Please decribe the VC area in your terms of your experiences (Los Angeles: transplants, condos)
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I will be coming to the area for work related purposes and will be spending about 2-4 months (non-military). At the end of my trip, I will have the option to relocate to that area.
Just a bit about me, I grew up on the East Coast in my younger years and spent quite some time overseas living in 7 countries. I really enjoy exploring and assessing various cultures. I recently moved to Washington DC after living in Miami for 10 years where there is a high Caribbean Black, Caribbean Latino, and Southern American influence.
In your own words can you describe the Ventura County area (Camarillo, Thousand Oaks Oxnard, Port Hueneme and even extended out to Malibu) in terms of culture and way of life? I am not really interested in quality of air, living expenses, or traffic. I am more interested in YOUR OWN perspective on the differences in social dynamics between the above listed and the NE/SE. I am not asking for advice on where to live. I just want to hear your opinion of the area.
For example in my opinion, living in NY/NJ is very fast and everyone is on a hustle. But living in NJ, even at 2 hours away, you are close to NYC and still can feed off that energy but don’t have to deal with the craziness. Miami was a bit more isolated culture wise as it was approximately 400 miles from the border of Georgia so there wasn’t any interstate influence. I could go on and on describing my great experiences living in each different country. The DC area is pretty much a government town so you are either a local, contractor, federal, in politics, or military. For me, the DC area is very limited when it comes to pursuing my own creative interests outside of my full time career. NY is too far out of the 60 mile radius to really influence DC and or feed off NY's energy.
So again, it is not about what I am interested in but just want to read your thoughts and experiences about the surrounding area to include the energy you get being so close to LA. It can be about activities, dating, business opportunities, challenges you face, cultural issues, etc.
Thanks.
Btw, I know somebody is going to ask "so what is it in particular you are looking for". I am looking for an open discussion.
With Thousand Oaks, you can "feed off," as you say, Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley and all those big city amenities, as TO is closer to those areas than the other cities of VC.
The city tries to have some culture with the Civic Arts Plaza, great shopping and restaurants, and is conscious of esthetics--no billboards, neon signs, no highrises, no building on hilltops, designated open space, hiking, growth limits in place, etc. It is not very diverse ethnically or racially. It's attractive, has a super-low crime rate. Most people are well educated. It's quiet, laid-back, mostly tract housing neighborhoods with a minimum of commercial streets. Generally considered by outsiders as an affluent bedroom community, but is actually a full-fledged city and with a few exceptions, one rarely is forced to go into LA for anything except the airport.
With Thousand Oaks, you can "feed off," as you say, Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley and all those big city amenities, as TO is closer to those areas than the other cities of VC.
The city tries to have some culture with the Civic Arts Plaza, great shopping and restaurants, and is conscious of esthetics--no billboards, neon signs, no highrises, no building on hilltops, designated open space, hiking, growth limits in place, etc. It is not very diverse ethnically or racially. It's attractive, has a super-low crime rate. Most people are well educated. It's quiet, laid-back, mostly tract housing neighborhoods with a minimum of commercial streets. Generally considered by outsiders as an affluent bedroom community, but is actually a full-fledged city and with a few exceptions, one rarely is forced to go into LA for anything except the airport.
Thanks for the reply!
I usually get the gist of a place the second I touch ground and very sensitive to changes in social dynamics. I tend to pick up on little things and I am sort of preparing myself for my arrival.
To give you an example, when I moved to DC from Miami, I immediately noticed a change of dress, make-up, local culture of businesses- despite being such a powerful city. Problem is that I had really high expectations on a personal level and again, hoping that it fed off the energy of connecting states as I didn't have when living in south florida.
But I have come to learn that people come to DC for government work and a purpose so what drives the machine isn't what would drive cities bordering LA.
I grew up in Oak Park (Agoura Hills, before OP was a "city" and OPHS was a bunch of trailers with less than 500 kids), and VC is definitely more relaxed than LA/OC, where I lived as an adult before moving out of state. I've gotten to know a few artists (actresses, painters, musicians) and they really love the fact that they can be in LA when needed but be in TO/Agoura/Westlake area for the relaxing living.
I know the area has changed quite a bit, but my HS buddies tell me that it's still much the same, but with better restaurants and more options for night life.
My sister lived in Camarillo for over 40 years & raised her family there. As a kid, I stayed at her house for chunks of time, and visited her regularly in adulthood. When our parents couldn't care for themselves, we relocated them there. So, while I never lived there myself, I spent a lot of time there, & watched it grow from a little agricultural town (I rode my bike through cucumber fields), to suburbia.
My take? It's still more peaceful & less frenetic than most of SoCal, & a pleasant place to live overall. Great climate, proximity to L.A. but not too close, nice coastline, proximity to Ventura & Santa Barbara, which are both beautiful. A little difficult in the employment department. If my life circumstances had been different, I would definitely have lived there myself.
