Family w/ serious 12 y.o. dancer moving to Ventura County. Help. (Thousand Oaks: home, schools)

[rhykyg]

We're a family with kids 11 (girl) and 3 (boy). Girl is big time dancer so we want to locate near a studio that is for pre-professionals.

Both my wife and I work from home so our biggest concerns for relocating are less hot summer highs and proximity to a great dance studio: TO, Camarillo, Ventura and somewhere a mill still buys a heck of house.

Also, my wife and I are kinda artsy (but not shmartsy). I write children's books and have plenty of time (and need) to stroll around and talk to chatty neighbors (with and without my kids). So we need a place where people are around during the day and are friendly and maybe even intelligent (though interesting will do).

To sum up: near dance studio, not too hot, neighborly, friendly. Oh, yeah, great schools (is that too much to ask?)

[DowntownVentura]

Patsy Swayzee (Patrick's mom) has a well regarded dance studio in Simi Valley
I think Simi, Moorpark, or Thousand Oaks would be places to consider. Of the three, Moorpark is a better walking town as long as you don't need to go anywhere in particular. There are tons of people that walk around south Moorpark just for fun, exercise, or walking their dog. If you need more amenities close by, Simi or Thousand Oaks may suit you better.