Opinions of the city of Ventura?

[Cyanna]

BUMP!

Thought I would bump this one up since it has some very positive comments

[sponger42]

Well, I think that's against the rules, but I will report that my wife and I lived in Ventura for a few months before leaving to travel the world. Living within walking distance to downtown was a real pleasure.

Being able to bike down to surf every morning and then catch another session after work was wonderful; and not just at the crowded well-known spots, but all the hidden gems with few people out were within biking distance.

We found a quiet apartment at a very reasonable price, enjoyed both the expensive veggies at the farmer's market and the cheap ones at the 99c store (especially when they got local produce!) Had many relaxing evenings at the downtown watering holes, and still could drive in to LA when the urge for hardcore partying or dancing seized us.

It was the best place we've ever lived and we hope to come back someday. Hopefully things won't change, or if they change it will be for the better.

[Crystal is a mess]

Originally Posted by sponger42

Well, I think that's against the rules

Hopefully they will make an exception, being that it's a new forum, with some hidden gems posted way back.

So you never opened the business you wanted to in Ventura/Oxnard?

That is what I liked about Ventura, I had easy access to LA for serious partying and shopping, but came back to a different way of life in Ventura.

[sponger42]

Originally Posted by Crystal is a mess

So you never opened the business you wanted to in Ventura/Oxnard?

No, we were planning on leaving to travel, so it wasn't cost-effective to open a shop for a few months. Plus the mixed-use properties were few, EXTREMELY expensive, and in a low-foot-traffic area. Finally, my wife--who was going to run the store--landed a really good job right next to mine, so she was occupied during business hours. On the upside, we got to commute and take lunches together in a park near both our workplaces.

We'd love to come back and open a boutique on the main drag if there are vacant properties with reasonable rents. There's a couple of stores already in place which would be perfect, so maybe if they go out of business when/if we come back...