Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
That plain is the best topsoil in California especially for certain crops like Lima beans. It is truly a loss for that land to be developed especially to become Camarillo or Oxnard or Saticoy or whatever. They could have at least taken a page from the Irvine Company play book and done some planning firs. That horrific fertilizer odor actually reaches up to Ventura during certain weather conditions. It would make my eyes burn and water. I called it the "burning tires" smell.
That plain is the best topsoil in California especially for certain crops like Lima beans. It is truly a loss for that land to be developed especially to become Camarillo or Oxnard or Saticoy or whatever. ... That horrific fertilizer odor actually reaches up to Ventura during certain weather conditions. It would make my eyes burn and water. I called it the "burning tires" smell.
Ironic: the worst smells in Oxnard have their sources in Ventura -- the sewage treatment mess at the Ventura Harbor; the mushroom processing plant on Olivas Park; and, until a few years ago, the green waste recycling facility (which was ultimately forced to move). So it's quite likely that the odor burning your eyes and water in Ventura actually came from -- Ventura -- and nowhere else. Just a thought.
Entirely possible. I lived there up to five years ago and they still grew a lot of crops within the city limits. The burning tire smell is definitely fertilyzer so it could easily have come from Ventura too. There was just overall lots of agriculture all over Ventura County and given the geographic situation, wind from the right direction and voila! It would come from all over. The mushroom plant is something I forgot though...I still liked it there despite the odors because occassionally one could smell the ocean. The overbuilding was just too much for me. As a native Californian I could no longer watch it happen.
Anyone remember Julius Goldman's Egg City up Grimes Canyon road from Moorpark on the way to Filmore? It makes the Urea smell on the Oxnard Plain smell like a spring day in Ireland.
Entirely possible. I lived there up to five years ago and they still grew a lot of crops within the city limits. The burning tire smell is definitely fertilyzer so it could easily have come from Ventura too. There was just overall lots of agriculture all over Ventura County and given the geographic situation, wind from the right direction and voila! It would come from all over. The mushroom plant is something I forgot though...I still liked it there despite the odors because occassionally one could smell the ocean. The overbuilding was just too much for me. As a native Californian I could no longer watch it happen.
When I lived in midtown we'd get those odors from the harbor and mushroom plant quite often. Hard to imagine, but on some level I got used to it. I guess the one bright side about Ventura smelling its own smells on those occasions was that Oxnard got a break.
In regards to "over" building, it'll be interesting to see what the next years bring to the area. Oxnard and Ventura are tremendously focused on non-sprawl type growth. The word on the street is that we will see more condensed, mixed-use, high-rise, in-fill and transit orientation in developments going forward.
Occassionally I still read the local paper and see all movers and shakers politicing it up. As you say it will be interesting to see where that whole area ends up in twenty years. It makes me laugh though because they are talking about the same things they were five years ago. Same names too. Some like Brian Lee Rencher have even seemed to gain a degree of acceptance and normalcy about him and not just the homeless weird guy on the bicycle who knew more about city policy than anybody on the council.
Some like Brian Lee Rencher have even seemed to gain a degree of acceptance and normalcy about him and not just the homeless weird guy on the bicycle who knew more about city policy than anybody on the council.
Some true characters around, that's for sure! You've probably noticed, too, that in both Oxnard and Ventura the city-council members' surnames date back many generations in the area. The good-old boy network is alive and well in Ventura County.
This is my first post as well....I spent 30 yrs in Oxnard and it will always be home to me. I went through Sunkist Elementary, E.O. Green and Hueneme High...I graduated in "74". I must say we had some very scary days in School esp. "72" Lots of bad fights...Lots of blood ... lots of crazy!!! I have always had a hard time understanding why so many people liked living in turmoil. I just wanted to hang out, play Volleyball and Cruse Main St. in Ventura on Friday Night. I moved to Indiana in 1988 because it was too expensive to live there. There are wide open spaces here and its affordable. If I moved back to California I think I would live in the North Country...Somewhere by Mt. Shasta.
or Sequoia National Park. The Best thing about living in Southern Cal. was my friends and the weather. So my recommendation to anyone looking to live in Ventura Co. Its a great place, enjoy. Just bring your wallet...and hold on tight to it!!
