Living in San Luis Obispo
December 2, 2015 7:56 PM Subscribe
So I may potentially have a job offer in SLO. My wife and I (no kids) would be moving from NJ. By all appearances it seems a great area, but give me the inside scoop, the good the bad, the ugly.. My internet searches are only returning postings from 8+ years ago.
Where's a good place to live in or near SLO? We would like to be as close to the beach as we can afford. What are rentals & home sales like, for a 2 bed 2 bath minimum? Again, searching only shows up a lot of $500k+ (expensive for us) homes, or relatively affordable mobile homes. Are those a popular living situation out there?
Any tips for moving / living in the area appreciated..
Thanks...
Where's a good place to live in or near SLO? We would like to be as close to the beach as we can afford. What are rentals & home sales like, for a 2 bed 2 bath minimum? Again, searching only shows up a lot of $500k+ (expensive for us) homes, or relatively affordable mobile homes. Are those a popular living situation out there?
Any tips for moving / living in the area appreciated..
Thanks...
I lived in SLO for five years of college. It's an interesting demographic area: part college town, part retirement community, part small historic town. The college market drives up home and rental prices because of external money (parents). My understanding is that even now it's less expensive than Southern California but not a whole lot. It's got a vibrant, walkable downtown.
posted by sleeping bear at 8:37 PM on December 2, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by sleeping bear at 8:37 PM on December 2, 2015 [1 favorite]
I've never lived there, but its a really beautiful part of California.
posted by Long Way To Go at 9:31 PM on December 2, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by Long Way To Go at 9:31 PM on December 2, 2015 [4 favorites]
My friends live there and I visit often. I love it. You are so lucky!
posted by discopolo at 10:12 PM on December 2, 2015
posted by discopolo at 10:12 PM on December 2, 2015
So, so jealous, SLO is a lovely little town. But yeah, it's going to feel expensive to you.
posted by town of cats at 10:50 PM on December 2, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by town of cats at 10:50 PM on December 2, 2015 [1 favorite]
I fell in love with the area while in college in L.A. (came thisclose to transferring to Cal Poly and working the same college radio station with Weird Al Yankovic), and tried to find work there several times before I ended up on disability and went searching for a really cheap place for one person to live... found one, but it is not a typical location for SLO... or anywhere. So I haven't been keeping up with housing affordability, but I know some people living well in mobile home parks in good locations (but they are all older folks).
SLO City only represents 50K of SLO County's over 250k population, most of which is along Highway 101 within 25 miles north-or-south of Central SLO. While SLO City is, as sleeping bear said, a mix of "part college town, part retirement community, part small historic town", there are a lot more influences throughout the county: Pismo Beach and Morro Bay are touristy beach towns, Arroyo Grande and Grover Beach are very 'California suburban' and Atascadero and Paso Robles are part-Central California Agricultural and part Wine County (with some of that 'Cal suburban'). The single largest employer is Pacific Gas & Electric's Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant (the last operating nuke in California, on the coast south of SLO City, north of Pismo Beach), but there are several tech companies growing nicely (including some that started here). Agriculture is still very big, and the Wine Grapes are the #1 ag product here, with Strawberries a surprisingly close 2nd (followed by Free Range Cattle and Broccoli). Tourism is also big, with the most notable attractions being Hearst Castle (40 miles up the coast), the Madonna Inn in SLO City (which pre-dates the singer), and the simple fact that it's halfway between L.A. and S.F. if you're taking the scenic coastal route. There are a lot of beautiful places within driving distance, and one of the first things I noticed moving here is that 'rush hour traffic' is much easier than any part of L.A. (and mostly caused by construction TRYING to improve the Highway 101 on-and-off-ramps). And there is a surprisingly good bus service for an area of relative low density and wide spread (but they still call it SLOtransit).
One money warning: SLO and Santa Barbara Counties (just down the coast) are known as having among the highest gasoline prices in the U.S.ofA.
