Moving form London to Temecula (San Diego, Riverside: fit in, transplants, crime)

[binta]

Hello,
Can anyone give some advice about good neighbourhoods around Temecula, Ca. I've been offered a job in Temecula and I'm not quite sure whatthe area is like.
From my research it looks like it could have problem with traffic. Which area/neighbourhood would be ideal to live in in order to avoid the trafic if I can?
Also, what's the shopping and entertainment like in the area? Someone compared this area to being Like orange county..can someone please shed more light on this..
I greatly appreciate your help..

[Sage of Sagle]

Nothing like London traffic, what a mess that is. Around Temecula, you'll find that during AM and PM rush hour and lunchtime it gets pretty snarled around the freeway overpasses, but if you live and work in town it's not bad IMHO. It just has that propensity to turn into a big parking lot at times....but it's a very nice place to live and work. A lot of our friends in that area moved from Orange County. A ton of shopping and dining close by, but it's not exactly a nightlife hotspot...more of an area to live/work and raise a family.

[bdcanefly]

I lived there for about six years, before the big boom.
I still visit and have friends there. Traffic is terible, much like most southern cali. busy towns.
I met my wife there at a Christen school, she was a teacher there.The area is very family oreinted.(s) Great Church's
Heavy hispanic population(some legal, most not) crime has risen with the influnce of mass people.
I would rate the town about a 6 on places to live scale.
25 years ago I would have givin it a 7, it was much more rural then. But you had to travel for many everyday items, now they are in town.
Oh, By the way my daughter was once the "little miss Temecula"
funny how that just came up after all those years.....
Town has some great food and some out of the way places to visit.
Hot in Summer, but the afternoon breeze is sweet and welcomed.

BDC

[binta]

thanks for messages..BTW what's the closest international airport to Temecula?
What's the housing market in Temecula like?

[Sage of Sagle]

Ontario International (code: ONT) is about 45 minutes away (@ junction of I-15 and I-10 basically). Housing has gone through the roof...others can advise you more accurately...but IIRC it's $500-600K for a decent house ballpark...

[CantWait2Bthere]

Binta-

Try to find a home with easy access to the freeway. Temecula is a town that has many of her homes lying deep away from the exits- the few that it has and THAT is why the traffic is so terrible. It is a nice town but very congested and if you live in some of the neigborhoods that are even about a mile away from the freeway it will take you sometimes 20 minutes just to get on the freeway. For that reason you might consider buying a home just a few exits up the freeway in Murrieta or Wildomar where you can find a nice home that is more accesible to the freeway, but with the growth even here sometimes at certain hours it takes a while to get on the freeway.

As far as the heavy hispanic population and all the illegals that are supposedly here, I don't see them. If anything Temecula is known for not having much diversity. If you are someone who wants to avoid people with non-white skin and if that is one of those things that matters to you then definatly stay away from Lake Elsinore. Otherwise, I wouldn't let the small handful of mexicans in Temecula valley bother you. Why some people even feel compelled to warn others about a "heavy hispanic" population makes me wonder if they are remnants from the time in california history when this area was known as one of the racist parts of the state.

And let me say that if you really want to make it easy on yourself try to have a small car here- this town has lots of little shopping centers and strip malls and some of the parking lots have small spaces. Lots of folks with bigger cars or SUVs can harldy fit in some of them.

Have fun!

[SoCalTwinkie]

Binta-

Try to find a home with easy access to the freeway.

As far as the heavy hispanic population and all the illegals that are supposedly here, I don't see them. If anything Temecula is known for not having much diversity.
Have fun!

I agree..Temecula does not have much in the way of diversity. I've been here 6 years and it has grown tremendously.

If you want to avoid traffic, stay away from French Valley area!
The older neighborhoods are better around Rancho California Road area, easy freeway access. They also don't have the mello roos (extra bonds (taxes)) like the newer neighborhoods. Make sure you ask your agent about taxes, each neighborhood is different.

Be prepared for alot of heat in the summer!
Be prepared for smog...I foolishly thought it was only in L.A. when I moved here.
Be prepared for LOTS of SUV's on the road and red right runners.
Be glad you have a job offer, because most people commute and the wages here in town are ridiculously low.

We have tons of shopping, a mall, more restaurants than you can eat in and they do get waiting lines believe it or not. You don't need to go outside of town for anything. Except maybe good hospitals. Yeah, we have two here, but I've had better quality treatment elsewhere. They are planning a new one in Temecula...red tape is causing a delay.

Biggest issue now here is the possible Stone Quarry they want to build in the area, bringing more pollution and noise. Traffic in town is ok as long as you do all your shopping before noon.

I may get stoned for this, but I'm not a native Californian so I can speak...the people in southern california are not too friendly or helpful. That is a generalization, of course, but its the feeling I've gotten after moving here from the east coast. Most of the people here are Orange County transplants. Home Prices are falling fast...you can find something easy in the low $400s and smaller homes in the high $300s.

