Great For Some....Not for others
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8/10/2011
Simi Valley is a RURAL (not suburban) town about 37-38 miles NW of Los Angeles. Many people come to Simi Valley under the impression that it is a typical suburb in the LA area, but it is NOT... although it's population (124,000) is really the size of a small city, Simi is VERY different from other "far-out" suburbs, like Santa Clarita or Thousand Oaks. Simi is a great place to live if you are Republican/Conservative, religious, raising a family, and put safety at or near the top of your priority list... If you are liberal and want to have easy access to the city, this is not the place for you. People live in Simi for one of several reasons: They work here, they want a very safe environment (Simi Valley is one of the Top 5 Safest Cities in the country), they need a decently priced home--as SoCal is ungodly expensive--, or they like being in a politically and religiously conservative environment FAR from the urban center. A few of the schools are excellent, particularly the elementary schools and the magnet high school, S.S.H.S., while the rest, mostly the middle and other high schools, are decent or mediocre. Also, while the housing stock is relatively cheap, it is not all very nice...a lot of "tacky" homes...the nicer residential areas are north of Alamo St. off of Yosemite Ave. at the east end of the valley, the Big Sky community north of the fwy at the end of Erringer Rd., and the Wood Ranch community south on Madera, near the presidential library. There is a Metrolink station in Simi Valley, convenient if you work a typical 9-5 job in the valley or downtown LA, but again--Living in Simi puts you very far from most everything...Simi has a nice new mall, the Simi Valley Town Center, but for most other shopping, doctors appointments, and other activities, you'll have to go to Thousand Oaks or the San Fernando Valley. While Simi is very beautiful, with many hiking trails, vistas, and recreational activities, this place is pretty much in the middle of nowhere, with only one freeway (the 118) running through it, and a pretty long drive to get anywhere else, like the beach. Thousand Oaks is about 20-25 minutes away, depending on where you are, and getting to the main part of the valley takes about the same amount of time. It all depends on what you're willing to sacrifice: Are you willing to be far from cultural activities in order to have an affordable house? Is a quiet, safe place more important to you than diverse, high-quality schools? All things to think
Doug C. | Los Angeles, CA