If you’re coming to Ventura, forget pricey glam and try to channel the Dude. “Vintage,” “rustic,” “dog-friendly” and “flip-flop casual” are the code words for this beach town at the western end of the 101 Freeway before it starts heading north.
People strive to be outside in Ventura. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I was lucky enough to find a house to buy here. I’m in a residential area a few miles from the beach, and every day I see dozens of people walking their dogs; escorting their children to school, coffee cups in hand; running while pushing three-wheeled baby strollers; or cycling in pairs in the bike lanes, deep in shouted conversations.
Beyond exercise and errands, quick scenic hikes abound around this city, so you can easily hit the trail and still have plenty of time for shopping and/or playing at the beach.
When they aren’t recreating, Venturans like to chill. For a city with just 110,000 people (a quarter of Long Beach’s population), there are plenty of good places to eat and drink. We have at least three excellent bakeries making their own breads and pastries, and breakfasting out is particularly popular, as is hanging at brewpubs playing trivia or listening to music, browsing thrift stores or just grabbing a spot at the beach to watch the sun go down.
This is the corporate home of Patagonia, an environmental champion and maker of ultra-hip outdoor gear, but lest you think you’re in tree-hugger central, note that the Ventura Raceway (located at the Ventura County Fairgrounds) hosts weekly races from which the whine of circling cars can be heard for miles. And heading east on Highway 33 toward Ojai (just 20 minutes away), you’ll see plenty of oil rigs bobbing along the highway.
Not far from the ocean, Ventura’s farmland grows crops like berries, celery, citrus and avocados. And unlike in Santa Barbara to the north, where almost every square inch of foothills seems covered with houses, the community here fought to keep most of their foothills undeveloped. At least for now.
Affordable housing is increasingly hard to find in Ventura, even as new townhouses and apartments are springing up all over, to the relief of some and fury of others who want to preserve the city’s vintage vibe.
So, like everyplace on Earth, Ventura is changing, but it’s still easy to bask in its simple pleasures. Just bring a wrap — summer and early fall evenings can get chilly here — along with an appetite for excellent eats and laid-back adventures, which you can pursue or not. Whatever moves you, dude. It’s all good.