Westlake Village, California! You’ve heard of it, but what is life really like here? I’m going to go over the pros and cons of living in Westlake Village.
So let’s get after it…
PRO #1 IT'S GORGEOUS
The entire Conejo Valley is beautiful, but Westlake Village takes the cake. It’s like the “Beverly Hills” of the Conejo Valley. There is attention to detail everywhere you turn. Even the freeway off-ramps and over- passes are beautiful. The shopping centers are exquisite with high end shops and restaurants. Medians are beautifully decorated with flowers and foliage, and the neighborhoods are very well maintained.
And then let’s talk about the 125 acre lake with 8 miles of shoreline. Built in 1969, it has about 1300 homes with access to the lake. Residents enjoy walking, cycling, fishing, and boating here. There’s nothing quite like the beauty of this area, and you can’t help but love taking in the stunning views from one of the lake-front restaurants. Speaking of restaurants, this leads me into Pro #2!
PRO #2 RESTAURANTS
Westlake Village has some of the best (and most high end restaurants) in the entire Conejo Valley. When people from the neighboring towns want a nice night out, they come to Westlake. It has almost every kind of restaurant you could want, all within a small radius. So if you can’t get a table at your favorite spot, your 2nd favorite spot will be just down the block.
PRO #3 CLOSER TO L.A.
If you are a commuter, or just someone who spends a good amount of time in Los Angeles, Westlake is a great location. It’s a quick drive over the hill to Malibu, just a few minutes from the San Fernando Valley, and only 45 min to Downtown LA.
Quick side note: Westlake Village can be a little confusing: about ⅔ of Westlake is in Ventura County and part of the City of Thousand Oaks. The other ⅓ is in Los Angeles County. Not a big deal for your day-to-day life. But you should know, if you live on the LA County side, your kids will be zoned for LA County schools in Agoura, not the Westlake Village schools. But like I’ve mentioned in previous videos, School of Choice is always an option. Also worth noting, the sales tax on the LA County side of Westlake is about 30% higher.
OK, so Westlake is sounding pretty perfect right about now, huh? Well let’s get into the Cons.
CON #1 IT'S EXPENSIVE!
All the beauty, amenities, and proximity to the city, come at a price. Westlake homes fetch the highest price of all the towns in the Conejo Valley. At the time of this post, the median sold home price for a single-family home in the past 12 months in Westlake Village was about $1.75 million, with many houses selling for $3-4 million or more. Compare that to the other towns in the Conejo Valley: Thousand Oaks median home price was $1,025,000, and Newbury Park was $950,000.
Wow. Still interested? Good for you! Call me 🙂
CON #2 EVERYONE WANTS A PIECE OF WLV
Alright, so all the great things I mentioned about Westlake Village result in this area being the social hub of the Conejo Valley… and this leads me into Con #2.
Everyone from all over the place descends upon this town to enjoy the amazing restaurants, theaters, shopping, etc. You did your research online and you think you’re moving to a small town, but the 400,000 residents from the surrounding areas all want a piece of the Westlake Village action. Expect longer waits at restaurants (or better yet, be sure to get a reservation!).
This is the one area where you might not find a parking spot right away.
CON #3 ELITIST VIBE
There can be an Elitist vibe: Remember earlier when I said Westlake Village is like the Beverly Hills of the Conejo Valley? Well, there can be some of that Beverly Hills type “attitude” that goes along with it. This is certainly not the case for everyone who lives there – I have lots of friends who live in Westlake that have zero snobbery – but you should know that some of that vibe does exist.
Westlake definitely attracts a Country Club type clientele. If you are the Country Club type, you will LOVE it here. If you are not a Country Club type, you may feel a bit left out. Would it stress you out to live in a community where you are feeling the need to keep up with the Joneses? Then this might not be the community for you.
The good news is, there are other communities in the Conejo Valley and you can find the area that best suits you.
BE SURE TO READ MY NEXT BLOG
Alright, that wraps up my Pros and Cons of living in Westlake Village. Be sure to read my next blog where I go over the Pros & Cons of living in Thousand Oaks, and the Pros & Cons of living in Newbury Park, with more content to come covering other nearby communities.
If you’re interested in more information about living in Westlake Village, feel free to reach out and I can get into more details as they pertain to your personal needs. There’s a neighborhood out here that’s right for everyone, so let’s find the one that’s right for you. See you soon.
emilyberdonRE@gmail.com
CALBRE #02166248
Aviara Real Estate