My sister lived in Camarillo for over 40 years & raised her family there. As a kid, I stayed at her house for chunks of time, and visited her regularly in adulthood. When our parents couldn't care for themselves, we relocated them there. So, while I never lived there myself, I spent a lot of time there, & watched it grow from a little agricultural town (I rode my bike through cucumber fields), to suburbia.
My take? It's still more peaceful & less frenetic than most of SoCal, & a pleasant place to live overall. Great climate, proximity to L.A. but not too close, nice coastline, proximity to Ventura & Santa Barbara, which are both beautiful. A little difficult in the employment department. If my life circumstances had been different, I would definitely have lived there myself.
Oh for sure. I am right on the in and out tip. Even while living in new jersey or even in miami, I lived approx 20 min from both. Even now in the DC area, I am only but 15 miles out side of DC city center in Virginia. Not much of a city guy.
But I have a thing for city lookouts. I love hill top views overlooking the city lights.
We moved here 2.5 years ago from the Seattle area and now live in Oxnard. We have been surprised at the lack of friendliness in the neighborhood. It isn't unfriendly, but it seems that everyone keeps to themselves, and when I see people when out walking, I am surprised at the amount of people who will not make eye contact. I have spoken to others who have come from other parts of the country and they agree that it just isn't friendly, so I don't think it is just my neighborhood. I have noticed it in stores as well. It isn't limited to any age or demographic, but it is pretty consistent. Even when we make the first overture, people seem surprised, but do not reciprocate.
Having said that, we love Ventura County and the accessibility of all that we are looking for in Southern California.
We moved here 2.5 years ago from the Seattle area and now live in Oxnard. We have been surprised at the lack of friendliness in the neighborhood. It isn't unfriendly, but it seems that everyone keeps to themselves, and when I see people when out walking, I am surprised at the amount of people who will not make eye contact. I have spoken to others who have come from other parts of the country and they agree that it just isn't friendly, so I don't think it is just my neighborhood. I have noticed it in stores as well. It isn't limited to any age or demographic, but it is pretty consistent. Even when we make the first overture, people seem surprised, but do not reciprocate.
Having said that, we love Ventura County and the accessibility of all that we are looking for in Southern California.
Funny enough, I am usually the one to initiate eye contact and a greeting. But it really bothers me when people go by and not even acknowledge.
Speaking of stores, I experienced this often while living in Riga, latvia in 2002 (former soviet republic). The Russians living there were very cold. Even entering a store, they would not even say hi or get up to greet people. It was really strange.
We moved here 2.5 years ago from the Seattle area and now live in Oxnard. We have been surprised at the lack of friendliness in the neighborhood. It isn't unfriendly, but it seems that everyone keeps to themselves, and when I see people when out walking, I am surprised at the amount of people who will not make eye contact. I have spoken to others who have come from other parts of the country and they agree that it just isn't friendly, so I don't think it is just my neighborhood. I have noticed it in stores as well. It isn't limited to any age or demographic, but it is pretty consistent. Even when we make the first overture, people seem surprised, but do not reciprocate.
Having said that, we love Ventura County and the accessibility of all that we are looking for in Southern California.
Now, I find that interesting...after living my entire life in SoCal, spouse & I moved to Washington state & have found people do that to us; and it has been next to impossible to make friends in WA. Anyway, maybe you should move a few miles over into Camarillo, I always found people to be friendly there.
I have lived in both Port Hueneme as a kid, and in Oxnard my entire adult life. I find everyone to be friendly. We do have a lot of transplants into our River Park master planned neighborhood. Most seem to be from somewhere else and have a desire to change how Oxnard is. We looked at River Park but did not want to live in Condos, Town houses, or patio homes. Move to other parts of Oxnard and you will find a more vibrant open populace. You may need to learn the culture though as Oxnard has a heavy Latino influence. If you don't understand how to become friends first before becoming a patron or a business partner then you will have to learn or change how you opperate. I could give lessons but don't have the time right now.
The coastal communities are also overlooked when it comes to Ventura County. Part of what is called Malibu is in Ventura County. You also have the Silverstrand and Hollywood Beach communities near Oxnard, Rincon, Faria, and a few other communities just north of Ventura. Chances are because of the cost of entry most of us will never know the people that live there. I have friends that live or own a home or two in those communities.
Living in Ventura County allows you access to all that Los Angeles has to offer but we can go home to our quiet neighborhoods. Realize though that my favorite road, the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) is not always open due to the occasional fire, I think we would call it a 10 year fire, because of how often that would take place. Also possible rock and mud slides the season after a fire. Nothing grows and the rain washes away the hillside. We have been dealing with that recently. For now I avoid the PCH and take the 101 when we travel into the LA area. On a good day I can leave my home in Oxnard and get to down town LA in just over an hour.
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I am looking for an open discussion.
