Corona, California

The Inland Empire offers escapes for those looking for one from the chaos and home prices of coastal cities. Corona is a clear representation of the ways in which that can work. Corona median home prices hover around $700k, significantly less than SD/LA, the homes themselves are relatively new and come with great amenities, and the schools are excellent. Complain all you want about not being near the coast and the social activities of big cities but the suburban dreams of home ownership, safe blocks for your kiddos and great public schools are alive and well in Corona.

Not that long ago Corona was essentially a giant lemon and orange farming community. The outpouring of people from the coast looking for cheaper housing led to the development of new suburban neighborhoods and Corona grew under the exclusive mandate of providing housing for the coastal expats. During this migration the area developed the way a lot of modern suburban cities did and ignored any development of a core urban center. This means you have to travel to find fun. Riverside is about 15 miles, albeit tough commuting miles, and Anaheim is 25 miles or so, equally tough for a drive. Living here requires a car and patience to get to somewhere to shop and go out at night and entertain the family. It’s a great place to raise a kid but tough for entertainment and culture.

As noted Corona is not an urban / cultural experience-type of city. It’s a suburban family-centered place where entertaining the kiddos is at a premium. Much of what there is to do here is built around your beans. There are entertainment and adventure experiences available through; K1 Indoor Karting which is an indoor Go Kart racing spot (very popular with kids and grownups), Skull Canyon Ziplines, an “Aerial Adventure Park”, Over The Moon Escape Rooms, and several excellent public parks, including Stagecoach, Mountain Gate and Brentwood. There’s plenty of open spaces, playgrounds and sports fields for organized and casual play throughout the city.

Outside the kids play options there are a few grownup spots as well including a couple of solid microbreweries including Skyland Ale that has a ton of evening events like Tacos and Trivia Night and Open Mic Night, and Evans Brewing, that’s a bit more hardcore around the beer itself.

Basically there are things to do here but they tend to be more scattershot. That means lifestyle within the city is more centered around families, school, and then adventures outside the city boundaries to the amazing outdoor experiences available to the eastern and western mountains and national and state parks. The Inland Empire is central to the state so if you don’t mind driving you can get to a lot of amazing places from here.