. Noise pollution is ridiculous, with parties allowed to go into the next day without response from the police. I was so fed up one time I asked that an officer call me upon arrival. The officer called me at 4 am and stated that they were only having a party for their four year old. What!!!!! My opinion is to let code enforcement send out a letter with a stern fine for the property owners and an additional fine for renters. The word will get around swiftly.
I feel for the homeless, but they need to stay out of my shrubs and trash cans. I have kicked out people attempting to sleep in my bushes and those who sift through the trash on trash day leave a mess. The homeowners get to clean it up while the renters just leave it.
The area could be a good place to live as it is central to the beaches, mountains, and desert. I would even pay more property tax for much more police presents and expand enforcement. I currently look forward to retiring to someplace else, but I do hold hope that our local government and residence bring it out of this rut. A silent scared majority will not help improve things, but rather allow those boastful disrespectful few to do as they please.

[Dub D]

Cons
Eternal summer weather, dry, winds, overcrowded, high traffic, high unemployment, too many retail/restaurant chains (seems there's an anti small business/mom and pop sentiment in the IE)[/quote]


huh? That pretty much sums up most of Southern California...especially OC if you take out the summer heat.

LA, just triple the overcrowded and traffic part.

I really don't get what your point is.

The IE, it lacks character. There are *some* cities with some charm but its really a bunch of commuter or people who enjoy space.