Fontana, California

So much of California housing is out of range in pricing for middle-class and working class families looking to buy (or rent for that matter). Fontana, which is part of the Inland Empire region, has much lower prices than the regions north, south, and closer to the coast. Plenty of people have fled the coasts to the IE (Inland Empire), and Fontana in particular, to make home ownership a reality.

Here are a few pros from a local who enjoys living here:
The beach is a hour away. Californians will insist that this is light years from the beach. Clearly they have never tried going to Clearwater on a Saturday. It’s not close—you’re not going to be going to the beach every other day—but don’t get the impression it’s super far.

The IE is surrounded by massive massive mountains that have endless hiking & mountain biking trails, parks, several lakes, and a few ski resorts

THERE ARE SKI RESORTS! Try getting that in FL. The best part is, it only snows up in the mountains so while you have access to the snow, you don’t have to live in it. But say you hate the snow, it is super super pretty to see all the snow capped mountains wherever you go. Like I had a complete out of body experience when I’m looking at snow capped mountains and it’s 70F out.

So, we put a question mark at the end of crime because so much of this issue will depend on your perspective. If you move here from LA or San Francisco then you will laugh at the idea that Fontana has a big issue with Crime and/or Homelessness. If on the other hand you move from some quiet little suburban burg then sure, there are neighborhoods and areas of Fontana with Homeless and typical urban crime. Needless to say these are areas to be avoided. Generally the north and west areas of the city are the safest and the center/downtown areas are the least safe.

Here are a few notes from a local about living here: I lived in the Southridge area for a couple years. I now live OC. What part of Fontana will you be in? The north side is pretty new and mostly nice. The central part is a bit blighted and poor. The Southside is older suburbia and majority latino families. The wind can be annoying as it blows every single day. A big upside is the proximity to the mountains. A big downside are the very poor communities directly to the south and east.

Fontana is a hardworking town with strong ties to the automobile, motorcycle, racing and mobility cultures. NASCAR’s Auto Club Speedway is the premier attraction in Fontana and it brings in tens of thousands of fans and plenty of money into the city each year. While most of us won’t get to drive in NASCAR, the Allen Berg Racing School gives novices a shot at open-air car classes on the Speedway.

Fontana is also the birthplace of the Hells Angel’s Motorcycle Club so you can imagine the cycling culture here. Additionally, the Fontana Car Show is a major ongoing event, taking place one Friday each month throughout spring and summer.

Finally, it is important to remember that Fontana is at the intersection of three freeways that lead to Las Vegas, Los Angeles and San Diego. A stunning amount of traffic moves in and out of the city and that culture of mobility permeates the city (and most of California). Overall, much of the lifestyle of Fontana involves taking advantage of the central location between these big cities and staying on the move among them.

If none of that floats your boat there is plenty of Art happening here via the Art Depot, a Fontana institution, that possesses a gallery, classes for all skills and ages, open studios and constant events that brings in both the artists and the voyeurs. The city is also connected via the Pacific Electric Trail to cities to the west and east by a smooth bike trail that is used recreationally and for commuting between the cities. It also is located quite near three major ski resorts: Big Bear, Lake Arrowhead and Mountain High so winters or summers you can get your fill of the mountains.

If you want to see what happens in Fontana check out the calendar of events:
https://www.fontana.org/155/Events