The hidden jewel of Ventura is still close to the beach, but far enough removed to provide an incredible allure to families and retirees. It is an ideal blend of quiet and convenience with a healthy dash of affordability. In honor of its sunnier days than most corners of town, I will shed some light on this hidden jewel so you can effectively consider the East End of Ventura as your slice of the American Dream.
East End Geography Lesson
There are differing opinions on this but most would say that the East End begins at Victoria Avenue, up to Foothill Road, then spreading east to Wells Road and slightly beyond to Ventura’s border with Santa Paula. The 126 Freeway slices right through the middle providing added convenience for commuters. East End veterans also utilize ‘the back way’ out to the 118 freeway to work around some of the traffic congestion on the 101 in Oxnard.
East End Communities
As with any community there are many sub-communities that have their own identity, history, and lifestyle. Choosing from these is an ideal way to start your home search as each provides a completely different look and feel.
Montalvo
Framed by the 101 Freeway, Moon Drive, and Johnson Drive this is one of the more historic communities of the East End. It has had a tenuous and strained relationship with the City of Ventura, Most recently in 2012 where annexation was presented to residents and met with a polarizing response in opinion. As some of the areas are still considered unicorporated there is still some services that are maintained independently. Homes in this area typically are classically built, vintage construction methods and unique features that building of the era of 40s and 50s produces. I recently listed and sold a property at 6061 Moon Drive for Kids & Families Together, Inc. It was a duplex that was unlike any other property I worked. It was not a home that suited most buyers, but for those that saw the unique benefit found the home to be an affordable and well located opportunity.
Saticoy
Steeped in its agricultural roots, Saticoy provides an interesting mix of population. Some have been here from the beginning that staked their claim quickly as a convenient hometown, adjacent to the farmlands that make up so much of eastern part of our county. The area is made up of everything east of Saticoy Avenue, down to the Santa Clara River and up to Telegraph and Foothill Roads. Its main attractions are easy access to the 126 Freeway, affordable homes, and the nearby Saticoy Country Club. Saticoy Elementary School, is one of the City’s oldest institutions and has been transformed recently to a magnet school academy called ATLAS embedding modern technology and leadership into its curriculum.
The Northwest of the East End
The communities that make up the northwestern areas of the East End are the most sought after and for good reason. The Ventura Community Park, often called Kimball Park is considered by many to be the heartbeat of the End End. Complete with pool, bmx track, softball fields, and massive soccer fields, its development provided the connective tissue the East End needed to secure home values and the East End’s place in Ventura lore. In this community you will see homes for Ventura’s more affluent population. As you move up from the 126 Freeway to Foothill Road you have a healthy mix of spacious tract homes to custom homes featuring amazing views of the town below. This area is about as family-centric as Ventura gets which explains why its makeup is just that, families. Landmarks like Simone’s Coffee and Surf’n Yogurt are the easiest places to run into your neighbors.
Will You Surrender to the East End Effect?
One thing I experience with prospective buyers who have never lived or been exposed to the East End of town is some unfounded hesitation to embrace it as a viable option to make it their home. Often seen as no man’s land, so far removed from the Downtown district and beaches, it is a interesting moment when buyers see how much home they can afford in comparison to other Ventura communities and how quickly they can be at the sand when they want to be. Once enveloped by the peace, convenience, sunshine and community feel the East End offers, most residents never go back. Will you fall victim to the East End effect? Only time will tell.
I believe it is called the Midway, the section of the Ventura County Fair reserved for the carnival games They are bright, loud, and stocked with stuffed animals as far as the eye can see. My kids are drawn to this area like a magnet and of course they feel that an 8-foot gorilla would totally tie their room together.
A common complaint is that the Fair is too expensive, but for some reason we all still go. Yes it is pretty good hit to the pocketbook for a family of 4 to do the Fair right, but is the value there? Absolutely. We always have a blast and leave with big smiles on our faces. I think about how big of an operation it is to put on the Ventura County Fair. Coordinating something of this magnitude is not going to be cheap and I’m happy to pay for the professionals that work tirelessly to make my Fair experience the best it can be. If my money contributes to being able to see Salt N’ Pepa push it good, let’s be honest, it’s worth every penny.
Remember high school? The campus was naturally broken into sections and when the lunch bell rang you would see certain groups gravitate to an area they felt represented them.
