Corona, California info

[bcafe]

My DH has a job lead in Corona. Does anyone have any info about the area? Housing (would probably rent for the first bit), schools, recreation, etc. Thanks so much!

[jbbhb]

I don't know a ton other than, it's really hot! (comparatively speaking for me). I know there are some newer areas that are nice- good schools, nice new shopping areas, etc. and some areas that are really not nice. I wouldn't know enough to be able to tell you specifically what areas are what, but I'm sure a real estate agent would, even for a rental. I know the housing market there has really taken a hit so I bet you could find a nice new house to rent for a decent price (again comparatively speaking to where I live in Orange County).

[BabyDahl]

Like jbbhb, I am in coastal Orange County so I can't give you a lot of specifics. However, I do have a good friend who lives out there and traffic is his biggest gripe. You should look for a home that is no more than 2 or 3 freeway exits from your/DH's place of work. During typical rush hour, the freeway traffic can be horrible, unless you take a toll road or the "toll lanes" on the main highway. Exits are sometimes far between, as well, so that limits your ability to go around congested areas. Again, ask the realtor about this concern.

[AnnieW625]

It gets pretty hot, but everything is air conditioned, and traffic can be bad if you are working in Orange or LA Counties because you need to take the 15 or the 91 freeways, but if you don't have to commute I think it would be a nice place to live. The housing bust hit Corona really hard so the housing prices are going to be pretty good. If you like an area that has horse trails and not so suburban you can check out Norco (which stands for North Corona, and is north of the 91 freeway), but I believe prices for homes are going to be more. I work with a lot of people who live in Corona and they like it, and either carpool, vanpool, or take the train to our work in Santa Ana, but if you are going east during commute hours I think there would be less traffic. I would also look at Chino Hills, which is a little NW of Corona, but it is going against traffic so the commute shouldn't be too bad. Home prices there will be higher, but overall it's a more desirable and smaller community. Along the same lines Yorba Linda or Anaheim Hills would work too, but again a bit longer commute, but again going against traffic, but they are also in Orange County so it will be more expensive than Corona, Norco, and probably even Chino Hills.

The schools are good and Centennial High School is a good school right now so you might want to look in that area for schools. You can also use this website to get API scores (http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/ac/ap/) (800+ are good bets for elementary school, for middle and high school they are usually lower so it's not a really good measure IMHO, but for elementary it makes a world of difference to have an 800+ API score). The school district is Corona-Norco.

I will say one thing that the 91 freeway can be a nightmare on the weekends at anytime past 12 pm going east until you get past the 15. We have way less problems going west, but most of the time if we are going to the mountains in San Bernardino we avoid the 91 all together.

[rolypoly27]

The schools are good, and the student population was pretty diverse from what I can remember. They had a lot of programs and extracurricular activities for the students.

Like pp mentioned, there are nicer parts and not-so-nice parts, just like any other city. There are really nice houses up on hills, and minutes away, there is also a trailer park neighborhood. It really depends on which part of the city you'll be living in. As far as restaurants and recreation, there really isn't much. You usually have to drive out to Orange County for good restaurants and fun things to do, but it's only about a 20-min drive.

Corona has expanded to such a big area that it's hard to classify everything as good or bad. There are very old parts, and newer parts that are nicer. There is an outdoor shopping mall and theater off the 15 freeway that is nice, and there are apartments around there that are fairly new and affordable. Housing right now is very affordable in Corona if you are looking to buy a house. The market took a big hit in that area.

It can get pretty hot there, but that's all relative to where you are moving from. However, if you are not used to driving in traffic, be prepared. The 91 freeway (the main freeway next to Corona) is very unpleasant during rush hour (or any hour) to put it mildly.

ETA: Like AnnieW625 mentioned, Centennial is a good school if you are looking into high schools. It is also close to the outdoor shopping/theater I mentioned earlier. And I agree, Chino Hills, Yorba Linda, Anaheim Hills are nicer areas but will be a bit more pricey.