Where to live in Ventura County

[user_id]

Originally Posted by the city

And why are we comparing apples to oranges? For US standards I think they are good, but to European standards I don't care. As long as schools get you into good colleges by providing AP classes, sports to get scholarships, and extracurricular activities to spark interest for careers then who cares if Europe's schools or a school in another state are better.

umm....huh? I didn't say anything about Europe....and how am I comparing apples to oranges? I'm talking about API scores being a poor measure of educational quality.

[SOON2BNSURPRISE]

Originally Posted by user_id

We? I, and many others, have no problem with the porn industry. You are speaking for yourself.

You would be OK with your daughter working in that line of work? How about your sister? Your mom? You are OK with that then? Lets say that your wife is offered a part in a movie, you would be OK with that? Would the women in your life be OK with it? You would be OK watching a video with any of those women in your life in it? What about your friends or neighbors daughters, sisters, wifes? That would be OK as well?

Not everyone is OK with porn. You are speaking for your self when you say you have no problem with it. I, and many others have a big problem with the porn industry and we don't want it in our communities. I can give you story after story of people in the industry have been hurt by the very thing that they do for money. I can give you story after story of broken hearted families that have been hurt by the destructive nature of porn.

[the city]

Originally Posted by user_id

umm....huh? I didn't say anything about Europe....and how am I comparing apples to oranges? I'm talking about API scores being a poor measure of educational quality.

You mention the schools in the area weren't great. So then where do you think schools are "great". You are obviously referring to some place where schools are great. And for California standards, I think Simi and TO have great public schools.

And i still disagree that the API is a bad measure.

[the city]

Originally Posted by user_id

There is a lot of gray between "similar" and "way lower". I'm not suggesting that the crime rates are similar, just that the crime in Simi Valley is not "way lower" than Oxnard. That is, there isn't a night and day difference between the day cities as "way lower" would suggest.



Right...what you believe in. Not everyone considers porn to be of "low on morals" as a result government shouldn't be infringing on the rights of those that think differently about this matter.



We? I, and many others, have no problem with the porn industry. You are speaking for yourself.

Oxnard has both property and violent crimes. Simi just has just mostly property crimes and their property crime rates are lower. Simi's crime rates are a little lower than Thousand Oak's rates.

116.5 TO compared to 146.1 Simi

City data reports 224.1 for this last year, but is usually around 250. And the violent crimes like thefts, assaults, and robberies make up most of Oxnard's figures. Rape and murder percent is higher than Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks.

All though, you pay for the extra safety in the nicer areas and Oxnard does have safe areas.

[user_id]

Originally Posted by SOON2BNSURPRISE

You would be OK with your daughter working in that line of work? How about your sister? Your mom? You are OK with that then? Lets say that your wife is offered a part in a movie, you would be OK with that? Would the women in your life be OK with it? You would be OK watching a video with any of those women in your life in it? What about your friends or neighbors daughters, sisters, wifes? That would be OK as well?

Whether I'd be okay with a relative, etc doing porn is not relevant, my view on matters shouldn't infringe on the rights of others.

Originally Posted by SOON2BNSURPRISE

Not everyone is OK with porn. You are speaking for your self when you say you have no problem with it.

Yes not everyone is okay with it and they don't have to purchase any of it. The porn industry doesn't force people to purchase their products....nor is it going to tempt people's daughters into the industry. Though I do think its funny that you mention women...and not men. Is being involved in porn some how worse if you're a female? Apparently....

Anyhow, most of the jobs associated with the porn industry have nothing to do with fornication. They are camera men, video editors, etc....all decent paying jobs.

[user_id]

Originally Posted by the city

You mention the schools in the area weren't great. So then where do you think schools are "great". You are obviously referring to some place where schools are great.

I'm not referring to any area, as I said, I don't think the schools in Thousand Oaks are "great" either. I don't know of any area that has "great schools" in general, I only know of some schools that are great and they are all private.

