Why I Think the Quality of Life is Good Here
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9/10/2009
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!
Cynthia | Upland, CA