SperlingViews - Upland, California

I grew up in Upland at the tail end of the Citrus Industry. That's what basically defines the town. Greed corrupted things when City Council members in the 50's took bribes to "Rezone" the place (an Unconstitutional Act), and thereby forcing even the most die-hard citrus ranchers to sellout to Developers(who paid the bribes). Many of these ex-City Councilmen(throughout Southern California) confessed to this bribery, years later, once the statute of limitations was up. Prior to this, it was an absolutely idyllic place to live: Quiet, NO crime, Rural-urban in character. Your neighbors were always interested in you and willing to help, but NEVER nosy about your business. The air was clean(all the citrus and other trees cleaned the air), natural beauty surrounded you at every turn, the roads weren't crowded. Arrow Dairy had the best milk(in those days, they had their own cows--on site), the citrus fruit you got was the best the world has ever seen(Upland has the best soil, climate, elevations, water table and drainage for citrus--better than anywhere else on Earth), but no supermarkets. Only local grocery stores. Brian's on the west side, Woody's and The Central downtown. Dr. John Craig, the best physician anyone's ever seen; and cheap, plus he made housecalls(and didn't golf). His home phone number was listed in the phone book, and many times, I've heard him say, "Meet me at the back door of the office in fifteen minutes." (His office was in the building on the Northeast corner of 2nd Avenue and D Street(he, his father-also a physician and a third doctor built the building--with their own hands--it's still there). The police department, under Chief Wesley, was unique: Always friendly to residents, but Heaven help you if you were from out of town.But the point is that they respected you and your rights and didn't push their weight around like so many cops today do. I think the hippies and other riots in the 60's tainted that special relationship between police officers and citizens that used to exist. In those years, the Upland schools were rated Number 1 in the US. The place was just amazing..... But count your blessings if you live there: It's STILL 10 times better than anyplace else you could live. Not what it once was, but still the best. And I'm counting on future generations of Uplanders to take a lesson from the past, and not only restore it, but make it better than ever. Face it people, the place has potential. Potential in ever inch and length and breadth of itself. But especially in its people. They're what makes Upland's future. Believe in yourselves, folks. Don't let these harbingers of doom and gloom and "The Government has to do it" brainwash you into thinking you're stuck. The truth is, YOU can make your world anything you want it to be; and let's face it, that's what freedom's all about. Don't trust politicians to make things right(although Upland has a GREAT Congressman)---YOU go out there and make them right. And for those of us who are Upland natives, the place is truly "Heaven On Earth", and Glory(to those who glory in it.). God's best blessings to all of you, Wynn Sands[read more...]

