Morro Bay, Carpinteria or Port Hueneme (Thousand Oaks, Santa Barbara: RV parks, insurance, vacation home)

[cinbad68]

Hi Everybody!
I get more and more fascinated each time I log on! Well, as you can imagine I've been busy researching & following up on everybody's leads. Craigslist has been a great help! I especially like the fact that a lot of pictures are posted so you can actually see the rentals. To date I'm still finding more available housing/jobs in the Morro Bay area. I haven't quite yet given up on PH, though. I appreciate Roma's good intentions. I'm curious how many years total you lived in the area? Also I did check out the Hollywood Beach area. As usual my main concern is economy. You mentioned that people rent out the condos next to the school. You mean the condo owners rent out the whole condo (not just a room) as a sublet situation? I just needed to get that clarified, please.

I think initially, regardless of whether I go for PH or Morro Bay, I will want to play it conservatively and find a little cottage or studio apartment with the shortest lease possible (like month to month or 6 month). I'll need to feel more secure in my work situation before committing to more than that initially. Plus, I want to have time to really explore those 2 areas & get a feel for them first. If anyone's aware of any clean, short-term rentals(very basic), please do let me know. It's much better to get this info directly from locals. You may know of people who have a little converted studio on their property and want to rent it out. You never know. I've found a lot of this type of thing in the MB area. Two things I'm curious about, though. I've heard the term "granny" apartment used to describe some little over-the-garage apartments. I've seen pictures of some & they look perfectly clean, nice & normal. Does this term connote something I'm not aware of? Also, I note some of them use propane for heating/cooking. This is something I normally associate with campers/trailers. Is this commonly used in CA? Isn't propane expensive? Out here electric is cheapest, followed by gas. I have no clue re: propane. Does anyone have info?

One last question for now: Can anyone give me the going prices for gallon of gas in the PH, MB & Carpinteria areas? Out here it's leveled off for some time to about 2.26. Just curious.

I have a friend who knows someone who lives in SB & could possibly shed some light on Carpinteria, which remains the most elusive of the 3. I'm still in the early research phases so I'm keeping an open mind toward all 3. Keep all your great thoughts/advice coming! Thanks again.

[greatbasinguide]

Granny apartments are separate dwelling units on a parcel containing a primary residence, they were created originally for one's parents to live in near the adult children but separate. They are also called "inlaw" units.

[Roma]

Cinbad68, The condos by the school (you have learned alot about that little beach school by now, LOL) are rented out by the owners. You might be able to find a room to rent of sorts in Hollywood Beach but I am not sure. I knew of a oceanfront home a couple doors down from us that used to (maybe still does) rent out the bottom half of their home. I also know of a duplex of sorts on the beach that had a apt above it that they rented out and that also was oceanfront. So I bet with some hard searching you will be able to find something there. Nothing is cheap in a good area in California so you pretty much get what you pay for. But if you were my sister (which I have one around your age) I would tell her to try her hardest to get in at Hollywood Beach (and only HB), if PH/Oxnard is the area you still want to be at. This is my opinion and this is what I would tell my sister/friend/or stranger.

Where ever you decide to go, it sounds to me like you would be a great needed help with the sea/wild life and environmental realm. It is alot of volunteering your time and your own money and any resources you have but oh it is so rewarding. You would not be alone in it at all at Hollywood Beach. Like I said, it is HUGE at HB. If you do decide to move there I can hook you up with all the connections for that..... They (HB) just won a big battle over something very important there and it went all the way up to the California Superior Court. (You would be busy).

[cinbad68]

Thanks for clearing that term up for me, Great Basin. Thanks to you too, Roma---I just may take you up on that offer! When I do make it out there I'd like to buy you both a coffee or drink. The people on this forum have been super cool, helpful & knowledgable. Thanks to everyone. See you in CA!

[stellar9]

Gas prices around Morro Bay are about $2.45

I don't know what your religious/spiritual preference is, but there is a new age book store in MB, Coalesce, with classes and groups that you could join to meet people. There are also many mainstream churches around.

You might want to check out the local alternative newspaper, New Times, for more perspective about this county. There is a really good section in the paper for community goings on that you can check out. They are online but the print copy is better.

Good luck with your decision making.

Micki

[cinbad68]

Hi Micki!
Thanks for the info. $2.45 for gas isn't bad. I thought it would be a lot higher.
Coalesce sounds like my kind of place! I'll definitely check out the New Times. The online papers really are the best sources of info I've found. I've checked out SLO's online paper, which is really good. It has a nice Morro Bay link. Hope to bump into you at Coalesce once I get out there. Thanks again!

