What BestPlaces Users Say about Palmdale
Palmdale, California is a city located in the Antelope Valley region, north of Los Angeles. It has a population of over 150,000 and is known for its diverse landscape, ranging from mountains and deserts to urban areas. It is also home to several aerospace companies, making it a popular destination for job seekers.
Many people have chosen to live in Palmdale for various reasons, whether it be for work, affordability, or the small-town feel with easy access to a big city. Here are four user reviews from Best Places that provide insight into living in Palmdale:
1. "I've lived in Palmdale for over 10 years and I love it here. The people are friendly, the cost of living is reasonable, and there's always something to do. The only downside is the hot summers, but the rest of the year is great." - Mary G.
2. "Palmdale is a great place to raise a family. The schools are good, the neighborhoods are safe, and there are plenty of parks and outdoor activities. My only complaint is the traffic can get pretty bad during rush hour." - John D.
3. "I moved to Palmdale for work and I have to say, it's not my favorite place. The air quality isn't great due to the nearby aerospace industry and there's not much to do in terms of entertainment. I'll be moving as soon as my job allows me to." - Sarah M.
4. "I've lived in Palmdale my whole life and I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. The cost of living is low, there are plenty of job opportunities, and the community is diverse and welcoming. Plus, the views of the surrounding mountains are beautiful." - David S.
Overall, it seems that the majority of people enjoy living in Palmdale due to its friendly community, reasonable cost of living, and various job opportunities. However, some have noted concerns with air quality and traffic. It ultimately depends on personal preferences and priorities when it comes to choosing Palmdale as a place to live.
based on 35 ReviewsGet to know Palmdale with the latest comments and reviews from people who live in or have visited Palmdale
Great place to live! - 10/24/2007
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
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Ok for desert living - 10/3/2007
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
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Palmdale is not "the place to call home" - 7/27/2007
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
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We are on the move!!! - 5/18/2007
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
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Its Changing - 3/24/2007
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
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It's a wasteland. - 2/17/2007
We've lived here since 1990 and had high hopes. If you work "down below" you can expect commutes easily in excess of 1-1/2 to 2 hours each way in stop-and-go traffic. We do have light rail, but it never seems to run when you need it, to where you need it. Most local jobs pay less than similar jobs out of town. There is little to do unless you like run of the mill movies and theatrical presentations done by locals. To travel to Los Angeles or Hollywood for a play requires an overnight stay, due to traffic conditions. Travel time to Los Angeles International (54 miles) can stretch to over three hours - Burbank Airport (48 miles) can take nearly two hours to reach. Palmdale airport is opening in June 2007, with only two daily flights to San Francisco.
If you like to dine on, or cook gourmet foods, Palmdale is a culinary wasteland. Grocery stores stock primarily mundane, prepackaged, frozen and canned foods (which is okay if you like that type of eating). There is no regular
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WORST place in UNITED STATES..Hands down - 10/13/2006
I grew up in Palmdale. I left in 1989. At that time it was a smaller city and somewhat safe. My parents still live there; in a better area of town, yet they are scared to go out at night. The black population is huge now. I am not racist, but I can say that there is an enormous gang problem in both Palmdale and Lancaster. My parents want nothing more than to move away ASAP. My mother is retiring and looking for anywhere that is safe and has trees. Palmdale is an ugly desert with reverse racism, gusty winds, no culture, crime, overpriced (even for being so close to LA). I would not move there if you gave me the biggest house in town and a $million yr.
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ITs hot, its dry, far away from LA, its Palmdale! - 8/21/2006
Live here of and on my entire life, I can tell you this. Now that I have 3 kids of my own, I cant wait to leave Palmdale. Growing up here, was ok, but in the last 3 years this city has grown rapidly, & with the california housing market, this growth has been people from the "VALLEY / LA" selling thier little 80 year old house for 700,000 & comming out here to buy a 400,000 BRAND NEW HOUSE, this has led to this area being over ran with LOW BUDGET PEOPLE, If you catch my drift, I love the area & what it has to offer, but as for the people, its not a great palce to raise a family, by no means,!
Enough said, I think I'm going to move my family to AUSTIN,
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SO Sad - 6/3/2006
Bought a house here 2 years ago, and now can't WAIT to get out! Too many children, too much traffic, too much noise, too many people! Have to wait 10 years to retire!
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Awful... - 5/21/2006
We bought a house in Palmdale in 2002. We stuck it out until 2005.
I grew up in the Antelope Valley, and loved it when it still had a small town feel.
We had been away from 1999 until 2002.It had grown so much in those years that it was amazing. We were happy with the food and recreational acivities. BUT... The gangs that are moving from the south are taking over. A family member of mine was murdered by a gang member. (He was not in a gang). They are everywhere.
The job market is saturated. The housing prices are rediculous. It is amazing anyone can afford to live there. After barely making it for 3 years, we moved to a small town. We love it here. If someone offered to buy me a house in Palmdale, I wouldn't go back. The school system is awful (unless you live in Rancho Vista).
I don't see how anyone could want to raise thier children there. It's a nightmare. I still have family in the area, and every time we go back to visit, it makes me
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