[EncinoMan]

Clarification re what is "RICH"... presumably this term is used as a correlation to "quality" of neighborhood, i.e., good schools, low crime & safety, the educational and cultural levels of the residents, etc., not just their "income level" or "net worth."

Almost all of SIMI VALLEY is definitively "working class" educationally & culturally. That said, there are many areas, esp. north of Alamo where the homes, pre-bubble, averaged more than a million dollars. These are, however, tract homes, with still mostly "working class" folks who through hard work or luck "did well:" auto mechanics, plumbers, nurses, store managers, etc. There once was, less so now, areas of "central" Simi that had a concentration of Hells Angels and crack dealers. That's dissipated, largely perhaps, because Simi is also and ironically home to more Los Angeles police officers than is Los Angeles! ;-)

Camarillo is similar with a more cachet. The area of Spanish Hills and Sterling Hills, etc. have their share of successful white collar, educated, more sophisticated Upper Middle Class, where the homes ranges in price from 1.2 to 5-million dollars. There is no Lower Class in Camarillo. The only not so well off, working class are limited to the few blocks south of the Ponderosa Shopping Center. - All of Camarillo, west San Diego, and west Santa Barbara have the best climate in southern California - and much of the western world. This of course is a matter of taste. But statistically, when a hot summer day reaches 110 degrees in Simi or Thousand Oaks, or (worse) the San Fernando Valley, in Camarillo it will be 89 degrees!

Thousand Oaks is more diverse. The detached or "twin" homes (not condos or apartments) directly on Westlake Village LAKE are mostly Upper Middle and Lower Upper class, socially, culturally and economically, many successful doctors, lawyers, ex-A-list Entertainment folk, etc. If you shop at the two Sprouts Grocers in TO, you'll see many "high maintenance" women. :-) - Lake Sherwood is similar, rather inconvenient, more secluded, with even more "entertainment" types and wealthy business folk. Most of Thousand Oaks, SOUTH of the #101 is a "good" neighborhood, including Newbury Park. -- However, the areas west of the #23, south of Janss Road and north of Hillcrest are much like much of Simi Valley, working class, older small homes but with the advantage of being on sprawling residential lots.

Ventura beaches are beautiful, far nicer than anything in Los Angeles! But the neighborhoods are more difficult to define. For the money one can't do better than getting one of the very few waterfront homes on the Ventura "Keys" (do yourself a favor, if you can afford it, look into this). These are, however, still "upper middle class" by finances but often (retired) working class folk by derivation, who did very well. The other good area lies north of POLI, between Grant Park and Turner Field. These are often older homes that have been greatly upgraded, with lovely views, perfect climate and very convenient to Old Town on Main Street where most of the hip culture goes on. The rest of Ventura is again the many levels of middle class and upper working class. Note: beachfront in Ventura is prone to gusty, salty, sandy sea winds.

Oxnard is easiest to define. Most everything west of Victoria Avenue is lovely. Mandalay Bay is picture perfect, where the millionaires of Malibu should live if they weren't so focused on celebrity. It is however at least five miles to the #101, where most business is centered. Much of "central" Oxnard, east of Victoria has Ventura County's highest crime rate, esp. the areas around La Colonia. A tiny area known as "Heritage Square" has been renovated and preserved and is actually a good value now. One might benefit by speaking Spanish, though, if one intends to go shopping in much of Oxnard. - Port Hueneme is where young families crowd into small apartments and condos to be near work, often on the naval base. The crowding does not make this a very desirable area. Some of it, though (probably where the past and present "SeeBee" officers live), it picturesque and worth a look over.

Conclusion: if you can afford it and don't mind the summer heat, the Westlake Village area of Thousand Oaks is the best overall area of Ventura County. If you prefer a great climate, much of Camarillo is the best, and if you can afford it, the Spanish Hills area is akin the best areas of Westlake lake.

Good luck!