Wrightwood, CA (Los Angeles, Santa Ana, San Bernardino: real estate, house, to buy)

[Lizard]

What kind of place is Wrightwood? What type people would be attracted to this locale?

[Just Lookin]

Wrightwood is a small community up in the mountains. They get lots of snow and it is cold in the winter. Hard to get out to go to work some times. The people are pretty friendly and they have lots of places to eat.

Just like a vacation kind of place to go. Sky resort type thing.

[Wayne G]

Small mountain community, access is from hwy 138 (off of the Interstate 15 freeway). Sky lodge (Mountain High) is nice fun in the winter if you are in to snow boarding/skying. Not much work locally (if any) so you will probably have to commute and traffic in So Calif is a nightmare. Freeways are horrible and congestited 24/7 all the time...truly sickening (the traffic). Cost of housing is astronomical in So Cal now...$400K gets you about 2300 Sq Ft of track housing but wrightwood has no tracks so you will need to buy a resale or find a lot and build on it. Expect costs to exceed $400k due to So Cal real estate prices.....

[Chunk]

Wayne your wrong about the traffic. Commuting to 909 wouldn't be bad. You could build a house in Wrightwood for under $400K.

[Wayne G]

Lots in Wrigtwood are going to be $100K range. Construction costs for can easily exceed $275K. Building a house (I am assuming you are wanting to build a nice home in the 2000 Sq ft range) will run you $400K or close for new construction. I am not sure what you mean by 909 but the 15 freeway communting towards LA or Orange moves OK until you get to any of the Westbound freeways (10,20, 210, 91) then it is grid lock. If you have any doubts go to the forum for California and ask about traffic...One last thing. I live in Victorville which is about 20 mins away from Wrightwood and I drive the 15 to those Westbound freeways all the time. I have a friend who built a home in Pinon Hills (not too far from Wrightwood) 3 years ago. He paid in excess of $300K. 2004 was the year the highdesert area exploded in cost of housing (Victorville increased 45.8% in 2004 in costs from 2003 - go to CARs or Calif Assoc of Realtors if you need to verify this fact). Housing in the highdesert is no longer 'affordable'. Wrightwood is in the highdesert and is a more desirable area due to its smaller, resort like atmosphere.

[lookingfortheperfectplace]

Wayne, I am looking to move to Phelan from S.B. and was woundering how the drive down the 15 to the 10 is in the morning? I have seen it in the afternoon, is it better in the morn or worse? thanks

[Wayne G]

lookingfortheperfectplace,

The drive down the 15 from Phelan is generally good because the traffic begins at the 15/215 split then breaks up again until you connect to one of the West bound freeways. That is where the night mare begins (going West) and the farther you go towards LA the worse it gets. If you are traveling East from the 15 you will be going against traffic (if you work in SB county area). Phelan road will be your connection to Hwy 395 (South) to the 15 South and Phelan road moves well in the morning. Some traffic on the 395 but it moves well too. Just becareful on the 395 because it is a 2 lane road which has had its share of head on accidents. People drive down the 15 going 80MPH easily so unless there is a jam at the bottom it generally moves well. Good luck!

[AV Native]

Getting back to the main question that started this thread, Wrightwood, located in the San Bernardino and San Gabriel mountains at 6,000 feet in elevation, is indeed a (comparatively) small mountain community. Population citations I've found say ~3,300 to ~3800 residents. That said, its proximity to the Los Angeles megalopolis (including the Inland Empire below it) makes it a very attractive recreation area with snow skiers. It usually is easier and quicker to access via automobile than say, the Big Bear area and is much closer than Mammoth Lakes. . . making Wrightwood very popular with many snow skiing aficionados. Mountain High and Snow Summit are the main attractions for snow skier enthusiasts.

The day population during the winter (in good snow skiiing conditions) is substantially more than the nighttime population. Traffic on California State Route 2 - Angeles Forest Highway (which intersects just east of town with California State Route 138 - Antelope Highway) can be heavy and slow during good snow skiing conditions. You have been warned. . .

In good traffic, Wrightwood is 20 minutes away from the California State Route 138/Interstate 15 junction and about 30 minutes from old downtown Victorville and Apple Valley (two different routes involved). Phelan has the schools you would use and is eight miles downhill (go through Phelan to access Victorville efficiently via Phelan Road eastbound, US Highway 395 northbound, then Palmdale Road eastbound). Ontario (and Ontario International Airport) are 45 minutes downhill south via CA State Route 138 and Interstate 15/Interstate 10.

Fog, snow, high Santa Ana winds, traffic accidents, and brush fires can shut down lanes/close down completely Interstate 15 through the Cajon Pass (located between Victorville and San Bernardino). These events happen from time to time, unpredictably. Have an alternate plan if you work in the Inland Empire/LA metro, and can't get home due to Interstate 15 being shut down in the Cajon Pass. (I speak from experience. . .) Going through Big Bear via CA Routes 330 and 18 may be an option, depending on the circumstances. Historic US Route 66 is no longer an option due to it not being a through road any more.

As of this writing, CalTrans is repaving CA Route 138 (Antelope Highway) from the Antelope Valley/Victor Valley uphill to the junction of CA Route 2. They are making it into a four lane road from its present two lane configuration (no easy task considering the upslope ledge they are working with). Detours are currently in place. It can be hard to get to Wrightwood from say, Pinon Hills. Traffic from Palmdale and the Antelope Valley can take Largo Vista Road south to Big Pines Highway east during construction. It will be much better after all the work is completed - which should be Fall of 2006.

Much of what Wayne G posted is good advice (though I disagree with the overgeneralization that the traffic surrounding Wrightwood is gridlocked 24/7). Yes, you will most likely have to commute to work somewhere. Yes, to get a desireable house, it may cost $400k, depending on your requirements. It is a (rustic but lively) mountain resort, after all.

Keep in mind Wrightwood fairly recently has had a water shortage, and water restrictions were in force for a few weeks until the supply issue was resolved. This was due to a low water precipitation year last year, and not enough storage tanks due to the population growth. Something to consider and check out some more.

s/AV Native

[CindyHammer]

I grew up in Wrightwood.. What a great place to be a kid.. Those were the days!! Mountaineer Days were a blast.. My parents would have friends from "down below" come to party.. and the whole town did just that!! Someday I would like to move back home.. Wrightwood will always be home to me!!!

[twista6002]

I like Wrightwood. It's like Lake Arrowhead/Big Bear without the meth addicts. Although I'd watch out for wildfires