Thinking of moving to San Bernardino (Los Angeles, Anaheim: RV park, to rent, crime)

[WAMACOCT]

Howdy,

My family is considering a move from NewEngland to San Bernardino for work. I make 100k+ and have a working spouse as well who would sell to large businesses but her income is dependent on having potential customers within a hours drive, We have a preschooler and want more kids. Safety is key, we like snow (as in have to shovel from yard) have large outdoorish dogs and I've got a 4x4 building/racing hobby. I don't mind a 45 minute ish commute.

All I read about with SB is crime and danger. Where's a safe place to look for houses? I read there's a neighborhood that's at around 3000 feet elevation, that sounded up my ally, is it safe and does it have a name for searching for homes? The car hobbies I have don't lend well to the carjacking statistics I read, nor do I like the rape or burglary figures. We're well armed (is that a problem in this area?) and our dogs are no joke, but I'd rather not live in an area that's begging to make my family a statistic.

Thank you!!

[Fontucky]

If you like shoveling snow, you'll have to head up the mountain. Big Bear, Running Springs, Lake Arrowhead. No snow in San Berdoo.

Well-armed isn't a problem, just make sure what you're bringing here is legal: Gun laws in California - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The large dogs will be a PITA of you plan to rent. As in a hindrance.

[Pacifico]

If you're hailing from the Live Free or Die state, NH, really familiarize yourself with CA laws on firearms as there's a lot more rules/regulations. Several posts on this forum give major kudos to the area in and around Univ of Redlands so you may want to research that particular location.

[Samoi137]

Sounds like an exploratory trip, and a visit to some realtors (see which ones you like; ask them about types of places you'd be interested in, including elevation) to see homes in the area,not just in San Berdoo itself,is in order. Ontario International Airport is nearby and quite easy to use. Maybe Southwest or other from Manchester or Boston to Ontario?

I have relatives in San Bernardino County, in the Upland-Rancho Cucamonga area. Depedning on budget, you could consider those areas, as well. I don't think it'd be a bad commute to San Bernardino (reverse commute and not far), and wife would be a few minutes closer to places like L.A. for business (also see Metrolink commuter trains). As noted, I'd think twice about a mountain home, even 3,000', due to snow, and dirivng time, though no harm in asking about them. If you have enough money (we know your salary but not savings or wife's salary and what you could afford to spend on a home), you can probably find something at 3,000'. If eleation were a priority, you could look at the desert city of Victorville, over Cajon Pass. I didn't say the best place in which to live, and the commute to SB could be a bear in winter, but it's just under 3,000'. I'd rather live in Rancho Cucamonga or Upland. Don't know SB well enough to judge.

You may want to occasionally look at local papers such as http://www.sbsun.com/ and http://www.dailybulletin.com/

[TheBarrenLands]

Don't move to San Bernardino. It's seriously one of the most ghetto, dirty, dangerous places in the entire USA. Gangs and their graffiti are everywhere, homeless crack and meth addicts prowl the streets hauling their garbage and harassing people. The city itself is filthy, dusty, and smelly. I've seen massive dirty rats running around in downtown SB, I can only imagine what the alleys and vacant lots (nd there are a lot of those in San Bernardino) are like. The houses by the north side by the mountains are very nice and clean but since the crime problem in the city has reached epidemic proportions, the police prescence in the nicer areas is nonexistant and robberies and burglaries are common in these neighborhoods, even in broad daylight. Try looking in Rancho Cucamonga, or the Canyon Crest or Woodcrest neighborhoods of Riverside.

[Podo944]

Is right above San Bernardino up the 18 and off 138. We lived there for a few years a while back and commuted to Anaheim until hubby got a new job, then it was too far.

It's a pretty little town, but it is very challenging to commute from! The extremely thick fog on the windy road was scarier than the snow!

As far as San Bernardino, I'd feel pretty uncomfortable living there as tempting as the home prices are.
I remember the day when we moved up the mountain, we were meeting a friend at the local U-haul on Baseline road. We were in a gas station and asked a police officer who was in the parking lot for directions. He pointed to where we needed to go then told us to be "very careful". This was in the middle of the day!!

Needless to say we didn't do much business around there!

[Samoi137]

I haven't seen giant rats in the Rancho Cucamonga area, or even Fontana, but SB could be another story. Devore (or Devore Heights) is just over 2,000' off I-15.

[joycey1000]

I would not move to a mountain community especially when you have to go to work. We work from our house so we can do it. Wrightwood is a mountain community and we do get snow once in a while. (winter only of course). There are lots of pine trees, little shops, some restaurants, a fishing lake etc. I would say the drive would be about 45 minutes to go to SB, maybe shorter depending on how fast you drive and where your work is.

I don't like the drive going down hill from Lake Arrowhead. Scary, especially when it snows, I don't think it can be done ???

I agree with the other person, Upland or Rancho Cucamonga would be nice, I would pick Cucamonga as it is closer to SB and has lots of shopping and restaurants. You would also be closer to Los Angeles, but I would not want to do that commute every day, even though there are some people that do this. I would not do this for all the tea in China.

If you want to live in SB, make sure it is situated above the 210 fwy try this zipcode 92405. (my advice is not to live in SB) or near SB University. Another alternative would be the city Riverside. Now, if I where you, make sure to fill up your gas tank before you enter SB. I would not stop anywhere in that city, we have stopped at some drive through fast food places in the SB university area, that is a little bit nicer than the rest, other than that I would not do this.

Desert cities like Victorville, Hesperia etc: check it out and see if you like it. It is cheap, but crime and unemployment is high and weather is either very hot or cold.

No, if I where in your shoes I would pick Rancho Cucamonga or a good area in Riverside. If you feel homesick rent a cabin in Lake Arrowhead for the week-end, my husband and I do this once in a while, better yet, try going to Lake Tahoe is much nicer.

I don't know what you and your wife like in life. I am pretty demanding and want a lot out of life. But I would not be so fixated on snow, there are a couple of mountain communities that have snow once in a while in winter time and snow skiing.

You will eventually appreciate the warm weather for Christmas. You may try something else, for example we bought a motor home and camp on the beach in Malibu. Malibu has one private RV park, overlooking the ocean. Has a very nice fish restaurant within walking distance, good prices, ocean view. ( I don't mean Gladstone's for Fish, that is pretty far away and expensive) There are a couple of state parks too, just drive up Pacific Coast Hwy and try it.

I am sure you will like it here, especially when you stay out of SB as much as you can.

Welcome to California.

[Dallas Cowboys Fan]

Scratch the city of San Bernardino off your list of places to live. There is almost nothing that is even remotely desirable about that city. Try Rancho Cucamonga. It's not too terribly far and it is very nice.

[gordy jamison]

Just a word of warning, San Bernardino and all the surrounding cities suffer from very high winds between December and May and this raises the pollen level in the air and causes allergies for many people here. If your bringing an allergy problem with you, expect it to get worse.