Retail: most of the usual suspects are here: Walmart, Target, Kohls, Kroger (Ralphs in CA), Safeway/Albertsons, CVS, Walgreens, Whole Foods, Trader Joes (which I highly recommend), Costco (another recommendation, cheapest gasoline for members), Bed Bath & Beyond, a couple Dollar Store chains, but also a Farmers Market somewhere in the county almost every day of the week, and a plethora of small stores from bookstores and comic book stores to 'unique boutiques' to combination pet and farm supplies to a diverse collection of places to eat. I don't know how to compare it to NJ, but prices are generally no worse than suburban L.A. and better than the Bay Area, which may be faint praise. But I'm getting by on a fairly low fixed income here (my tastes are cheap). And oh, Charter is the area's cable company which is reasonably priced for basic TV and very reasonable for 60MB internet (my true lifeline).
To sum up, it's still a lot like suburban L.A. (parts of which I lived in for 40 years before moving here), but with more space, nicer views, and more choices of local community style (college town, wine country, beach town, etc.) And if you do move here, I'll buy you lunch at the Madonna Inn.
posted by oneswellfoop at 11:11 PM on December 2, 2015 [7 favorites]
SLO City only represents 50K of SLO County's over 250k population, most of which is along Highway 101 within 25 miles north-or-south of Central SLO. While SLO City is, as sleeping bear said, a mix of "part college town, part retirement community, part small historic town", there are a lot more influences throughout the county: Pismo Beach and Morro Bay are touristy beach towns, Arroyo Grande and Grover Beach are very 'California suburban' and Atascadero and Paso Robles are part-Central California Agricultural and part Wine County (with some of that 'Cal suburban'). The single largest employer is Pacific Gas & Electric's Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant (the last operating nuke in California, on the coast south of SLO City, north of Pismo Beach), but there are several tech companies growing nicely (including some that started here). Agriculture is still very big, and the Wine Grapes are the #1 ag product here, with Strawberries a surprisingly close 2nd (followed by Free Range Cattle and Broccoli). Tourism is also big, with the most notable attractions being Hearst Castle (40 miles up the coast), the Madonna Inn in SLO City (which pre-dates the singer), and the simple fact that it's halfway between L.A. and S.F. if you're taking the scenic coastal route. There are a lot of beautiful places within driving distance, and one of the first things I noticed moving here is that 'rush hour traffic' is much easier than any part of L.A. (and mostly caused by construction TRYING to improve the Highway 101 on-and-off-ramps). And there is a surprisingly good bus service for an area of relative low density and wide spread (but they still call it SLOtransit).
One money warning: SLO and Santa Barbara Counties (just down the coast) are known as having among the highest gasoline prices in the U.S.ofA.
Retail: most of the usual suspects are here: Walmart, Target, Kohls, Kroger (Ralphs in CA), Safeway/Albertsons, CVS, Walgreens, Whole Foods, Trader Joes (which I highly recommend), Costco (another recommendation, cheapest gasoline for members), Bed Bath & Beyond, a couple Dollar Store chains, but also a Farmers Market somewhere in the county almost every day of the week, and a plethora of small stores from bookstores and comic book stores to 'unique boutiques' to combination pet and farm supplies to a diverse collection of places to eat. I don't know how to compare it to NJ, but prices are generally no worse than suburban L.A. and better than the Bay Area, which may be faint praise. But I'm getting by on a fairly low fixed income here (my tastes are cheap). And oh, Charter is the area's cable company which is reasonably priced for basic TV and very reasonable for 60MB internet (my true lifeline).
