SperlingViews - Palmdale, California

Climate: all four seasons Housing market: Low and you can buy a large property for great price. Downtown Lancaster CA on the BLVD, spectacular outside farmers market, bowling alley underground at Becks Restaurant, Palmdale Mall, mountain biking, hiking, family clubs, commuter train to Downtown L.A., wine farm, 50 min to Moutain High ski area. Last but not least, best date shakes at Charlie Brown's. [read more...]

I know this city has gotten a bad rap over the years but I live here with my husband and 3 children and we really like it. I have lived in Santa Clarita and the valley and I have to say that this place beats those. We live on the west side and there are beautiful homes here that the average family can actually afford. There are parks, tons of restaurants, movie theatres, shopping, etc. They have beefed-up the sheriffs in the area and so the crime is minimal and they have a junior college and 4 year college close by in Lancaster. The air is cleaner, the houses aren't on top of each other. You can take a one hour car drive to the beach, the mountains or anywhere in between and the cost of living compared to other areas is much less. Palmdale used to have a great amount of section 8 housing, but that has also changed. My only two complaints are jobs and schools. In the future, I am hoping that more companies will move this way so that people don't have to commute and the schools need some help, too. Right now, we are planning on putting our kids in private school.[read more...]

Unless you are planning to fry your brain with drugs and live among meth labs than this is your place. Otherwise you will be treated like one, specially by law enforcement, if getting pulled over by cops and believe me, you will because the cops have nothing better to do. For every little thing its no warning, you will get a ticket and just like any where else in California,Revenue for the state. Specially in the AV, the mayor of Lancaster RX Parris has ordered to issue as many citations as they can for city cash and charge people with DUI's and arrest many innocent persons so they can have a clean image of what really a dumpy shit hole this is. The first thing the cops will always ask is if you have any warrants, automatically assuming that you are a criminal. Thanks to all the money from DUI charges, there are checkpoints all over the place every other week or so ensuring a steady flow of cash to the city, making families loose their jobs and their homes which makes the antelope valley a high percentage in foreclosures. So that is one thing to look foward if you are a hard working individual like me. Do not have your kids raised here. There are to many wannabe gang members and it seems like everybody does not know how to drive a vehicle. Pretty much everybody in the AV is brain dead, from judges to doctors to law enforcement to city officials. The ones that you expect to do the right decisions. I lived in that shit hole for 9 years and are far the worst 9 years of my life.[read more...]

I was born in Los Angeles and 36 years later, I discovered a priceless gem in this wonderful desert city known as Palmdale. This is the place to get away from the caustic traffic that is so popular in Los Angeles city. The people here are more friendly and welcoming than my L.A counterparts. The houses are very spacious and quite inexpensive. The weather is usually a little more extreme than Los Angeles, varying from high winds to dry heat.It makes for many interesting conversations within the community. I will continue buying homes in the Palmdale area. I am here for good![read more...]

For my family it was nice living for 12 years. Now we are moving and living behind our house because nobody cares to protect our neighborhood from teenage thugs. In our case they were all girls. The city keeps these things as a secret. They only report Section 8 crimes. The media will never report it and once you move to Palmdale you become trapped. You have this beautiful house and for a reason. You'll never go out. You can't look outside your windows, so view is not important. You won't be enjoying your backyard, so don't waste your money on landscaping. Bottom line, if you want to move to Palmdale with small children, don't! There is no safe place for them to grow up. I tried to post reviews and write numerous letters to tell many people how really life in Palmdale looks like but nobody would publish it. Palmdale right now is only east side and Rancho Vista. The west side of Palmdale has been decimated.[read more...]

