The Ventura Co. Apartments Thread (Los Angeles, Oxnard: 2014, leasing, condo)

[Mr.Bungle]

Since the main reason for City Data is relocation info, I think this thread should be about experiences, pros and cons, prices, etc... for Ventura County Apartments. I found a lot of info in the Dallas forum about apartments before I moved here, and even then it wasn't enough! The Los Angeles forum didn't have much in the way of Ventura Co. apartment stuff, mostly home buying info.

My first apartment was a 1 bedroom ground floor at the Hidden Valley apartment homes in Simi Valley off Stearns at Los Angeles Ave. I lived there for one year.

Price in 2007:
- $1404 - included rent for one cat.

Pros:
- great location. Albertsons across the street, In n Out down the road, close to shopping at Tapo Canyon. Easy jump onto the 118 east to the Valley, or West to T.O. or Simi Town Center etc...
- Newer construction
- Washer and dryer in unit
- double pane windows
- pet friendly

Cons:
- Management wasn't the best.
- Train wasn't usually too bad, some weekend early mornings it could be loud
- Parking. Covered spots are assigned but people liked to park in other people's assigned spots all the time. Open parking would fill up quick. I usually parked in the lot across the side street, still within the complex though.
- Tenants were pretty loud. We were on the ground floor and our upstairs neighbor must have had a bowling alley in his apartment that opened around 11:00 at night. Next door neighbors couldn't be heard though. Parties upstairs frequently.
- Neighbor's BBQ was stolen. Since we were on the ground floor, there wasn't any sort of patio or secure area for us. upstairs had little gates.
- We were only shown the model unit and not the actual unit. we learned the hard way. It wasn't horrible, but still kind of a bummer.
- Being on the ground floor, kids played softball on the grass in front of our unit and constantly hit our windows with the ball.


After that we moved to Camarillo into University Glen on the CSUCI campus for a year and a half before relocating to Dallas for my wife's job. I loved living there. I would go back if I could. Originally the houses, townhomes, and apartments were meant for staff. The school is so young that there was more housing than needed so they opened it up to the public.

There are 2 phases of apartments. The first phase is now about 6 or 7 years old and the second phase where we lived, should be now about 4 or 5. We moved in when it was about 3 years old.

The campus is where the mental hospital used to be. Virtually eveything has been torn down and rebuilt. It is gorgeous!

There are a ton of floor plans to choose from. Ours was a 2 bed 2 bath 900sq ft for $1604/mo with 2 cats pet rent.
We picked the larger 2 bedroom model because the bedrooms were on opposite sides of the unit. We were on the 3rd floor and the only unit on our floor for that section. I called it our penthouse apartment.

Pros:
- Beautiful area, quiet and out of the way, but not too far
- Great amenities. After we moved they finished a new pool in our phase. They have the town center which has some restaurants and a convenience store, copy center, bookstore, and the leasing office. There are apartments above the businesses too. Parks and a dog park, 2 pools, fitness center
- trails to hike and bike ride
- campus police patrol the residential areas. It's not some rent a cop organization. They are real cops
- If you go to the school like my wife did, you're right there!
- Vista buses stop on campus. We regularly took the bus to the train station, walked up Ventura Blvd to JJ Brewski's or the El Rey and had some drinks, walked back and took the bus home.
- Really close to PCH and the beaches. Also a nice back roads drive into Oxnard or even to the shopping near the airport.
- Residents were very pleasant.
- leasing office and maintenance staff were really great. Quick responses, respectful, clean, just all around great. (no, I don't nor have I ever worked for them)
- Even though you're on a college campus, the dorms are far away, most people commute into the school.

Cons:
- Expensive
- Streets are kind of narrow
- Campus police will give you tickets. Although they recently raised Channel Islands Dr. from 15mph to 20 or 25.
- Most of your friends won't want to drive out there to visit with you.
- Deer - almost hit several of them!
- Campus events such as graduation and orientation create traffic
- The roads - Univeristy Dr. the main road into campus is full of pot holes. The will make a half assed attempt to fill them before orientation or graduation but they go back to being potholes pretty quick
- Farms - sometimes the farms stink, but sometimes like strawberries!
- Coyotes, Racoons, Rattle snakes. Be careful!

I had more pics but I don't know where they went. Here are pics from our front door and back door.

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v346/24/16/583684637/n583684637_1482870_1769.jpg (broken link)
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v346/24/16/583684637/n583684637_1482869_1541.jpg (broken link)


Ok, so please feel free to ad your apartment info for potential future residents!

