Are You Considering Relocating to the Santa Clarita Valley?
Then you've come to the right place. Just a short time ago we lived in Wisconsin, and we told the recruiters the same thing every time they called, "We'll live anywhere but California, specifically
Los Angeles."
Why? Well, because we were absolutely sure that California would crack off into the ocean someday, and that everyone living in Los Angeles was nuts.
We were wrong on one point: California will
not crack off into the ocean some day.
And about everyone in Los Angeles being nuts? We wouldn't know. Santa Clarita is as different from Los Angeles as any small Midwestern town is from Chicago.
Santa Clarita is an upscale, conservative hometown where families come together for evening summer concerts and Independence Day Celebrations.
We love it here. And we can't believe we get to live here!
That's not to say we don't miss everyone back home, but they've certainly enjoyed coming to visit! Which is why we've created a page on
entertaining guests for you.
One of the Best Places to Live in the U.S.
That's not just our opinion. Look at the accolades Santa Clarita has received:
"Top 100 Best Places to Raise a Family"
-Best Life Magazine 2008
"Top 20 Best Places to Live in the U.S."
-Money Magazine 2006
"One of the Top 25 Best Affordable Suburbs in the U.S."
-BusinessWeek Online 2006
"One of America's Best Places to Live"
Relocate America, 2004
"Fourth Safest City in the Nation"
-FBI Statistics, 2005 (with a population over 150,000)
"One of the best economies in Los Angeles County
Union Bank
CNNMoney.com
Santa Clarita's population of 173,000 disqualified the City for "Best Place to Live" in 2007. (Qualifying cities were limited to a population of 50,000.)
But you can compare Santa Clarita to the "Top Ten Best Places to Live in the U.S." at the above link.
Sit Back and Take a Tour of Santa Clarita
Sip your favorite beverage, lean back in your chair and tour Santa Clarita with us. We'll introduce you to our favorite places. And once you arrive, we'll help you settle in with pages designed with you in mind.
Still have questions? We're really here. Just drop us an email and we'll do our best to help:
info@SantaClaritaGuide.com, or give us a call at 661-297-2918.
Demographics
So what happens if you move out here and hate your job? Santa Clarita has one of the lowest unemployment rates in Los Angeles County (among cities with populations over 100,000). And, we're about 40 minutes from Los Angeles--which, honestly, is over an hour during heavy traffic. But it is still commutable.
We have excellent medical care in the Santa Clarita Valley, and besides, we've got all of the L.A. hospitals right over the Santa Susana mountain range (which separates us from the San Fernando Valley).
As far as education, many parents in Los Angeles relocate to Santa Clarita for our schools because they're in the top 10% in California.
Basically, this is a family community. We've got lots of churches and very few bars. Think "upscale hometown" and that's Santa Clarita. We like it here so much we actually dance in the streets (during our summer concerts).
The Traffic
Is it true the traffic in Los Angeles is horrible? Sure, it's heavy; but if you're living and working in Santa Clarita (or somewhere nearby), the LA traffic is not going to be an issue for you.
About the Earthquakes
Well, scientists tell us it is not possible for California to crack off into the ocean someday. Statistically, California earthquakes over the past 30 years have been responsible for far less deaths than heat. In the past ten years the stats are 155 for earthquakes and 235 for heat. (You can use those with your family members when you tell them you're moving to LA.)
National Weather Service Weather Fatalities
United States Geological Survey Report
Buying a Home
Just as anywhere, real estate in Santa Clarita has its ups and downs. We've provided a link for you to learn more about our market, the communities, and details on buying (and owning) a home in Santa Clarita.
Our Location
We're about 40 minutes from Hollywood and an hour to the beaches. In an hour and a half you can be at the ski resorts or Disneyland. And within five hours you'll arrive at San Francisco, Las Vegas or Yosemite. Check out the links for further details.
MAP IT!
Our Climate
You can find the latest weather information at the link above. We don't really have "weather" here, as in other parts of the country. Our rain usually arrives between November through March; we get about 15-18". Winters are mild--about 55-65 degrees during the day and dipping down to almost freezing overnight.
(If you miss snow, just head to the mountains which are about an hour away.) We get a dry heat here in the summers, usually in the 90's. Late August and September can exceed 100 degrees. But remember, we don't have the humidity, so it doesn't feel as hot as it does in the midwest or on the east coast.
Oh, and we don't have many flying insects (including mosquitos), so plan on enjoying your patio!
Things to do in Santa Clarita
If you like the outdoors, you'll want to spend time rollerblading or walking on our paseos (foot paths). There's the wilderness, within five minutes of the city, and we have plenty of community parks. Of course, there is golfing, Six Flags, and swimming...LOTS of swimming.
Santa Clarita has an aquatics center with three pools, one of which has a zero depth entry for the children. City pools are open all over the valley, and many neighborhoods have their own pools. Additionally, we have a couple of lakes. And the beach, as we've said earlier, is only about an hour away.
Santa Clarita is a mecca of shopping and restaurants. We have a beautiful ice skating center, community gymnasiums, bowling, laser tag, an indoor paintball arena and outdoor paintball field. There's also organized sporting events, community playhouses, and free summer concerts.
You have to work pretty hard to be bored here.
Seeing Celebrities
Because Santa Clarita is located within the "30 mile zone" of Hollywood, hit shows like "Big Love," "The Riches," "NCIS," and "The Unit" film here routinely. Feature films "There Will Be Blood," "Charlie Wilson's War," Star Trek XI," "Yours, Mine and Ours," "Terminator" (2&3), "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest," and "Spider-Man 3" have also filmed here. There are hidden studios and movie ranches
all around our valley, but many times filming is done in public areas. We even put together some self-guided movie tours for you.
That's the end of the official tour of Santa Clarita. But spend some time checking out the links. It's just pretty difficult not to enjoy living here. Below you'll find some information that may be helpful to you if you are also new to Southern California.
New to Southern California
If this is a cross-country move for you, you'll probably find the details on these pages helpful. From dress codes to wildlife, you'll find answers to your questions here.
