Moving to North County in June...help (Oceanside, Escondido: apartments, for rent)

[kmk60]

Hey everyone. My husband and I will be moving to N SD County in June. He'll be out in May to find us a place to live. We're looking for a 2-3 bdrm house with garage to rent. His office is in Vista (business park area) I'll be in Escondido for work. We have 2 dogs as well. Any areas recommended?? Also any areas to really stay away from??? Please help.

[cnkad]

well, since your husband works in vista and you will work in escondido I would def. move to vista if I were you. You can still find pretty cheap homes to rent in vista that are pretty large and have yards. Vista is just a short commute down the freeway to escondido, and it is for the most part a more desirable place to live. Vista has a pretty rural feel to it and it is really pretty. I used to live there and I really liked it. Plus you are a short drive away from the beach, and both you and your husband would have easy commutes. And with the traffic, that is always something to consider. There are a lot of diff. neighborhoods in vista so you should be able to find something that suits you I would think. OK that is my opinion.

[kmk60]

Thanks for the reply. Have you heard of and know the differences (good and/or bad) between Shadowridge, Verona Hills?, and any others? Any other housing areas you can think of? Any to stay away from?

[cnkad]

I am not too familiar with those areas. I know there are a few homes for rent around the buena creek area, sort of on the border between vista and san marcos, just a few minutes away from the college. That area would be convenient for an escondido commute, and it is really pretty. Some areas down by the railroad tracks are less desirable. But their are mostly apartments in that area. Your husband should be able to get a good idea of the area you guys would like when he visits.

[kimmer]

Try San Marcos. Some of the nicer communities are Discovery Hills, Santa Fe Hills, and San Eljio Hills. It's between Vista and Escondido. Vista can be nice, (Shadowridge is nice), or really sketchy ( w/gang areas) depending on where you are.

[libbykt]

Shadowridge is nice. I'm moving back to the area and moving into the same neighborhood that I lived in a couple of years ago, after looking in Carlsbad and Oceanside. My neighborhood is technically Oceanside (Ocean Hills area), but basically in Shadowridge. Traffic can get backed up a little on some of the main roads, but they have made some improvements just in the 2 or 3 years.

[jksouthbay88]

Full of traffic on the 5 south on Friday and Saturday.From about 7-7 both days.

[mso1]

Check out Hidden Meadows just north of Escondido. It is a very nice community just east of the 15 freeway. You can drop straight into San Marcos via Deer Springs.

[lookn2mv]

kmk60,
I'm not sure this will still be a timely response for you, but... I actually live not terribly far from the Verona Hills neighborhood and drive past it daily on Buena Creek Rd (which is a 2-lane windy road with zero shoulder, if you're not familiar) on my way to the Business Park area. Although I like the Buena Creek area (which, like most areas, can be sort of hit-and-miss on a street by street basis), I would not personally consider Verona Hills or anything along the "front part" of Buena Creek for the simple fact that Buena Creek is a fairly heavily traveled road during standard commute times; it can be difficult to turn onto Buena Creek from a lot of those properties closer to S. Santa Fe--especially now that the Sprinter commuter light rail is active and traffic backs up more than it used to. If you look at a map, morning traffic (into Vista) frequently backs up from S. Santa Fe to the Verona Hills entry point; sometimes it will back up to Lakeside Rd or Canyon Dr areas, as well. (Beyond that logistical tedium, Verona Hills is probably just fine.)

In addition to Shadowridge, the Twin Oaks Valley Rd area, the area behind Palomar College, or the area generally along the Palomar Airport Rd / San Marcos Blvd corridor might also be options to split your commute; it just depends on current availability and budget. Good luck - and welcome to the area!