To sum up, it's still a lot like suburban L.A. (parts of which I lived in for 40 years before moving here), but with more space, nicer views, and more choices of local community style (college town, wine country, beach town, etc.) And if you do move here, I'll buy you lunch at the Madonna Inn.
posted by oneswellfoop at 11:11 PM on December 2, 2015 [7 favorites]
I lived there roughly from 1995-2006, and worked remotely for a company based there until earlier this year. The real estate prices were always the most frustrating thing after about 2000 or so. I don't know anyone with a house in SLO proper that didn't buy it before 2001. 2000-2006 everyone I knew (employees at local tech companies) bought in Atascadero, Arroyo Grande, and Grover Beach. The houses I rented for $1000-$1500/mo in the early 2000's all appear to price at $600k+ now; I'm not sure who buys these things or where they worked. The wages at local companies I was familiar with were all less than SF bay area wages while houses cost the same. It must be the students' parent's money screwing things up.
If you have a job sorted out and like the climate you'll probably be okay to commute into town from one of the bedroom communities (even Morro Bay or Los Osos, or one of the other ones I mentioned). Paso Robles gets to be a bit far out. Make sure you like moderate coastal weather and drought. Don't plan on boating on any of the local lakes as they're getting pretty dry.
posted by frontmn23 at 12:04 AM on December 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
If you have a job sorted out and like the climate you'll probably be okay to commute into town from one of the bedroom communities (even Morro Bay or Los Osos, or one of the other ones I mentioned). Paso Robles gets to be a bit far out. Make sure you like moderate coastal weather and drought. Don't plan on boating on any of the local lakes as they're getting pretty dry.
posted by frontmn23 at 12:04 AM on December 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
It is gorgeous there. I love that part of the CA coast. Bad: the reactor, potentially. There can be a bro vibe occasionally, as one gets outside of LA and SF in CA.
But there is very little bad there. Unless you're stuck on large urban living.
posted by persona au gratin at 12:05 AM on December 3, 2015
But there is very little bad there. Unless you're stuck on large urban living.
posted by persona au gratin at 12:05 AM on December 3, 2015
Also was worried about the nuclear reactor nearby. Morro Bay is one of my favorite places. That reactor is such a bummer.
posted by jbenben at 12:30 AM on December 3, 2015
posted by jbenben at 12:30 AM on December 3, 2015
Response by poster: Thanks all for the responses. Here in NJ you can get a decent house in the 300's, a great one in the 400's, and way too much house for two persons in the 500's.. It sounds like Pismo or Morro Bay, Grover, etc. might be up our alley, but searches only return mostly vacation rental properties. Anyone know a good realtor out there? We actually were hoping to move to a more urban setting, had been checking out Denver, but this kind of popped up unexpectedly. Pretty sure we could get used to the beach....
If anyone else stumbles across this, keep 'em coming.. Looking forward to that free lunch offer!
posted by fumbducker at 4:55 AM on December 3, 2015
If anyone else stumbles across this, keep 'em coming.. Looking forward to that free lunch offer!
posted by fumbducker at 4:55 AM on December 3, 2015
I wouldn't buy in California due to seismic activity and the fact that insurance is ridiculously expensive.
I had friends who bought a mobile home in Marin, and it was a viable solution for them. Made money on selling it too (because shit be that crazy there.)
Craigslist is a good place to start to see what's available in the area.
Mazel tov, that is a gorgeous part of the world.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 5:05 AM on December 3, 2015
I had friends who bought a mobile home in Marin, and it was a viable solution for them. Made money on selling it too (because shit be that crazy there.)
Craigslist is a good place to start to see what's available in the area.
Mazel tov, that is a gorgeous part of the world.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 5:05 AM on December 3, 2015
Best answer: I'm another former SLOtown resident, fall 1998 to summer 2012. First, you have to be OK with tons of stuff being labeled "SLO," yard signs reading "SLO down, this isn't L.A." (usually referring to driving speeds, but also life in general).
Second, coastal California will always be more expensive that it (seemingly) should be, but there's only so much coastline to go around, so demand will always be high. Move inland to Atascadero, Paso Robles, or other inland communities and you'll save money on the house, but pay (a bit?) more on heating and cooling. There's a low coastal mountain range that leads to significantly different temperatures - hotter summers, colder winters, you know. You can even get proper freezes and snow if you live high enough, even though you'll still be 20-30 minutes away from beaches.
