Job in Ontario...Norco, Corona, Temecula...oh, my! (Santa Ana, Riverside: renting, low crime)

[smalltowngirl94]

We have lived in Utah most of our lives and have a job opportunity in Ontario. There is so much to consider when you move...and when you move to a different state, it is even more overwhelming. We have no idea where to start. I really love the look of Corona with the "mountains" nearby, but hear it is smoggy and hot. People say that Temecula is cooler and not so smoggy, but I wonder about the travel time to Ontario? I have fallen in love with Norco, because of its small town appeal. Is this a good choice for someone like me? We have 4 young children who will need a good school and low crime rate. We love to go to the park and the mountains...we have never been to the beach as a family, so access to that once in a while would be nice too. We will be renting for a while, so the high cost of houses will not be a problem for us. We dont need to live in a big city with city life...it is just not our style. We do love to go out to eat as a family and would like to have "close-ish" access to dining, but it does not need to be in the town that we live in neccesarily. These are the 3 areas that I have had any interest in, but know nothing about the area...so if you have any thoughts or ideas or other living options for us, it would be greatly appreciated! Thanks for listening...

[smalltowngirl94]

Been searching this morning...what about Rancho Cuacamonga? It looks bigger, but maybe wouldnt bad along the edges? Let me know...thanks!

[bhcompy]

Temecula will be a big commute, but it is cooler(noticeably). It is the nicest area of the bunch, and certain parts can feel fairly rural. Best schools of the bunch as well.

Norco is a nice town. It is small, but keep in mind that pretty much all of the towns are interconnected. It's not like what I know about rural Utah, like driving between Cedar City and Beaver and having a whole lot of nothing except scattered farmhouses in between. It's not the big city, but it is a semi-suburban area. Norco is known as Horse Town USA, and the Santa Ana River is a great place to ride if you like that kind of thing. I lived there a few years when I was around 10 y/o(about 15 years ago) and I loved it. It's a nice place to raise a family, but research the neighborhoods well. I happen to like the neighborhood west of the 15 fwy off 6th street(Old Town Norco is to the east) as it's on the backside of a hill and that hill borders up to the river, but that's probably just because I grew up there.

Corona is a big city and it really depends on where you want to move. There are some very good schools, but it's mostly developed and solidly suburban. There are some unincorporated areas that use Corona addresses south of the 91 on the 15fwy that used to be surrounded by some open space and ranches, but I believe most of that has been developed in recent years. Select your neighborhood carefully.

As far as Rancho Cucamunga, I believe it's a nice city but I don't know much about it. It will be a much better commute though.

California School Performance Maps is a good source to verify schools. Better the schools, better the neighborhood mostly

[motormaker]

The politics in Norco can get on your nerves at times. I took a pass on Norco several years ago.

Rancho is pretty neat, but I think they have some air quality issues.

Agree that Temecula would be a big commute.

You really need to visit and spend some time in the areas that you are interested in.

[Count David]

Nobody with self-respect and a functioning brain would commute from Temecula to Ontario.

[that1guy]

It's really not that much cooler. Part of that is due to the attract tourism dollars. But look at North Fontana, Redlands, Rancho Cucamonga, Upland, Chino Hills, parts of Chino, and parts of Ontario. Trust me, that commute from Southern Riverside County to Ontario is HELL.

[bhcompy]

Originally Posted by that1guy

It's really not that much cooler. Part of that is due to the attract tourism dollars.

The ocean breeze that comes off the mountains really helps. I spent a few months in the spring and summer going back and forth from OC to Temecula almost on a day to day basis for house hunting and the temperature difference between Corona and Temecula was usually at least 5 degrees.

The nights/late afternoons are the real difference though. The sun gets blocked a little earlier because of the mountains and the wind kicks up and cools the place off pretty quickly, while somewhere like Corona will suffer with stagnant summer night air that can stay fairly hot at night

[LivingInTheDesert]

Just came from a year and a half in utah myself. Greatschool.com is the place to get all the ratings of the schools in any area

[that1guy]

Originally Posted by bhcompy

The ocean breeze that comes off the mountains really helps. I spent a few months in the spring and summer going back and forth from OC to Temecula almost on a day to day basis for house hunting and the temperature difference between Corona and Temecula was usually at least 5 degrees.

The nights/late afternoons are the real difference though. The sun gets blocked a little earlier because of the mountains and the wind kicks up and cools the place off pretty quickly, while somewhere like Corona will suffer with stagnant summer night air that can stay fairly hot at night

The reality of the situation is that the temps are pretty much the same. YOU may have felt a difference, but the difference was more YOUR perception and not actuality.

[AKgirlinCA]

Rancho. Spare yourself the commute nightmare. Air can be smoggy in the summer, but most of SoCal can as well except the coastal areas. I have heard the schools in Rancho are good but I am not sure.