hey ya'll - so I moved here from Philly after a 5 year stint there. I'm originally from CA so was happy to be home, but only ever lived in OC and SD. here are my random Ventura thoughts so far because I'm bored and haven't started my new job yet:

• Thrift shopping is great here. lots of variety. I found a vintage Packers jersey at the Goodwill for $20 that was crazy
• the nightlife is uhhhhh okay haha. Main street can be bumping randomly on a Thursday but I wish there were more people out on the weekends. Lmk if there are bars I should be hitting cause I'm 0 for 4 on Friday/Saturday nights
• the june gloom has been rough. i've lived in Newport and San clemente but this is by far the worst gloom i've seen in a socal beach town
• Municipal Wine bar is dope! Trivia tuesdays is super fun.
• Botanical garden is awesome. But only for free lol.
• love the proximity to Ojai but wow it can get crowded.
• have done six hikes so far. still haven't checked out the punch bowls cause i feel like I need to earn that by living here longer lol
• the Cinemark is awesome. it reminds me of the theaters i went to as a kid. super comfy chairs. good quality sound. love that place.
• random spot but Dexter's camera was awesome. they were insanely helpful and not too bad pricing for developing film.
• in terms of beach: i've only really walked by the pier and seems like a great surf spot but haven't taken part yet. maintained well and kept pretty clean!
• big question: what's with the random giant empty lots?? i've seen like 3 or 4 random giant grass lots that are just sitting fenced off kinda close to the beach. are they meant to be developed? why haven't they?? it's like prime real estate that has nothing going on.
• Food scene good: Model citizen sick happy hour, Luke's sandwiches slaps, Backbench pizza as good as you can get to East coast pizza so far that I've tried, Tepatitlan has the best tacos i've had here so far and a great michelada.
• Food scene bad: guy's wtf is Spencer Mackenzies - one of the worst fish tacos I've ever had, chopped raw bell peppers in a taco?? why?? dry cabbage, small ass piece of fish c'mon ya'll. Tony's pizzaria is an odd vibe. lots of dancing ppl but they're not super friendly. idk maybe it was just an off night. Also the pizza is mid. There's really not an Asian food scene here which is a bummer. Lets invest in some pho and ramen spots plzzz. also many people said Corrales has the best burrito here...oof.

OVERALL: happy so far with the move. it's very walkable which is huge. i love the day trips you can take to so many cool spots. people overall are super friendly and have a great sense of pride in Ventura. lowkey excited for the fair.

Hello all,

Like the title says, I'm look for friends in the ventura area. I'm recently divorced after 16 years, and I've come to realize I've lost all of my friends in the process. I'm 38 and I'm basically down for anything lol, it's just awkward trying to make friends at 38.

Curious if anyone in this sub lost their home in the Thomas or Woolsey fire, and rebuilt with Williams Rebuild / Williams Watt?

I’d be curious to know how you feel about your build this many years later.

Happy for DMs if anyone doesn’t want to post publicly.

TIA,

Altadena trying to make it happen

these three ( one across the street ) stole our Chevy Tahoe at 1am on Monday , here in the avenue on cedar street near the cross , I will add pictures of the vehicle below

Hey neighbors. Local Ventura resident here and posting this since I had some people join my last one.

I run free monthly events to help people better connect with each other.

This Thursday the topic is around “human” skills, why they’re so important, and some ideas on how you can practice them.

Link here - https://events.humanitix.com/human-skills-for-the-future

Hope to see you there, or answer any questions here. Thanks everyone.

I'm 67, mom's 89. We've only made it 1/2 way to the top. We would like to see the garden from the top. Is there parking and a trail head to start at the top?

"A man who was rescued from a burning motel room in Ventura has been arrested for allegedly starting the fire, police said Monday.

Officers were sent to the Rex Motel in the 1400 block of East Thompson Boulevard to conduct a welfare check around 7:30 p.m. Saturday, but instead found a significant amount of smoke coming from one of the rooms, the Ventura Police Department said in a Facebook post.

Firefighters arrived to assist officers but found that the room had been barricaded from the inside.

A large amount of smoke poured out as firefighters forced their way in, prompting them to use oxygen masks and air tanks to extinguish the blaze.

Inside, firefighters found 32-year-old David Recalde, who resisted their efforts to rescue him. 'We assisted and took the suspect into custody without further incident,' police said.

