Is Temecula worth the commute? (San Diego, Carlsbad: fit in, loft, credit)

[acrobat19]

Folks, I've read the entire thread, and still have one concrete question... How bad is a rush hour commute from Temecula to Oceanside and back? I guess you'd turn off from 15 onto 76 and go all the way down to Oceanside? How much worse is it than google map's projected 40 min? Thanks!

[Clevelandgal]

I have done it non rush hour a few times, where there can still be jam ups, and 40 min is what you might have in the best conditions, ie 2 am. It could easily take twice that during rush hour. Granted I have not actually gone the entire distance of Oceanside to temecula rush hour but non peak jams would be enough to spook me. And north county can be terrible at rush hour. I would try it for yourself before you buy anything.

[shmoov_groovzsd]

Originally Posted by acrobat19

Folks, I've read the entire thread, and still have one concrete question... How bad is a rush hour commute from Temecula to Oceanside and back? I guess you'd turn off from 15 onto 76 and go all the way down to Oceanside? How much worse is it than google map's projected 40 min? Thanks!

Good question. Might want to try starting a thread as well in the Riverside forums as well.

I dont have any idea how long that would be but am certain there are quite a few folks that work in Pendleton that do the commute.

[cruitr]

Like Clevelandgal already said... 40 min would be under ideal conditions. I've driven that route a few times. Over an hour is more realistic.

[Arinze75]

Originally Posted by Clevelandgal

And when it's all under the pretense that it's "for the children" I roll my eyes. Assuming an equally enriching school district could be found closer to the parents work ( and I am sure there is one), kids value face time with their parents. And not just because they like their company, but it is critical in their emotional and intellectual growth. They will appreciate a small home and little or no yard with mom and dad home early over a big hot yard full of fertilizer and parents home at 7.

Did you consider that living closer to the parents work might mean getting a second job to pay for the 50 year old box with practically no space that they call a home? or possibly both parent would have to work to pay for the home. Or if they happen to live in a bigger place closer to work, they would probably have to rent out a few rooms to pay the mortgage.

If living in 50 year old box and paying really high rent/mortgage all in the name of being close to the ocean is your thing - then great, I think you should be happy with your decision. On the other hand some families cannot afford the 50 year box but still want joy that home ownership could bring.

Yes it is for the kids. It is for the feeling that all your hard earned money is not headed to the mortgage company or your landlord. Yes the drive can be brutal but there are ways around it - car pool, van pool. Even with the extra cost of gassing up the most fuel inefficient vehicle, you still save more.

The kids in my rather expensive condo(i think it is) which is closer to work, play on the street -You can't always go to the park - but you sure can play in your own backyard - always!

I'm not sure this question of "is it worth the commute" makes sense. The jury is out on that. Every family gets to decide whether its worth it to them or not.

[tonyinsd]

When the parents are too tired and stressed out from their commute, they ain't playing in the yard. Besides, by the time they get home, it's dark.

And you can't play in the park? Since when? Do parks magically have gates that drop down from the heavens to lock you out?

It's that "oh, I have to move to suburbia for my kids" mindset that I find laughable. I have friends who are teachers in both crappy school districts and good ones.

All of them say it's parental involvement that makes the difference. And that long commute reduces the amount of parental involvement that can take place.

[Marinadistrict]

I see this opinion often professed here that distance/time of commute outweighs the benefits of living in a school district. Tony, you state that your teacher friends state that parental involvement outweighs a top district/facilities/teachers as far as what makes a difference. I don't know the answer to this and would be hesitant to base such an important decision off of anecdotal opinions, but sure, let's say I give this to you. We'll assume that if I choose to live in City Heights, cut my commute from 50 minutes to 20 minutes, as opposed to what I have living in Encinitas, my future kids would be better off. As unpopular as it may be, I still believe there are factors that are totally outside of a parent's control. Peers, who the child ends up being friends with, specific incidents that could occur and affect a child psychologically for years to come, ambition level of peers, ambition level of peers' parents, etc. A lot of it is odds. I don't doubt that a child can succeed in let's say the average San Diego City School with 1 hour more per day of parental engagement due to shorter commute. They have, and they do. But I believe the odds favor a child that goes through the Poway or San Dieguito systems. Obviously not everyone is going to be a success, but I would say that percentage-wise, more of them are succeeding at a high level coming out of those schools. More kids pursuing college, more kids attending UC campuses, etc. The statistics bear this out (at least for UC attendance).

I agree that all things being equal, more parental involvement is better. I also believe that all things being equal, the suburban school districts (specifically Poway, San Dieguito, and in this case Temecula) are better than the city core schools. So it becomes a question of whether that bonus parental time outweighs the advantages of being in a better school district. I don't think it's as easy as saying that cutting a commute 30 minutes each way to live in the city core is OBVIOUSLY the best option, and that other options are "laughable".

[shmoov_groovzsd]

How many parents out there, if they had the choice, would purposely treat their kid like a social experiment in order to prove a naysayer wrong about putting their kid into the average or lower performing school district? I cant venture to guess many, but there are some out there that live 'unconventionally' as it relates to living in the best school district they can.

In regards to this thread that I took from KPBS, it was merely a sampling of two families and the reality of commuting. Are we so fragile to think a daily commute truly impacts life So positively or negatively that humans are unable to adapt in either direction (more or less commute?)
The answers will always be across the board which goes without saying.

Ideology vs probability.

Ironically, here is an interesting piece I heard on NPR the other day.

Basic Marketing May Be To Blame For Fewer Low-Income Students At Top Universities : NPR

[earlyretirement]

Originally Posted by Marinadistrict

I don't think it's as easy as saying that cutting a commute 30 minutes each way to live in the city core is OBVIOUSLY the best option, and that other options are "laughable".

Originally Posted by shmoov_groovzsd

How many parents out there, if they had the choice, would purposely treat their kid like a social experiment in order to prove a naysayer wrong about putting their kid into the average or lower performing school district? I cant venture to guess many, but there are some out there that live 'unconventionally' as it relates to living in the best school district they can.

Exactly! People that don't have kids have NO idea what it's like to be a parent (and NO... having a cat or dog doesn't count and isn't the same thing).

Shmoov you make an excellent point and I think most parents would agree that the public schools in San Diego overall aren't good and don't have a very good reputation. But it takes more than having time to throw around the football or play with your kids for them to do well.

Most parents will strive to send their kids to the best possible school district possible. I'm NOT saying that parent involvement isn't important because I very much believe it's VERY important. But I will argue with anyone that parents in school districts like the Poway Unified or San Dieguito have much better parent involvement, especially as it relates to school vs. the San Diego Unified overall.

I'm NOT a fan of commuting either but it's not as simple as just living close to work and saying anyone that commutes is doing something wrong or will automatically be stressed out from the long commute. The facts are that many, many people across many metropolitan areas have to commute long distances or even if it's not far distance wise, traffic time takes forever.

[Marinadistrict]

And fair or not, socioeconomics come into it also. In general, those parents in those districts have made a little scratch, bought or rented themselves into those districts, and likely have attained a higher level of education, and thus place a higher emphasis on academic achievement. This attitude is contagious, and when a child is surrounded by other children with like values/ambitions instilled in them, it tends to rub off. There are exceptions of course, but I'd still say the odds are better for future success with a kid in these districts, regardless of commute length it takes to get them there.