Thousand Oaks, California
 

Anyone live there or surrounding areas? good place to raise kids? any views welcome! ;-)

Re: Thousand Oaks, California
 

Yes I'm close by. It's nice, very suburban in look and outlook. The schools are considered good with my usual cautionary note that all the public (state) schools in California are in a state of financial emergency. I'll try to help with any specific questions you have

Re: Thousand Oaks, California
 

According to the following "California School Perfromance Map", most of the schools in that area are top ranking. Click on a symbol, to get more information about the school.

http://schoolperformancemaps.com/ca/...4%2C12%2C1%2C2

Re: Thousand Oaks, California
 

Yep, we've just moved away from the area, I used to work in TO. Lots of people I worked with had kids in schools in the area which were mainly good, I think the high school in particular in Westlake Village (borders TO) is very good.

Housing is generally cheaper than in The Valley, and the weather much cooler, 10-15 in the summer, its often foggy in the mornings March-June.

It's very suburban, has nice malls, some ok restaurants, a great cinema, a theatre and in general is very clean. I find it slightly Stepford Wives with lots of women in trainers walking the streets every morning with their designer gym clothes and their Starbucks.

Re: Thousand Oaks, California
 

I am from the Valley originally and Dad still lives there. Been in Silver Lake/Los Feliz for a long time now. I think you hit the nail on the head as to the reason I would not live in the Thousand Oaks area. Of course, I remember driving to Zuma Beach and there was a gas station and nothing else at the 101/Los Virgines intersection.

Re: Thousand Oaks, California
 

Me neither, on the face of it, it has everything you should want as a family looking for a nice neighborhood to live, its just too 'twee' for me.

The 101/Virgines intersection hasn't improved for having anything other than a gas station.

Re: Thousand Oaks, California
 

Thanks for the input - I guess Moorpark/Newbury Park etc is more of the same??? what about Ventura itself?

I think for a while I could ignore the twee if the crime is low, lots for kids to do, good schooling and close to a good beach. Maybe some work for me on a part time basis:)

Re: Thousand Oaks, California
 

Where are you Sal? do you think it's a good place for kids/teenagers to be? I know you were torn between staying and going back to UK, what made you decide on Lala land?

Re: Thousand Oaks, California
 

I'm in Calabasas. I know a few people who live in Newbury Park, they seem to like it but it's too far out of the loop for my taste. Ventura itself seems very nice, that could be a possibility for you.

It's all right around here for teenagers, of course they need a car/rides to get to anything. Huge drug culture, not sure how that compares to UK/Canada.

I was torn and still am, the main reason we didn't make the move back recently was that house prices have collapsed.

Re: Thousand Oaks, California
 

Yes all that area is very much the same, nearly everyone I work with lives out that way, be warned though you will definately be on Fire Watch in Moorpark/Newbury Park area.

Personally, I don't like Ventura, I don't think the beach is very nice, in fact the last time we went I nearly stood in a dead seal. It's very overcast, often windy and cold, not like LA at all. If you are after beaches I would stick with TO and have an easy drive to Zuma.

I think if you can live with the twee it sounds like a good area for what you are after.

Re: Thousand Oaks, California
 

And we disagree again:lol:

Re: Thousand Oaks, California
 

Ventura's such a cute little town though! Loads of beaches all along the coast there.

Re: Thousand Oaks, California
 

Thanks - as Sal says I do worry about the drug culture - how bad is it? is it in schools? I guess so - oh what a worry:(

Re: Thousand Oaks, California
 

I'm torn too Sal:( UK or US I know i've done my time in Canada - winters too long for me amongst other stuff.

Re: Thousand Oaks, California
 

and virtually deserted due to the crap weather and rotting wildlife:ohmy:

Re: Thousand Oaks, California
 

It's very hard to advise - you could love it or be walking into another world of pain. Is it a good job offer (I presume transfer), are there any opportunities back home?
People seem to like Carpinteria, Santa Barbara seems OK.

PS The kids have just come in from school, I asked them if it's good for teenagers here. My daughter said, "The guys say the Thousand Oaks girls are HOT" :lol:

Re: Thousand Oaks, California
 

Only thinking about it for now - transfer very probable in the future - job opportunity better in TO - I feel very mixed.

Re: Thousand Oaks, California
 

Have you visited?

Re: Thousand Oaks, California
 

That will happen April/May time...........

Re: Thousand Oaks, California
 

That will give you more of an idea - maybe try to see some schools - let me know if I can help with anything.

Re: Thousand Oaks, California
 

Thank Sal;) so Moorpark etc bush fire country?

Re: Thousand Oaks, California
 

Yes. I don't know what kind of house you would be looking at, if you are going to be in a house in the middle of an estate you'll be fine. It's the ones that have the lovely views that potentially have the problems.

