I spent the week of Independence Day in Southern California and on July 3rd I wandered around downtown Ventura. What a great little city! Lively downtown, lovely ocean views, a great beachfront, and perfect weather made for a fantastic afternoon!
I spent the week of Independence Day in Southern California and on July 3rd I wandered around downtown Santa Cruz. What a great little city! Lively downtown, lovely ocean views, a great beachfront, and perfect weather made for a fantastic afternoon!
Except it's not in Southern CA. But did you see any vampires is what I want to know:
I detect a sharp odor of Nimby's in this city! I would guess there were developers, over the decades, who had numerous proposals for this city, and how long is the list of these aborted proposals? Yes, I can see why that 30 story hotel tower never got off the ground! Lol!
^^Given that the City Hall says "San Buenaventura" on it, which I was wondering about (even though I live in the Bay Area, when I want to go to the coast I generally go north, not south, so I've only been to the actual Santa Cruz once), I'm pretty sure you are right. I was also wondering where the roller coaster was.
Indeed I've been to Ventura more than to Santa Cruz because I lived in Ventura County for 3 months way back in the 1970s but it has changed a LOT (looks much nicer now than I remember actually).
Oh damn not sure why I typed out Santa Cruz. I meant Ventura. Ugh! Can one of the forum moderators change the title? I edited it, but it doesn’t change the thread title in the main forum.
Ah, home (for the last 9 years anyway). It’s a nice little beach town but definitely needs a lot of work. Still, being home to Patagonia and Tradedesk, downtown is doing fairly well. It isn’t like Santa Barbara 30 miles up the coast, but doesn’t want to be. Nice pics of downtown.
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Is that the skyline of downtown LA that can just barely, ever so slightly be seen on the horizon on the left-hand part of this photo looking southeast? If so, that'd be roughly 65 miles as the crow flies.
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Is that the skyline of downtown LA that can just barely, ever so slightly be seen on the horizon on the left-hand part of this photo looking southeast? If so, that'd be roughly 65 miles as the crow flies.
No, it's just the Mandalay generating station along the coast. Beyond this you can sort of see the bend in the coast, which is where the coast turns east-west where Malibu begins. You have to go all the way past Malibu just to get to Santa Monica and the LA Basin.
I kept thinking I will see some Santa Cruz, did I miss something?
Anyway I work close to Ventura, over in Camarillo, so and every now and then we drive over to have lunch downtown. It's a nice coastal town, and ok for a Saturday trip. It's a very short drive (45 minutes) from LA-San Fernando Valley if you don't feel like going all the way into San Barbara for the day.
I don't hate it, and even though it's part of Southern California and there really is no gap between LA and Ventura County it has a different vibe about it. Many of the people I work with live in the area, so I do get a feel of it everyday.
I've never had a problem around there, but the comments I hear and their views on things, I just know it may not be a place I would feel comfortable for me, the wife and son to live. Still it's very nice, and I love the natural beauty and the older neighborhoods. I would recommend it for a day trip it certainly worth a visit, but Santa Barbara is the place to stay for a few days or a weekend trip IMO.
Great shots, I had lunch in Ventura on Sunday and do frequently on my northbound treks to a job site.
Ventura's downtown has come a long way, it kind of is the poor mans Santa Barbara, but is somewhat charming and has access to amazing fruits and vegetables.....
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