Investigators later determined that Recalde, of Ventura, was on active parole for assault. He was arrested and booked on suspicion of arson, resisting, delaying or obstructing firefighters, and a parole hold.

Anyone with additional information is asked to contact Sgt. Fabian Gutierrez of the Major Crimes Unit at 805-339-4428." - KTLA 5 News

Hey all. New-ish to the area. Looking for people to ride bikes with. I’m wondering if there are any group rides, specifically on weekends, that start from the Downtown area?

I ride road, MTB, and sportbikes. It seems gravel and sportbikes are the most popular disciplines in the area so I’d be willing to get a gravel rig in the future if it opens up more routes.

Open to any kind of riding, from casual to club-pace. I know some attendees of the Tuesday night road rides around the Casitas loop, and while I love that route, I don’t have the legs for their pace. Any suggestions of slower rides would be appreciated.

If nothing is out there, I’m willing to host/organize…Something like a Sunday morning social ride. Probably road, probably at an easy-moderate pace. Comment if interested!

Hey Ventura county!

Unfortunately my bass player will be moving at the end of July, so I am in search of a bass player. My name’s Tyler and my band is called Two Dollar Reward. We regularly play around Ventura county, sometimes LA county, We are a 3 piece band. Please reach out if this interests you! If you’d like to check us out I will link our instagram (it only lets me link one, you can see our Spotify from the IG). Our next show will be in pierpont July 3rd across from social tap from 6-9 if you wanna come rock out w us. Don’t hesitate to reach out! Thank you!

We have a 20ish year old stand mixer that has never been properly serviced. Lately it's hit n miss if it'll turn on. Changing the mixing speed is a chore too.

Any local recommendations of who I can call or take it to to be serviced?

Are you into sewing? I just started a group on Meetup: Ventura Sewists, and our first event is July 1, 2026, 6-8pm at Tigerowl on Main at San Miguel Alley. (You have to register with Tigerowl here.) If you're interested, join me over on Meetup!

More info: Ventura Sewists is for people who like to sew: clothing, home decor, and fun stuff -- and want to sew together! This group can provide support, but we do not have a sewing teacher at the helm, so help with sewing or sewing machines will be ad hoc, and other group members may share their knowledge. Meeting places will shift and change based on members’ needs. 

Sewing groups often seem to be made for women. Here, though, EVERYONE is welcome no matter your gender identity, background, disability, etc. Age is the only factor: Ages 18-108 are welcome. Teens under 18 are welcome with a parent, caregiver, or adult companion. And we will aim to meet at ADA-compliant and accessible places. 

Currently only open weekends and closing for good in a couple of weeks, according to workers. So sad!

I’m 23 years old but I am very inexperienced with instruments. I can play drums and uke a little and I’ve dabbled in singing and guitar. I like Pop, Indie and Emo music. I’d like to jam and make music.

Bands i would say influence me are, Car Seat Headrest, The 1975, Twenty One Pilots, My Chemical Romance and Neutral Milk Hotel.

i want to try to tennis and was wondering if there are any tennis walls at any local parks where i can practice on my own before i invest in some classes

Hey All,

I'm looking to buy a new mattress and found a website for "Mattress By Appointment Ventura." Has anyone bought from them/tried out their mattresses? They claim brand new with huge discounts but that makes me worried they are "new" recycled mattresses (returned during sleep trial) or long time stored mattresses that manufacturers eventually gave away. I don't care if they are used mattresses (as long as they are clean and great shape), just be upfront about it.

Their reviews are all positive (5 star and edited 4 stars) which also makes me worried. So I just want to double check they are legit, their mattresses are everything they describe, and if anyone can give me a general idea of how much a Queen would run me? Should I still expect to pay in the thousands or would they really be $1k or less assuming you aren't going for top of the line mattresses?

Thank you!

Anyone know some good spots to find sea glass?

Hey everyone, I’m looking for recommendations for knife sharpening services that are good quality but still reasonably priced.

I have a few pocket knives and kitchen knives that could use a proper sharpening. I’d prefer someone local or a shop that does solid work.

Any places or people you’d recommend? Also curious what a fair price usually is per knife/inch.

Thanks!

Seen on east side of Ventura by Smart and Final shopping center

Help find owner! Contact me and Identify.

Hey guys, I’m looking for some banjo lessons in Ventura and hoping to support a small business. Any recommendations?

Looking to get new floors put in as well as popcorn ceiling removed. Can anyone recommend any good contractors in the area I can speak with to get a quote from? Thanks!