I have lived in Palmdale for 12 years. We lived in a quiet neighborhood on the west side. For years stories of people having problems with their neighbors/ neighbor’s children were floating around. We considered ourselves lucky. Now we are moving and leaving our house behind due to safety issues. We are leaving because we are still alive and want to remain as such. Our neighborhood has been infested with unruly teenagers. It started with a small act of vandalism. When I told them to don’t come back, not only they did come back, they did it with a force of probably 20 kids their age. This is their new spot now. And their new game of intimidation. Trash, damages, foul language, rudeness, disrespect for our personal property. Our children can’t play outside anymore. We are locked up behind walls and the blinds are pulled down all the time. Our neighbors the same. This has become our new view. These girls between the ages 12-16 have no respect for anyone or anything and most of them live in the neighborhood. If you want to move here, be advised this or something similar could become your horrific experience as well. First, check how often the house was sold before. If it’s 2 times in the past 10 year, you’ve got a problem. If neighboring houses were sold 2 times in the past 10 years, you’ve got a problem. If you are buying a foreclosure don’t just expect that the people who left just didn’t have the money. The number one reason for foreclosures in Palmdale is bad neighborhoods, money is the second reason. If you are buying a house that is priced low, there is a reason behind it as well. The law enforcement is busy with Section 8 criminals and gangs and it doesn’t have time for the rest of us. Besides, hanging out and intimidating citizens is not illegal. So, if you are looking for a safe place for your family to live in, Palmdale is not the place. [read more...]

Palmdale has grown in the past four years. it use to be better before. we had alot of people move up here, from Los Angeles, and the valley. They bought their gang mentality with them. Not all but majority. It has been a cultural to all that were born and reaised here. [read more...]

I love the peace and quiet of Palmdale and how close we are to the mountains for hiking, snowboarding, camping and just for getting away. It's only an hour or so from Los Angeles and the beaches and there is plenty of nature. Personally I like the serenity of the desert.[read more...]

I have lived in Palmdale for many years. I am originally from Des Moines, IA and have lived in several other locations in Southern CA. I never truly appreciated Palmdale until I became a parent. Palmdale is a very family oriented city with many things for the kids to do through Parks and Recreation. For very reasonable prices you can sign your kids up for just about any sport or fun activity. My daughter recently took culinary arts courses through Parks & Rec in Quartz Hill. The Palmdale Playhouse offers live theatre as well as other events thoughout the year timed for the seasons. The concert in the park series is wonderful for the entire family. There is much to offer for family entertainment between both the cities of Lancaster and Palmdale and we look for those events to attend. The climate in Palmdale is a consistent scorching in the summer months with a nice side of sand storm that is actually just called "wind" here. The winter gets quite chilling and we have been known to occasionally get an inch or two of snow. Of course, that snow has dried up by the next day for some more sun. Spring and fall months here are very nice. Spring can get pretty windy but temperature is quite pleasant. The desert landscape is beautiful and you haven't seen a sunset until you have seen the desert sunset, known to be the most beautiful in the world. The cost of living is soemwhat better which is why the population boom over the years. You get more house for your buck here. We live in a beautiful and quiet west side community on a golf course. In the summer months, you can hear the frogs and crickets loud at night. It beats the sound of traffic! The stars I see from my balcony are amazing. There is something to say for living in a less congested area. I wake up to a clean and gorgeous mountain view every day. I don't see a crime problem where I am. I am a walker and a cyclist and do many many miles while in the dark all over the westside of town. The cities of Palmdale and Lancaster have really cracked down on the gang problems that are on the east side of both towns. I read about it all in the paper, but in 25+ years, have never experienced any crime in the AV first hand. My children are fortunate to be attending elementary school in the Westside Union School District. I live smack in the middle of the number 1 and number 2 elementary schools in LA County. I love the lack of traffic. I love the fact that I don't have to wait hours for a table at a restaurant. I love our clean air. I love my neighborhood. I love that Palmdale offers so much to families with young children. We have every restaurant we need. There are things to do. There is culture and there are plenty of offerings for worship. This is a nice community. Everywhere you go, there is good and there is bad. Look for the good. You will find it in Palmdale.[read more...]

