Lots of character and sub-communities
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12/4/2023
Oceano is an underrated gem if you ask me. Like other coastal parts of central and southern California the weather and scenery is terrific.
Unlike a lot of the other towns near however, Oceano has a lot of variety from one neighborhood area to another. So be aware of that when you look at the average numbers. There are many manufactured home, small condos, old homes with alleyways. These are homes of many less affluent residents for the coast of San Luis Obispo.
But due to these communities one can also find good deals to buy a full Ocean-edge large estates in nice part of Oceano. Or a small traditional or recently built single family home similar to a lot of pricer homes Grover Beach of Arroyo Grande. The home and neighborhood might be about the same or even a bit better than the median home in Grover or AG. But the price can be much cheaper. So I’d suggest touring the specific region in Oceano that you’re interested in rather than basing all of the town on its averages. Despite being small size, Oceano is like a cluster of many smaller different towns rather than one town. Grover beach, Pismo Beach, Shell Beach and even Arroyo Grande have a lot more of a ubiquitous feel and look from one neighborhood to another compared to Oceano.
Oceano has the convenience of being a short drive to many excellent spots without any of the town being adjacent to a freeway. Not only is it very close to many beaches, the other sections of the 5 cities (AG, Grover, Pismo, Shell beach), but also Avila Beach, Nipomo and a 20 minute drive to San Luis Obispo or Santa Maria which are in opposite directions and both are the biggest cities within Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. There are a lot of different industries and slight weather differences in all of these areas which can provide many job options and an easy escape on an overcast day to AG, Nipomo, San Luis Obispo etc, which are a bit further inland and less overcast on colder days. There is also some cheaper labor and larger big brand stores in Santa Maria as well as a cool college town with a nice downtown scene in San Luis Obispo. The entire central coast has lots of great hiking and recreation within a few minutes of driving.
Oceano itself gets a lot of well-deserved positive attention for its quirky Vaudeville theater called the Melodrama, and negative attention for its controversy of having the only legal off-road vehicles driving spot on a California beach. This negative aspect is more due to decisions made at the county level rather than within the town of Oceano itself.
However the motorcycles. quads and other off road toy vehicles are only permitted to go crazy on one section of the beach far away from the where the vast majority of the Oceano residents live. There is plenty of space for walking on the Oceano dunes which is very much like Grover Beach (which doesn’t get the same criticism despite the similarity). I think a lot of the critics of the OHVs have scarcely ever tried walking around the dunes to see if the OHVs really cause a major disturbance. I understand the environmental concerns and agree with some of them. I also think the homes might become more valuable if the OHVs become illegal which could happen in the next few years. But honestly, I’m not positive with those claim and feel like the area will be alright regardless.
There is an interesting history of the Oceano having an early kind of quirky, self-sufficient hippie intellectual scene in the early part of the 20th century. These people were called the Dunites. The region was also very prominent in the start of the vegan movement and has a religious and philosophical Christian community that formed within Oceano called Halcyon. Not a crazy religious group IMO. At least not anymore. I’ve never had a bad run-in with anyone in that community. I personally like an area with some funky intrigue and character. And Oceano has a lot of it. I also don’t have any particularly awful story of any gang in Oceano, like the previous comment. There are some homeless people around. But nothing on par with LA or San Francisco in terms of volume.
Overall I feel Oceano is a great value for the coast of California. It’s a good location. You just need to be alright living in a town rather than a city and be sure the neighborhood you select, fits your needs.
Another thing to be aware for Oceano is that high school students in the town have the option to attend the public New Tech High School in Nipomo which recently scored a 10/10 for high schools. Arroyo Grande high school is the default high school for Oceano residents. But both high schools are within the same district.
Brian | Oceano, CA