[sdmlions]

Hi there,
I am a young married guy, who moved to Carpinteria about 3 months ago. I am in my 20s, and could be described as lower middle class. I have travelled all over the country, and my wife and I would never leave Carp...if we could afford housing here.
The beach is BEAUTIFUL here, and very safe. There are sea lion colonies within walking distance of town, and dolphins come within 20 feet of the waters' edge. There is every sort of imaginable outdoorsy type of recreation within an hours drive here. Eg State Beaches, Lakes (Casitas and Cachuma), Hiking, and Parks. The scenery here is spectacular, with the Las Padres national forest overlooking the valley, and coastline streching for miles in both directions. Santa Barbara is only a 15 minute drive away, and that has anything you need, although it may be a little more pricey than other areas.
The town itself though has almost anything you would need, despite having only slightly over 15,000 people. I work at the UPS Store and deal with a ton of different people every day who have professional businesses in town. Dentist, Doctor, Vet, and Accountant; they are all available very freely. There are terrific schools, 3 grocery stores and a ton of cute little art galleries and resteraunts. It is a perfect small town set with a beautiful backdrop...
The only problem is $$$. We pay $2k a month for a nice 1 bedroom with a big yard and 2 parking spots. It is a little more than what most other people pay. My workmate pays $1500 a month for a 2 bedroom condo, and studios on the south side of town run at about $800-1000. Is it worth it? Maybe, maybe not. The people here are very nice, although maybe a little uppity in spots. There are a million Mexicans here, but they are pretty quiet and keep to themselves. The town is VERY safe. My wife and I haven't locked the door or the car the whole time we have been here. Personally I don't like Santa Barbara, because the people who tend to live there are rich and uppity, and the town makes me feel inferior. But Ventura, 20 miles south, is nice and has plenty of larger town things.
Gas is about $2.69 at the moment...
Anything else you wanna know?

[cinbad68]

Hi sdmlions!
Thanks very much for the info. Like MB, Carp sounds lovely geographically. I've checked out Carp's main website which gives a good overview and great photos. Do you know of any local newspapers in Carp or do you all get your news from SB? So far haven't found any local Carp online papers, but I think this would be the best source for jobs/rentals overview. I've found a lot of job ops in the SB classifieds, but I'm wondering if there are more local resources (I know Carp is small, but usually there's some kind of little local publication).

Also, you mentioned studios on the south side from $800-$1,000. What is the area like? Is it as safe as your area? Do you know the names of any apartment complexes in this $$ range or are they more like private owners renting out detached studios on their property?

One thing I noticed is that Carp seems very geared toward families. What is it like socially for you and your wife there? Is it mostly families w/kids or are there plenty of single unmarried people? I know you said you were married, but do you have children? If not, do you feel like a minority there? Trying to get a feel for the atmosphere there.

Appreciate all your help!

[Winston Smith]

Originally Posted by cinbad68

Do you know of any local newspapers in Carp...?

Coastal View News http://www.coastalview.com

Other sources include the Santa Barbara News (sup)Press (excuse the current corruption scandals) http://www.newspress.com. Though based in SB, keyt.com (TV) carries local news, but the coverage responsibility is the entire tri-counties region (SB, SLO, VTA).

[sdmlions]

Originally Posted by cinbad68

Hi sdmlions!
Thanks very much for the info. Like MB, Carp sounds lovely geographically. I've checked out Carp's main website which gives a good overview and great photos. Do you know of any local newspapers in Carp or do you all get your news from SB? So far haven't found any local Carp online papers, but I think this would be the best source for jobs/rentals overview. I've found a lot of job ops in the SB classifieds, but I'm wondering if there are more local resources (I know Carp is small, but usually there's some kind of little local publication).

Also, you mentioned studios on the south side from $800-$1,000. What is the area like? Is it as safe as your area? Do you know the names of any apartment complexes in this $$ range or are they more like private owners renting out detached studios on their property?

One thing I noticed is that Carp seems very geared toward families. What is it like socially for you and your wife there? Is it mostly families w/kids or are there plenty of single unmarried people? I know you said you were married, but do you have children? If not, do you feel like a minority there? Trying to get a feel for the atmosphere there.

Appreciate all your help!

As far as newspapers go, there is also the Santa Barbara independent and one other paper which escapes me right now. But the Coastal View News is based in Carp and has the most news about the local area. It also loves to start rumours...but that's another story.
As far as the housing goes, the whole town is fairly safe. The housing I am referring to is out Carpinteria Ave, on the way to the 'bluffs', and is pretty nice. It is mostly used for artists and that sorta thing. Also, we got our place off of craigslist.com which has a million postings for the SB area. You could just keep a lookout for Carp listings and check them out from there. There are not alot of apartment complexes in Carp...mostly they are right next to the beach, and those can be a little more pricey...although very nice.
As far as the social life goes, we don't have many problems because my wife has friends in town that she works with. But there isn't much to do here at night. There are a couple of bars in town, and a small theatre, but anything we are missing here, socially, is available in SB. That is about the only thing I like to do in SB, is go out. They have a million cool bars, and it's a good time. Carp is fairly family orientated, but there also plenty of young singles here as well. I am 22, and we have no kids, and I do not feel like a minority here at all. There are plenty of different types of people here and that is a big attraction. There are plenty of European people, old and young, and lots of Mexicans. Maybe if anything else the population has alot of older, retired people, but that could just be because they like to come into my work and drone on for hours...I guess they're lonely
Hope this helps...