"The clouds in Camarillo shimmer with a light that's so unreal." (Brazzaville, "The Clouds in Camarillo")
Camarillo's rich history in the music and film industries can be traced to the Camarillo State Mental Hospital, which operated in the area between 1936 and 1997. Because it's only a stone's throw from Hollywood and everyone trying to achieve their Hollywood dreams (and because, let's face it, famous people are nuts), many celebs found themselves in the hospital recovering from various illnesses and addictions. Musicians Charlie Parker and Frank Zappa wrote songs about the institution, describing the hospital as a sort of mix between a saving grace and a place of torment. The hospital was also featured in the movie The Ring, the TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and the filming location for N'Sync's music video "I Drive Myself Crazy." College kids now spend their days taking calculus and art history at the hospital, which has since been converted into the California State University, Channel Islands. The building's current staff and students try to forget the storied history, which is kind of hard given that the buildings are regularly visited by people in search of ghosts and other paranormal activity. Don't worry, we haven't experienced any weird hauntings in the area.
Being so close to Los Angeles, but out of the hustle and bustle and heavy traffic of L
"The clouds in Camarillo shimmer with a light that's so unreal." (Brazzaville, "The Clouds in Camarillo")
Camarillo's rich history in the music and film industries can be traced to the Camarillo State Mental Hospital, which operated in the area between 1936 and 1997. Because it's only a stone's throw from Hollywood and everyone trying to achieve their Hollywood dreams (and because, let's face it, famous people are nuts), many celebs found themselves in the hospital recovering from various illnesses and addictions. Musicians Charlie Parker and Frank Zappa wrote songs about the institution, describing the hospital as a sort of mix between a saving grace and a place of torment. The hospital was also featured in the movie The Ring, the TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and the filming location for N'Sync's music video "I Drive Myself Crazy." College kids now spend their days taking calculus and art history at the hospital, which has since been converted into the California State University, Channel Islands. The building's current staff and students try to forget the storied history, which is kind of hard given that the buildings are regularly visited by people in search of ghosts and other paranormal activity. Don't worry, we haven't experienced any weird hauntings in the area.
Being so close to Los Angeles, but out of the hustle and bustle and heavy traffic of L.A., Camarillo is considered a highly desirable place to live. The area is super safe, with a crime rating far below the national average, and the weather is sunny and cool over 300 days a year. The city is also centrally located: a drive to Hollywood takes about an hour, Malibu is 30 minutes away, and Thousand Oaks is just a quick 15 minutes down the road.
The city has a wide variety of housing choices, from Spanish-style ranch houses to modern townhomes. You can divide Camarillo into five main sections, each of which are completely different from each other. Read on for brief descriptions of each to figure out which of the different sections suits your style.
Old Town Camarillo: The oldest part of the city and the most gritty (we mean that in a good way). Small homes and apartments are tucked between and above bars, fashion shops, and restaurants. The places to live in this area are generally on the small side. We're talking studios, one bedrooms, and two bedrooms if you're lucky. However, this is the cheapest area in the city to buy or rent, and it's the only area where you don't really need a car to get places. $$$
Mission Oaks: An area in Camarillo that encompasses 1,312 acres. It's located in the north-eastern portion of the city and is filled with many quaint -- and a few sprawling -- suburban homes. This is definitely a family area. It's easy to find a three or four bedroom home with a nice yard in Mission Oaks, and at much more affordable prices than the surrounding city of Thousand Oaks. $$$
Camarillo Heights: This is an older area in Camarillo. The real treats in Camarillo Heights are the large property sizes and the gorgeous custom homes. Do you want a spacious 5 bedroom home set on an acre of land with a swimming pool and a few avocado trees? Then Camarillo Heights is the place for you. Because the properties and homes are so large in this area, the residents get to enjoy plenty of privacy. Land and privacy come at a price, but since the area is older, it's still surprisingly affordable. $$$$
Spanish Hills: This neighborhood sits on the west side of Camarillo and is home to gorgeous, massive estates that overlook the golf course and country club. These are homes fit for the rich and famous, but not near the price of Beverly Hills or Malibu. In exchange for living in the most expensive area in Camarillo, you'll get a home with the finest touches, such as marble flooring and a sprawling, perfectly manicured yard in which to relax and enjoy the view. $$$$$
Somis: This is a semi-rural unincorporated town that sits to the north of Camarillo. On the Somis side of Camarillo, you'll find small gentlemen's ranches and farm-style homes that sit on horse property. This is one of the few areas left in the county that allow you to keep horses and other farm animals. Here, you get a country feel, without having to really move to the country. Unlike actually living in the country, however, expect to lay down quite a bit of your hard-earned money to live in a piece of seclusion that is right next to the suburbs. $$$$
Camarillo is a quiet bedroom community, located about an hour away from Los Angeles. Close to both the Malibu and Oxnard beach areas, Camarillo has temperate Mediterranean weather year-round. The cool weather and fertile soil make the city a perfect location for the many farms in the area: strawberries, oranges, broccoli and many other crops are grown here.
There's plenty of action for the non-farmers in the town, too. An outdoor skate park and hockey rink keep the kids occupied and out of your hair, and there's a large dog park for four-legged family members. The Old Town shopping district is the perfect place to spend the day dining and window shopping, while the Camarillo Premium Outlet Mall is filled with all the big name clothing brands at discount prices. Pilots can stay busy flying out of the local airport or eating at the airport cafe.
California State University, Channel Islands is a new, but respected, college in the area. Teenagers and college students often complain that the town rolls down its doors at night, because the nightlife is completely non-existent. This means you won't be kept awake by frat parties (hooray for no cries of "Toga! Toga!"), but it also means you can't find any nightclubs or late-night bars if you want them. But for you night owls and party animals out there, Hollywood and all its excesses are just a moderate drive down the 101 freeway.
Living in Camarillo isn't cheap. Still, it's cheaper than the nearby desirable cities of Thousand Oaks and Westlake Village, and it has much better weather than those two areas. So save the dough and spare the sweat, and on come on over.
