It looks like we're moving to Palmdale, CA (not because of Trump). Anyone know the area?

[nightshadea]

oh and get used to wind tunnel days like today with winds of 30 mph and gusts of 40- 60 … and since its trash day in this side of town its one hell of a mess

[Renee]

Sorry I’m just now getting back to this. I haven’t been able to use my computer, and using the quote function on my phone is maddening. I really appreciate everyone taking the time to reply, and this has been really helpful.

@nightshadea

I live in Lancaster about 10 minutes away politically were one of the only areas that trump won in la county there’s 2 churches for every 3 people so lots of people pay lip service to being conservative

you’ll have to get used to the whole region being called " the antelope valley or AV"

only a few people(and the politicans ) who live in either place will differentiate between Palmdale and Lancaster …weve pretty much recovered from the recession and the meth mess of the 90s

Palmdale is a bit more rural than Lancaster but they have the mall and the upscale shopping/restaurant centers around the mall We do have local events like palmdale had the fall festival and Lancaster has things in the middle of town … like the av Christmas festival is on the 10th this year we have a minor league baseball also … and the high point of summer
is our fair
now unfortunately youre going to move here during our 6 to 8 weeks of cold weather that usually begins right after thanksgiving to early February our coldest last year was 19 but that’s not the usual

Now from april to right around Halloween its anywhere between 70 and 115 in the summer make sure you get a house with central air because a swamp cooler barely touches it …oh and were in the middle of the biggest drought in 50 years so watch how much water you use

and if you find a good Chinese delivery place let me know please …

Other than that were just a few moderately sized towns clumped together like you find everywhere in America

and our police is the la county sheriff department and we get all the freshly minted officers so don’t expect too much if you have to contact them …

hope this helps

We will definitely have central air. If we end up with a rehab project, we’ll install it ourselves. I’m from Arkansas. When we moved up to Maine and no one had central air, I was genuinely shocked. This actually sounds like a much bigger town area than we’re used to, so that will be a nice change of pace. Plus, of course, LA.

@mind_the_gap

I lived in Little Rock, east of Palmdale for 10 years. I !liked it because I like the desert and could dirt bike and mountain bike ride out of the house. The Antelope Valley has good and bad spots just like any other area but housing is affordable. Working at Plant 42 will let your husband avoid the dreadful commute and that’s a good thing,trust me.
Don’t forget the Antelope Valley Wind Festival, which runs from Jan 1 through Dec 31 every year.

We have a 4-wheeler, and my husband has a dirt bike, but plans to upgrade to a better one out there. We’re into that kind of thing, so that will be fun.

@mind_the_gap

A little more info now that I can type on a real keyboard. Palmdale’s just a short drive up hwys 14/58 from Tehachapi, nestled in its namesake mountains. It’s a 4 seasons area, has snow in winter and is a charming area. To the west of that, there’s a road you can take north through Caliente, Bodfish, and Lake Isabella that leads to Kernville. If the drought doesn’t do in the Kern river, there’s nice white water rafting. West of Palmdale, you can drive through the Leona Valley past Lake Elizabeth and all the way out to the “Grapevine” where I5 passes through the mountains. South of Palmdale you can take County road 3 up to the Angeles Crest Hwy. Driving east on it, take a side trip to Mt. Wilson, where Edwin Hubble discovered the expansion of the universe and developed his “Big Bang” theory. There’s skiing in Wrightwood if the snow does well and the weather holds cold. They have snow making machines and can do a fair job if it’s cold enough.
There’s actually a lot of beauty in the high desert if you open your eyes. I’ve seen (on a dirt bike, 'cause you can’t get everywhere by foot in the dez) entire valleys covered in tiny blue and yellow flowers. Spring can be spectacular there.
North of Palmdale and Mojave, there’s the China Lake Naval Test Station, where on some days you can watch the fighter jocks play. Years ago, riding in the dez, one of them buzzed us in a Warthog. A lot of those guys ride, and it was thrilling and also a little terrifying being “strafed”. He gave us a huge wing waggle at the end and went about his biz.
Get used to a little dust, use the door on the lee side of the house, respect the extremes of the climate and you’ll enjoy the area.

All of this sounds great, thank you.

@Typo_Negative

If you don’t mind cactus and Joshua trees, you’ll be fine.
There’s a lot of cactus and Joshua trees.
I don’t care for them.