Since you're looking for something beachy, go south of SLO and along the coast you'll find the Five Cities region (cute illustrated map with some more info). The "official" five cities are, north to south, Shell Beach, Pismo Beach, Grover Beach, Arroyo Grande, and Oceano, but as you see on that illustration, there's also Avila Beach in the north and Nipomo in the south, all part of the coastal sprawl of communities. Going north, you have Los Osos and Morro Bay, Cayucos and farther north, Cambria and San Simeon. Ranked in terms of housing costs (from my memory), cheapest to most expensive: Nipomo, Arroyo Grande, the various Beaches, Cayucos then Cambria is probably on the high end - but you get to live in the Cambrian Pine Forest and near the ocean.
With that of the way - what are you looking for, housing-wise? Somewhere within walking distance of a nice downtown? 5 minutes from hiking or biking trails, or the beach, or both? Where will you be working, and how long of a commute is OK with you both? How much land do you want? What kinds of weather are OK? Have you thought about getting something to fix up, or really customize and make your own?
My ideas on those questions:
- There are a number of nice communities with decent downtowns, up and down the coast and inland, too. San Luis Obispo was the most vibrant when I lived there, but if you want to live near downtown you'll be competing with college students and people who rent to them, along with retirees and such. In short - it's a sellers market.
- There is hiking, biking, surfing and kayaking options everywhere, though some beaches are definitely better for surfing than others (really, the surf is pretty weak everywhere, but not terrible if you want splash around). There's still enough open space around the collection of small communities in the area that you can be close to everything, but to get it all will cost more. Still, the "fringes" aren't that far from businesses and downtowns, but not within walking distances.
- If you like biking, the whole area is pretty great for that - causal, commuting, exercise or offroad.
- Three years ago, traffic wasn't too bad except for the morning traffic into SLO, then the evening traffic out. The local bus routes are good, but will probably add 30 minutes to your commute. But there is also a decent rideshare system that tries to pair you with people who have similar hours and drives to you.
You said you were only finding rentals, so here's a Zillow.com search for San Luis Obispo, CA, where you can zoom in and pan around the region. For instance, I see Cayucos is still batshitcrazy expensive ($550k for a little foreclosure, up to $1.9 for a giant 7 bed, 8 bath pre-foreclosure, and neither of those are even on the beach), and Morro Bay is a bit more affordable. Los Osos can be cheap, but when I left they still didn't have a sewer out there, so everything was on personal septic systems, which was kind of a nightmare, and significantly limited what people could do to expand their homes (I was a county planner, so I'm familiar with some building and planning issues in the region, as of a few years ago). It's slow to load more locations at the moment, but browse around and see if that helps direct your search. You can also check Trulia, a similar real estate search/browsing site.
If you still like the area but feel priced out, mobile homes are definitely affordable (and as Ruthless Bunny noted, shit be so crazy that mobile homes can be re-sold for a profit). I know, because I lived in one for a few years. My wife and I lived in a double-wide that we owned, but we rented the land, and it was affordable for us. The park was nice because the units had to be occupied by at least one person who owned the unit, as prevent the park from being all renters. Our little lot backed onto a creek and our "back yard" was a steep, wooded hill, which was awesome.