Palmdale and Lancaster are basically sister cities. The boundaries are blurry and the temperature/wind are the same. Really the only difference is Palmdale has the mall and Lancaster has the minor league baseball team. Either way heres the low down. Eastside of either town is considered "the bad part of town" westside is considered the "good side of town". Reality check; The eastside has older homes/apartments the westside has newer tract homes. Gas is expensive, Taxes are high, Sheriffs are worse than police, Hot in summer (110) and cold in winter (9 degrees). Windy most of the time up to 60mph sometimes, not much really happens here so if the sheriffs are called out, THEY ALL SHOW UP! Only an hour away from Downtown LA, not much to do most the time (too hot cold or windy) Above average schools for elementary and middle schools. High schools here i'm told suck.[read more...]

I have lived in the Antelope Valley my whole life. I am now 30, but I went through the public school system here and I remember having wonderful teachers from elementary school through high school! I am now married with children and live in a decent neighborhood in west Palmdale. My children currently go to one of the best schools in west Palmdale in my opinion. I am so elated with their teachers and the school program. I understand there are concerns about the crime rate, but according to a recent article by the Daily News the crime is at a 7 year low in the AV. Mostly due to stronger police presence and cracking down on the gangs. As for the weather, I love it here! I feel like we definitely get 4 seasons, but without all the hassel of several inches of snow during the winters. I like Palmdale and think it offers great recreation programs and there are several things to do such as the water park, Mulligans (a fun center for kids), Concerts in the park... not to mention all the major theme parks like Disneyland, Magic Mountain, Knotts Berry Farm as well as the major beachers are only an hour or two away. There are some bad areas out here, but that is going to be the case anywhere you live. I believe it's all about what part of town you live in and who you associate with that makes what city you are living in live up to your standards.[read more...]

Palmdale (and Lancaster) are wonderful, inexpensive places to live in Los Angeles County. Homes are affordable and quality of life is very good overall. The commute is probably the only downside, depending upon where you work. However, there are a variety of ridesharing options including carpools, vanpools and the metrolink. I moved out here in 1993 as it was the only place in which I could afford a nice home and I have never regretted it.[read more...]

I live in the high desert comunity of Palmdale and it's very dry,hot during the summer, but in the winter we can actually get snow of course it does not last very long but it's a lot of fun. We have a lot of wind here, because of the hot air trying to get over the mountains and meeting up with the cooler air of the san fernando valley it can really get windy espcially in the summer evenings but it also helps to cool things off. we have very little greenary because of the climate here so I do miss the green plants.[read more...]

I live in Palmdale CA and have lived here for 18yrs. The thing I like most is that we do get seasons, so a little of everything. The winters are no to harsh, and the summers are not to long.[read more...]

I have lived in this area my whole life and it has been sold out for Section 8 housing. Everyone I know agrees that the local government official agreed to move every gang ridden, ghetto neighborhood up here from LA and San Fernando in order to make those more desirable areas because the property is worth more down there. The crime, and just a general feeling of fear in this valley is outrageous. So amny people that have moved here have NO pride for neighborhoods or community in general. It's a dirty,violent, and depressing place to be and it's only getting worse.[read more...]

I have lived in Palmdale's west side since 1991. My job was transferred here from the LA area and until then I had never heard of Palmdale. I have seen this community grow and grow. Along with this growth problems of modern day life in a big city has followed. However, this is still a great place to live. Palmdale is close to the greater LA area, allowing us to be part of any event in the big city. Clean air, excellent recreation, activities and shopping makes living here a pleasure.[read more...]

My girlfriend and me moved here with our son after living in Denver, CO. I soon came to miss living in Denver. It's ok for an L.A. county town, one in the high Mojave desert. We live on the eastside of Palmdale, more older part of town. Most of the new housing tracts popping up tend to be on the westside. Overall, its not that bad. Just don't move to Lancaster (Eastside)near here. Sheriff deputies call Lancaster "Compton North",[read more...]