[olypentax]

Count me as one of the future residents. My wife, me and 1 son will be moving to Ventura around the end of 2010 from the SF Bay Area. She will work at Lowes in Ventura and we would preferably like to rent a house with yard because she loves to garden but a 3 bdrm apartment/townhouse might work also.

I too am glad they started a Ventura forum because it was hard to find any Ventura info on the LA forum. We would like to be in the midtown area or east Ventura. We may buy a house eventually but will most likely rent first to get to know the area.

[Cyanna]

Good call with the apartments thread

[Cyanna]

Originally Posted by olypentax

Count me as one of the future residents. My wife, me and 1 son will be moving to Ventura around the end of 2010 from the SF Bay Area. She will work at Lowes in Ventura and we would preferably like to rent a house with yard because she loves to garden but a 3 bdrm apartment/townhouse might work also.

I too am glad they started a Ventura forum because it was hard to find any Ventura info on the LA forum. We would like to be in the midtown area or east Ventura. We may buy a house eventually but will most likely rent first to get to know the area.

Well, an early "Welcome" then to Socal Somebody might have better advice, but you may want to look in nearby Oxnard for a rental. Anyone else know what the rental price differences are between Ventura and Oxnard?

[Crystal is a mess]

Originally Posted by olypentax

Count me as one of the future residents. My wife, me and 1 son will be moving to Ventura around the end of 2010 from the SF Bay Area. She will work at Lowes in Ventura and we would preferably like to rent a house with yard because she loves to garden but a 3 bdrm apartment/townhouse might work also.

I too am glad they started a Ventura forum because it was hard to find any Ventura info on the LA forum. We would like to be in the midtown area or east Ventura. We may buy a house eventually but will most likely rent first to get to know the area.

Welcome I envy you moving to Ventura.

[olypentax]

Thanks for the welcomes, I appreciate it. Our daughter and her husband live in Sherman Oaks and our son lives in Santa Barbara so Ventura should be perfect for us. We both like the cooler weather west of the hills and like a city with a distinct downtown area like Ventura.

[macsret]

Originally Posted by olypentax

Count me as one of the future residents. My wife, me and 1 son will be moving to Ventura around the end of 2010 from the SF Bay Area. She will work at Lowes in Ventura and we would preferably like to rent a house with yard because she loves to garden but a 3 bdrm apartment/townhouse might work also.

I too am glad they started a Ventura forum because it was hard to find any Ventura info on the LA forum. We would like to be in the midtown area or east Ventura. We may buy a house eventually but will most likely rent first to get to know the area.

Do agree about starting this thread, just I will have to monitor it for a very long time, not a bit problem, as we won't be moving to VC till 2014 but I do want to be prepared.

Hope you find what you want, we will be wanting a 3br 2ba Apt/TH/Condo/house hopefully in the 93010 zip. Doesn't anyone know about how much such a place is renting for right now?

[Crystal is a mess]

Originally Posted by olypentax

Thanks for the welcomes, I appreciate it. Our daughter and her husband live in Sherman Oaks and our son lives in Santa Barbara so Ventura should be perfect for us. We both like the cooler weather west of the hills and like a city with a distinct downtown area like Ventura.

Sounds like your family have followed my pattern I lived in Sherman Oaks for 7 years and surrounding areas like Studio City & North Hollywood for a few more. Santa Barbara was home for 1 year...yep I'm a nomad.

For you guys, Ventura would be the perfect place based on your family dynamics and preferences.

[Mr.Bungle]

Originally Posted by macsret

Do agree about starting this thread, just I will have to monitor it for a very long time, not a bit problem, as we won't be moving to VC till 2014 but I do want to be prepared.

Hope you find what you want, we will be wanting a 3br 2ba Apt/TH/Condo/house hopefully in the 93010 zip. Doesn't anyone know about how much such a place is renting for right now?

It's in 93012 but still super close to 93010. CSUCI > University Glen Corporation - Rentals - Arroyo Townhomes: San Miguel See my post above about University Glen. They have really nice town homes for rent there.

Pricing: CSUCI > University Glen Corporation - Rentals - Pricing

[macsret]

Originally Posted by Mr.Bungle

It's in 93012 but still super close to 93010. CSUCI > University Glen Corporation - Rentals - Arroyo Townhomes: San Miguel See my post above about University Glen. They have really nice town homes for rent there.

Pricing: CSUCI > University Glen Corporation - Rentals - Pricing

Thanks Mr.Bungle! I have, although not recently, checked out CD rentals, spotted CSUCI a couple of time, should have asked about them on this, the VC forum.

By chance would you know any of 'Pros' vs. 'Cons'. Yes, I will be checking out the website.

Thanks again!

jOE
Angeles City
Philippines