As for earthquakes, they're really not a significant problem. Anchor your large furniture to the walls, maybe have latching or locking cabinet doors if you have fragile things that you think may fall over and shatter, making it dangerous to walk around after an earthquake. Still, if you're worried about earthquakes, here's a Wikipedia page with a list of earthquakes in California going back to 1812, and the number of deaths, if any. I always felt that you could plan for an earthquake or fire, less so than tornadoes or floods.
posted by filthy light thief at 8:14 AM on December 3, 2015 [3 favorites]
Second, coastal California will always be more expensive that it (seemingly) should be, but there's only so much coastline to go around, so demand will always be high. Move inland to Atascadero, Paso Robles, or other inland communities and you'll save money on the house, but pay (a bit?) more on heating and cooling. There's a low coastal mountain range that leads to significantly different temperatures - hotter summers, colder winters, you know. You can even get proper freezes and snow if you live high enough, even though you'll still be 20-30 minutes away from beaches.
Since you're looking for something beachy, go south of SLO and along the coast you'll find the Five Cities region (cute illustrated map with some more info). The "official" five cities are, north to south, Shell Beach, Pismo Beach, Grover Beach, Arroyo Grande, and Oceano, but as you see on that illustration, there's also Avila Beach in the north and Nipomo in the south, all part of the coastal sprawl of communities. Going north, you have Los Osos and Morro Bay, Cayucos and farther north, Cambria and San Simeon. Ranked in terms of housing costs (from my memory), cheapest to most expensive: Nipomo, Arroyo Grande, the various Beaches, Cayucos then Cambria is probably on the high end - but you get to live in the Cambrian Pine Forest and near the ocean.
With that of the way - what are you looking for, housing-wise? Somewhere within walking distance of a nice downtown? 5 minutes from hiking or biking trails, or the beach, or both? Where will you be working, and how long of a commute is OK with you both? How much land do you want? What kinds of weather are OK? Have you thought about getting something to fix up, or really customize and make your own?
My ideas on those questions:
- There are a number of nice communities with decent downtowns, up and down the coast and inland, too. San Luis Obispo was the most vibrant when I lived there, but if you want to live near downtown you'll be competing with college students and people who rent to them, along with retirees and such. In short - it's a sellers market.
- There is hiking, biking, surfing and kayaking options everywhere, though some beaches are definitely better for surfing than others (really, the surf is pretty weak everywhere, but not terrible if you want splash around). There's still enough open space around the collection of small communities in the area that you can be close to everything, but to get it all will cost more. Still, the "fringes" aren't that far from businesses and downtowns, but not within walking distances.
- If you like biking, the whole area is pretty great for that - causal, commuting, exercise or offroad.
- Three years ago, traffic wasn't too bad except for the morning traffic into SLO, then the evening traffic out. The local bus routes are good, but will probably add 30 minutes to your commute. But there is also a decent rideshare system that tries to pair you with people who have similar hours and drives to you.
You said you were only finding rentals, so here's a Zillow.com search for San Luis Obispo, CA, where you can zoom in and pan around the region. For instance, I see Cayucos is still batshitcrazy expensive ($550k for a little foreclosure, up to $1.9 for a giant 7 bed, 8 bath pre-foreclosure, and neither of those are even on the beach), and Morro Bay is a bit more affordable. Los Osos can be cheap, but when I left they still didn't have a sewer out there, so everything was on personal septic systems, which was kind of a nightmare, and significantly limited what people could do to expand their homes (I was a county planner, so I'm familiar with some building and planning issues in the region, as of a few years ago). It's slow to load more locations at the moment, but browse around and see if that helps direct your search. You can also check Trulia, a similar real estate search/browsing site.
If you still like the area but feel priced out, mobile homes are definitely affordable (and as Ruthless Bunny noted, shit be so crazy that mobile homes can be re-sold for a profit). I know, because I lived in one for a few years. My wife and I lived in a double-wide that we owned, but we rented the land, and it was affordable for us. The park was nice because the units had to be occupied by at least one person who owned the unit, as prevent the park from being all renters. Our little lot backed onto a creek and our "back yard" was a steep, wooded hill, which was awesome.
