COMMENT BY
Wendy from Ventura, CA
COMMENT ABOUT PLACE
Ventura, CA
COMMENT
Overall, a nice place to live.
I have lived here almost my whole life. The climate is mild - a lot of sun compared to many places; however, I personally don't care for the 2-3 months of fog in the summer and would love to go someplace where there are more disctinct seasons, with a hotter summer. The summer fog (which usually starts in June and everyone calls "June gloom") usually breaks up around noon more or less each day, but it will be windy at the same time and the wind will blow it back a couple of hours later. Fall is the warmest time of year. Winter is a little chilly (to me), but usually sunny. Winter also offers the clearest and cleanest views of the Channel Islands off the coast. Spring can get foggy as well, and rather windy. There are many outdoor activities, since there is the beach (including the harbor w/shops & restaurants and the Channel Is. Nat. Park Visitor Center, and farther north there is the pier, playground area and promenade for walking/biking), the Channel Islands and also the mountains surrounding the area. Hiking is available in nearby Ojai and Thousand Oaks (Santa Monica Mountains). There is also some farmland interspersed between the neighborhoods, so tons of locally grown produce is available (however, I wish there were more organic farms, as there seems to be a lot of spraying here and in the nearby cities of Oxnard and Camarillo.) It does feel rather crowded here(to me). I do feel safe where we live, which is on the east side of town; however, the west side and downtown area has more crime and a sizeable homeless population. Overall, I would say that it has been a nice place to grow up and begin raising my own family.