Dos Vientos vs Agoura Hills (Los Angeles, Oxnard: sales, 2013, foreclosure)

[Ravioli1]

My husband and I have kids 13, 11, and 9 and we're relocating to the greater Thousand Oaks area from the East Coast. We found two houses we like - one in Dos Vientos, which is a bit more affordable per sq. ft and seems to be a family-friendly community, and one in Agoura Hills, which is pricier but seems to be a bit closer to restaurants/amenities and we are told is "more desirable" when it comes to re-sale. I'm mainly concerned about 1) major differences in the high schools, 2) whether it is really that big an inconvenience to live in Dos Vientos, 3) perceptions of the two places, and 4) if we're not the type to drive a fancy car or worry about status symbols (and want to teach that mentality to the kids), will we prefer one or the other? I appreciate any insights you can share.

[nightlysparrow]

If you don't already know, Agoura Hills is technically in Los Angeles County.

This info is what I read about these schools, not first hand parent experience. The high school for AH would be Westlake, which is one of the top 500 schools in the US and the 15th highest in California. Not that Newbury Park is not good too, because it is. And so is Thousand Oaks High and Oak Park High (although OP's stats may be skewed to be artificially high; they are investigating!). All the middle schools are good, too.
Oak Park, Westlake high schools among best in nation | www.theacorn.com | The Acorn

A lot of the kids at Westlake have wealthy parents. Most kids have the usual status symbols. But it is a public school; the billionaire kids go to private school, Oaks Christian (even if they are Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, etc.!). Academic pressure at WH is high; check this thread I started about what I saw:Why schools are a draw to east Ventura County
NP High is more mixed as to affluence.

Agoura Hills is considered a semi-rural posh area, lots of movie stars have mini-ranches there. It is closer to LA by 10 miles compared to Dos Vientos. Many of the houses are custom (although there are tracts)and some have been there since the 1940's. There are sections where people have farm animals, horses, etc. And yet, AH seems to have more of an urban vibe, perhaps because it is divided by the 101.

Dos Vientos is a big housing tract built in the late 1990's on a contested site, and it took 21 years of fighting in court to even build it, as there was a lot of local resistance politically and neighbor-wise. Some people complain that the twisty roads and the route to the 101 is a PITA to drive every day. Some areas of Newbury Park (and some in the incorporated areas of AH) look dated and worn. But the houses are big and nice. And I would say that NP is way more family-friendly than AH.

I don't know who told you that AH is closer to "amenities" unless they were focusing on going into the San Fernando Valley (AKA "The Valley") for them, which in that case would be true. And AH to the beach at Malibu is a 12-mile trip over Kanan Road. But almost all the "amenities" people usually need are actually in Thousand Oaks and some in Westlake Village. Both NP and AH are pretty much equidistant from the core TO/WLV hub.

[DKM]

They are different places for sure.

Schools:
The high school for AH is not Westlake, it is Agoura High. For the LA county side of Westlake, its still Agoura High. This compares to NP High fairly evenly so between the two you won't find much difference in schools. As for pre high school, Sycamore Canyon is great but so are the schools west of Kanan in AH. TO and Westlake High are a bit higher ranked than NP and AH.

It would depend for me where I was working. AH is more costly because of its location to work centers further east. Dos Vientos is only a good idea if you will be working in somewhere in the Conejo Valley. In that case I would have bought a house in Dos Vientos because you can get a nice newer/bigger home there.

As far as amenities, the previous poster was right on. I would add that Dos Vientos is a bit more removed from most shopping but this is rather minor, 5 more minutes maybe. Home Depot, Target and grocery stores are well in reach (that should cover most of your needs). If restaurants and parent nightlife nearby is desired then yeah AH is better. If you need access to an outdoor swimming pool and not in your backyard, you should stay out of Dos Vientos.

Let me add this, Dos Vientos is much nicer in the summer and AH is as hot as blazes.

[nightlysparrow]

Oops, DKM is right about Agoura High. I knew this but had brain freeze, because the three families I know in AH and Old Agoura all sent their kids to WH based on interdistrict transfer.

Plus, I should have mentioned that Dos Vientos would conversely be closer than AH to employment points north, like Camarillo, Oxnard and Ventura.

Worth mentioning is that Dos Vientos came very close to wildfire devastation a few years ago (the Springs Fire, 2013), as the development backs up to undeveloped hills pretty much on three sides. AH and everywhere else has fire risk, but AH probably the least so. We had a very verdant spring and lots of brush has sprung up and is going dry in the triple digit heat we've had. Not to frighten you, but wildfires are probably the biggest threat in the Conejo Valley.

[Ravioli1]

Thank you! Very helpful info.

[paigemadison]

Ravioli1 - Just in case you see this - what did you end up choosing? And what do you think of it? Looking at similar options also coming from the East Coast & have very similar questions to your initial posting! Thanks!

[RyanHuggins]

Both places have their benefits. Personally I find Dos Vientos to be a bit secluded and a bit of a drive to get to any of the city's amenities or other cities. I know they've had trouble keeping their shopping center occupied, it even went to foreclosure several years back and the YMCA just shut it's doors too.

While Agoura is LA County and Dos Vientos is Ventura, both have great schools. There are some law differences and tax differences between the two, LA also tends to have higher sales tax.

[SoCalMomma]

I am so curious as to which ones Ravioli1 chose.

Just some things I want to add for future people reading this post. Agoura has just as much fire risk as Dos Vientos - look at google maps - Agoura is surrounded by open space, too! School rankings are pretty similar. Great Schools ratings - Agoura High 8/10 Newbury Park High 9/10. NP also has the IB program (International Baccalaureate). Middle Schools - Lindero Cyn Middle in Agoura 8/10 and Sycamore Cyn in Dos Vientos 9/10 - Sycamore Cyn is a small middle school on the same campus as the elementary school. Looks like the elementary schools are 9/10 for both locations.

Look at the websites for the schools and the district and see which would be the best fit for your kids. Just because a school is ranked higher doesn't mean its the best school for your child.

And look at the areas around where you'd be living. Which appeals to you more. LA County kinda sucks. Its a HUGE county - covers a huge chunk of So Cal - all I hear from friends is how screwed up it is. We live in Ventura County (Thousand Oaks) and I am happy with our county government. We pay less taxes, insurance is cheaper, crime rate is much lower, air quality is better, weather is a little cooler in summer..

Dos Vientos specifically. I have a couple friends who live there. Its a little secluded, but they like that fact. Its not like its miles away from everything - maybe 5 minutes further. They have some gorgeous parks, lots of hiking, can get to the beach easily, and its all relatively new and well-kept.

Its hard for strangers on a message board to know which would be better for you. You really need to come see the areas and do some research to see which area fits your needs the best.