As for earthquakes, they're really not a significant problem. Anchor your large furniture to the walls, maybe have latching or locking cabinet doors if you have fragile things that you think may fall over and shatter, making it dangerous to walk around after an earthquake. Still, if you're worried about earthquakes, here's a Wikipedia page with a list of earthquakes in California going back to 1812, and the number of deaths, if any. I always felt that you could plan for an earthquake or fire, less so than tornadoes or floods.
posted by filthy light thief at 8:14 AM on December 3, 2015 [3 favorites]
Response by poster: Thanks for the very detailed answer, Filthy (that was fun to say). I think at first we would definitely like to rent, we dont want to lock in until we know what's what. if I had to rank them, I would say beach, walkable downtown, hiking & biking. The new job would be in SLO, though I dont mind an under 30 minute commute if it gets us by the beach. We would prefer the milder weather, coming from NJ I'm quite alright if I don't see snow ever again unless we want to go skiing. Going to check out those links, appreciate it.
posted by fumbducker at 8:29 AM on December 3, 2015
posted by fumbducker at 8:29 AM on December 3, 2015
I wouldn't buy in California due to seismic activity and the fact that insurance is ridiculously expensive.
Huh? I live less than a mile from the San Andreas fault, own my house, and the insurance is not ridiculously expensive. Not to mention, my house survived every earthquake in the last 100 years because of construction codes.
Our SLO friends who own homes all (all) live in Atascadero or Grover Beach. This is for no reason other than cost, and they all still have cars and live most of their not-sleeping hours in SLO (where they run a business or otherwise work).
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 9:52 AM on December 3, 2015
Huh? I live less than a mile from the San Andreas fault, own my house, and the insurance is not ridiculously expensive. Not to mention, my house survived every earthquake in the last 100 years because of construction codes.
Our SLO friends who own homes all (all) live in Atascadero or Grover Beach. This is for no reason other than cost, and they all still have cars and live most of their not-sleeping hours in SLO (where they run a business or otherwise work).
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 9:52 AM on December 3, 2015
Response by poster: Didn't realize that this was an earthquake heavy zone. Thanks for the tips.
posted by fumbducker at 11:57 AM on December 3, 2015
posted by fumbducker at 11:57 AM on December 3, 2015
Well, the last serious earthquake in the area happened over 10 years ago, before I moved here (and I was in the San Fernando Valley when both the '71 and '93 quakes shook things badly, so I know quakes). The epicenter was in the hills somewhere between Hearst Castle and Atascadero. There had already been a lot of retro-fitting being done back then, and the only fatalities were sadly ironic... two women escaping a dubious building who got hit by the building's falling facade. (If they'd stayed put, they'd have been OK). By now, almost everything that needs to be better secured IS.
There has been a lot more interest in seismic activity in recent years when geologists discovered another fault uncomfortably close to the Diablo Canyon Nuke Plant. The plant is a few years away from 're-authorization' (which means it's getting old and a lot will NEED replacing) so that's a current issue. (Two competing interests here: the people who just want Diablo to close down and those who believe a lot of construction work will create a lot of jobs) But the biggest environmental disasters locally have been Oil-based: a fire in the 1920s that consumed and destroyed a large cluster of massive oil tanks at the south end of town, (Its site, "Tank Farm Road" is only NOW being built upon again) and an underground leak near an oil depot at Avila Beach that destroyed the tourist business there for 20 years. Which is why there is currently MORE uproar right now about a plan for a dedicated rail to ship crude oil by train to a refinery just south of here in Northern Santa Barbara County than over the Diablo Canyon re-authorization.
