When you close your eyes and picture stereotypical California, chances are you’re picturing something that looks a whole lot like Oceanside. It’s pretty Idyllic year-round and lives up to its name with miles of beaches for every taste. Harbor Beach is the largest and is lauded as one of the best surf spots in one of the most respected surf areas in the country. City Beach is great for kids and has a pier that you’ve probably seen in plenty of Instagram Posts. Buccaneer Beach is a smaller, but its adjacent lawn, creek, and cafe give you more to do than just tan.




Life’s Better in Flip Flops

LookyLOO Review of Oceanside?

After reading that potentially stressful last section, take a deep breath. Did the sweet ocean breeze waft in with your breath and calm you with its gentle bliss? Well it could have. Life in Oceanside revolves, unsurprisingly, around the ocean and beach. Surfing, fishing, tanning and whale watching are all popular and possible in Oceanside. Residents are often described as having laid back surfer energy culture. LA and San Diego are also a manageable drive away for those that might be looking for big city amenities.

If you want to see everything going on in Oceanside check out the [**calendar of events**](https://visitoceanside.org/oceanside-events-calendar/).


Lifestyle

If you’re looking to get away from the metropolises of Los Angeles or San Diego while still keeping that same So-Cal flavor, look no further. If you have a beach town dream and are willing to sacrifice some big city amenities, check out Oceanside.


Everybody's Gone Surfin

Why You Should Move Here Now?

**Hazel0mutt**
1y ago
🦉🦉🦉

Born and raised here, and raising my own. I really like raising a family here. Vista Unified is awesome, try to get into their district. Both my own schools and my son's school are in Oside despite being VUSD.

There are so many local parks, events, things to do. In Oct there was something free for my kids to do every weekend. We really loved the Fire Fighter Expo! Each season the Oside Park & Rec puts out an activity guide for residents. So far my son has gotten to take soccer, martial arts, hip hop, and now skateboarding, all at great prices.

https://www.ci.oceanside.ca.us/government/parks-recreation

There are tons of families with kids in our neighborhood. We get lots of trickortreaters, many kids of all ages. I love being close to Carlsbad and Vista, Legoland, the beach. We can do WAP or Zoo on a weekend if we're ambitious. We do the Del Mar Fair every year. We also hit up Bringle Terrace for the Moonlight Amphitheater, 4th of July, and Highland Games. And I love how we can hit up SD or LA for concerts or sports games if we're desperate, not to mention the museums and Globe Theater.

And don't even get me started on the food. So much culture mixing and mingling. We also appreciate the farmers and growers, and do the Farmers' Market every weekend. I was taken to the library every Sat as a kid and now do the same with mine. So much of Oceanside has just gotten better and better since I was a kid.

I really loved growing up here and am so excited to raise my kids here, too.

I think the only downside of living in Oside is Camp Pendleton training (noisy) but you get used to it. 🤣

For more reviews of Oceanside from locals check out: [**The Reviews**](https://lookyloomove.com/locations/oceanside/reviews)



Cali Crowds

Reviews of Oceanside from Locals

The Townsite neighborhood of Oceanside is the center of the beachside area of the city. It contains its most popular places to visit, for locals and tourists, has plenty of oceanfront homes, and most importantly to young professionals has the best options for apartment and condo buildings. It also is home to plenty of restaurants, bars, cafes, the best beaches and all the surfside activities you could ever want. If you’re young and looking to play, this is your spot. https://yournorthcounty.com/oceanside-neighborhood-guide-townsite/
- Townsite
- Downtown


Young Professionals

Townsite

Rancho Del Oro is a much loved neighborhood of Oceanside by families. Located next to downtown it is close to restaurants, bars, and much of Oceanside’s entertainment options without the ruckus of downtown. It has a mix of home options from big newer luxury homes to smaller homes within neighborhood communities. The area is filled with parks, playgrounds and community pools for the kiddos to enjoy. In addition to all this of course you’re near the beach so if you want your kids to be surfers that can happen too.
- Rancho Del Oro
- Calavera Hills
- Tamarack Point
- San Luis Rey


Families

Rancho Del Oro

Oceanside

**Hazel0mutt**
1y ago
🦉🦉🦉

Born and raised here, and raising my own. I really like raising a family here. Vista Unified is awesome, try to get into their district. Both my own schools and my son's school are in Oside despite being VUSD.

There are so many local parks, events, things to do. In Oct there was something free for my kids to do every weekend. We really loved the Fire Fighter Expo! Each season the Oside Park & Rec puts out an activity guide for residents. So far my son has gotten to take soccer, martial arts, hip hop, and now skateboarding, all at great prices.

https://www.ci.oceanside.ca.us/government/parks-recreation

There are tons of families with kids in our neighborhood. We get lots of trickortreaters, many kids of all ages. I love being close to Carlsbad and Vista, Legoland, the beach. We can do WAP or Zoo on a weekend if we're ambitious. We do the Del Mar Fair every year. We also hit up Bringle Terrace for the Moonlight Amphitheater, 4th of July, and Highland Games. And I love how we can hit up SD or LA for concerts or sports games if we're desperate, not to mention the museums and Globe Theater.

And don't even get me started on the food. So much culture mixing and mingling. We also appreciate the farmers and growers, and do the Farmers' Market every weekend. I was taken to the library every Sat as a kid and now do the same with mine. So much of Oceanside has just gotten better and better since I was a kid.

I really loved growing up here and am so excited to raise my kids here, too.

I think the only downside of living in Oside is Camp Pendleton training (noisy) but you get used to it. 🤣

**Poorly_packaged**
9mo ago
🦉🦉🦉

I really like it here. I lived in North Park, Pt. Loma/OB, and Bay Park previously. I moved to Oceanside about 15 years ago and have seen it blossom. It's certainly not without problems and the local politics don't help, but I wouldn't go back. My kids are teenagers now and don't have many problems in schools either. There are definitely neighborhoods that are still stuck in old ways, but they are gentrifyng too. Just try to avoid those areas and you'll do fine.

**Agreeable_Tackle_194**
9mo ago
🦉🦉🦉

Oceanside is a great option as it is the last beach community between San Diego and Orange County to fully gentrify. I think that means that property values will increase and the area will continue gentrifying. I have lived here for 6 years and haven’t really seen much crime.

**nic1m1**
2y ago
🦉🦉🦉

I'd say to live here comfortably you need a combined 200k. For example, our utilities on a 3 bedroom home average 350 to 400 depending on the time of the year and that's watering lawn twice a week for 5 mins and not using AC or Heater.

We're actually moving out of state next year. As much as I love CA, I think I'll be fine with just visiting family here moving forward.

I don't want to discourage you from moving here, after all this area is absolutely gorgeous and you'll have the opportunity to reside in a place where people pay a lot of money to go on vacation, but know that moving here is expensive and you're really mostly paying a "sunshine tax".

We don't have kids so i can't speak for that, but i hear Oceanside doesn't have great schools. Maybe you'll consider going a little more south to Carlsbad instead. There's a small German flair to it in case your wife gets homesick.

Oceanside, California

Shhhhhhhh! (it's a secret)

Looklyloo Score: 92