Meh. I can’t say I find deserts particularly alluring, but it’s a temporary move, so I’ll survive.

@blondebear

China Lake is also home to one of the largest petroglyph sites in the southwest. You can sign up for tours of the Coso Rock Art District at the Maturango Museum in Ridgecrest. Well worth the effort if you’re interested in Native American art/culture of the area.

The Antelope Valley Indian Museum east of Lancaster is another cool spot to check out for Native American art and artifacts.

Very cool, thanks.

@LSLGuy

If you like the idea of a small town as opposed to hard-core rural then Tehachapi is much nicer than being out in the trackless flats of the desert living amongst the tumbleweeds and the crazy bastards.

I just happen to own a half acre plus vacant lot in a ranch-style housing development near there. It was set up as a place for retirees to have ranchettes with horses and golf courses and such. But it got whacked in the great 1970s recession just as it was getting off the ground. As of now about half the lots are built.

If you want some cheap buildable land with roads, city water, sewage, etc. already in place, PM me.

That sounds great, but it looks like it would be a 55 mile commute for my husband, I don’t think we want to commit to that.

@Johnny_L.A

Mrs. L.A.'s uncle had some land near Tehachapi. He was washed away in a flash flood last year. They never found his body.

:eek: Well, we’re both excellent swimmers.

@Ethilrist

uh… you do realize that “that hilly area” is also known as the San Andreas Fault? Like, not near it? It IS the fault?

Yeah, no. I didn’t know that. I guess I’m not sure if it matters? Like, if there is a major earthquake, does it matter if you’re on the line or 15 miles away from it? I guess building codes will likely be pretty strict, but people do seem to live out there.

@nightshadea

oh and get used to wind tunnel days like today with winds of 30 mph and gusts of 40- 60 … and since its trash day in this side of town its one hell of a mess

Seems like kind of a problem for all the people out riding dirt bikes in the desert.

[LSLGuy]

@Renee

…
That sounds great, but it looks like it would be a 55 mile commute for my husband, I don’t think we want to commit to that.
…

Wow! I’m used to driving around out there, although it’s been a few years. I’d WAGged it about 30 miles. Should’ve checked the map. Sorry to suggest something so impractical.

If the desert is a wee bit too much there’s very nice living to be had in the mountains just S and E of Palmdale. You can have alpine with light snow, blazing desert, or anything in between just by choosing your elevation.

[Civil_Guy]

A question for the locals: the OP says she has dogs. Are coyotes a problem in Palmdale? Other wildlife? If so, what do you recommend for protecting the dogs?

[Renee]

@LSLGuy

Wow! I’m used to driving around out there, although it’s been a few years. I’d WAGged it about 30 miles. Should’ve checked the map. Sorry to suggest something so impractical.

If the desert is a wee bit too much there’s very nice living to be had in the mountains just S and E of Palmdale. You can have alpine with light snow, blazing desert, or anything in between just by choosing your elevation.

Oh, no problem! He’s done long commutes before, but it has to be for a good reason. We will check out the SE area. We’re definitely not city people.

[Renee]

@Civil_Guy

A question for the locals: the OP says she has dogs. Are coyotes a problem in Palmdale? Other wildlife? If so, what do you recommend for protecting the dogs?

Where we currently live, coyotes are a problem. A couple of days ago there was a big one just chilling under a tree maybe 30 ft from our house. I had to chase him off with a stick. We hear them all the time out here. Two of the dogs are small enough to be coyote food, and I keep a close eye on them. Im actually more worried about rattle snakes out there. Seems like they’d be harder to keep out of a yard.

[snfaulkner]

We have coyotes even here in Burbank, I can only imagine they are worse in Palmdale.

[Renee]

What’s the couger situation out there?

[snfaulkner]

@Renee

What’s the couger situation out there?

If your talking about the big cats, every now and then we’ll here about one. But not very often.

If you are talking about middle aged single women on the prowl, that’s more of what Orange County down south is known for.

[Renee]

Surprisingly, a friend of ours out near Kansas City had a yearling horse killed recently by what the wildlife people think was a cougar. I’ve never been too concerned. What about rattle snakes?

[snfaulkner]

There are definitely rattlesnakes in the hills around LA. Hiking trails have rattlesnake warnings posted.