Oceanside, California

What are the advantages/disadvantages of moving to Oceanside, CA?

Oceanside, CA is located right next to camp penelton, the largest military base in the USA! So, going out downtown Oceanside is like going to a marine party. Whether you would like that is up to you. It is beautiful because it has a pier and a beach with palm trees everywhere, but there are also a lot of street kids, addicts, police, and homeless people. But every city has those so again it's your point of view. Besides by the beach, heading inland but staying in Oceanside your last stop would be right around trip city hospital. Neighborhoods range from not so good to good but if you want a really nice gated community i’d move to Carlsbad. Just like every other city there are tons of things to do, 10 theatres to choose from, thousands of shops, but no mall. Well there is a mall but it's considered Carlsbad and is currently undergoing construction so barely any stores are open. Miracosta community college is located in Oceanside and is a great beautiful campus. Small but really awesome, in my opinion. Last thing I'm going to say about Oceanside is there are main highways that go right through it (5 freeway, 76 highway, and 78 freeway) so if your wanting to go anywhere, there's an easy route. Hope this helps you get a picture of what it's like in Oceanside. I live here so I must like it!

What is it like to live in Oceanside, CA?

It depends on what type of person you are. I hated La Jolla and felt nothing for Carlsbad, but really loved Oceanside. The people are surfer or beach types who are more relaxed. The beach was always so close and I loved walking it at night. I woke up to neighbor I had never met handing me a red plastic cup full of beer through my window on St. Patty's Day. My housemate was a huge Harley riding sweetheart who was building his own bed because they didn't make one that could fit him. We used to ride into downtown and get coffee. People were so friendly. It was the only place I ever lived in Southern CA that I loved. I have moved 42 times in 33 years, at least four of them in SoCal…

Any input on living in Oceanside?

I live where you're looking and love it. The old rep is no longer true.

Safe and a great place to live. Lots of good food. I'd say there is as much to do here as many parts of downtown now.

Keep in mind that 2B apartments are often worth in excess of $1M these days

Residents of O'side: What's the best and worst part of living here?

I've lived in Oceanside for 12 years. Kids went through the school system, the youngest graduates high school this year. We're ~5 miles from the coast, Rancho del Oro area. It's quite different from Oceanside near the beach, more of a typical suburbia. But we're still close enough to the beach and pier area that it's only a 10 minute drive. I feel like we got the best of both worlds here.

Living in Oceanside California