Its a short drive to the ocean...which is great for those hot summer days.

All the best to you!

[Nanseev]

I do disagree on Temecula being a 6 or 7. If you're raising a family, it's actually one of the better places to live. Since you'll be working in Temecula, I think people are focusing too much on traffic. Yeah, it's congested...but it's not like you'll be sitting on the 15 South in Escondido every day.

If you are concerned about traffic, they look for neighborhoods that are closer to your work. It really depends on what your price range is. As far as trac home communities, some of the better ones are Vintage Hills, Paseo Del Sol, Paloma Del Sol, and there are others that are off of 79S. I'd probably concentrate on that area (but away from Pechanga). If you're a golfer, you could always look into Temeku.

I also disagree with French Valley. The traffic is NOT that bad, and if you can't afford Temecula but want Temecula schools & low taxes, I think it is a good option.

As far as shopping and entertaining, you have many of the major chain restaurants, and shopping is plentiful. Temecula is gotten to the point where many stores now have or are planning locations in two areas (north and south).

[Temeculover]

Binta:
I agree with most of what has been written to this point. I'm a 20-year Temecula resident and 33 years in California. You are very lucky to have a job that will keep you in Temecula. With that scenario, you won't be put off by the traffic at certain times of the day away from the freeway. Commuter hours in the morning and night are bad in most California communities of our size. But the local traffic conjestion does not last very long - usually clear by 8:30 am and by 5:30 pm.

If you are single you will have to work to find a date, but it's not out of the question. If you have a young family, there is no better city in California in my opinion. The weather is great, very few smog days, and usually those few days occur when smog is enveloping all of southern California. Most of the time the air is great. Access to the mountains, the desert, the beaches, San Diego, and Orange County is about an hour drive or less in any direction on weekends or evenings after commuter traffic has subsided.

The schools are great; they all boast some of the highest API scores in the state for middle schools and high schools. City government is very responsive and has crafted a well-planned community. If your business will allow it, get invovled in local service organizations like Rotary and the Temecula and Murrieta Chambers of Commerce. It's a great way to immerse yourself into a group looking to make business connections, and to provide a social setting to meet people.

Housing has become a little pricey, but there is a pull-back in housing prices right now, so if you are planning on buying, then this summer could be a time for some attrative prices. However, this market is only going to continue to rise, so don't wait too long.

The selection for retail shopping, theaters and restaurants is enough to meet your basic needs. Additional shopping is not too far away in Escondido, Orange County and Riverside. Ontario has two supersized malls and the airport 50 mnutes away at low traffic times. San Diego airport is 1 hour drive in non-commute times.

My job took me all over the United States and Puerto Rico in the 1990's. and I always loved returning to Temecula after spending a week or more away in another city. This is my choice as one of the best places to live in the USA, in spite of some traffic congestion. Name a California city with our amenities and proximity to highly desirable destination points that does not have occasional traffic congestion as people go and return from work. You learn where to be and when to be there and how to get around some of the slower points.

I think you will enjoy Temecula very much, and in a short time you'll come to realize that Temecula has more to offer than many other cities in California.

[KittyG]

I have to agree with the post above... This is a very nice area..you are fortunate to work in this area, b/c many people are commuting..I've lived in many different areas of CA and there's traffic everyplace...especially if you have to travel from one county to another! I've lived in LA and OC, Lv..I used to communte thru SB...Temecula, Murrieta traffic does not compare to other areas..Just check the routes from work t where you'd like to live..The 215 gets backed up..The people in this area are more down to earth nice...vs other areas...especially Orange County!!!! etc! The summers are hot, hence high ac bills.. but this is a much nicer place to raise a family. The schools are great!!! It's not the stressed out lifestlyle like OC and LA... There's a lot of construction going on and that doesn't help the driving, but that will eventually be cleared up..There's lots of shopping in Temecula. SD and OC are about 1 hr away...There's proposed to bring more activities to Lake Elsinore with a center with Dave & Busters and a water park in Temecula..There's a certain charm to Temecula & Murrieta. I prefer being removed from large housing communities, so with that Murrieta works better for me..The housing in this area is MUCH more affordable than other areas...The new developments will have mello roos.. depending what you're looking for, there's also French Valley-Winchester, Wildomar has some nice homes with large lots..they're changing that city a lot..Check the schools though..some are average, I think they'll be improving that.. Murrieta schools are great-you can check online greatshools- same with Temecula. French Valley is divided into 4 school districts, so some go to Temecula District, Murrieta, Menifee and Hemet.. Very affordable homes in French Valley!!!! So if you want to pay a minimum of $300K-$700K more(Some much more) in other areas of CA and still have the traffic...well what can I say???