A real review from an actual resident
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3/5/2015
You'll see a lot of folks come on here to rip on the 'Nard. Judging from their descriptions, I'd say most either live in Ventura or up the grade in the Conejo Valley. First and foremost, I must state that what follows is my opinion of this place as a 15+ year resident (currently in my late 20's, hoping to leave) When people first hear of Oxnard or Ventura County, they immediately get notions of perfect weather, beautiful beaches and quiet communities. One month in Oxnard will likely shatter those dreams. I don't intend to run a list of complaints or rant (sorry if it seems that way), but someone needs to paint a realistic picture. First, let's talk about the weather. Yes, it never is truly too hot or too cold. As someone who has actually traveled significantly throughout the US and other regions around the globe, and have experienced and enjoyed every form of weather imaginable, there are really only two seasons here. Pseudo-summer and pseudo-fall. Usually, winters do see rain, but we've been far under our usual rain levels due to the drought (mandatory water conservation is in full swing) Now for the annoying aspects of the weather. It isn't all sunshine and gentle ocean breezes around here. Overcast days are generally the norm...think the Northwest without the rain. Warmer days are usually due to the annoying and very dry Santa Ana winds. The beaches themselves tend to be too cold and windy most days to enjoy.
Next let's talk about the cost. For what you're getting Oxnard is far too expensive. Rent, housing, general cost of living. Sure, it's not the Bay or LA, but it's just not worth it. In fact, the entire county is overpriced, but that's due to the ever increasing demand for housing in the state. People leave the state in droves, yet the population is always increasing which leads me to my next point....
Immigration! Yes, you've seen the rants about Latinos on here. I won't get into racial or political debates, but Oxnard is definitely the "Mexican" city in the county. Demographics place the city at nearly 80% hispanic, and that's just based off the "documented" population. The city is mostly segregated into Colonia (entirely hispanic community), South Oxnard (vastly hispanic), old retirees (North Oxnard), areas around the military base/Hueneme (military/retired military/stray government contractors) and the beach homes. If you can afford a beach home, by all means go for it, but there are far nicer communities. Generally speaking, knowledge of Spanish goes a long way here. There are street vendors, fiestas, weak but loosely tied to La Eme street gangs (Los Chiques!), tiendas, panaderias, etc. We even have a multicultural festival, which basically means 10 different bandas playing the same music to a monolithic crowd. This goes hand in hand with the salsa festival, which switches from banda to salsa. A tad more fun, but along the same lines.
Now onto crime. Is Oxnard as dangerous or notorious as Compton, Oakland, East LA, etc? Not by a long shot. Is Oxnard safe? That depends on your perspective. I see police every day. In fact, in the past month I've seen them respond to break-ins, shootings, a stabbing, car jacking, drugs, etc...all within one block of me. If you dig into crime around the county, you'll find that most of it originates from Oxnard. Sure, there's plenty of drug addled souls trolling the Avenue in Ventura, or the stray thief out in Simi, but Oxnard gets the lion's share. It's essentially on par with Santa Paula, except increased in proportion to its size. On a personal level, my garage has been broken into several times, as has my car...nothing like passing the weekend by getting a new window. The neighbors have had several break-ins as well their car has been stolen from the driveway a handful of times.
Community...or the lack thereof. If you're not from here, you'll likely struggle to make friends. You may have to turn to the Conejo Valley or Ventura for any real culture or night life. Sure, Oxnard has a handful of bars strewn here and there. The city has tried to renovate downtown with mixed results. There's the decent theater that still hasn't turned a profit after 5+ years. A small collection of restaurants that change out faster than you can remember their names (I'm looking at you White Rabbit, Nawlinz, etc) What about clubs? Forget it, as a city this place is a disaster for young people. There's always Ventura, but you can only do Main St so many times before you know every bartender by name and see the same folks from high school over and over again. Really, your best bet would be to make the long haul to LA or Santa Barbara. And that leads us too.... traffic! I honestly believe that if you can drive here (or LA), you can drive anywhere. In Oxnard, especially on the main drags, you will not be getting anywhere quickly. I've seen traffic backed-up at all hours of the day (even in the wee hours of the AM). It seems as though there's a constant horde of people without jobs just driving all day long. Yes, you will need to carry uninsured motorist coverage, and yes you will need it. To Oxnard drivers...you do not need to stop 10 car lengths from the light, you're only screwing people further back. In a given week, I'd say I have close calls 5-10 times, mostly within a 5 mile radius of home. People drive like there is no gas pedal, and you will likely want to murder someone by the time you pull in after work. Rose avenue is the one of the worst roads in the county, which isn't helped by the army of semi trucks using it as a shortcut to thefew businesses in the industrial parks and stores on Rose. I spent several years commuting to the SF Valley and LA, and at least LA drivers can move with a purpose. Public transit is largely non-existent though we do have buses. I will say that the Metrolink to Burbank airport is pretty handy for avoiding the traffic or parking, but that's about it.
Now...jobs! In Oxnard and the county in general, the most plentiful jobs are in retail or fast food. Other than that, you're either in agriculture, working at St Johns, in the military (Navy), a defense contractor on base, local government or unemployed. There are handful of businesses, but if you drive around any industrial park in the county, you see a ton of "space available" signs. Businesses, manufacturing, etc are leaving the area and state in droves. And who can blame them? In 10-20 years, CA will be nothing but the rich, poor and government workers holding out for their pensions. As I mentioned previously, housing here is atrocious, largely driven up by the groups of 5-10+ people living in one apartment, garage or granny flat. Occupancy rates are in single digits, so rent for a studio is creeping over the $1200 mark. Home prices...I won't even go there. Sure, it may not be as pricey as LA or the Bay, but for what you're getting...no thanks.
Now let's see an overview of the county in general. In the Western portion you have Ventura, Oxnard and Camarillo (and Somis) Ventura is a typical So Cal beach town that grew a little too large. It's still fairly scenic though with an average downtown. Both V-town and Oxnard have a surplus of homeless, but most are pretty harmless. Ventura does have a rather large "skinhead" population. Go to any punk or hard rock show at the Ventura Theater and you'll see what I mean. Camarillo and the Conejo Valley (up the grade) is largely populated by older couples and the wealthy. A lot of folks work in Thousand Oaks, but you see the exodus during rush hour. There is always the Heritage valley up the 126, where you run into Santa Paula, Fillmore, Piru, etc. Not much to do out there, pretty rural. Ojai is small and artsy if you're into that sort of thing. Other than that, there's not much to the North except mountains and Lockwood Valley. So as far as things to do, you have some average hiking and the beach. Both get old pretty quick. Ventura County is largely built for farmworkers, retirees and upper middle class and upper class families. There isn't much of a singles scene to speak of.
So, I guess that's it. Like I said, it's just my opinion, but I can vouch for a lot of people when I say that it's shared by many. If you're looking at moving here, be prepared for the cost, not-as-advertised weather, culture, lack of jobs, crime, traffic, etc.
Bob | Oxnard, CA