Re: Thousand Oaks, California
 

Isn't that just typical!:( Do you love living in California?

Re: Thousand Oaks, California
 

Oh yes.

Er, tricky question. I didn't like LA, I lived in Woodland Hills very close to Sally. I found it soulless, LA is not really a city, but lots of cities running into each other. Most places don't feel like they have anything unique to offer, you just go from 1 city to the next seeing the same shops in the same malls, and the same chain restaurants and grocery stores. I hated having to go everywhere in the car, and couldn't really cope with the excess heat in the summer months.

There are some fantastic things to do in LA, but to get to Downtown for instance would take a minimum of 1 hour (20 miles away), possibly 2 hours, from TO you are looking at another 20 minutes. I found by the time we had organized ourselves to do something on a weekend, it was already too late and too hot to bother.

And mainly I found it really hard to make friends there.

I'm now in the Bay Area in a small city with a high street with restaurants and shops I can walk to. People are friendlier, Mums at school, neighbors, just people I see walking the dog.

So, now I really like living in California, I didn't like living in LA.

Re: Thousand Oaks, California
 

I've heard alot of good things about the Bay Area, I have family in Martinez. Sadly TO is where the work is:(

Everything you've just stated about LA area is exactly how I feel about here - except the friends, I have a few here - all but 2 are Brits.

Re: Thousand Oaks, California
 

Almost everywhere around here has a high fire risk. Getting caught in a big brush fire shortly after we moved here really rattled me.

Don't forget the earthquakes.

I would agree with Nicky, bit dead and soulless out this way. I liked it better when we lived in mid-Wilshire, but we moved out here for schools. I think somewhere like Ventura would have more of the individual/small town feel.

Most people agree it's hard to make friends here (LA).

Re: Thousand Oaks, California
 

Well you're really selling the place to me now:lol: why is it hard to make friends Sal? whats up with the folks? are there many Brits there?

Re: Thousand Oaks, California
 

It's not a bad place, its just not what I want out of life. I work with people who have lived in TO all their life who think it is the best place on earth. They go home from work everyday, bbq or eat at a chain restaurant and are in bed for 10pm. They spend their weekends either getting up at 5am to go for a run, or doing nothing but sit indoors to keep out of the heat. Some people have never been to The Getty, or the Farmers Market, to go to DisneyLand they have to book a hotel for the night as everything is too far away. To me these are the people TO is perfect for.

Re: Thousand Oaks, California
 

I'm actually being really positive :rofl:

It's known as the land of fruits and nuts :lol: Botox, implants, exercise, self.

There are actually a lot of Brits in Thousand Oaks mainly because of the Pharma companies, that might make the transition easier for you. I know a few at Amgen and Baxter.

Re: Thousand Oaks, California
 

Yep sounds familiar.

Re: Thousand Oaks, California
 

Same as here then:(

Re: Thousand Oaks, California
 

*just setting up noose and chair*

Re: Thousand Oaks, California
 

Oh FFS:rofl: Job would be Amgen, he currently works here with them.

I'm so NOT all the things you just mentioned - well excepts for being nuts but in a good way as in having the ability to laugh at myself.

Re: Thousand Oaks, California
 

The people who have grown up in LA have friends from school/uni, in my experience most people go to Uni fairly local to home so their friends stay local too. Most people who I know who moved to LA as adults have found it very hard to make friends. Everyone is always too busy, school drop off is always in the car, people don't tend to socialize out of work either.

I also found lots of people were aspiring to be something they weren't, they would look at the big houses and flash cars and were only interested in people who could help them achieve that. Or, they thought thats what you were like so they didn't bother with you.

Re: Thousand Oaks, California
 

Sounds like out of the frying pan into the fire for me! why are all the best jobs/careers N.America?:frown:

Re: Thousand Oaks, California
 

Oh, they don't laugh at themselves.

Move to Calabasas, hubby would only have a 20 minute drive to work and you could spend your days at The Sagebrush Cantina with Sally complaining about the locals.

Re: Thousand Oaks, California
 

Plastic people - great!:lol: did you like the UK N1cky?

Re: Thousand Oaks, California
 

I haven't been to Canada but I think you might find some lifestyle similarities from what I've read on here...personally I think all the Brits I've met in Th. Oaks have a hankering for home but you get the big house, probably a pool and sunshine. Amgen look after you quite well, they seem to be over the problems they were having.

Re: Thousand Oaks, California
 

:lol: thought Sal was working?

How is Malibu Beach - as a beach I mean, not to live not won that lottery yet!

Re: Thousand Oaks, California
 

yeah, they are a good company and hubs likes them alot. TO homes look like they could be a bit expensive too, especially with a pool on a nice street.