Ventura, California

Sakurazukamori85
1y ago
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Ventura is not perfect by any means and will be a big change from a city like DC. But Ventura has a small beach town vibe and great weather year around, it can get hot for us locals but by comparison to how hot the rest of the county can get it is not that hot. Ventura is nicely located between Santa Barbara and Los Angeles which gives a lot of access to possible day trips and plenty of outdoor activities.

The night life and general diversity of the area will leave you wanting compared to a larger city like DC. Housing is expensive but since you're inheriting you get to avoid that issue. The area around Ventura college is nice there will be some homeless wandering the main street but not really in the neighborhoods. People complain about the city management not really fixing things like roads and general maintenance around the city and for the most part it is true. Ventura does feel dirty and mismanaged compared to a fellow neighboring city like Camarillo which is much cleaner and better run.

The local police department in Ventura is considered a joke locally. Mainly they are just harassing homeless people, drunks downtown and aren't really much help otherwise. Overall like all cities it has positives and negatives the big things to ask yourself is can you live in a smaller city with less things to do, less ethnic diversity, night life, jobs, culture, ect.

Anonymous
•1y ago
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I live right near the college myself. I moved here in 2019, and am now in my mid 40's. I lived in the much more bustling LA and Orange counties previous to that. I absolutely love it here. Its got most of the amenities as LA and Orange (shopping, entertainment, activities), plus close access to the Central Coast, Ojai, Santa Barabara, etc; all without the chaotic traffic that you find down there. Theres still traffic, just nothing like that.

With that said, you're from DC, which is going to be much more similar to LA/Orange. Being that you're in your 20's, you may feel Ventura is a bit more boring than you'd prefer. But if you are willing to give up a small bit of entertainment options, I think Ventura checks all of your boxes on what you like to do. Theres plenty of music here (The Ventura Music Hall, The Majestic, Santa Barbara Bowl, The Grape, etc, etc). There is plenty of horses in Ojai, Santa Paula, Santa Barbara, and the cities in between them. The "Outdoors" is much more accessible.

And to be honest, I think because of the pandemic, Ventura is really becoming the destination for people like me, who love Southern California, but are just tired of LA/Orange. And because of that, bigger businesses are moving in. Theres an Amazon warehouse now in Oxnard. Order something today, and it WILL be at your house tomorrow.

BTW - Ventura is one of the only cities where I really feel crime is just not really a thing. Like if I left my door unlocked, I wouldnt have any worries. I've never had a package stolen off my porch. I know thats not universally true through the entire city. But near the college, I think its pretty safe to say you wouldnt have to worry about it at all.

hottotrot5390
6mo ago
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Ah my hometown. Greatest weather in California. A good 10 degrees cooler in summer than any other city in Ventura County. Homeless and drug issues on the West end of town in pockets. East end off of the 126xVictoria or Kimball exit is much more family friendly and still a 15 min drive to the beach/downtown. Schools can vary but overall excellent opportunities and teachers. Several of my classmates got into prestigious colleges and I went to public schools. 35 mins to Santa Barbara and 45 mins-1 hr to LA if low traffic. Nightlife can be slower if you party but downtown shopping, bars, restaurants are great IMO. Job opportunities are somewhat limited if you don’t commute and will need 200k+ household income to afford a single family home. It has opportunities but it’s a gem of a city honestly. Feel free to DM me if you have questions.

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