SperlingViews - Dana_Point, California

We are in the California Riviera...but there's a price! This is a great place to vacation.[read more...]

I live in the small township of Capistrano Beach, which is to the south of Dana Point, California. We live in paradise. The weather is mild, warm with an ocean breeze most of the time, the most severe winter weather we get is rain. We live by the sea and can catch a glimps of it on our way to the market, the post office or on our way to work. Our middle school and elementary school have ocean views from the playgrounds. The beaches are long stetches of sand where we can occasionally spot dolphins playing in the surf. The homes are eclectic, mansions sitting next door to humble beach cottages. Our streets vary from wide tree lined with set-back sidewalks, to so narrow you must pull to the side and pause to let your neighbor pass going in the opposite direction. Although we are near cities that host magnificent resorts and upscale aminities, Capistrano Beach is still caught in the old by-gone days when things moved slower and this was just far enough away from the city to be a little bit country.[read more...]

The City is confused and indecisive on what it wants (or thinks) Dana Point is. As a result development and meaningful, planned growth has been stagnant for the past 30 years. That hasn't depressed property values, it has just meant that Dana Point has not reached it's potential and truthfully does not warrant the housing prices being demanded. For example, in the downtown area, walking distance to beaches, a nice harbor and nice neighborhoods, there are many vacant lots and almost no retail or restaurants. It is neither pedestrian or car friendly (parking is difficult). Every other other coastal community has some sort of plan to grow, Dana Point has no plan and instead stifles all growth.[read more...]

Dana Point is my town. I chose it for its marine layer and harbor, the gentle foghorn waking me mornings, seagulls overhead, the ocean--that blue buzz drew poetry from this writer, and then there are those noon Mission bells that waft uphill from nearby San Juan Capistrano. But, alas, the cost of living has driven me to have to leave until I can sell the next great American novel to buy my house back and once again live in paradise. So, I saw that someone is in the same bittersweet boat and was asking where does one go from Dana Point? Short of joining up with Jesus in real paradise, maybe Coeur d'alene, Idaho. It's got the same sort of peaceful beat but the weather sort of sucks at times. The tricky part is employment or should I say self-employment. Because from my understanding you need short breaks from there. The only other place would be the Italian Mediterranean. And maybe the best neighborhood in Colorado Springs or Boulder, which are actually affordable. Dana Point, specifically Monarch Beach, is probably though my favorite place on earth! You just have to be a millionaire to live there.[read more...]

There is often a marine layer until 10am or so and then it's clear blue skies the rest of the day. There is something called May Grey and June Gloom and int those two months it's pretty gloomy, but when the skies clear the summer's here and it's amazing! It doesn't get too cold or hot. The humidity is low and there aren't many bugs.[read more...]

It's going to be difficult, but we've decided it's too expensive to live in the Big OC anymore and too difficult to do business in California. Anyone discover the best place to move yet?[read more...]