I must also note one of the biggest reasons for the below-market rent I am paying here is my location, in a small enclave off the frontage road of Highway 101 between SLO and Pismo... and seven miles east of Diablo Canyon (they do issue annual Evacuation Maps, not to alarm anybody, and I am in the closest "populated" zone... still, my disaster plan is simple, get on the 101 before everyone else does). I did endear myself with my neighbors when I first moved in with the joke: "Red skies at night, Sailors' delight, Green skies at night, Nuclear Engineers, call your office."
posted by oneswellfoop at 1:26 PM on December 3, 2015
There has been a lot more interest in seismic activity in recent years when geologists discovered another fault uncomfortably close to the Diablo Canyon Nuke Plant. The plant is a few years away from 're-authorization' (which means it's getting old and a lot will NEED replacing) so that's a current issue. (Two competing interests here: the people who just want Diablo to close down and those who believe a lot of construction work will create a lot of jobs) But the biggest environmental disasters locally have been Oil-based: a fire in the 1920s that consumed and destroyed a large cluster of massive oil tanks at the south end of town, (Its site, "Tank Farm Road" is only NOW being built upon again) and an underground leak near an oil depot at Avila Beach that destroyed the tourist business there for 20 years. Which is why there is currently MORE uproar right now about a plan for a dedicated rail to ship crude oil by train to a refinery just south of here in Northern Santa Barbara County than over the Diablo Canyon re-authorization.
I must also note one of the biggest reasons for the below-market rent I am paying here is my location, in a small enclave off the frontage road of Highway 101 between SLO and Pismo... and seven miles east of Diablo Canyon (they do issue annual Evacuation Maps, not to alarm anybody, and I am in the closest "populated" zone... still, my disaster plan is simple, get on the 101 before everyone else does). I did endear myself with my neighbors when I first moved in with the joke: "Red skies at night, Sailors' delight, Green skies at night, Nuclear Engineers, call your office."
posted by oneswellfoop at 1:26 PM on December 3, 2015
Best answer: Much good info above. I'm home, within walking distance of the entrance to Pismo Beach State. Do you know that our ocean water temp is always cold - mid sixty's or lower? Walking the beach is great but don't expect to get into the water without a wetsuit. Housing is costly here for numerous reasons but you may find something that fits within your budget. Housing in Grover Beach or Oceano tends to be the most affordable here in the Five Cities area south of SLO. Our neighborhood was almost entirely owner occupied when we moved in but now is more than 50% rentals. Yes, California does have earthquakes - every 30 or 40 years for any given location, other than Parkfield which sits atop the San Andreas fault. I know a couple of realtors, you're welcome to email me if I might be able to help you.
posted by X4ster at 2:57 PM on December 3, 2015
posted by X4ster at 2:57 PM on December 3, 2015
Best answer: I live 'over the grade' from SLO as we say around here, in the Atascadero/Paso Robles area. I moved from a med size east coast city 14 years ago. My preference would be to live SLO or along the coast, but we would have to drastically downsize to afford it and my husband would have a much longer commute (I work remotely). Also it seems like things on Zillow have gone from just kind of pricey to silly recently, I see a lot of pretty dumpy places asking waaay more than they would have a year ago. Not SF prices by any means, but enough to make you pause.
The rental market can pretty tight, even up here 45 minutes from the beach due to students and lots of families who make reasonable money but got messed up a few years ago with foreclosures, etc. North county has very different weather than SLO and along the coast, it can frost in the winter which is unusual for SLO proper and get to be over 100 during the summer, again a rarity along the coast.
It's an absolutely beautiful place and a great place to be if you like to do outdoorsy things. Since you asked for the ugly, it's a small town and as such somewhat lacking in cultural activities and diversity and general big picture planning for the future, although SLO may be doing a better job of that than our area. You'll have to go to Santa Barbara or San Jose if you want to hit the mall. Flying in/out can be arduous, although every couple of years there seems to be a push by the business community to improve it. We often just head to San Jose or even Oakland for flights. It can at times feel a little too familar/insular.
Jobwise it can be a bit of a struggle, but it's getting way, way better than it was when I first moved here. I know a lot of folks who are self employed/started their own businesses b/c that was the best option out here for them.