Gigman
I've lived in Camarillo for almost 13 years. Used to live in Northern California until my family and I relocated to Camarillo. Overall, it's a nice place to live.
Very safe community, as is Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley and most other Ventura County communities (with the exception of Oxnard). Oxnard has a lot of gangs and illegal aliens who don't give a hoot about American culture and, quite frankly, are not very nice people. There are some people like that in Camarillo, but by and large the problem is not as bad as it is in Oxnard.
In my opinion, the only good high school in Camarillo is Cornerstone Christian School. It's expensive, but the education definitely prepares students for college or post-high school careers. I went through the whole Cornerstone High School program and graduated (or as I like to say, survived). Cornerstone is a tough school - college prep academics, strict rules of attendance, tough teachers and no room for slackers - but it sure beats Rio Mesa or Camarillo High.
I spent some years in the Pleasant Valley School District, and I can tell you that it isin't pleasant at all and there are many teachers who love to drug students they can't control with Ritalin or label them with "ADD". If you have kids who are not in high school yet, avoid PVSD schools at all costs: send them to one of the private schools.
Camarillo is a fair sized city with a small town feel. It's well spread-out and the people are friendly. However, unlike a small town, everything you need can be found within the city limits. Also, as with many California cities, the street lights are attached to poles and not strung up over the street with a wire. Oh yeah, the food's good, too. There is also a movie theater and a municipal airport (which was once an Air Force Base and has a HUGE runway). Camarillo Airport is a great place to learn how to fly.
The weather is great all year round. This is due to Camarillo's close proximity to the ocean. The coldest weather I've experienced here was 30 degrees; the hottest weather I've experienced was somewhere in the 90's. The climate for this area is Mediterranean, so palm trees and dryness are not uncommon (though Camarillo is fairly green).
The major downside to Camarillo is the cost of living. It's very high and it's not uncommon for young high school graduates to continue living with their parents for 2, 3, 4 or even 5 years (or later) after graduation. It's hard for young people to start a living here. I will be moving to the Midwest after graduating college because it is way cheaper and even more beautiful.
Ventura County is home to two universities (California State University Channel Islands and California Lutheran University) and a number of college/university extension campuses including UCSB, Azusa Pacific University, and Biola University. CSUCI is in Camarillo; CLU is in Thousand Oaks. Both are good schools. Ventura County also has 3 community colleges: Ventura College, Oxnard College, and Moorpark College. I highly recommend Moorpark College - it is not far from Camarillo (~20 min. drive) and is one of the best community colleges in the country.
Note: if you are struggling with college algebra, Biola University offers a Bachelor of Science degree in Organizational Leadership through their Thousand Oaks extension campus where you can take Statistics in lieu of Algebra. This is called the BOLD (Bachelor of Leadership Degree) program. Classes are small and there is very close communication between the professors and students. BOLD students must normally have no less than 50 college units completed in order to be enrolled in the program, but this can be waived for excellent academic performance and citizenship. They have what is called a Pre-BOLD program for those students who have less than 50 college units completed and do not qualify for an admission waiver. I must note, however, that Biola is a Christian University and requires all students and faculty to be believers before they can be accepted to the University. Biola's main campus is in La Mirada, California and offers student housing and meal plans, which none of the extension campuses offer. All BOLD students have all the priviliges of a student at the main campus and are welcome there anytime to buy books, have meals, etc.
Camarillo is somewhat close to Los Angeles, but not too close. Highway 101 runs through Camarillo and yes, there is traffic, but nothing like the traffic in Los Angeles. When it's not rush hour, the highway comes in handy when you need to get from one side of town to the other, as there are a few off-ramps in the city that take you where you need to go.
Camarillo has its own Chamber of Commerce and Civic Arts Council. There are a number of interesting stores in Camarillo and if you are a shopper, the Camarillo Outlets are definitely worth a visit. Next to City Hall is Constitution Park, which has a stage and hosts concerts which are rather small but enjoyable. The big concerts in the area occur at the Ventura County Fair every year.
To sum it up, Camarillo is a very nice, safe place to live and the only major downside is the high cost of living. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to send me a DM.
I've lived in Camarillo for almost 13 years. Used to live in Northern California until my family and I relocated to Camarillo. Overall, it's a nice place to live.
