Realtors will tell you that a house has “great bones” when it has some rough edges, but underneath, and in some obvious ways, it could blossom to become a beautiful home. People say the same thing about San Bernardino. It is built on the edge of several mountains and the San Bernardino National Forest, so the view is spectacular. It has beautiful neighborhoods on the north side of the city nearest these mountains and forest. It also has plenty of inventory of unique mid-century homes ripe for conversion at, for California, inexpensive prices. Again, while the city has some rough elements, it feels like a place with great bones. 

As was noted, when a realtor tells you a house has “great bones,” there is also a downside. If the house is in perfect condition, no one has to note that it has these great bones, you can see them. When we say San Bernardino has great bones, the same qualifier is in place because depending on what part of the city you’re in, you might not see them. San Bernardino is rated one of the most dangerous cities in California, and the cause and impact of this crime are evident in much of the city. People from LA or SF might not be stunned by the “city” qualities of poverty and homelessness, but if you’re coming from a small town, the visual impact and the feeling of being unsafe can be profound. 


Great Bones

LookyLOO Review of San Bernardino

Your lifestyle in San Bernardino is going to depend in part on where in the city you live. The northern neighborhoods are in the foothills of the mountains and the national forest, so your lifestyle can be very centered on the outdoors. You have three ski mountains: Lake Arrowhead, Snow Valley, and Big Bear, all within an hour’s drive. You’re also similarly close to other outdoor resorts whether you ski or want to simply hike, ride trails, or do anything else the great outdoors might beckon you to do. The northern neighborhoods are also linked across the northern neighborhoods of the cities of Highland Redlands and Fontana. This stretch has its own shopping bars and restaurants isolated from the downtown areas that some might want to avoid. 

If, on the other hand, you are looking for lower cost and living closer to downtown, then you trade some grit for access to three performing arts venues and a beautiful theater. It is the greatest concentration of access to arts in the Inland Empire. Downtown San Bernardino is going through a major economic redevelopment, so if you have patience and likely some experience living in cities, then you can construct an urban lifestyle with some downtown energy. 

If you want to see what's happening in San Berdoo, check out the [**calendar of events**](https://www.eventbrite.com/d/ca--san-bernardino/festivals/).

We highly recommend visiting San Bernardino and staying in the community in a [VRBO](https://vrbo.com/affiliate/p4JS4ZC) rather than a hotel to get a feel for what it's like to live among the locals. You can receive discounted fares on travel via our [partnership with Expedia](expedia.com/affiliate/9NZ8LBQ) as well.

Lifestyle 

Work in San Bernardino is a mix of industries including: Grocers like Stater Bros. Markets, Tech like Aegis Communications, Health and Education. While some brave folks do make the commute into Los Angeles most residents work somewhere in the Inland Empire. The “middle class” San Bernardino housing prices (by California standards) means more residents are working more blue collar jobs but the rising wfh culture could drive more white collar workers to the northern neighborhoods where great homes, tree-lined streets and easy access to the mountains prove irresistible compared to the traffic of LA. 


Worklife

San Bernardino, like the rest of the Inland Empire, has historically drawn people who are looking to downsize their budgets from LA but remain in California. This includes young families who want to buy their first home, empty nesters looking to reduce the size of their home and have a convenient launching pad for frequent travel, and retirees looking to save some bucks but aren’t ready to go all the way to Arizona. Given the high and rising prices of San Bernardino by national standards this is getting hard to justify but still: if you want a “fancy” and active lifestyle from neighborhoods like those in the north but much more reasonable pricing than LA this is your spot. 


Escape From LA

Why You Should Move Here Now?

**UniqueName2**
1y ago
🦉🦉🦉

It filed for bankruptcy over a decade ago. The city discharged that debt and this year had a $2.5million surplus. The south side of the city can be a little sketchy at times, but it’s still better now than it was six years ago when I moved here. New businesses are moving in and doing well since the “end” of the pandemic. I genuinely think things are going to get better (albeit slowly), but it is a low income city so I doubt that the state or federal government will give enough of shit about it to make as much of a difference as I would like. 


For more reviews of what living in San Bernardino is like from locals check out: [**The Reviews**](https://lookyloomove.com/locations/san-bernardino/reviews).

“Great Bones”

Reviews of San Bernardino from Locals

San Bernardino is part of San Bernardino County on the western side of the Inland Empire region. This is a massive stretch of land that is larger than ten states and stretches from just east of Los Angeles to the borders of Nevada and Arizona. It was originally, much like its Central Valley neighbor to the north, dedicated to agriculture and filled with produce and dairy farms. Over the years however, agriculture declined in the face of rising populations and development, primarily driven by affordable housing opportunities east of the coast. The Inland Empire is located an hour+ east of Los Angeles, approximately an hour and a half north of San Diego, and around 3 ½ hours to Las Vegas. Many who choose to live here do so to take advantage of the short distances to the beaches, mountains, dessert, and gambling!


The Area

The neighborhoods around Cal State are your best bet if you’re in school or a young professional. Lots of rental options for apartments. Plenty of bars and restaurants for going out and you’re close to the mountains for outdoor adventures. 
- Kendall Hills
- Hudson


Students/Young Professionals

Kendall Hills

Young families gravitate to the great homes and schools on the northern side of the city or if the pricing is a bit high for them they’ll stay along the east side near the University. There is a concentration of young Hispanic and Black families on the west side of the city as well and housing gets cheaper south and west in the city. Depending on your price point the best Elementary schools are north and east and that may be where to start to see what is affordable. 
- Northpark
- Arrowhead Farms
- Cajon
- Cimmeron
- Muscoy


Young Families

Northpark

The north side dominates target neighborhoods for families looking for bigger homes & yards, more parks, proximity to golf and recreation, and the best schools in the city. As was mentioned, you’re also next to Wildwood Park, at the foothills of the mountains and have beautiful views from everywhere. These are the neighborhoods where you start. 
- Verdemont
- Belvedere
- Nena



Established Families

Verdemont

San Bernardino

**UniqueName2**
1y ago
🦉🦉🦉

It filed for bankruptcy over a decade ago. The city discharged that debt and this year had a $2.5million surplus. The south side of the city can be a little sketchy at times, but it’s still better now than it was six years ago when I moved here. New businesses are moving in and doing well since the “end” of the pandemic. I genuinely think things are going to get better (albeit slowly), but it is a low income city so I doubt that the state or federal government will give enough of shit about it to make as much of a difference as I would like.

**HarambeTheBear**
1y ago
🦉🦉

Those towns are actually great. Of course there are bad pockets and good pockets, but most of the stuff you find should be near the good pockets. Stay near the main shopping centers, just a few blocks from Ralphs, CVS, local restaurants and preview the area before you commit.

Plenty of “reasonable” commutes are 50 minutes with rush hour, bumper traffic on week days. An hour and a half with less traffic isn’t bad at all for somebody who likes hanging out in the car and listening to music or podcasts.

I used to do UC Riverside to Calabasas and then did UCRiverside to Century City. The drive is very manager if you have something to listen to in the car and some mid-way stops when needed.

**puffpuffjess**
7mo ago
🦉🦉

as someone who currently lives in SB and loves how close all the off roading and hiking trails are, i still say riverside is better lol i live near CSUSB which is a decent neighborhood, like i could go for a walk at night and my main worry would be encountering a coyote. but riverside has much more choices in food, culture, and entertainment. i think they're trying to revitalize parts of SB but it's got a long way to go.

San Bernardino, California

San Berdoo

Looklyloo Score: 74

Reviews

What's it like to live in San Bernardino?