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Living In Ventura, In Depth Pros and Cons
Ventura is one of the best small cities in the country with:
- Gorgeous beaches, surfing, mountains, hiking and ocean front biking trails.
- Historic buildings and downtown, next to the ocean, Pier and boardwalk.
- Unique and locally owned shops, restaurants and entertainment.
Local complaints include potholes, homelessness and a high cost of living.
Video, Pros and Cons of Ventura
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Map Ventura County
Ventura (lime green on map), is located at the intersection of three major highways. It's convenient for commuting to Santa Barbara, Oxnard, Port Hueneme, Camarillo and the lovely mountain town of Ojai.
Traffic from tourism increases during the summer months and weekends, especially in the downtown areas. There is increased congestion in the downtown because of lots of new condo construction.
What Are The Best Places To Live in Ventura?
No matter where you live in Ventura, your going to still be within 15 minutes to the beach.
Dowtown is the hub for nightlife, quick beach access, lots more people, restaurants, nightlife and the boardwalk.
Midtown is a popular hub for local shops, the Ventura Mall and the community hospital. As you move East from there, Ventura neighborhoods tend to become more spread out and suburban.
Ventura City and Neighborhoods Map
-Westside (bright red)- An Arts district and highly rated, locally owned restaurants. Historic homes and a variety of tract homes from the 50's to 2000's. Â
-Downtown (light green)- A mixture of new construction condos, historic and tract homes.
-Midtown (light pink)- An urban and suburban lifestyle. Numerous, locally owned shops, the Community Hospital and the Pacific View Mall.
-Pierpont (mustard yellow)- high end, dock and beach homes and locally owned shops and restaurants.
-Hillside (dark green)- Â high end homes with panoramic views of the Ocean and City.Â
-College (peach)-Â a dense suburban feel close to the community college, chain stores, the hospital, and the mall.
-Thille/Montalvo (green/red)- Suburban style homes and a busy area with lots of shopping, chain stores, activities and entertainment.
-Poinsettia (light green)- Estate living at its finest. An oasis tucked away from the city. Enjoy established trees, panoramic views of the mountains, ocean, Channel Islands and Ventura skyline.
-Juanamaria, Saticoy and West Saticoy Neighborhoods (olive,tan,light blue)- AÂ very suburban feel with mostly newer homes. They are removed from the downtown and midtown bustle.
Is Ventura A Beautfiul Place To Live?
Beautiful, grassy parks are spread throughout the city, including the botanical gardens. There's fantastic hiking at Arroyo Verde Park and Harmon Canyon Preserve. Art galleries and locally owned restaurants and hangouts are plentiful. Ventura Raceway and the County Fairgrounds host swap meets, festivals, trade shows and concerts.
There are numerous, pristine beaches, some where you can park right next to the beach and enjoy beginner friendly surf like at Mondo's Beach. Spend the day at Marina Park, a 15 acre, grassy park right next to the ocean, with volleyball, barbecue grills and outdoor yoga and exercise classes.
We love taking our dogs there for long walks along the beach.
Outdoor Pedestrian Mall
The pedestrian mall offers eclectic boutiques, free parking lots, music venues, historic movie theatre and restaurants with outdoor/patio seating. A large Farmers Market happens on Saturdays right next to the San Buenaventura Mission and goes several blocks up the pedestrian mall.
A gorgeous and flat, seaside trail runs about 12 miles from the Pier and boardwalk to the gorgeous Rincon State Beach Park.
- A fantastic harbor for kayak/paddleboard and sailboat rentals, guided fishing tours and whale watching. A large live-aboard boating community with over 50% of those docked at a slip living on their boats.Â
- Lots of sea life including dolphins, sea lions, seals and lobster diving.
- Includes a big beautiful swim beach, with no waves, and a protective seawall.
- 30 unique shops, art galleries, and restaurants.
- Live music, The Ultimate Escape Rooms, the 805 Copa club with authentic Cuban food, a wine tasting room at Deep Sea and belly dancing at the Greek Mediterranean Steak and Seafood.
A Thriving Arts Community
There are many historical sites, antique stores, art exhibits and you can also take classes from local artists at many of the galleries.
You can also catch theater at the Rubicon. We have had a blast learning improv and are now teaching as well at Jest Improv.
The Bell Arts Factory is a fantastic non profit that provides classes and studio space for local artists. They create arts and education programs that will heighten artistic awareness within the community and enrich the quality of life for all citizens of Ventura, California.
Other Shopping Areas
You'll find larger businesses such as Target, Vons, Lowes and Barnes and Noble. However, it’s really the small businesses that bring Ventura to life, and locals make it a point to support those businesses.
Cons- Arts and Lifestyle
When there is a festival most of the locals just don’t go to the downtown area because it is bumper to bumper with little to no parking. Ventura is still a smaller town and most locally owned shops close earlier and have unusual hours as compared to a bigger city.
- During weekends and holidays, parking spots are limited for beach access. The beach can get crowded but not as crowded as LA and Santa Barbara.
- You usually will have to pay for parking near the beach on weekends. And the lots fill up quickly.
Ventura Overview
Ventura Neighborhoods
Lifestyle Ventura
What's The Weather Like?
There's fabulous, sunny weather ranging from 65-80. It gets up to 10 degrees hotter as you go North and up the hill in Ventura in the Summer. The Winter months and May and June can have quite a few cloudy, cooler and misty days.
There is an increased risk for fire danger as you move into the Foothills sections of Ventura, as it backs up to vast open spaces.
Cost of Living
Entry-level homes start at around $750,000 in most neighborhoods. Comparable homes in Santa Barbara and LA sell for $50-100,000 more and without being as close to the beach. Homes in nearby Oxnard and Port Hueneme are roughly 50- to $75,000 less than Ventura.
- Overall cost of living in Ventura is 34.9% higher than the national average.
- The estimated cost of childcare annually is around $12,000 which is some of the most expensive in the country.
- The cost of living has priced out many younger professionals and people just starting out in their working careers. They are having to find other places to live.
Is Ventura Safe?
For more information on crime, check out the city of Ventura crime map.
Ventura School District
- Public School Review rates many Ventura schools with a 9 out of 10 rating. They give the educators and family involvement exceptional reviews.
- Foothill technology high school is ranked in the top number one percent of high schools within the U.S.
- Ventura also has a very affordable 2-year junior college.
It is best to contact your neighborhood school first and schedule a tour and/or meet with the PTA. This way you can see if the school is a good fit for you and your family.
Hi there, we are Bart and Keziah
When helping our customers buy and sell real estate — it’s all about using our experience, effective communication and teamwork to simplify the process and get the best results for you.
Give us a call/text/email. Let’s have a short talk. Absolutely no pressure. Let's figure out if we will be a good fit to work together.
What do you think, about Ventura? Could You Live Here? We'd also love to hear about any other topics you would like us to cover. Please comment belowr and email us team@living-inventuracounty.com.
I’ve recently moved back to California and am looking for a small beach town to live. I’m 73 single woman, very active- love to walk (10,000 steps per day) enjoy yoga and pilates. Looking for a friendly community that includes educational possibilities like writing, photography etc….As a Jewish woman I also would like to live near a synagogue if possible. A great place to meet other like minded folks. I have limited budget (living on SS) and would like to live close enough to beach that it would become my regular walk area. Can you recommend a one bedroom apartment with conveniences such as washer/dryer in apartment, living room, dining area updated kitchen, parking etc…in an area where women like me live.
thanks so much!
Hi Danielle, yes we can give you some ideas. We will send you an email and also you can reach us at team@living-inventuracounty.com or 805-256-2813.
Thanks,
Bart