I moved back here 4 years ago to be close to family. At the time it seemed like the right thing to do. Palmdale has really changed for the worse since I lived here back in the 80's. They built the prison in Lancaster and built a ton of section 8 apartments all over. Section 8 in theory should be a good thing to help families in need. However, it is mostly abused and I don't know anyone who wants that on their street. The new houses are beautiful and affordable but when considering everything else it is not "the place to call home". The crime is up. Even if you live on a nice street, there is no guarantee that your neighbor will not rent out to section 8. The "not so good" people walk into your neighborhood and vandalize it and mark it all over with graffiti. I do neighborhood watch and got so tired of painting over the graffiti on our street mailbox that I just call the city to do it now. The public schools are really bad (35 or more:1 student teacher ratio) so if good schools are a criteria you need to be able to afford private school. Do your research!!! I didn't and I'm paying $900.00 a month for private school! There are a lot of sex offenders living right in or near your neighborhood so you have to beware of that. They are let out of the prison on a regular basis. Many people don't believe in taking care of their yards. On every street there is an eyesore. Code enforcement is a joke out here. Some things like the weather have not changed. It is really cold in the winters and really hot in the summer. Expect a high electric bill in the heat and a high gas bill during the cold months. Very extreme weather with the high winds blowing at least 6 days a week. We rarely get to enjoy our beautiful backyard and pool because of the wind. Most people commute to the S.F.Valley or L.A. and the traffic is mostly unbearable getting worse all the time. The medical practices out here are a joke. It is very difficult to find a good HMO doctor. Consistency is non-existent. If you have a PPO you might do ok to drive to the valley. If you have a job that requires a doctors note, be prepared to sit in urgent care for hours because "same day appointments" are only for the lucky. If you must live in Palmdale, the westside is a little bit better (and more expensive) than the eastside. Stay away from East Lancaster (very scary). The prison is in west lancaster so stay clear of that. Better yet avoid Lancaster all together if you can. If you choose Quartz[read more...]

Have you all noticed the negative views of the Cities of Palmdale and Lancaster? Sad, but it is all true. I have lived in teh Antelope Valley most of my life and it was a great town until the big move of gang bangers and drug dealers from Los Angeles. There are murders every week (or every day if were unlucky). There are home invasion robberies, sexual assaults, gang fights, plots to commit Columbine style massacres at our local high schools. The stretch of road on Sierra Highway between Avenue J and Avenue M has the highest concentration of child molesters and paroled felons living in hotels. If you find that hard to beleive, check out the Megans Law Website and type in the Cities Names and be amazed at what our local governement allows. Let's continue. There are high percentage of Section 8 Housing (especially in brand new developments), there are halfway houses, emancipated youth homes, one maximum security prison, one womens prison, one youth prison and one illegal immigrant prison. Understand this, if there are prisoners in these prisons, then there are prisoners families living near the prison. So imagine the neighborhoods. More and more stores and advertising are in languages other than English. There are more "alternative" education schools than actual schools. Alternative schools are for students that are kicked out of regular schools. Sad, that there are alternative schools in the elementary and junior high school levels as well. The Antelope Valley could be called the Cities of Wal-Mart as there are currently four Super Wal-Marts with an additional three more planned. If you need your liquor, there are stores in every corner, near walking distances to schools. Don't move hear if you want a peaceful, fear-free life for you and your family. If you want to gang bang and sell drugs or lead a life of crime, welcome home![read more...]

I have lived in the AV all my life, I am 40 years old and am looking to move out of the area, possibly up to Northern California. Because of the AV being my "home" it has been hard to leave, but with the change in people moving in and the gang activity and drugs....it has become a scary place. I don't want to "bad mouth" the Antelope Valley, but the truth of the matter, its not the same, when I could walk to the liquor store with my sisters when we were 8,7 & 6 and not be bothered or afraid we were going to be kidnapped or shot.[read more...]