Very safe community, as is Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley and most other Ventura County communities (with the exception of Oxnard). Oxnard has a lot of gangs and illegal aliens who don't give a hoot about American culture and, quite frankly, are not very nice people. There are some people like that in Camarillo, but by and large the problem is not as bad as it is in Oxnard.
In my opinion, the only good high school in Camarillo is Cornerstone Christian School. It's expensive, but the education definitely prepares students for college or post-high school careers. I went through the whole Cornerstone High School program and graduated (or as I like to say, survived). Cornerstone is a tough school - college prep academics, strict rules of attendance, tough teachers and no room for slackers - but it sure beats Rio Mesa or Camarillo High.
I spent some years in the Pleasant Valley School District, and I can tell you that it isin't pleasant at all and there are many teachers who love to drug students they can't control with Ritalin or label them with "ADD". If you have kids who are not in high school yet, avoid PVSD schools at all costs: send them to one of the private schools.
Camarillo is a fair sized city with a small town feel. It's well spread-out and the people are friendly. However, unlike a small town, everything you need can be found within the city limits. Also, as with many California cities, the street lights are attached to poles and not strung up over the street with a wire. Oh yeah, the food's good, too. There is also a movie theater and a municipal airport (which was once an Air Force Base and has a HUGE runway). Camarillo Airport is a great place to learn how to fly.
The weather is great all year round. This is due to Camarillo's close proximity to the ocean. The coldest weather I've experienced here was 30 degrees; the hottest weather I've experienced was somewhere in the 90's. The climate for this area is Mediterranean, so palm trees and dryness are not uncommon (though Camarillo is fairly green).
The major downside to Camarillo is the cost of living. It's very high and it's not uncommon for young high school graduates to continue living with their parents for 2, 3, 4 or even 5 years (or later) after graduation. It's hard for young people to start a living here. I will be moving to the Midwest after graduating college because it is way cheaper and even more beautiful.
Ventura County is home to two universities (California State University Channel Islands and California Lutheran University) and a number of college/university extension campuses including UCSB, Azusa Pacific University, and Biola University. CSUCI is in Camarillo; CLU is in Thousand Oaks. Both are good schools. Ventura County also has 3 community colleges: Ventura College, Oxnard College, and Moorpark College. I highly recommend Moorpark College - it is not far from Camarillo (~20 min. drive) and is one of the best community colleges in the country.
Note: if you are struggling with college algebra, Biola University offers a Bachelor of Science degree in Organizational Leadership through their Thousand Oaks extension campus where you can take Statistics in lieu of Algebra. This is called the BOLD (Bachelor of Leadership Degree) program. Classes are small and there is very close communication between the professors and students. BOLD students must normally have no less than 50 college units completed in order to be enrolled in the program, but this can be waived for excellent academic performance and citizenship. They have what is called a Pre-BOLD program for those students who have less than 50 college units completed and do not qualify for an admission waiver. I must note, however, that Biola is a Christian University and requires all students and faculty to be believers before they can be accepted to the University. Biola's main campus is in La Mirada, California and offers student housing and meal plans, which none of the extension campuses offer. All BOLD students have all the priviliges of a student at the main campus and are welcome there anytime to buy books, have meals, etc.
Camarillo is somewhat close to Los Angeles, but not too close. Highway 101 runs through Camarillo and yes, there is traffic, but nothing like the traffic in Los Angeles. When it's not rush hour, the highway comes in handy when you need to get from one side of town to the other, as there are a few off-ramps in the city that take you where you need to go.
Camarillo has its own Chamber of Commerce and Civic Arts Council. There are a number of interesting stores in Camarillo and if you are a shopper, the Camarillo Outlets are definitely worth a visit. Next to City Hall is Constitution Park, which has a stage and hosts concerts which are rather small but enjoyable. The big concerts in the area occur at the Ventura County Fair every year.
To sum it up, Camarillo is a very nice, safe place to live and the only major downside is the high cost of living. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to send me a DM.
That was an excellent post.
I'll add Camarillo has somewhat of a conservative culture with a lot of Navy employees and retirees from both Point Mugu and Port Hueneme (I worked at Point Mugu for ten years). The weather is very moderate; you don't need air conditioning. One slight negative is commuting for jobs. If you have a job on the Oxnard Plain or the Conejo Valley you are set. If you lose your job you might have to commute out to the SF valley or worse.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Ventura Co. Living