Why I Think the Quality of Life is Good Here I have lived in this town since I was a little girl in the 60's, and have grown up here. Now 47, and never moved out of state, except once for a seasonal summer position at Yellowstone National Park. Why do I think the "Quality of Life" is so good here? Lots of reasons. Just going through your drop-down list, the subjects such as "Climate", "Cost of Living", "Culture and Recreation" and "Education" all fit, and also including "Health", "Housing" "Quality of Life", "Recreation", "Religion" and "Transportation" are all good here. Let me explain: We are blessed with very good weather. It's a dry, desert type of heat, as we are right in a valley with beautiful purple mountains majesties north of us (we have a great view of Mt. Baldy from our house). There used to be lots and lots of lemon groves, and vineyards in nearby Cucamonga (now known as "Rancho Cucamonga"). We are about 35 miles from the beaches, 100 miles from Palm Springs and San Diego, and of course a few miles away from our beautiful mountains. We have late summers out here, they start from about mid to late June and last until October, I'd say. The temperatures range from the low 80's to triple digits at the height of summer. We don't get a lot of rain, but when it does rain, sometimes it's a lot of inches and that brings a lot of beautiful snow to our Mount Baldy. Not to mention, we also have Big Bear, Wrightwood and many other top-notch ski resorts within driving distance. Our Springtime is beautiful and our Fall seasons are warm and lovely. Cost of Living: Well, even with the economy the way it is, a dollar can still go far. We have one of the best supermarket chains around, Stater Bros. and they are known for their low prices, as well as quality. We've been shopping at the same one since the 70's. Gas prices aren't too bad, and utilities are reasonable. We also live near a great Indoor Swapmeet and there are many other low-cost shopping centers. Culture: Upland itself is a very historical city--Route 66 runs right through here, and on it, there is a statue called "The Madonna of the Trail" and it dates back to pioneer days. The plaque on it says: "Over this trail November 1826, Jedidiah Smith, seeking a river flowing westward, led a band of sixteen trappers, the first Americans to enter California overland". Plus, we are only 45 miles from the Film Capital of the world--Hollywood. Also next door to that is Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, etc. We have all the best Museums, Art Galleries, Jazz, Rock and other types of music clubs and Concert Halls, Auditoriums, etc. such as the Greek Theatre, Hollywood Bowl, and there's Laguna Beach's "Pageant of the Masters", Malibu's Getty Museum, Hearst Castle, Pasadena's Norton Simon Museum and the Culinary Arts Academy, and in Los Angeles: Melrose Place, Sunset Boulevard, the Greek Theatre, Ahmanson, Pantages, Staples Center, the Brea Tarpits, and the L.A. County Museum of Art, the original Disneyland and Crystal Cathedral are not far away, and so much more. Also in Pomona is the historic Antique Mart and Fox Theatre--lots and lots of fine culture here which I've partaken of a lot! Recreation: Our beautiful beaches and deserts not too far, include: Newport Beach, Corona del Mar, Laguna, Malibu and the Santa Monica Pier, Dana Point, San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano are all less than 50 miles or so from us. We have many great ski resorts as already mentioned, but one thing we have here right by us in Upland, is a World-Class Fitness and Health Resort called The Claremont Club--my mom and I are members and they offer great prices for senior citizens. They have lots of tennis courts and an Olympic-sized pool, which I love to swim in, as well as many other amenities. We are also close to the Santa Anita Racetrack, Hollywood Park, and all the other sports places like the Angel and Dodger Stadiums are not too far. We also have the great big L.A. County Fair which is going on right now as I write this--certainly a "must do and see" for everyone. Last I'd like to add that we used to be home of the California 500 Ontario Motor Speedway but that was replaced by the California Speedway aka the Auto Club Speedway. I remember the original speedway well-- my parents used to go and the names Mario Andretti, Al Unser, Evil Knievel and A.J. Foyt are forever engrained in my mind, even though I was just a kid. Education: The prestigious Claremont Colleges and the Claremont School of Theology are both about five miles away. And a few miles from that you'll find Western Medical School and a few miles from that, located in Pomona also is the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. Next door to that is LaVerne University and College of Law, and a little further over in Pasadena is of Course California Institute of Technology and then a little further is USC and UCLA, just to name a few. We also have some really good junior (community) colleges such as Chaffey College in Alta Loma, Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut, and Citrus College in Glendora--plus Azusa Pacific University is near there too, not to mention lots of fine vocational arts schools, plus there are many ways to get financial aid also, so getting an education is here for the taking if you really want one, it's very possible :)! Health: Due to our excellent climate it's not too hard to stay healthy I'd say. Housing: I'd say there's a wide range even with all the horror stories about our high foreclosure rate--I might add there's a lot of lawsuits going on as we have some great attorneys here due to La Verne College School of Law. And there are alternatives such as lots of townhomes and condominiums and other housing, as well as many fine mobile-home parks. Upland Meadows is one of the best. If you really need an economy place to live, there are lots of rooms for rent for the students attending all the schools around here. Religion: Many fine churches--right next door to us is Pomona, and they were once known for having a "church on every corner". Upland is almost like that--I'd say at least on every block. We are also near the renowned Pastor Greg Laurie's Harvest Church (known for its' Billy-Graham style Harvest Crusades at the Angels Stadium), in Riverside, about 25 miles away/ Also near Chuck Smith and Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa, and as previously mentioned, the Crystal Cathedral - - both of these are in Orange County, about 40 miles away. Right here in Upland we have a church called Foothill Bible Church two streets up from us that I have attended in the past, and they offer many classes and groups. I'm also a member of Pomona First Baptist Church, and Claremont United Methodist Church, which are both wonderful churches where I really feel God's presence and have grown so much in my spiritual faith. Transportation: We have the Ontario International Airport next-door, and Cable--a local airport for small planes less than a mile away. We also cant get a Metrolink train to take us to an Amtrak train station in either Fullerton or Riverside. We have a very efficient bus system called Omnitrans. And in addition to all of the above, to add to our Quality of Life, we have wonderful hiking and botanical gardens nearby, and many award winning restaraunts. We have many city-sponsored events like fresh vegetable open-air street markets, concerts under the stars, bus trips to places of interest, and so very much more! This is just some of why I love it here. But please don't tell anyone, it’s a well-kept secret- --just kidding! [read more...]

Residing in Upland is okay. It's close to some decently sized shopping malls but isn't particularly exciting. If you live along Foothill Blvd (Route 66) and Euclid, you're liable to experience a lot of noise disturbances due to proximity to a local hospital, emergency services, historical sites and local schools. Upland High School has great, reputable programs with its top graduates being accepted to Ivy League schools. It's not an exciting place, but if you like that and you're looking for safety and a fairly well to-do populace, you can't go wrong with Upland.[read more...]

The air is very unhealthy almost year round.[read more...]

Small growing bed community near Los Angeles.[read more...]

Upland's a great place to live and raise a family.[read more...]