Filthy had a lot of great info, I think you will be hard pressed to find much in the 300's, particularly closer to the ocean. It's a highly desirable area and there's a lot of $ that comes in from SF or LA to retire and/or buy rental property. The 400's are definitely doable up here, and one area you might look at is south Atascadero/Santa Margarita. A lot of folks who work in SLO live there, although you miss out of walkability, etc. PM if you want any realtor suggestions, I know a couple that have been here forever and cover different areas. Good luck with your decision!
posted by snowymorninblues at 2:59 PM on December 3, 2015
The rental market can pretty tight, even up here 45 minutes from the beach due to students and lots of families who make reasonable money but got messed up a few years ago with foreclosures, etc. North county has very different weather than SLO and along the coast, it can frost in the winter which is unusual for SLO proper and get to be over 100 during the summer, again a rarity along the coast.
It's an absolutely beautiful place and a great place to be if you like to do outdoorsy things. Since you asked for the ugly, it's a small town and as such somewhat lacking in cultural activities and diversity and general big picture planning for the future, although SLO may be doing a better job of that than our area. You'll have to go to Santa Barbara or San Jose if you want to hit the mall. Flying in/out can be arduous, although every couple of years there seems to be a push by the business community to improve it. We often just head to San Jose or even Oakland for flights. It can at times feel a little too familar/insular.
Jobwise it can be a bit of a struggle, but it's getting way, way better than it was when I first moved here. I know a lot of folks who are self employed/started their own businesses b/c that was the best option out here for them.
Filthy had a lot of great info, I think you will be hard pressed to find much in the 300's, particularly closer to the ocean. It's a highly desirable area and there's a lot of $ that comes in from SF or LA to retire and/or buy rental property. The 400's are definitely doable up here, and one area you might look at is south Atascadero/Santa Margarita. A lot of folks who work in SLO live there, although you miss out of walkability, etc. PM if you want any realtor suggestions, I know a couple that have been here forever and cover different areas. Good luck with your decision!
posted by snowymorninblues at 2:59 PM on December 3, 2015
Response by poster: Wow, thanks everyone for keeping it coming. That cold ocean water is news, I know its cold up near San Francisco, but I didn't expect it around there. Is that summer temps as well? I have to agree on what's on Zillow, I just spent a good hour looking at the whole area and honestly nothing really enticing unless you're looking over 600k (I'm not).
Thanks again, we shall see what comes of it...
posted by fumbducker at 3:28 PM on December 3, 2015
Thanks again, we shall see what comes of it...
posted by fumbducker at 3:28 PM on December 3, 2015
Yes, even during summer ocean water temp is in the 60s. It's due to Humboldt Current flowing from north to south, unlike US Atlantic coastal waters warmed by south to north gulf current. Further south - Los Angeles to San Diego county beaches get comfortably warmer and more crowded.
Finding a bargain in houses is often a matter of luck & being in the right at the right time. We got our home as a probate sale, dealing directly with heir. If you can rent and be ready to pounce when an opportunity arises you may catch a good deal. Best wishes & good luck. This is a great area to live in. Real estate prices have been driven up by equity refugees relocating here from LA & Bay Area.
posted by X4ster at 10:44 PM on December 3, 2015
Finding a bargain in houses is often a matter of luck & being in the right at the right time. We got our home as a probate sale, dealing directly with heir. If you can rent and be ready to pounce when an opportunity arises you may catch a good deal. Best wishes & good luck. This is a great area to live in. Real estate prices have been driven up by equity refugees relocating here from LA & Bay Area.
posted by X4ster at 10:44 PM on December 3, 2015
Air travel options seem to be improving. Direct flights between SLO (SBP) & Sacramento (SMF) have been restored. Also Santa Maria (SMX) just 20 minutes drive south offers a pretty good selection of flights, and has free long term parking. Santa Barbara (SBA) is a little over an hour further south.
posted by X4ster at 10:55 PM on December 3, 2015
posted by X4ster at 10:55 PM on December 3, 2015
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by cecic at 8:03 PM on December 2, 2015